Philippians 3:10-11 "I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! We've got to understand the difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone. In the passage above, Paul says I want to know Chris...

Let me explain the difference between religion and a relationship. Religion is what you do for God; relationship is what God has done for you. A religion is man's attempt at reaching God. A relationship is God reaching out to us, like he did by sending his son to Earth, reaching out to mankind and extending his love and grace to everyone who accepts him. Jesus did not come...

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21 (NIV) This is definitely not what our culture tells us. I actually don't know if there's anything more counter-cultural in the world today than responding to evil with good. Forgiveness. Grace. Turning the other cheek. All of these teachings are from Jesus, not the world. Jesus teaches us that we are...

"Have faith in God! If you have faith in God and don't doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith." Mark 11:22-24 (CEV) Faith opens the door to miracles. If you study the Bible and history, you'll find that every time God moves on earth and does a miracle, it's beca...

It's New Year's Eve. Who else is ready for 2020 to be over? What are you expecting out of 2021? 2020 has highlighted that many things are out of our control. It has also highlighted the fact that the future can be uncertain. A year ago, today, no one could have predicted all that the New Decade would bring. Usually people get excited when a new year rolls around. They se...

"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means 'God with us')."Matthew 1:23 (NIV) Because of COVID-19, some of us may be celebrating Christmas a little different this yearbut it is still a celebration. You can spend this Christmas focusing on the many things you can be grateful for. And you can marvel that the God of the u...

How do you keep family dysfunction from ruining your Christmas? What decisions can you make to bring peace into your holiday celebration this year? Are you willing to become a peacemaker? Matt. 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God." This Christmas season commit to becoming an agent of reconciliation in a world filled with conflict. Bec...

Luke 2:13-14 (KJV) "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace good will toward men." Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He came to Earth to bring peace. He summarizes how he brings peace in a single sentence:"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest"(Matthew 11:28 NIV). If you truly get this sentence, your stress level will drop. Jesus ...

The Good News of Christmas is the gospel message that we are offered free salvation in Jesus Christ. Gospel actually means Good News, and the story of Jesus is the greatest story of all time. Our world (especially now) needs more Christians who are willing to share the Good News, rather than just enjoy it for themselves. How are you sharing the Good News of Jesus this Chr...

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace" (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). It's not easy to stop worrying about the often-scary, everyday parts of our lives, but God tells us how: "Pray about everything . . . and thank him for all he has done." Grateful ...