When I think of the dynamics of the world, I see three players in the story: God, humanity, and the devil. God is always good; He loves humanity, and the devil is always on the opposite side, constantly trying to destroy humanity. Narrowing it down to these makes it easier to define things and assign them roles in everyday occurrences.

We live in a noisy world, and sometimes it feels like hopelessness outweighs hope, and evil prevails over good. However, regardless of the dictates of the times and season we live in, when Christ is amplified, something changes because a world that welcomes Jesus sees glory, healing, joy, and righteousness, despite the prevailing evil that permeates it.

To say that my heart hurts is putting it mildly. I am sad! It’s one of those unexpected moments you want the world to stop and rewind itself, skipping the pain you didn’t expect or plan for. The world seems more evil than you remembered it a day before, and you just want to SCREAM.

Saved! That is a word any captive would love to hear. A person held hostage by an enemy looks forward to the day of rescue. Every day in bondage seems longer because it is not home nor the place the prisoner wants to be. How you breathe, think, and move around in freedom is different from when you are in bondage.

With a history of fulfilling His promises to not just us but generations of believers before, taking God at His Word should be a no-brainer. However, we are guilty of allowing our humanity to cloud the definitiveness of God’s promises.

I always have extra filters ready before the red light on my water jugs or fridge turns on. Knowing that many things may be invisible to my eyes makes it difficult to imagine being caught off guard and drinking unfiltered water for a day. Have I ever drunk unfiltered water?

When you find Christ, you gain everything, with the access to the greatest treasures in life. Like your priceless possessions, keeping your treasure close is wise. You can’t walk away from Jesus and leave with joy. To know true joy, you must know Christ and be willing to follow where He leads.

I am not supposed to be here today, living this life I live, but for God’s grace. If you know where I’ve walked and the trenches I’ve crawled through, you’ll understand why I can’t but shout, HALLELUJAH!’ If you’ve seen my buckets of tears wiped off by Love-defined, then you’ll know where my gratitude stems from.

If I could offer a single piece of advice to all the Christians in my life, it would be “Mind your Kingdom business” and focus on your assigned role to maximize your God-given potential. The roads we tread might be dry and broken, but Christ’s affirmation in John 7:38 ignites the restorative power within us. It uproots our old nature and births us in our new life in God. With our redemption, there is now an unstoppable flow within us, and it gives life.

Having a daughter ready for college is exciting but mentally taxing. The thought of dropping her off or leaving her for weeks at a time is difficult for me. However, getting to that point requires navigating different layers of choices, one of which is choosing the college itself. Everything about the school must fit enough for her to want to commit.

Will you allow God to inform your beliefs?  God is for you.  He is crazy in love with you.  There are three ways we typically receive our identity: what people think of us, what we do, or how much we have.  What if you were never limited by any of these three factors? 

I love you.  I see you.  I know each of you. 

I’m raising you up to be mighty men of valor who lead by example to those around you in your daily lives.  I have a plan and purpose for all of you. You will be givers of light in your communities.

Jesus did not come to establish a new religion.  He came to facilitate spiritual transformation in all aspects of life.  He came to establish the Kingdom of God.  He refers to the Kingdom of God in the Gospels over a hundred times. 

If life had buzz buttons for each time I missed my step, their sound would have blocked my ears. Each morning, I face new challenges because everything from the alarm clock’s ringing stimulates my senses, calling for my attention. As I go through the day, I see things I disagree with and want to scream, but with a nudge from the Holy Spirit, I struggle to be quiet.

We can’t define love outside God because “God is love,” 1 John 4:8. If we believe that God is love, we must embrace it as defined by Him. God’s love is rooted in truth, always uncondemning, and not condoning of iniquity.

The value of Christian women to kingdom growth cannot be overstated. Jesus knew this and made them integral in His ministry on earth. While the role of the twelve disciples formed the base camp from which Christianity grew, Christ’s mission flourished because of the women who surrounded Him.

I was working on a puzzle my son made during his school’s parents’ conference and although I got the first few pieces figured out fairly quickly, it was difficult completing the puzzle on time before the meeting starts. I didn’t have a picture to guide me and had to rely on trying and trying again to figure it out. It was somewhat frustrating because it took longer than I expected.

There is a balance to leaving truthfully that we can't achieve by reasoning things out without the help of the Holy Spirit. Even something that sounds noble, like humility, might transmit pride if we don't engage the help of the Holy Spirit. Our neglect of boasting about the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20) makes…

The outpouring of God’s love comes with a wave higher than any sin. It is powerful enough to drown every opposition, yet gentle enough to soothe all life’s aches. It meets us where we are and empowers us to be all God has purposed for us. God’s love is transforming, echoing the Father’s heart with joy in the darkest night and rest in the brightest day.

As followers of Christ, we all desire to grow spiritually. God desires us to grow spiritually and in every area of our lives. However, we need to understand what spiritual growth is and what it is not so that we are not deceived and can pursue it correctly. First, what spiritual growth is not. Spiritual growth is not determined by the title or position we hold in the church.