The Old Testament is an important part of our faith. In fact, the only Scriptures the New Testament authors had was the Old Testament. What we need to understand in our New Testament faith is that the Old Testament contains the history of one nation and a promise made to all nations. It's not just part of the story. It's part of your story. And the point of the story? Jesus. Every sign, every sacrifice, every promise, every story in the Old Testament pointed toward Jesus. The Scriptures tell the story of how God, from the very beginning, decided to love us until the very end. You and I have been part of the story from the very start. He sent Jesus for me and for you because He loved us. And that is the greatest hit of all.

We love to think of faith as some type of vaccine against evil and suffering, but that just isn't true. Faith offers no exemptions from difficulties. Faith does however offer perspective and hope for those going through even the most trying of times. The story three Hebrew teenagers whose convictions and faith came under fire teaches us much about a faith that can weather the painful of experiences.

There are moments in our lives when God calls us to be steady and patient; at others, He calls us to take a major life-changing step. After the death of Moses, God appointed Joshua as the new leader of the Israelites and told him to step in and take hold of the Promised Land. It was a major turning point in Joshua’s journey. Like Joshua, our own faith journeys are full of formative moments. In these moments we have a choice between faith and fear. Even though Joshua could not choose his circumstances, he could choose his responses to them. Joshua’s step of faith not only changed the circumstances for the Israelites, but it changed the circumstances for all generations to come.

The story of Esther is an incredible story of influence, courage, and faith. Esther had a huge responsibility to save the lives of her people, but she was merely the wife of the king. She was not allowed to come before him without being invited. Just like Esther, regardless of how we feel about our circumstances, we all have the ability to influence those around us. It is up to us in how we use it and what we use it for. Despite the consequences, Esther went before the king to save God’s people, and the king had mercy on her and granted her request. In this same way, God has extended grace and mercy toward us and sent His only Son to be a sacrifice for our sin, so that we may come boldly to Him.

The story of Jonah The Prophet and The Big Fish was a Sunday School favorite in our childhood years. However this story speaks very pointedly to all of us even into adulthood with themes, truths, and insights that we were not presented as children. Jonah was a prophet with a book in the bible that bears his name, but is he the man of God we thought he was? And the bigger question is, in the end is he a person we would want to be like?

David and Goliath is one of the most known stories in all of scripture. It has become so well known that it has actually become a secular metaphor you often hear in sports, business, and life in general. However, it is still often misunderstood. What if one of the stories we have been told since childhood was actually told to us the wrong way, with the wrong point, and the wrong application?

The stories we love best are the ones we relate to the most. The reason? Our favorite stories are our own. The story of Abraham is the story of whom scripture refers to as, "The Father of Faith". His faith paved the way for those would come after him. His faith was so strong, he bet it all on God, and in the end he and the world was better off because of it. Though his story is epic, if we listen long enough, and lean in close enough we just might find our own story in Abraham's.

We all want to be the best versions of ourselves. We want to be great spouses, parents, employees, bosses, and followers of Jesus. The goal is not perfection, but progress. One of the reasons we often find it difficult to make progress is that we simply don't know how. What do we do when we don't know the right thing to do?

Have you ever wanted to have a closer, more intimate relationship in your life? God earnestly desires to have a close love relationship with all of us, and for us to experience His love in such a way that we are "all in," fully committed to Him.

In order to ensure that our lives do not end with regret, we must ask ourselves, "What would the heroic version of me do?" The prophets and other heroes of the Old Testament asked the same question and answered it by enduring countless hardships for a promise they never saw come to life: Jesus. Their perseverance was a result of their faith in Him, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. This is what made them heroes. We, too, can be heroes by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the hero inside each one of us.