A collection of stories and journies in faith.
1 John is a book that reminds us to obey God’s and Jesus’s word fully, to love one another, and to overcome lies with the truth. We should act and speak as true children of God. Let’s learn to understand, obey, and love as we are commanded.
Continue reading “What is 1 John in the Bible About?”
Paul writes two letters to a young pastor named Timothy, whom Paul considers to be his spiritual child (1 Tim 1:2). Paul was in prison for preaching the gospel and was sentenced to death. Timothy was a newly appointed pastor in the church at Ephesus, and at the time, some people in the congregation were preaching false doctrines, or not staying true to their appointed roles and tasks.
Paul reminds Timothy to teach sound doctrine, and not accept another gospel. In 2 Timothy, Paul reminds the young pastor (and us) to guard ourselves against false doctrines, to be a “good soldier for Christ” and work to please God with our work. He reminds us that many people will turn away from the Word in the last days, but the Word of God should still be preached “in season and out of season”, meaning at all times. Paul finishes his letter saying how he’s “fought the good fight” and now goes to be with the Lord in heaven.
Continue reading “What is the Book of Timothy About?”
Whether religious or not, prayer is a big part of many people’s lives. For Christians, it’s a time when we can talk to God, open our hearts to Him, ask for forgiveness and help, or thank Him. Have you ever prayed really hard for something…but then…nothing? Radio silence. It seems like nothing happened, and you might start to wonder – was God not listening? Does God even answer my prayers? Or did He just choose not to answer that prayer? When we feel this way, we should consider the following points.
Continue reading “How To Make Sure God Will Answer Your Prayers”
“One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
Proverbs 12:26
Have you ever counseled and guided someone before? It could be a friend, family member, or an acquaintance. Counseling is an important tool for helping others deal with all kinds of issues – finances, relationships, or other personal things. Counseling guides people to figure out the best way to resolve those issues that need addressing. It helps them get back to a sense of normalcy in life.
Continue reading “Are You a Righteous Guide? – The Proverbs Series”
If it’s your job to delegate important tasks on a team, do you choose a member who is weak? Or do you generally choose the person most qualified in knowledge, skill, and experience and leave them to it? It’s perfectly acceptable and expected to do this in our daily lives. But have you ever noticed that the ones who are chosen by God to lead His people and preach His word aren’t always the most learned, the most willing, or the most objectively “qualified?”
Continue reading “When We Are Weak, He is Strong”
“God is love” is a phrase we often hear in our churches, from our pastors or our Christian family members or friends. It’s true; God is love, but what does that truly mean? We often think that God’s love is always kind, always accepting, always soft. Like no matter what we do (as believers) God will always forgive everything we do. Yet, when we look in the Bible, is that truly the case? God’s love can also be seen as tough love in many cases.
Continue reading “God’s Love Can Be Tough Love Too”
Ask any Christian, “Why do you carry out a life of faith?” To go to heaven will probably be at the top of most people’s list. But take those same people and ask, “How do you get to heaven?” and then you might start to get different answers.
Some people say you just need to believe in Jesus, while others say you need to be a good person and do good things for others, or countless different other answers. Well, which is it? How can I know 100% that I’m going to heaven? And what do God and Jesus have to say about this in the Bible? We’ll learn that it’s not as easy as some may think.
Continue reading “Going to Heaven Might Not Be As Easy As You Think”
Praise and worship is a large, central part of any church service. From traditional hymns to more contemporary worship songs, many Christians love to sing songs to worship God. Whether they are traditional songs or newer ones, they all contain some beautiful melodies and lyrics. Have you ever been moved emotionally by a praise song? Maybe you’ve cried, raised your hands, or lifted up a desperate prayer.
Continue reading “How to Praise God According to the Bible”
Have you ever considered, or has it ever felt like there was a cost for following God’s truth? That you would have to suffer something difficult or pay a price for your faith? What would that cost look like in our daily lives? And more importantly, would we be willing to pay it?
It’s easy to say yes. But when we examine those who followed the truth throughout the Bible, we can see that the price they paid was high. And what is this Truth we are referring to? John 17:17 tells us that God’s Word is truth. God’s Word, the Bible, the way we get to know God and the way we can learn about salvation. Those who followed God’s Words throughout history faced unnaturally harsh persecution and hardships. Why? Because in a world full of lies, they pursued God’s truth.
Continue reading “The Cost of Following God’s Truth”
The famous John the Baptist. Many of us have heard of or learned about him before. On the surface, it looks like he was one of the first to believe in and follow Jesus. But there is more to his story that many often miss.
Continue reading “A Closer Look: The Lesser-Known Truth of John the Baptist”