“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5  What can I do? What can I accomplish if I set my mind to it? These are probably questions you have asked at some point or another. It could have been as a child when no dream seemed too big—when the world was your playground, and you could do anything yo...  Read More

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirt…” - Ephesians 5:15-18  The day that you respond to the gospel and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Sav...  Read More

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God— this is your true and proper worship.” - Romans 12:1    There is a story of a young man who on his 18th birthday asked his dad for the key to the car so that he could go out with his friends. His father gave him the keys but told him to return by 10:30pm becau...  Read More

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths." – Proverbs 3:5-6In NASCAR and IndyCar, teams will often employ a spotter to help alert the driver as to what is occurring on the track. The spotter is in constant contact with the driver; they have a broader perspective of what’s going on because th...  Read More

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” - Romans 12:18-19 We live in a world where we may often find ourselves asking, where is the justice? When will those who have been done wrong receive the consequence of their actions? It may be ...  Read More

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” - Proverbs 18:24The biblical story of Ruth portrays the kind gesture of a daughter-in-law, and the reward that follows such act.Ruth and Orpah, two Moab women, married two sons of Elimelech and Naomi. When Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi’s husbands died, Naomi made plans to return to Bethlehem, and urged he...  Read More

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1 Faith operates in the realm of the unseen and it requires a level of trust and hope that can appear to be counter-cultural to society’s standards. However, with faith comes new heights and new opportunities. 24-year old American track-and-field athlete Gabby Thomas was determined to not settle where she...  Read More

“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”  - Isaiah 40:8 Does your faith need refueling? The same way that a gas tank gets drained with time, so can your faith dwindle with the passing of time if you aren’t careful. When you need to refuel, what you need is to go hear the Word of God. That’s why we gather for worship, whether in person or online, because the...  Read More

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’ And through Christ, our ‘Amen’ ascends to God for his glory.” - 2 Corinthians 1:20The Bible says that God is not a man that should lie. If He spoke it, He will bring it to pass. One reason so many people give up on God in the waiting process is because they do not live as if God is certainly going to do what He said ...  Read More

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” - Psalms 37:7There is a story in Luke about a man named Simeon who waited his entire life to see the Messiah, the one who would save and lead the people of God and establish a new kingdom. Simeon is told by the Holy Spirit that he would not see de...  Read More

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” - Psalm 37:4Psalm 37 is one that encourages so many when they read it. If you read it, you will find you can receive the desires of your heart. When reading verse 4, many get excited; “Take delight in the Lord, and he will you your heart’s desires.” You begin to think about what you desire and how God is promising to give it to...  Read More

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. - James 1:12 On April 30, 1945, an unknown Jewish writer left a note for a friend who helped him escape Nazi persecution by hiding him in his home. In the note, he writes, “thank you for what you did for me. You and your family have shown grace ra...  Read More

“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, Wait patiently for the Lord.” – Psalms 27:14 Author and speaker Joyce Meyer once said, “Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.” There is a process that you must endure; but if you remember that there is purpose in the wait, it will help you to navigate difficult days. In Genesis 37–50, the story is told of a young Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers out of hatred and jealousy. Joseph went from being a personal servant and being falsely accused of rape followed by imprisonment, to being the highest official in ancient Egypt to serve the pharaoh. He ultimately established peace with his brothers. Joseph said to his brothers, “do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives…God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Joseph understood that his journey had purpose and meaning. No matter what you are going through, there are a couple of things that you can do will waiting on God. First is to pursue your faith. Instead of filling yourself with worry and doubt, use that time to pray. Stand on the Word of God. Use that time to develop patience and understanding. Second, change your attitude. Your next level will require a stronger and more mature version of yourself. Challenges will be on that level as well. Taking on an attitude of gratitude will make the wait more manageable. Third, serve others. When you are helping others, you have less time to focus on your problems. If you are faithful with the little things, God can trust you with the larger things. Don’t waste your waiting period of the things you cannot control. Allow God to prepare you for what you are going to receive and continue to live out His will for your life in the meantime. God’s ultimate purpose is to make you more like Jesus. And that is worth the process.   Read More

“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” – Psalms 27:14 Few things are more frustrating in life than waiting. For the impatient, waiting can be torture. When you are a child, you must wait twelve years to graduate from high school and hopefully leave your parents’ house. When you are applying to college, you must wait for the acceptance letter to find out whether you have been admitted. When you meet someone special with whom you see a future, you must wait for the relationship to develop and mature before you can move through its various stages. When you are expecting a newborn child, you must wait nine months, oftentimes through pain and discomfort until the baby finally arrives. Life is filled with periods of waiting. And when you must wait, discouragement can set in. It can cause you to lose sight of your goals, your dreams, and your aspirations. As time passes, you begin to question and wonder if what you are waiting for will ever come to be. Will your time ever come? God uses waiting periods to grow and mature us; the wait strengthens our faith and gives us the tools we will need on the next level God has for us. The best lessons are learned in the journey and not the destination. God does not want you to give up though. If you are currently waiting on God, do not waiver. You will never regret waiting on Him. His timing is always perfect.   Read More

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10If you truly want to set yourself free and claim the freedom Christ offers, you must resist the urge to compare yourselves to others. In Galatians, Paul speaks on the issue of circumcision. The Judaizers were...  Read More

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23 You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be committed. God is big enough, God is good enough, and God is great enough to handle your imperfections. God used Abraham even though he lied about Sarah. God used Noah even though he got drunk. God used David even though he took another man’s wife. Yet what makes these characte...  Read More

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 Perfectionism is a very rigid view of life that assumes that one’s worth and acceptance is contingent upon doing everything perfectly with no flaws; however, it’s this pursuit of flawlessness that leads us on a fast track towards unhappiness and depression because perfection is an illusion—an impossibility. Spiritual perfectionism will have us believing that we can earn God’s grace and favor by the things that we do. Yes, it is important to seek to live a Spirit-filled life. But we must recognize that we will fall short of God’s glory at some point. So, there is no need to throw in the towel and give up on our walk with God. Think about it from the view of a parent. As a parent, you have nurtured your child and you have tried your best to instill great values in that child. However, there will be times when your child makes mistakes. Does this change your love for your child? No. There may be consequences for those actions; however, your child will still be yours regardless; and you still have a high expectation of them to do great things. Sure, you might mess up from time to time. But this does not mean you have to revert back to your old habits. Acknowledge you have messed up, accept God’s forgiveness, and keep pressing on! Do you find this to be a struggle for you? Maybe you continue to go back to your old ways because you feel as though you cannot live a “perfect” spiritual life. Don’t let perfectionism keep you from claiming the freedom God has already given you. Let that bondage go.   Read More

“Jesus replied, ‘Very true I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’” – John 8:36 The abundant life for which Jesus came and died was predicated upon a desire to set us free. John the evangelist conveyed the Lord’s sentiments when he said, “So if the Son ...  Read More