As we journey through many familiar passages in the Bible, one verse stands alone as the most familiar passage: John 3:16. But just as it is the most familiar passage, it is also the most misunderstood. It is here in a single verse that we find the sum and substance of the gospel.

How can Christians maintain everyday faith when life gets hard? When we grow weary? Rather than being a simplistic band-aid, Isaiah 40 offers a rock-solid hope that when we look to God, we will find renewed strength to keep going.

There can be a danger when reading a well-known passage like Psalm 23. The danger lies in ripping it out of context and applying it to people who don't truly know Jesus as the Good Shepherd. But for the believer, this Psalm offers the lasting hope that God is our shepherd: leading, comforting, inviting, and pursuing us all the days of our lives.

Oftentimes, we go on vacations to rest and feel renewed after busy seasons. But more often than not, we need something more; we need the kind of renewal that only God can give. We need a deeper, spiritual renewal. As God did in Joshua's day, he is calling us this day to spiritual renewal. 

Over the years, we may have grown familiar with certain passages of Scripture. Psalm 23, John 3:16, and others come to mind. But we can't divorce these texts from their original context, nor from how they shape our daily walk with the Lord. This new series examines these familiar truths and how they strengthen our everyday faith.

Exodus 34 may not seem like one of those familiar passages, but it shapes much of the language about God throughout the Old and New Testaments. This is where everyday faith begins: by remembering and responding to the character of God.

As we close our series through the book of Proverbs, we return to where we began: the fear of the Lord. Our culture of expressive individualism looks at humility like a straitjacket, but the Bible describes it as the key to living the wise life leading to glory. We must see 1) what humility is, 2) what keeps us from it, and 3) how we become humble.

Everyone plans. Plans represent our passion and desire (or lack thereof). Maybe we love planning, or maybe it stirs up anxiety in us. Whatever emotion is conjured up, the Bible calls us to plan and to plan well. How do we do this? We must first put our plans in God's sovereign hands and allow his sovereignty to motivate our plans.

Stewardship begins with a foundational assumption: God owns everything. Because of this, we must learn what it means to live as a responsible steward over every area of our lives. Ultimately, Christ’s perfect stewardship empowers us to steward all that he has given us.

From the very beginning, God designed us to work. Working is how we live and rule in God's world, but since the Fall, we, as the workers, act unfaithfully. The Proverbs give us the portrait of a faithful worker who is righteous, diligent, and prudent, but we can't transform our work ethic on our own. We need the work of the Faithful One to transform us so that our faithful work can exalt our faithful Savior.

Our world is full of beauty. From paintings to people, we see beauty all around us because our Creator God is beauty. But sin can twist and distort our longings for beautiful things by making us ignore the Creator and create idols for our hearts. But godly wisdom isn't found in rejecting beautiful things; it's what gives us godly vision for godly beauty.