Those without Jesus determine the value of others based on things that are seen externally.  This even happens in the church, but God has called us to look beyond the external to see the portion of His presence deposited in each believer when they received Jesus.  This is our true identity, and it is hidden…

It’s hard for us to understand the culture that Jesus and Paul were a part of when the Bible was recorded…and so much of what is communicated means far more than what we casually assume. No where is this more profoundly seen than in the story of redemption, of Jesus giving His life in exchange…

There are so many stories recorded for us in the Bible about those who trusted God and saw their crazy faith rewarded with astonishing results.  How unexpected is it that some of the best lessons on walking in faith come from the life of a man who wasn’t a believer, who wasn’t a follower of…

There is a reason that Abraham is called the father of our faith.  As his story begins in Genesis 12, we are introduced to a man who just believes.  Can we even understand how rare this is for people, to simply believe.  As he responds in obedience to the request God made of him, he…

Naturally, all of us want God to answer our requests as soon as possible, but what happens to our faith when it takes a little longer than we originally planned…like maybe, forty five years longer.  Well, fortunately for us, Caleb’s story gives us the perfect roadmap of enduring faith, and its victorious outcome.  It’s not…

The Bible is filled with people who had crazy faith…faith that didn’t see impossibilities, but rather, faith built in the relationship they shared with their amazing God.  Daniel had three crazy friends who had faith that definitely registers on the crazy scale.  The lesson of their lives is clear…our faith is in the God we…

The Father is revealed to us through Jesus, loves us through instruction, protects us and provides for us…but ultimately, He simply wants to have an intimate relationship with us.  As we know Him, we can imitate Him and show His character and nature to the world around us.  The fatherless world around us is desperate…

People may cry out for God’s protection more than any other thing…and God wants us safe.  His protection, however, doesn’t always look like keeping us comfortable in our quiet little lives.  Instead, He is busy making certain that the eternal parts of us are kept intact, and in doing so, our physical safety is going…

One of the roles the Father longs to play in our lives is our provider.  In fact, His Name, “Jehovah Jireh” means the one who sees ahead and provides.  The trouble is that so few of His people are receptive His provision, often trying to work it out on our own, and stressing about all…

Just the word “discipline” causes a chill to run up our spine as we think about punishment, shame, guilt, and condemnation…so how does that display of the Father?  Discipline actually means “training” in the context it is used, and when we think about how the Father loves us, it often comes in the form of…