As we look toward 2022, many of us are considering how to walk closer with the Lord in the new year. Faith brings us closer to God. When asked by Philip to show the disciples the Father, Jesus asked, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip?" (John 14:9). We grow in our intimacy with God as we take Him at His word. Hebrews 11:5-6 describes the essence of faith, and Abraham is an example for us of the faith that pleases God. I hope this episode encourages you to put aside doubt, draw near, and dare to believe God is the rewarder of those who seek Him today, in 2022, and every day after.

The Christian life is meant to be lived in community, as we follow the godly example of others who have gone before us and as we set an example for those around us of what it looks like to "run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 12:1-2). But along the way, it's easy to get tired and worn out by suffering, which can slow us down if we don't have God's perspective on it. It's also easy to veer to the left or right of the path God wants us on instead of staying on a straight path in faith. Regardless of where we are in our journey, it matters that we run well. Fellow believers and professing believers are watching - and how we choose to run can help determine whether or not they are "healed" and "see the Lord" or whether they "come short of the grace of God." It's a lot of responsibility, but Jesus, who gives us faith and perfects it, strengthens us to keep running - and run well.

When it comes to the Christian life, what's a good substitute for obedience? There isn't one. God's rejection of Saul as king, because of his repeated disobedience, teaches us that good intentions are not a sufficient replacement for godliness; refusing to accept responsibility for our sin means we aren't repentant; and choosing to act based on what people will think instead of a desire to honor God is idolatry. The good news is, in Christ we are fully accepted and pleasing to God; He brings us near to God, who desires us to offer thanksgiving and obey Him with all our hearts, giving us the strength to do so by His Spirit and leading us into the abundant life we're promised. 

In Numbers 16, a group of men, led by a Levite named Korah, rise up against Moses's and Aaron's leadership. Their goal? To usurp power and steal the status of leadership for themselves. Even though Korah's family was called to a very special purpose, it wasn't enough for them. They wanted more. It's easy for us, even as professing believers (see Romans 1:17), to do the same: to relentlessly seek to build our own empires and make a name for ourselves, disdaining God's purposes for us. But Philippians 2 points us to Christ, who humbled Himself to the point of dying a shameful death on a cross for man's sins and was exalted by God above all others. If we want to be great in God's kingdom, the road is paved with suffering, humility, and service. But we can be certain that nothing is better than the grace God gives to the humble and pursuing His purposes for us with all our hearts. 

In John 15, Jesus uses an analogy of a vine and branches to teach His disciples how to abide in Him. In verse 11, He teaches them why: "so that" they would experience His joy and that their joy would be made full. In a world that tells us to find our joy in ourselves, Jesus's words provide the key to true, deep, and lasting joy: bringing glory to the Father. In this episode, we look at the testimony of the John the Baptist and consider how we, too, can be as "completely happy" as Jesus. 

John Piper writes in God is the Gospel, "The world needs nothing more than to see the worth of Christ in the work and words of his God-besotted people." The God of the Bible is not merely a God to be feared or served but to be delighted in. It's then that His glory is most magnified--when we are satisfied in Him.