No one has ever hit the mark of God’s ideal. As Scripture tells us, “...we’ve all fallen short of God’s glory.” And unfortunately, we can fall into a line of thinking that believes that’s all that faith is about: a constant reminder of our fallen nature. But what Jesus offers is something better—not to remind us of sin, but to once-and-for-all redeem us from sin.
Read MoreJesus wasn’t just another chapter in the story that God was telling. Jesus is the hingepoint of history, changing everything for forever and for the better. He brought the Old Covenant and the old way of relating to God to its completion, and He launched the New Covenant with power—based on better promises and a better relationship with God.
Read MoreOld Testament Scripture is a revelation of God—we see Him in the pages of Genesis, the Law, and the Prophets. But it’s not a perfect revelation of God. In fact, we don’t see God in full—until Jesus. And in Jesus, we see an exact, better representation of God than anywhere else. So if you’ve ever wanted to know what God is really like, just look at Jesus.
Read MoreQuestion: “How do you see God’s will for your life?” Is it an ever-elusive piece of knowledge that you can’t seem to get your hands on? If that sounds about right, you’re not alone. Many people move towns, start businesses, get married—all chasing after God’s will for their life. But the good news is that when we walk in the ways of God, we are always in the will of God.
Read MoreA terrible place to find yourself this year? On a high horse. Nothing can rob the relationships in our life like a judgmental, critical, “better-than” spirit. Sadly, we can easily fall into this mindset—and to make matters worse—feel like we’re doing it with God on our side. So how do we avoid the pitfalls of judgmentalism and start to see others through the eyes of Jesus?
Read More“The Breakfast Club”, “The Karate Kid”...every “Rocky” ever made—they all have one thing in common: montages! And these montages show incredible progress occurring in an incredibly short period of time. Funnily enough, we seem to think this same “movie magic” works in real life. But the truth of the matter? A montage mindset never leads to the future God has for you.
Read MoreDepression—primarily in young girls—skyrocketed in 2012. You know what else skyrocketed in 2012? Smartphones and the use of social media. Suddenly, with a tap and a scroll, you could compare your behind the scenes footage to everyone else’s highlight reel. And not much has changed the last decade, including how we fight the deadly mindset of comparison.
Read MoreWe live in a culture that emphasizes the priority of Self more than any point in human history. We love us some US! We’re encouraged to engage in “self-care”—spoiling ourselves with all our wants, needs, and desires. But what if what we call “self-care” is actually self-destructive? What if true self-care has little to do with spoiling ourselves and lots to do with serving others?
Read MoreIt’s the start of a new year, and with the new year comes plenty of well-meaning resolutions. A big one for lots of us? “Put Jesus first.” While the sentiment is noble, it’s a little off. Jesus’ call to his followers was never to be put first. Jesus’ call to us was always more radical than that—and when we see his call for what it actually is, everything else falls into place.
Read MorePressure. Pushing down on me. Pressing down on you.
For real—we’re all under pressure. Stress over our situations, worry over our next moves...it can be unbearable. And if we give into it, pressure will blind us, making us helpless. But if we allow the Holy Spirit to change our thought process, we will see God use the very same pressure to produce power in our life.
From the moment that Jesus was born, he associated with the meek, the outcasts, and the forgotten. He associated with sinners—like us. And He still does to this day. Jesus has shown us what God is really like, and He isn’t a God unaccustomed with our struggles, but an intimate God who carries our sin and shame himself—and replaces them with life and hope!
Read MoreIt was another quiet evening in Bethlehem...until the silence of the night was split by shouts of joy from a group of shepherds. This ragtag group of men had witnessed something unbelievable—something incredible—and they had to tell everyone. And that’s how it is in the Kingdom of God...it’s so life changing that when you encounter it, you can’t help but share it.
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