Monday Moments

Life is full of trouble. Unfortunately it’s a matter of time before we each experience something really difficult, and probably life-changing. Whether it’s because something was done to us or it’s because of our own choices isn’t the point. The point is that even though trouble feels horrible while we’re in it and it doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t have to become our identity. In fact, when we trus...

The word covenant may not mean much to most people these days. It can sound like an antiquated church word that lost its meaning over the years. The truth is that covenants play a pivotal role in Scripture and in our relationship with God. Simply put, when we do life God’s ways, we receive His blessings. The reason is because God chose covenants to be the way He shows His love, His plans, and His...

The illustration of sowing and reaping is one of almost infinite parallels with life in Christ. Discipleship begins with God’s Word being the seed that is planted in our souls and bearing the fruit of salvation. The great news is that it doesn’t stop there. Being a disciple means that we are becoming more like the one we’re following. The problem is that we are incapable of doing that on our own....

Have you ever wrestled with God, or have you simply resolved to figure it out on your own? Life isn’t always easy, and it isn’t always clear. There are a lot of “good” things we can do in this life. But is it what God has asked you to do? If we say we are surrendered to Jesus, we should do what He is asking us to do, not what we think is best, and not what someone else thinks. The answer to leadin...

Many of us have an understanding, however deep or shallow, of priests. It’s a term that paints a specific picture in our modern understanding, but one that has a very deep and important meaning that goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, Melchizedek, Aaron, and eventually Jesus. But what value does “priesthood” have on the other side of Jesus’ death and resurrection? In the book of 1 Peter,...

If you’ve ever wondered what we’re here for, you’re not alone. Discovering your purpose in life is a universal experience. We all go through it at one time or another. The world is going to try and define it in a number of ways. It might sound like career success, financial abundance, material possessions, popularity, or any other number of circumstances that, on the surface, look good. Certainly...

What’s love got to do with it? Quite a bit. The truth is that love has everything to do with it. It’s the central theme of some of our favorite fairy tales and cultural bedrock. Throw a stone at any rom-com, and you’ll see that it’s all about finding true love. As young adults, we’re obsessed to the point of anxiety about finding “the one.” Love is a big deal for us. Our world is more confused tha...

What, exactly, is “joy?” How is it different from happiness, and why is it such a big deal at Christmas? God wanted to make it very clear that the freedom and future Jesus promised is for everyone. It’s not just for the elite, the religious, or the kings of the world. That’s why the news came first to lowly shepherds. God gives His grace to the humble and opposes the proud. That’s why they were fi...

The promise of Peace suggests that within every person, there is something that carries the burden of anxiety, fear, discontentment, ambition, and other feelings that leave us joyless and exhausted. The beautiful gift of the Peace God promised us is that it’s a two-fold gift. Firstly, because of Jesus, there is peace between us and God the Father. No longer do we have to sacrfice animals, go throu...

Hope is a universal experience. But have you ever stopped to wonder why? Whether it be something innocent like presents at Christmas or something weighty like the guilt of sin or the grief of loss, hope is the anticipation of something better. Deep down, we all feel that something is amiss. Everything is not as it should be, and the reason is that we live in a world marred by sin and brokenness. S...

The Bible teaches us that it is possible to be grateful and rejoice in the midst of suffering in life. In fact, the Bible not only suggests that it is possible but urges us to live in such a way. But how do we do this? How can we remain thankful and joyful when life becomes overwhelmingly hard? Such a life of gratitude is an overflow of an intimate relationship with God. This is only possible when...

God’s Word is full of promises that are faithful and true. In fact, very little can be counted on in this life, but God’s promises are a solid foundation because they’re backed by the honor of His Name (Psalm 138:2). While God’s promises are true, so many times we don’t get to experience them. God promised a son to Abraham. In fact, God promised that Abraham would be the father of an entire nation...

If this world is not our home, why do our actions matter so much? After all, we’re saved by grace through faith, right? The reality is that we are saved by grace through faith in the complete and total work of Jesus’ death and resurrection. At the same time, God cares about our choices and actions. There will come a day when all will stand before Him, including the Christian. The question will be,...

It doesn’t take any amount of convincing that we’re living in a crazy world right now. It doesn’t matter your background, your beliefs, political viewpoints, or cultural upbringing, our world is the most advanced it’s ever been yet the most troubled. Wars are breaking out, famine and disease are rampant, natural disasters seem like a weekly occurrence, and let’s not even get into politics. So how...

Self-help is a massive industry, especially in our culture today. It seems that self-help books, motivational speakers, and life hacks are a dime a dozen, but the quest for a better life seems never-ending. In this information age, we still have not found the answer to a truly fulfilling life. Perhaps it’s because we are looking for the right answer in the wrong place. So often, we default to a “t...

Jesus came not only to be our Savior but also our King. Knowing Jesus as Savior saves us, but knowing Jesus as King transforms us. Oftentimes, salvation is viewed as the only aspect of Christian life, when it is really the beginning of a dynamic relationship with God.  In 1 Corinthians 5:17, Paul says that anyone who is in Christ is made a new creation. In order to be new, we must fully step away...

The purpose of Scripture is to help us know God and be more like Him (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Transformation is often easier said than done, however. When we come to challenging passages as we read in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, we often want to fill the understanding gap with our ideas or the interpretations of our culture rather than sit with the text and allow it to transform us. Upon further digging,...

Communion may seem like another religious ritual that means little. Some churches observe it every week, while others observe it only occasionally. However, the Bible clearly states that regardless of how and whenever we observe communion, we should do so with the honor, faith, and power it actually holds. “Do this in remembrance of me,” Jesus said (Luke 22:19).  What does this have to do with con...

Scan the tabloids at your local grocery store check-out line, and you’ll see a litany of “prophecies” about future events. Biblical prophecy, however, is much different. Sure, there were times when there was a foretelling of future events, but practical prophecy is simply telling the truth of God for the benefit of others. Biblical prophecy is aligned with Scripture, founded on love, and yielded t...

If you were asked what the foundation of Christian living is, what would be your answer? Some might say, “faith.” Some might say, “charity and good works.” Some might say other good things that are certainly in the Bible. But what if someone told you the foundation ought to be love? It seems counterintuitive. It seems too simple, too easy. Yet love is often the thing we lack the most. Jesus said i...

The tongue, while essentially for sharing the gospel, has the power to cause destruction. In Chapter 3 of James's letter, he sheds some light on the necessary truths regarding our speech. If we don’t yield this small but powerful part of the body to God, we will use our words to tear others down. However, when yielded to God, the tongue is just as powerful to build up others and the Kingdom o...

Many would say that Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection was the greatest gift to humanity. After all, it resulted in the eternal redemption available to everyone throughout history. And yet Jesus told the disciples before He went back to Heaven that there was more. He told them to wait for the promised Gift of the Holy Spirit. He had alluded to this Gift during His earthly ministry, and it was t...

As critical as The Holy Spirit is to our relationship with God, the apostle Paul saw the need to emphasize the importance of unity. While it may seem odd at first, experience tells us that humans can tend towards pride, independence, and a myopic view of the world. Paul expertly uses the analogy of our physical bodies to explain how God intended us to use these special gifts He gives us. This illu...

The Holy Spirit is one of the more contentious topics in Christianity today. There is much misunderstanding about Who He is and what He does. What if we began by knowing Him instead of focusing on what He does? The “doing” is important, and we certainly don’t want to minimize it. Often, the “knowing” takes care of the “doing.” If God described Himself as compassionate in Exodus 34, and Jesus is de...

Every gift from God is given with a specific purpose. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes various spiritual gifts as being distributed by the Holy Spirit for the common good. These gifts are not random or trivial; they are divinely orchestrated to help us grow spiritually and to support our community. Each gift is thoughtfully designed to help us fulfill our unique role in God’s plan.  In this epi...