Your past is a problem when it creates fear for your future. It limits your potential and gets in the way of a deeper relationship with God.

Your past is a problem when it creates fear for your future. It limits your potential and gets in the way of a deeper relationship with God.

As a society, we have more anxiety now than we ever have before. We carry it around like a software virus. It slows us down and quietly keeps us from operating at our full potential.

Fear is an emotion caused by belief in a looming potential loss. It’s based in the future. The source of our fears is usually something we’re going to lose or we’re afraid we won’t have in the future. Since we can never really know what’s the around the corner, is it even possible to live without fear?

People who were not like Jesus liked Jesus, and he liked them back. Since the church is the body of Christ, people should be drawn to Jesus followers. Even if they don’t agree with the message of the church, they should like the church. So, why isn’t that true?

We all have wish lists. But what if there are some wishes that, if we keep front and center, will make our lives better, our relationships richer and our faith journeys more exciting?

-Mark Balfour speaking on the theme The First Thing You Have to Know. September 23, 2018

The best way to predict your future is to pay attention to where you’re headed. But sometimes it’s easy to get distracted by what’s on the path. The appeal of money, acceptance, or security can lower your defenses and lead you away from the path you want to be on. So is there a way back? How do we change course when we realize that we’ve chosen a path that leads us to what’s appealing instead of what’s ultimately satisfying?

Nobody gets lost on purpose. But we often find ourselves in places we never intended. If there’s a disconnect between what you hope to be true in the future and the direction you’re headed now, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at your path. Our direction, not our intention, will determine our destination.

Nobody gets lost on purpose. But we often find ourselves in places we never intended. If there’s a disconnect between what you hope to be true in the future and the direction you’re headed now, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at your path. Our direction, not our intention, will determine our destination.