Talking about money can be uncomfortable, and sometimes the Church has not always done this well. Yet the practice of tithing helps us to put money in its proper place by recognizing everything is a gift from God. When we choose to invest in God’s kingdom we increase our awareness of and gratitude for God’s provision.

We take Scripture too seriously to always take it literally. The Bible is not simply a static rule book with facts about God. It is more than an inspirational text to encourage us in life. Scripture testifies to Jesus, the fullest revelation of God, and allows us to know him more fully so that his wisdom can shape and direct our lives.

Gratitude is central to the lives of believers because it reminds us of God’s goodness, reassures us of his faithfulness, and it’s a sign of genuine, saving faith. Intentionally practicing gratitude leads us into richer and more meaningful lives as disciples.

Jesus said that how we love one another is the hallmark of our discipleship. In order to fully live into our faith and grow deeper in the way of the Jesus we need to practice community with other Christians. As we commit to doing life together we come to know the fullness of God’s love and seek to extend this love to all those we meet.

Just because something looks right on the outside doesn’t mean that it is right in the inside. When we settle for poor substitutions in place of God we find ourselves dissatisfied and longing for more. The state of our heart is always revealed through our thoughts and actions. When we learn to treasure the right things the intent of our heart follows.

Too often what we think is self-awareness is actually just self-centeredness. When we lose sight of God it is easy to rush the future or carry the past into the present, and in doing so we can sabotage the good thing God has for us. Only when we increase our God-awareness can we increase our self-awareness, and then we can attend to the present with a transformed heart and mind.

It is far too easy to find ourselves overwhelmed by life because we have said yes to too many good things that aren’t always the right things. When obligation drives our decisions we can feel burdened, anxious and, resentful. But Jesus wants us to choose the best thing first, and promises that all other things will flow from that.

Jesus wants more for you than sin has to offer, but he can’t want it FOR you. Choosing the life available to us in Christ requires surrender and sacrifice. Jesus shows us that we will lose our lives one way or another, and we get to choose what that looks like. When we accept all that God wants for us we move from self-preservation to self-giving love.

In a world that is obsessed with self-improvement it is easy to believe that you need to change in order to be acceptable. And unfortunately the church has reinforced this mindset more than not. But Jesus shows us that God’s love is unconditional and he delights in you just as you are, no matter where you find yourself in life. His radical acceptance is the starting place for all transformation.

When bad circumstances come our way we too easily we believe that God must be behind them in order to punish us or teach us a lesson. It’s easy to assume that God is keeping score and just waiting to give you what you deserve. But Jesus shows us that when we assume God is more concerned about the rules than anything else we are often blinded to his love and grace.