“Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful." -1 Corinthians 1:27 Have you ever felt God tell you to do something unusual? Have you ever heard God speak to you about something that would happen, but what was spoken has not yet materialized? This somewhat uncomfortable situation happened to many leaders in the Bible, such as Joseph, Abraham, Noah, Joshua, Gideon, and Jesus. Abraham and Sarah were promised a son -- but were very old. Sarah was so old, she even laughed at the idea! (Genesis 18:12) Joseph was thrown into a pit after his dream, long before his dre

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." Ephesians 2:8-9 We live in a very performance-based world. Performance can result in more success, which equals more money. And although we should be diligent and hard working, is our success or lack thereof all because of us? Sometimes we think we can earn our salvation because of our efforts. But the reality is, we received grace -- and that's it! We do things Christ would want us to do out of our love for Him, due to our revelation of His love for us, so that others might experience the

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." -Hebrews 4:12 I don't know about you, but when I used to hear the phrase "the living word" I thought it was a little strange. How can inanimate objects, such as words, become alive? As a teenager, reading God's word was dull and boring. I didn't really understand it. I read the book of Psalms because it comforted me, but other than that, it was difficult for me to read the Bible -- even though I wanted to understand it. It wasn't until later when some things happened in my life that God bega

I was just about to turn 17 and feeling completely hopeless. My home life growing up had been tumultuous and filled with strife, and my parents had finally divorced a few years earlier. Still, the scars of my past haunted me and I struggled with depression and cutting. I cried out to God and asked Him a poignant question: What was the reason for my life if it was only to suffer? On my 17th birthday, I was feeling especially depressed, and my mom wanted to take me out for my birthday. My birthday was in the summer, and I felt pretty lame that I didn’t have any friends to go out with. In the car on the way to the restaurant, I was considering how I was going to end my life, but I thought of my

"Then Moses said to him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.’" What's different about you and I as Christians? I think the world is wanting to know. With much emphasis on political activism in the news, many people think that Christianity has had a more negative contribution in recent years than a positive one. (See Barna report here: http://www.barna.org/faith-spirituality/440-americans-describe-christianity-contributions) But God is not about political activism -- although He is about truth. He wants to know you and I. He is about saving souls, and He wants people to know that He loves them, first and foremost, before He begins to fix any of our problems

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." -Galatians 6:9 & 10 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." -1 Corinthians 13:13 Do you ever find yourself looking for motivation some days? The drudgery of life can sometimes make us wonder why we try so hard. Even though some people may have better circumstances than we do, and others may have worse, everyone struggles with a lack of motivation at one point or another. But, what motivation can we rely on that will sustain us th

"LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart." -Psalm 15:1-2 15:1-2 All throughout the Bible, the scripture talks about being blameless. What does that mean? Aren't we humans always going to sin? Living a blameless life has to do with the intention of the heart. "I will be careful to lead a blameless life - when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart." -Psalm 101:2 When we walk blamelessly before God, it means our intention is to do good, and to live a Holy life. It doesn't mean we won't make mistakes, but it means our desire is to honor H