What particular abilities has God given you? When God wove you together before you were born, and when he made you new in Christ, he chose gifts for you — special resources, experiences, and abilities for you to steward and practice. Do you believe that? If so, do you know what they are? Can you name some specific ways you’re striving to use them and grow in them?If you believe in Jesus, he has gi...

One of the most frustrating parts of my life is that I’m not as passionate about God as I should be. I imagine many Christians feel similarly. There are some, however, for whom this feeling goes deep and lasts long.Some of us may find ourselves in the midst of a long stretch of feeling fairly indifferent about the things of God. We know that Bible reading, prayer, church involvement, missions, eva...

Take a moment and imagine a deserted landscape at high noon. Rolling plains stretch before you, perhaps a bit parched and brown. In the distance, mountain ranges frame the horizon. The heat is oppressive—the kind that makes most people seek shelter. At the center of this scene sits an ancient well, and beside it, a solitary figure waits.This isn't just any traveler resting from a journey. This is ...

Most of us live most our lives doing mostly mundane things. We might experience a few pivotal, defining moments in life. But most days we don’t get married, receive a positive pregnancy test, or achieve a breakthrough in our field. Most days, we’re commuting, studying, parenting, working, doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, or paying the bills.Do those activities count in God’s eyes? Does the munda...

Imagine the scene: dust swirling through narrow streets, whispers spreading like wildfire through the coastal town of Capernaum. "He's back." The healer, the teacher, the one who cast out demons had returned. Last time, the entire city had gathered at Peter's door, desperate to see him, curious about his power, longing for transformation.Now the house where Jesus taught was packed beyond capacity....

This man receives sinners and eats with them. Luke 15:2The Pharisees and the scribes were rather grumbly about the characters Jesus chose to eat with. If he had chosen to eat exclusively with upstanding people such as themselves, they might have praised him. But the complaint spread from one man to another in a hushed and derogatory tone: “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” As has been...

There's something profoundly misunderstood about grace in our modern Christian culture. We've reduced it to a comfortable catchphrase—"God's unmerited favor"—and while that's technically correct, it barely scratches the surface of what grace truly means for our lives.Grace isn't just about getting a second chance. It's not about God giving you another opportunity to try harder or do better. If tha...

How often do we casually invite our family or friends out to dine at our favorite restaurant, check out some views at our favorite rooftop, or even grab the best desert at the most Instagram-able location we’re sure they’d love? It’s easiest when we’re almost certain of their response, and it’s even easier when it’s a shared common interest.When we truly love and enjoy something we obsess about it...

When life gets hard, our instinct is to run. We want out of the difficulty, away from the pain, free from the struggle. We pray desperate prayers for escape, for rescue, for immediate relief. And if we're honest, we sometimes wonder why God doesn't respond the way we think He should.But what if suffering isn't something to simply escape? What if there's a profound purpose woven into the fabric of ...

Some days, it is hard to get out of bed in the morning, to make my body move despite the pain I experience. Some days, even when I don’t move, I feel pain throughout my body from fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome.Some days, when the medical bills are mounting, the extra expenses just seem too much. Some days, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, depressed, and hopeless.It is easy to listen to th...

Read: John 6:51 (NIV) “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”ReflectMerry Christmas! Today, we celebrate the greatest gift: Jesus—the eternal Son of God—became flesh and moved into our world. John’s Gospel doesn’t tell the Christmas story with shepherds or angels, bu...

Read: Micah 5:2–4 (NIV) “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times… He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.”ReflectOn that holy night in Bethlehem, God was doing more than just s...

Read: Micah 5:4–5 (NIV) “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace.”ReflectAt Christmas, we talk a lot about peace—peace on earth, goodwill toward men. But what kind of peace do we really need most?Micah points us ...

Read: Hebrews 8:4–10 (NIV) “There are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. … But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. … ‘This is the covenant I will establish … I will put...

Read: Matthew 16:15–17 (NIV) “‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.’”ReflectAs Christmas draws near, are your eyes ready to see Jesus for who He truly is? When Peter declared, “Y...

Read: Romans 5:11 (NIV) “More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”ReflectChristmas is about more than gifts and gatherings—it’s about restoration. In Christ, God has done the impossible: He’s brought us back to Himself. We call this reconciliation. It’s not just a theological word; it’s the heart of the gospel. We were ...

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Read: Romans 3:25–26 (NIV) “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement… to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”ReflectSometimes God’s greatest gift isn’t immediate peace, but a holy frustration—a deep sense that nothing in this world can truly satisfy our hearts. That was Martin Luther’s story. He tried ...

Read: Mark 10:44 (NIV) “Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”ReflectWhen Jesus calls us to greatness, He flips the world’s idea of it upside down. He says, “If you want to be first, become the servant of all.” That’s not what we’re used to hearing—and honestly, serving others, especially when it costs us something, isn’t easy.But here’s where the gospel is radically different from every...

Read: Mark 10:45 (NIV)......