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We all wear labels. Many of the labels we wear were placed on us by others—parents, siblings, friends, teachers, coaches, or coworkers. But what if we’re carrying around the wrong labels? Who has the right to label you? Who are you going to allow to label you? Who knows best how to label you? Labels create expectations, and expectations influence the direction of our lives.

What makes a hero? Better yet…what would make you a hero? We look at what makes a person heroic, and why so many people think about it but so few do it.

Sometimes what seems like the end is actually the beginning. The first Easter found the disciples of Jesus discouraged, defeated and convinced it was over. If you’ve ever found yourself in that place, you need the message of Easter. When it feels like things are over—even dead—they might be just beginning. That’s the power of resurrection.

No one saw Jesus’ crucifixion coming. In a world filled with sadness, terror and heartbreak, it’s easy to conclude that God is losing. But at the very moment in which it looked like God had finally lost, God was securing his finest victory.

A hero’s life is always dramatic. Truthfully, most of us have a love hate relationship with drama. We are attracted to drama in other people’s lives, but we resist it in our own. Could it be possible that when we resist drama, we resist God? 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: “What have we done? We ha...

People who are fully engaged in the life of the church invite others to experience what they’ve experienced. That sounds simple. But why you invite someone is even more important than how you invite someone. Because when Jesus’ earliest followers invited people to come and see him, they weren’t trying to explain something. They were inviting others to experience someone. A living example is better...

“We have hope because in Christ, we don’t have to depend on the corrupt systems of man to be saved. He alone reconciles us to God. He alone gives us power to live today. He alone gives us hope for tomorrow.” – Dr. George O. Wood

“Help me God!” How often have you said these words? Our prayers take on a completely new dimension when we’re experiencing hardships or difficulties. And there’s nothing wrong with that; God invites us to call out to Him and ask Him for help. But if we’re only involving Him when things go bad, we’re using Him like a vending machine. He becomes a last resort—a last priority—receiving only the lefto...

The biggest disconnect in the church is the difference between our Sunday beliefs and our Monday living.

“Do or do not; there is NO try.” – Master Yoda Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone else’s half-hearted efforts?

When you have a mess to address, first options aren’t usually the best options. Getting back at the person who wronged you, lashing out, taking risky gambles— first options often make messes messier. Doing the right thing is more difficult. Doing the right thing doesn’t offer quick, simple fixes. But it results in a story worth telling, a story that glorifies God. That’s because doing the right th...

We’ve all made messes in our lives. In fact, we know a mess when we see one because we are messes. It’s something we all have in common. One misconception is that the Christian life is all about avoiding messes. But that’s not true. If you dumb Christianity down to being about avoiding trouble, then your faith will be all about you—the foundation of another mess. Following Christ isn’t about avoid...

We’ve all made messes in our lives. In fact, we know a mess when we see one because we are messes. It’s something we all have in common. Our messes may bring us together, but they also make us feel separated from God. When we can’t even live up to our own standards, how can we live up to God’s standards? We assume our messes must disappoint or anger our heavenly Father. But the truth is, the mess...

Whether we’re religious or not, we all have at least one thing in common; we’ve all made some messes in our lives. You’ve said things like, “I messed that up,” “I made a mess of that,” or, “My life is a mess.” We’ve all been in, are in, or are only one decision away from a mess. But there’s something you need to know: there’s a powerful connection between your messes and your relationship with God...

Most people begin the new year asking, “What should I do about me?” In this series, we introduced a different question: “What breaks your heart?” If you want to become a better person, do something to make the world a better place. Maybe this series has inspired you. But maybe you don’t know what breaks your heart, or maybe you know what breaks your heart, but you don’t know what to do about it. I...

This is the season of self-improvement. We challenge ourselves to get slimmer, stronger, and smarter. But if you want to become a better person, focus less on yourself and more on doing something to make the world a better place. The challenge is that making the world a better place requires giving up some part of our lives—time, money, or opportunities. It will cost you some life. We don’t want t...

This is that time of year when we become painfully aware of where we are not, who we are not, and what we need to do differently. Traditionally, the new year is a season of self-absorption. It’s all about what we can do to make ourselves better people. The result is that churches, health clubs, debt counselors, and vitamin shops do a booming business. But we tend to forget that the people we respe...

This is that time of year when we become painfully aware of where we are not, who we are not, and what we need to do differently. Traditionally, the new year is a season of self-absorption. It’s all about what we can do to make ourselves better people. The result is that churches, health clubs, debt counselors, and vitamin shops do a booming business. But we tend to forget that the people we respe...

n the movie, the Grinch who stole Christmas, we get a glimpse of what happens when we let our holiday traditions become the reason for the season, rather than doing things that connect us to the true meaning. When a tradition loses its meaning, it can do more harm than good. The Hero of the story, Cindy Lu, is a picture of the courage, hard work, and risk it takes to celebrate the true meaning of...

Here’s the truth: Despite all the happy hoopla and sentimental songs, Christmas can be one of the most stressful and tangled times of the year. Why? Because Christmas is often a time spent with family. Have you ever had a specific moment when you realized that your family was complicated? In Matthew 1:18-25, we see that God’s family had drama—a lot of drama. Obviously, our all-powerful God chose i...

Life isn’t easy. We experience problems and setbacks everyday. But during the hardest parts of life, when the bottom seems to fall out, where do we turn? Although God doesn’t offer any easy solutions, he does offer himself and his presence as an anchor of hope.

“Saying, ‘Please’ and ‘Sorry’ and ‘Thank You’ aren’t just good manners: They are the key to spiritual maturity. Never stop saying ‘Sorry.’ Never stop saying ‘Please.’ And never stop saying ‘Thank You.’” – Mark Batterson Do you forget to show thankfulness? Do you forget the benefits of God?

“Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live, the more convinced I become that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it.” – Chuck Swindoll Where do you turn when it seems like life itself is kicking your butt?