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The Holy Spirit has a specific, overarching mission. His task is to teach us about Jesus. The apostle Paul echoed this point. “No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it—What God has arranged for those who love him. But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 MSG).

The world religions look to the teachings of their now-dead founders: Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius. Christians, however, hold to this inscrutable and beautiful promise: our teacher not only spoke, but he speaks. His wisdom is not confined to an ancient document but is a part of the day-to-day curriculum of our mentor, the Holy Spirit.

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For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

In her early years as a Christian author, Gayle often received winsome gifts from her publisher. Bouquets of flowers, chocolates, boxes of herbal teas. All lovely. But over time, her publisher began to send gifts with lasting value. A one-year Bible, devotionals, and prayer journals. As she used them, Gayle became a more mature believer—less distracted by frilly gifts and more committed to using her life to lead others to Christ.

This approach recalls Timothy’s growth under the mentoring of the apostle Paul.. Stressing spiritual maturity, Paul advised, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Then Paul added, “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly” (v. 16). He added, “Flee the evil desires of youth . . . don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments . . . the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful” (vv. 22-24).

Paul’s wise advice offers believers one other key benefit. Even opponents of Christ, when they see our mature choices in Him, “come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil” (v. 26). So “growing up” in God has eternal outcomes beyond ourselves. Let’s not wait, therefore, to grow up in our faith. Others will benefit as well.

In 1890, amateur ornithologist Eugene Schieffelin decided to release sixty European starlings into New York City’s Central Park. While there were likely several introductions of the species, Schieffelin’s released starlings resulted in the first successful documented nesting. Now there are roughly eighty-five million of the birds flapping across the continent. Unfortunately, starlings are invasive, pushing out native bird populations, spreading disease to cattle, and causing an estimated $800 million annually in damage. Schieffelin couldn’t have imagined the damage his choice would cause.

            Choices can have massive consequences. Though warned, Adam and Eve couldn’t have envisioned the disastrous ramifications of their choice on all creation. God had told them they were “free to eat from any tree in the garden” (Genesis 2:16), save one, the tree in “the middle of the garden” (3:3). But deceived by that wily serpent, “[Eve] took some and ate it” (v. 6). Then Adam followed, also choosing to eat the fruit God forbade. So much destruction, heartbreak, and ruin because of one choice.

            Every time we ignore God’s wisdom and choose another path, we invite calamity. It may seem that our choice is insignificant or only affects us; however, our narrow understanding or fleeting desires can easily lead us into a world of trouble. Choosing God’s way, though, leads us to life and flourishing.

My  grandmother had a routine on Saturday nights. Before she went to bed, she laid out all her clothing including the shoes she planned to wear to church the next morning. She always attended the early service and wanted to be ready to get up and go the next morning without any delay. One Saturday night she was suddenly hospitalized. Later, Jesus called her name and she died. When my grandfather returned home from the hospital, he found her clothes laid out. She’d been prepared to go to church as well as to meet her God.

My grandmother’s ritual reminds me of the wisdom of the bridesmaids in the parable in Matthew 25. In the story, Christ tells His disciples to be ready for His coming: “Keep watch,” He said. No one knows “the day or the hour” He’ll return (v. 13), so it’s wise for us to be prepared. If we wait until the last minute to prepare, we could be like “the foolish ones” (v. 3). They ran out of oil because they hadn’t prepared well, and just after they left their posts to refill their lamps with oil, the bridegroom came.

We may not need to lay out our clothes like my grandmother, but her ritual demonstrated her desire to be ready for church as well as for her Savior. May we use her wisdom to be ready for the most important things in life, serving Jesus as He leads us and being ready for His return.

Jesus doesn’t want us to think of the Holy Spirit as an it or a thing. The Spirit is a person. According to one study only four people in ten believe that the Spirit is a divine person. The rest of those surveyed either don’t have an opinion or choose to believe the Spirit is more like a power surge than a divine being who empowers and teaches us.

Can you join me in a pledge? “I hereby resolve never to call the Holy Spirit an it.” The Spirit is a person. And Jesus calls him the Paraclete. Now translators land on different, yet similar, translations for this Greek word: Comforter, Counselor, Advocate, Intercessor. But the central message is the same—we are not alone.

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For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Michael Sparks walked into a thrift store and bought a souvenir copy of the US Declaration of Independence for $2.48. Later, as he looked closely at his parchment copy, he felt there was something unusual about it. So he had it assessed by experts, who told him it was one of now thirty-six remaining copies of two hundred commissioned by John Quincy Adams in 1820. Sparks then sold his rare copy of the Declaration for $477,650!

While the acquisition of this treasure for such a small price is astounding, there’s a treasure that’s infinitely better. As a child, I found out about a priceless, matchless, and eternal treasure that didn’t cost me a cent. But I didn’t find it at a thrift store.

My parents revealed to me that a man named Jesus had purchased this gift by giving His life on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins. They then told me this gift was called salvation. It promised the treasure of an abundant “life to the full” on earth (John 10:10) and an “eternal life . . . life in [God’s] Son” with Jesus (1 John 5:11-12). I accepted that gift by faith.

It's amazing to find an earthly treasure at low cost, but that can’t compare with the eternal treasure Christ offers at no cost. This treasure offered to each person is received as we “believe in name of the Son of God”—Jesus (v. 13).

There's nothing like honesty when it comes to hearing people's stories. CCV Lead Pastor Ashley Wooldridge returns to the podcast with his wife, Jaime.

In a raw conversation, they open up about their...

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What if your pastor is one conversation away from burnout—and no one knows it?

In ministry, the warning signs don’t always look like collapse. Sometimes, they look like silence, fatigue, or a slow drift from intimacy with God.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jeramy and Jerusha Clark of Standing Stone Ministry to talk about the emotional and spiritual toll leadership can take—and what it looks like to care for pastors before crisis hits.

With decades of experience in leader care, the Clarks share powerful insights on:

✔️ The early signs of ministry implosion
 ✔️ How leadership stress impacts marriages and families
 ✔️ Why many pastors don’t know how to care for themselves
 ✔️ The role of boards in fostering a culture of care
 ✔️ How trusted friendships—not resources—make the difference

Whether you're a pastor, spouse, board member, or just someone who loves your church—this is a conversation every church needs to hear.

About Jeramy & Jerusha Clark:

Dr. Jeramy Clark received his Masters of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry from Talbot Theological Seminary.  After pastoring for nearly thirty years, Jeramy became the President of Standing Stone Ministry, an organization that offers soul care for pastors and other ministry leaders. Jeramy savors coffee of all varieties, plays the drums, and enjoys golf.

Jerusha Clark is the author, co-author, or collaborative writer of twenty books.  She co-authored five books with Jeramy, including three bestsellers, prior to launching her own writing and speaking ministry, focused on helping others glorify and enjoy God, one thought at a time.  On quiet days, you can find Jerusha at the beach, her absolute favorite place.  

Jeramy and Jerusha have two adult daughters and love ministering together as shepherds to pastors and ministry leaders through Standing Stone Ministry.

Additional Resources:

ECFA.org/LeaderCare

Standing Stone Ministry

God Meetings Course

In a world where mistrust is the default, trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. If you want to build a healthy culture, care for people, and lead with lasting impact, trust isn’t optional. It’s essential.

Watch video and download the leader guide: https://www.life.church/leadershippodcast/building-a-culture-of-trust-live-from-the-global-leadership-summit