Have you ever felt like you needed to work harder, do more, be better? That God’s grace is still something to be earned? We shine like stars when we hold on to the word of life, but by grace is how we do it.

Have you ever loved ants enough to seriously consider becoming one? God did. Today we consider The Pattern Jesus set out for us... it’s a rough beginning, a hard middle, but an amazing ending. Check it out.

In Phil. 1:12-30, Paul explained his situation to the church in Philippi and gave his reaction to it. Jesus changes everything, even the way that we endure hardships and suffering. This portion of Paul’s letter puts this on full display as the hope of the Jesus pattern in suffering shines through. While Paul may be in chains, the Gospel is not.

Today we start a journey through the letter written to the church in Philippi. The Apostle Paul opens this letter of encouragement by sharing why they bring him so much joy and what his prayer is for them.

Why does communion matter? Because communion belongs to the weak, because the Lord’s Supper is for those who don’t have it all together but do have Jesus.

Baptism is public proclamation, physical representation, mystical unification, symbolic identification and good ole fashioned obedience.

Telling others about Jesus is hard. In Acts 8, through the life of Phillip, we see some patterns that can help anyone share their faith in a personal and conversational way. When we do so, we join in God’s mission being realized in beautiful and powerful ways.

Great lives have the same elements as all great stories. A character that wants something worth wanting and overcomes great conflict to get it. If no one would want to read a book about your life then start editing today. When we live for the future, we experience heaven on earth. What do you want... because if you can afford it, you probably haven’t found it.

Have you ever wondered if change is really possible? The Bible teaches us that it’s less about what you do than Who you know. Eyes up.

Have you ever made such a big mistake in life that you’re not sure how you’ll ever recover? The apostle Peter and our friend Celia show us how to “Recover from Failure” in our first installment of Moments That Make Us.