Many people in our culture see the Bible as nothing more than a collection of legends or religious folktales. The conventional wisdom of our culture tells us that the Bible has been badly distorted through multiple translations and isn’t a credible source of information or inspiration. Why would anyone living today trust the Bible? We long for a source of direction and hope, yet we are told that the Bible can’t be trusted.

Religion is basically how ancients understood the world, but science has taken us so far beyond that. However, if we think deeply, we realize that there are many deeper questions for which science does not provide satisfying answers; questions such as the origin of the universe, the meaning of life, the complexity of our world. The truth is, scientific discoveries can actually be a source of revelation about God – what theologians sometimes call ‘’general revelation.”

The Biblical picture of eternity is far more compelling than what we normally imagine. Scripture describes a place of perfect community, meaningful responsibility, incredible beauty, and unlimited joy. The Bible describes us as having real bodies, not just existing as disembodied spirits or “angels”.

Have you ever wondered what the end times will look like? Or if we're living in them now? Here are six signs of the end times according to Jesus in Matthew 24.

There is a strong sense within our hearts that there must be more to this life than just this life. We try to ignore this longing or bury it under a flurry of activity, but in our quietest moments, that still, small voice can be heard. Much of the depression and anxiety in our culture could be traced back to the loss of belief in Heaven. Having lost sight of eternity, we try to find heaven in this world. Ultimately, we become discouraged because life doesn’t work out the way we thought it should.

Hebrews 3:12-13 warns us about the potential of “turning away from the Living God.” The way to prevent this from happening is to “encourage one another daily.” Barnabas (whose names means “son of encouragement”) embodies what it looks like to be an encourager.

Esther was forced to wrestle with a very important question: Had God placed her in a royal position “for such a time as this”? Was her influential position all about her own comfort and security, or did God have something bigger in mind? We should all be struggling with that same question, “Why has God brought us to this position in this place at this time?”

Gideon was a man God used to take an army of 300 men and defeat a strong military force. Gideon first thought the task was too big, but God promised He would always be with him. Sometimes what we think God asks of us is too big to accomplish. But the difference between fear and faith is our focus.

John The Baptist was a man who lead many people to Jesus. One day he was thrown into prison, and he started to doubt Jesus. When our circumstances make us question God, we need to remember to doubt our doubts and trust God with His plan.

Ehud is a character in the Bible that not many of us heard of. He was an ordinary man and a judge that God used to save the Israelites from a controlling King. If you think God can't use you to do his greatest work, think again! Extraordinary moves of God begin with ordinary people of faith.