Richard Ellis Talks

Like other famous museums around the world, The Prado in Madrid can be so overwhelming that if you don't take the time to absorb it properly, you'll miss out on what it really has to offer. But did you know that the same thing is true of the Bible? It's easy to be intimidated by the enormity of Scripture, but if we never open it and read it, we'll never experience the treasures it holds or allow God to use it to speak to us.

One of the biggest causes of anemia is not eating enough iron-rich foods. When that happens, we begin to feel fatigued, weak, and overall, depleted. In the same way, we often choose to feed our spiritual hunger with things that aren't actually nourishing our souls, instead of with Jesus, the only One who can satisfy our needs. God invites us to come to Him not simply to be fed, but to "wine & dine" on the abundance of goodness that He offers!

Image is everything in this world. The question is: Whose image are we reflecting? We all try to portray a certain identity through the way we look, the possessions we own, the careers we choose, and so much more. But God made us in His image, and the only way we can ever truly reflect who He is in us is by allowing Jesus to work in our lives and change us from the inside-out.

Part of being a Christian is having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. All around us, God provides opportunities for us to tell the world about Him. And when the Spirit prompts us to speak up and share the Gospel with other people, it's our job to be bold enough to step out of our comfort zone and obey.

God isn't caught off-guard by our questions. In fact, He knows what we're going to ask -- and He has the answer -- before we even ask the question! Part of growing in spiritual maturity is learning to trust that He answers according to His perfect will and timing, not our own. When we seek God wholeheartedly, He reveals Himself to us in a multitude of ways, including through His Word.

Proverbs 31 tells us the story of a virtuous woman who's the epitome of godliness and honor. But what so many women don't realize is that God already knows they can never become that "Proverbs 31 woman" on their own! Whether male or female, none of us can measure up to His perfect standards without the redeeming power of Jesus Christ working in us to refine and shape us into becoming more like Him every single day.

When it comes to learning how men are meant to lead their household, we have the perfect model in Christ's love for His bride, the Church. God designed the family in a specific way, with man at the head taking responsibility for his loved ones -- but that only works properly if man is first following God as the head of his life. The good news is this: We serve a God who's full of grace and ready to pick us up when we stumble so we can continue moving forward and making progress in our spiritual growth!

We strive for excellence in so many ways: school, work, sports, our families, and even sometimes our sin. But none of those things last forever -- so why are we content to settle for being "so-so" in our spiritual growth when it's the one area of our lives that will outlast our time on this earth? When it comes to our relationship with God, we need to be all in and give it everything we've got, because unlike everything else in this world, it lasts for eternity!

When we think about having a relationship with God, most of us probably don't imagine that includes asking Him which restaurant we should eat at or where we should buy our groceries. But the Lord wants our time with Him to be an ongoing conversation, and that means learning to hear His voice even in seemingly insignificant details. The funny thing about obedience is, when we pay attention to the things He's saying and do what He says to do, we often find ourselves in situations at just the right moment for Him to use us for His glory!

Encouragement is like dessert: Sure, we can get by without it, but who really wants to?! God's the ultimate Encourager, and when our relationship with Him is strong and healthy, He often shows up in big and small ways to inspire and invigorate our faith. Not only that, but when we keep ourselves topped up with His encouragement, we have an abundance left over to offer to others who are in need of support.