However, spiritual labor is different. In 1 Thessalonians 1:3, the apostle Paul addresses the church, saying, “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.”  Read More

If you are feeling heavy and weighted, then you are living. God never promised that as His children we would not endure some hard seasons. He never promised that we would not be challenged. In fact, He encourages us to rid ourselves of those things that may cause us to be distracted and stop.  Read More

He voluntarily stepped out of the unimaginable glory of heaven and condescended into our human story. As Hebrews 2 reminds us, He was made lower than the angels for a little while subjecting Himself to human flesh, limitations, sorrow, and ultimately death so that He could conquer sin, death, and the grave. He went down to the lowest depths so He could lift us up as His brothers and sisters to share in His eternal glory.  Read More

Amazingly, when each shepherd arrived, his sheep knew him. He did not use force or complex sorting systems; he simply spoke and led them out of the enclosure. The shepherd’s sheep recognized the distinct tone of his call, separated themselves from the other sheep in the noisy “marketplace,” then followed the shepherd out to pasture or wherever he led.  Read More

Early in God’s grand narrative, He interrupts Abram’s life in Ur with a radical request: He invites Abram to step out in faith with a Word. Leave the familiar, depart your father’s house, and journey toward a destination revealed only as you walk. God promised that in this unknown journey, He would raise up a nation through Abram.  Read More

The core of who we are, our thoughts, desires, and decisions must be fully surrendered to and governed by the Lord. During our waking hours, we must intentionally position ourselves to receive God's counsel through His Word and by listening to Holy Spirit.  Read More

There are moments in our walk with God when we look back and realize that the only explanation for our survival, our sanity, or our breakthrough is divine intervention. Plainly put: God is the only reason we made it through with our sanity and our very lives.  Read More

In Greek, “Charis” reefers to an unearned gift or goodwill. It is often described as the unmerited favor of God, shown to humanity through Jesus Christ when he laid down his life for all who would accept him as Lord and Savior. We did not earn or deserve his grace, but that is the very essence of what grace is.  Read More

There are seasons in life when the finish line seems farther away than when we first began. The excitement of a new year, a fresh vision, or a new assignment can slowly give way to fatigue, distractions, disappointments, or unexpected detours. Yet Paul's words remind us that our walk with God is not about standing still, it is about continually pressing forward.  Read More

The name of Barnabas means, “son of encouragement” or “son of consolation”. Derived from Aramaic origins, it is most famous from the New Testament as the name of an early Christian disciple and missionary who traveled along with apostle Paul. His original name was, Joseph meaning “God will increase”. He was given the nickname, Barnabas by the apostles due to his uplifting and generous nature.  Read More

The enemy of our souls has a lot to say, however, he tends to stop short of telling the whole story. He will bring up your past but not remind you that you have been bought and paid for by the blood of Christ, ransomed and redeemed. He will not bring up to your memory, 1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  Read More

There is something about seeing someone down and out come back in a story of redemption that just gives us all hope. I, personally, have always loved a good underdog. Maybe that’s why I’m a Raiders fan…but that’s a story for another day.  Read More