Faith & Lifestyle According to the Bible Archives - Page 6 of 10

June 10, 2021June 10, 2021

A Closer Look: Abraham, the Father of Faith

Abraham, faith, obedience, God, covenant

For a long time growing up, I had very little connection to the Bible. Since the only real Bible we had was a King James version, as a child my reading plan always fell apart by the time I got to the Tower of Babel. And a children’s picture book of Old Testament stories could only take me so far. My knowledge was…vague at best. I could maybe recite a few key points regarding events of the Old Testament– often confusing Jonah with Noah. Regarding Abraham, I knew he had a son named Isaac…or was it Jacob? Or was he the one with twelve sons?

June 7, 2021June 9, 2021

Spirit or Flesh – Which is More Important?

spirit or flesh, eternal vs temporary, seen vs unseen, God, Jesus, faith

Have you ever thought about how much our society focuses on tangible, physical, and surface level things? Whether it be social media platforms, your favorite sports team, a trending video game, or the viral recipe circulating the internet – there’s always something new that needs to be seen. The world does anything it can to grab our attention, and you know what? It works.

We’ve become so focused on finding happiness on the outside, that we tend to forget about what’s on the inside. Don’t get me wrong, taking care of ourselves and physical needs are important. But how are you doing on the inside?

June 3, 2021June 8, 2021

People are Leaving the Church – But Why?

leaving the church, why, Christianity, Bible, Jesus, God

Why are so many people leaving church these days?

According to a recent Gallup poll,in 2020 less than 50% of (U.S.) adult Christians regularly attended church. Compare that to the 70% who said they attended a church in 1999. Over the recent decades, the general decline in church and religious affiliation has risen with adults under 40. What is the cause of this? Here are several reasons that can explain why.

May 27, 2021November 8, 2021

Why Are the Pharisees the Bad Guys in the New Testament?

pharisees, bad guys, new testament, jesus

Heretic! Demon possessed! Liar!

A roar of countless voices hurls insults at Jesus. Hands grasping stones, prepared to throw. You’d maybe expect this kind of treatment for a cold-blooded criminal. But not for Jesus, the Son of God. Nevertheless, this is the kind of treatment he received when he went out to do the work of God. Most of us know that Jesus was not well-received during the time he was alive. But do you know who was to blame for Jesus’ treatment?

May 24, 2021May 23, 2021

The Danger of Adding Our Own Thoughts to the Bible

danger of adding our own thoughts, revelation, Bible, God, Jesus

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

Revelation 22:18-19

This passage comes as the very last warning written in the Bible. Scary, right?

The last thing God tells us is to not add or take away from His word, especially the prophecy of Revelation. If we take away from it, God will take away our place in the holy city, i.e. heaven, and if we add to it, He will add the plagues in the prophecy. Yikes.

May 20, 2021May 23, 2021

How to Cash In Your Salvation Voucher

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 1:12-13

As Christians, we may think that by saying, “I believe in Jesus and God, I’m saved,” like that’s all there is to it. One and done. Yet looking at the verse above, it says we have “the right to become God’s children”. What does that mean?

May 10, 2021August 16, 2021

How is Your Spirit? Spiritual Plant Care 101

spiritual plant care, how is your spirit, faith, plant

From the title you can guess that this article will liken caring for our lives of faith to caring for a plant. But honestly–physical gardening? Hate it. No joke, it’s #2 on my list of things I hate to do. For those of you who, like me, can think of ten more exciting things to do than to watch grass grow, you might be flooded with images of pulling up never-ending weeds in the hot summer sun. Or lugging around a heavy bottle to give the plants water. Mom nagging you to cover them with a bucket at night.

May 6, 2021May 6, 2021

What Are You Sacrificing for Your Life of Faith?

sacrificing for your life of faith, sacrifice, jesus, disciples, abraham, faith

How much would you say you’re sacrificing for your life of faith on a day-to-day basis?

This probably isn’t a typical discussion question with friends or family, because for many, it’s not a very comfortable conversation. Growing up, I used to think that being a Christian required a lot of sacrifice. As someone who’s definitely not a morning person, getting up early every Sunday morning for church required tons of effort. That was a sacrifice, right? Plus, I spent lots of time at countless volunteering activities and outreaches.

April 29, 2021July 29, 2021

Why Can’t I See God? How to Believe in the One You Can’t See

see, believe, why can't i see God, God's Word, promise

At one point or another, most people have spent time considering the existence of God. It comes up in good times and bad, while we’re surrounded by other people in conversation or alone with our own thoughts. This thought, in some shape or form, has probably crossed everyone’s mind: Why can’t I see God? It would be so much easier to believe if He just came down and let me see Him.

I’ve lied awake waiting for that spiritual experience, a sign–anything. But I never saw God. They say that “seeing is believing” but perhaps that phrase needs some revision.

April 8, 2021September 26, 2021

How to Worship God According to the Bible

If you’ve been around to many churches like me, you’ll know that every church has its own way of conducting worship. I’ve been to ‘hip’ churches for young college students that had a rotating roster of seven bands to fit everyone’s tastes. I’ve been to churches that share music from YouTube instead of having a live band. And I’ve been to churches where the congregation members speak in tongues and collapse in tears as the music hits its emotional peak. It seems as though Christianity is all over the board when it comes to worshiping God. And while we all want to worship God in the way we feel is best, let’s take a moment to consider what worship actually is and if we’re doing it according to the Bible.