In the letter to Smyrna in Revelation, we get a picture of a church facing afflictions, poverty, slander, and persecution. Yet, Jesus reminds them that he is the First and Last, he died and came to life again. In Jesus, they are rich and can stand firm even to the point of death and receive life as a victor's crown. This letter offers us great encouragement today as we face days of increased persecution in the American Church.

The letters to the churches in Revelation offer encouragement and challenges for Christians today. In the letter to Ephesus, Jesus commends them for their hard work and perseverance. Yet, he rebukes them for forsaking their first love. This was a serious sin they were committing that required their repentance. For Christians today, we need to consider the same thing: Are we forsaking our first love?

It is critical that we teach our kids how to pray because prayer is powerful and is a blessing God gives us as Christians. Yet, for many of us parents, it can be an intimidating area because we know that we aren't the best at it and feel quite uncomfortable praying in front of others. The good news is there are practical ways to grow in our prayer lives and steps we can take to see our children praying often and confidently.

We are in the race of faith and we want to give this life our all. So, it is important that we train just like an athlete that is intent on the prize. As Christians, we need to examine our diet (hint: not talking about food and drink), our training, and look at our coaching. God has equipped us with everything we need, so are you ready to get started?

Jesus has won us an incredible prize. Do you know what it is? Do you understand why this prize is so valuable? It is important to know the answers to these questions because they are eye-opening and life-changing.

Back to school is in the air, on our minds and all over social media. Why? Because our kids' education is a big deal. As we launch into a new year of academics and extra curricular activities, let's stop and take a step back and look towards the future. What does a successful education look like? Are we taking the right steps towards that goal? How can we keep the right perspective about our kids' education and make sure we are equipping them for real success?

Is your life marked by unending forgiveness? As Christians, this is how God has called us to live in response to the love and forgiveness he has given to us. This sounds great until we have to do it day after day to people that have wronged us and possibly in terrible ways. So, how do we do it? How do we live as followers of Jesus and offer all unending forgiveness?

Is the phrase "radical love" just Christian jargon, something cool to use for a book title or possibly a podcast? The answer is absolutely not! The love that causes a perfect, holy God to come to earth and give his life to save his wicked, rebellious creation is truly a radical love. The crazy thing is that Jesus now tells us, as Christians, to follow in his footsteps and live this radical love for the world. We love others because he first loved us.

Can you imagine living a life of unwavering trust in God? The awesome thing is that God hasn't made it an unattainable goal. It simply takes getting into God's Word to remember who he is and the promises he has given to us as his children.

Bad news abounds and sin flourishes. Yet, as Christians, we have an unshakable hope! The Bible reminds us of many important truths that conquer the discouraging lies of Satan. We are equipped to lift our eyes and not just survive this world, but to move forward in boldness, bringing this light and hope to a dark, lost world.