Paul was not ruled by circumstances but by trust in the providence and faithfulness of God. This gave him peace, joy, and hope in all situations. He was focused on Jesus Christ—his redeemer and deliverer. As Christians, we must follow Paul’s lead, choosing to focus on and trust in God rather than our circumstances.

Christians are called to be people of hope and joy, who give hope to the hopeless and inspire joy in the hapless. We have been filled with life-giving Spirit so that we might live to “breathe life” into the dispirited! To live with joy might mean we are "defiant" of our current circumstances. Paul's letter of joy to a group of Jesus followers gives us a great model to follow.

We are not made to do life alone and yet, in some of life's biggest battles, when it gets hard with family, parenting and marriage, we tend to struggle solo. Let us not run from vulnerability but embrace the opportunity to be honest with God and seek out the ones he has given us to be in our corner.

There is an incredible foundation available for our families – the unshakeable, unbreakable love of God. No matter how hard life gets, no matter how difficult our circumstances become, no matter how broken the world around us might be, when we follow Jesus, nothing can separate us from God's love.

Even our favorite super-heroes have the capability of failure given the correct circumstances. Building a family of Godly values is not immune to failure either. Considering some of the possible paths to failure can reveal God's directions to a strong foundation.

We all have them and family can be some of the greatest sources of joy and disappointment. There is no such thing as a "perfect" family, so how do we set a direction for health and stability? Jesus shares what it looks like to build the right foundation for our families and marriages that can stand the storms of life.

The empty tomb is a tale of surprise, disbelief, and ultimately, hope. For those who are unsure, who have doubts or questions, take heart. You're in good company. The very first witnesses to the resurrection had to grow in their belief too. God invites us to look again, to consider the evidence, to ponder the impact of this story.

There is profound depth to God's love, as demonstrated through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. That love extends to all of us, even when we feel unworthy or distant from Him. God's love is not based on our actions or feelings, but on His unchanging character and plan for redemption.

God isn't interested in us going through the religious motions or presentations. He's concerned with the condition of our hearts. It's not enough just to hear His Word; even a hard heart can do that. What matters is what we do with it. How are we living it out?

Have you ever wondered why people sometimes make choices that seem to go against their own best interests? Why do we, at times, long for situations that we know aren't good for us? This paradox is not new to human nature, history reminds us how a lack of understanding might cause us to repeat it.