What the early Church looked like as described in Acts 4:32-37 is unheard of with the Church of today. How did they love and take care of each other so deeply? Do we understand the importance of being truthful and walking in the fear of the Lord? The story told in Acts 5:1-11 causes us to see how important honesty and truth is to the Lord.

 Wisdom is knowing what is right and doing it. Listen in as we go through Proverbs 24 as it shows us the importance of why we need wisdom to get through adversity and our everyday life. 

The world is constantly telling us to have more confidence in ourselves. But the truth is as believers our faith and confidence should be in the Lord and not in ourselves. John 3:30 says," He must increase but I must decrease." We must empty ourselves to be filled with the Lord. Most of us think that our faith is strong until we are tested. Then we can clearly see if our faith and confidence is in our self or in the Lord.

Our hearts become hard when we allow sin to build up with in them. In Ezekiel the Lord says that He will remove the hearts of stone and give a heart of flesh. Hearts that are soft are able to feel the presence of God and release His love to those around them. In our culture where we are challenged daily to prove ourselves, it creates more frustration that can only lead to a hard heart. Which in turn keep us from fulfilling the purpose that God has for us. Our hearts should be soft and pliable in the hands of our Creator so that we can walk in the purpose that He has for us.

In Luke 14:1-6 we see where Jesus offends the minds of the Pharisees to expose their hearts. And in verses 7-11 we are given a glimpse of what it means to not seek honor from men. And in verses 12-24 we see where many are invited to partake in the Kingdom of God but have excuses such as their possessions, work, and relationships. Where is your heart and what excuses might you be making to not whole heartedly serve the Lord?

When we diligently seek the Lord for answers, He reveals truth to us. Sometimes the truth hurts and is hard to receive. But when we lay down our pride, surrender our hearts, and receive the truth it sets us free. The only way we can walk in freedom is to receive the truth and walk in it. The choice is yours. 

How can we as individuals and families help create a culture of honor and respect? There is so much to learn from those who have lived before us. The Word of God is clear that we are to show honor and respect to whom it is due. It breaks my heart to see the lack of respect and gratitude shown toward those who serve our nation and communities. To those who carry the responsibility and pain of being a defender and protector in this way, may the Lord pour out His healing upon you.

How do we get in the game as Christians? How do we shine the light in this dark and divided world? There are simple steps that we can take each and every day to walk out our faith.

Many of us have heard the parable about building our life upon the rock or the sand. But when the waves of life come crashing down upon us, we are tested to see just how strong our faith is. Listen as I share when one of the biggest waves of pain and hurt came crashing down upon me and how I held on to the Rock of my Salvation Jesus Christ.

Remember the story of the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears? It's amazing that one act of humility that she performed has caused her to be remembered thousands of years later. What about us? How do we know if we are walking in humility or pride?