Grow In Faith

What if spiritual growth isn't about trying harder, but about positioning ourselves for God to do what only He can do? Welcome to our new "Holy Habits" devotional series! Over the next several weeks, our Christ Church pastors will be exploring the spiritual practices and disciplines that help us partner with the Holy Spirit in the process of becoming more like Christ. In this first...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff explores the central and recurring call of the book: What does it mean to "overcome"? The word "overcome" appears repeatedly in Christ's letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3), each time linked to a profound promise. Pastor Mike explains that in the New Testament, this victory is radically redef...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff examines a curious and easily overlooked detail from Revelation 21:1: in the vision of the new creation, "the sea was no more." For those who love the ocean, this might initially sound like a loss. But Pastor Mike explains that in the biblical imagination—especially for the Jewish people—the sea was rarely neutral. It...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff addresses one of the most famous and often misunderstood symbols in the Bible: the meaning of the number 666 from Revelation 13:18. Pastor Mike cuts through the superstition and speculation that often surrounds this number, exploring its likely significance to the original audience. While some theories connect it to a coded ref...

In this Revelation Devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff tackles a challenging question: Are the powerful images and themes in the Book of Revelation—like the throne room, the "Son of God," and the cosmic dragon—simply borrowed from pagan myths and Roman propaganda? Or is something more profound happening? Pastor Mike explores why similarities between biblical and other ancient stories...

In this final devotional of our "Revelation" series, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff tackles a sobering and essential question: What is the second death mentioned in Revelation? Pastor Mike explains that the "second death" is the ultimate, eternal separation from God—a state of final judgment referred to in Revelation 20:14 and 21:8. Unlike our physical death (the first death), thi...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff addresses a profound and deeply personal question: What does the Book of Revelation teach us about suffering? Pastor Mike explains that Revelation, written by John from the isolation of Patmos, is "resistance literature" for a church facing persecution. It does not deny the reality of pain or sanitize hardship. Instea...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff explores a fascinating and nuanced question about our role in God's kingdom: What does it mean that we, as a kingdom of priests, "shall reign on earth" (Revelation 5:10)? Pastor Mike dives into the textual and theological discussion around this verse, noting that scholars are divided on whether it refers to a pre...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff tackles a deep and multi-layered question: Who is the beast from the sea described in Revelation 13? Pastor Mike explains that a sound interpretation must start with understanding what the first readers would have heard. For them, the beast was almost certainly the oppressive, persecuting Roman Empire—the all-consuming politica...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff delves into one of the most pivotal images in the book: the scroll sealed with seven seals, introduced in Revelation chapter 5. Pastor Mike explains that this scroll represents God’s perfect plan for history—His design to defeat evil, vindicate His people, and bring about the restoration of all creation. The dramatic tension ar...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff examines one of the book's most striking images: Jesus portrayed with a sharp, double-edged sword coming from His mouth, found in Revelation 1 and later in Revelation 19. Pastor Mike explains that this powerful symbol is not about physical violence, but about the piercing, unmasking power of God’s Word. Drawing a connectio...

In this devotional from our "Revelation" series, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff addresses a beautiful and symbolic question: Why are the prayers of God’s people described as incense in heaven? Looking at Revelation 5 and 8, Pastor Mike explores the imagery of golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. This powerful symbol, rooted in the temple worship of the Old Test...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff explores a central and recurring image in the book: the throne. Appearing over 40 times, this is far more than a piece of furniture—it is the book's ultimate visual declaration of God's sovereign power and control. Pastor Mike focuses on the powerful scenes in Revelation 4 and 5, where the throne is the focal point of...

In this episode of our "Revelation" devotional series, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff tackles a key and often debated question: What is the Great Tribulation? While the term itself points to a significant period of suffering and distress, Pastor Mike focuses on the theological and pastoral heart of the issue. He places the concept within the broader biblical theme that God’s people should e...

In this "Revelation" devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff unpacks one of the most dramatic and often misunderstood sections of the book: the seven seals described in Revelation chapters 6-8. Beginning with the powerful scene of the sealed scroll in God’s hand, Pastor Mike walks through the significance of each seal—from the four horsemen symbolizing conquest, war, famine, and death, t...

In this installment of our "Revelation" devotional series, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff tackles a commonly asked and culturally charged question: What happens at Armageddon? Is it a literal battlefield, a symbolic war, or something else entirely? Pastor Mike turns to Revelation 16:16—the only verse in the Bible that mentions the word "Armageddon"—and explores its historical, geo...

In this devotional from our "Revelation" series, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff addresses a direct and important question: Why is he so insistent that the Book of Revelation is encouraging? While the book contains vivid imagery of hardship and judgment, Pastor Mike explains that its ultimate purpose is not to frighten us, but to ground us in hope. Revelation doesn’t end in chaos—it ends in...

Join Mike for a special update! He shares his gratitude for your deep engagement with the Book of Revelation and announces a brief pause on the Q&A sessions for the holidays. But more importantly, he introduces a wonderful resource to prepare your heart for the Advent season. Our Lake Light Institute has created a beautiful Advent devotional to help you look back at the birth of Jesus and look...

In this Revelation Devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff examines what it means to have the discernment of the church in Ephesus today. The church in Ephesus was commended for testing false teachers and hating the sinful practices that God also hates. But how do we practice this kind of biblical discernment in our polarized world, especially when it comes to political issues? Pastor Mike explore...

In this Revelation Devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff tackles one of the most significant titles for Jesus found in the Bible. When John sees a vision of "someone like a son of man" in Revelation 1:13, it’s a reference packed with Old Testament meaning. Pastor Mike explains how this title brilliantly captures both the profound humanity and the supreme deity of Jesus. It points to Hi...

In this devotional, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff tackles one of the most foundational questions for reading the Book of Revelation: What does Revelation 1:19 actually mean? This verse is often presented as an outline for the entire book, but is that the correct interpretation? Pastor Mike breaks down the scene where the Apostle John receives this vision and explores the four major interpretive camp...

In this installment of our "Revelation" devotional series, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff tackles a question that has sparked much debate: Is the millennium a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on Earth, a symbolic era, or a present reality? Diving into Revelation 20, Pastor Mike breaks down the three main theological perspectives—pre-millennialism, amillennialism, and post-millennialism—to...

In this episode of our Revelation Devotional series, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff addresses a fundamental and frequently asked question: Which parts of Revelation should be taken literally, and which parts figuratively? How can we tell the difference? Pastor Mike provides essential guidance for navigating the book's rich and often confusing imagery. He explains that Revelation is a work of apo...

In this episode of our Revelation Devotional series, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff tackles a complex but important theological framework: What is Dispensationalism? This interpretive model, popularized by works like the "Left Behind" series, provides a specific way of understanding biblical history and prophecy by dividing it into distinct periods, or "dispensations." Pastor Mike...

In this episode of our Revelation Devotional series, Senior Pastor Mike Woodruff addresses a deeply hopeful and frequently asked question: What will the new heaven and new earth be like? While the Bible doesn't provide a detailed brochure, it gives us profound promises to anchor our hope. Pastor Mike explores the powerful imagery from Revelation 21, Isaiah 65, and 2 Peter 3, explaining that t...