“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,

"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

"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 b

"Then Moses said to him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.’" -Exodus 33:15 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: https://www.barna.com/research/americans-say-serving-the-needy-is-christianitys-biggest-contribu

"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

"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 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 b

"Jesus responded, 'Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!' Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm." -Matthew 8:26 Doubt is a thing that can stagnate the best of us, or put paralyzing fear in the bravest of us. Often we think in life that having doubt is a smaller problem, but in reality, it's one of the biggest. Doubt doesn't get us to heaven. It doesn't get us to the fulfillment of God's dream for our life. Only faith does.

"Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not speak on My own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work." -John 14:10 Have you ever found yourself lost in something? We can often find ourselves lost in movies, entertainment, work, or other activities. It isn't wrong to be completely focused on something; in fact God calls us to work diligently and faithfully. But when something consumes

"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." -Zephaniah 3:17 Have you ever felt super stressed out? Have you ever faced a huge deadline, or had to do something you were afraid of? The world we live in is pressure and money-driven. So, how do we find peace and rest for our souls in these types of stressful environments? I love the verse above. There is so much t

"The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man's precious possession." -Proverbs 12:27 I love the Jordan Sparks song "One Step At A Time". Even if you're not a pop music fan the message is encouraging. When we encounter obstacles in our path, the best thing we can do is keep moving, one step at a time. Recently our worship director was sharing about how we can get overwhelmed looking at the big picture, when all we really need to do is take