Scripture teaches us that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ; He's gone before us to prepare our forever home, and the way we live here is revealed there. If we spend our time on earth focused on the treasures of this world, then our treasure dies with us. But if we live focused on eternity, worldly riches cease to matter in light of li…

Old Testament law declares that when you harvest a field, anything left over once the harvesting process is finished should be left in the field for the orphans, the widows, and the poor. So why do we tend to hoard what God has given to us? We've been blessed with so much, but with that comes a responsibility and an opportunity for us to turn aroun…

Have you ever heard the saying, "When one sin is defended, it becomes two sins"? Just because our culture deems sinful behavior to be acceptable, doesn't change the fact that it's still sin. The Bible is clear about what it defines as sin, and as followers of Christ, it's up to us to take a stand and speak biblical truth in love -- no matter how ha…

We live in a culture that's not only made sex outside marriage acceptable -- it's made sex outside marriage the norm. The world tells us that the purpose of sex is for mere enjoyment without boundaries, but God tells us He created it for a special purpose, to be experienced within the covenant of marriage. Scripture's always been clear and consiste…

As Christians, it's our responsibility to take a stand against sin in our nation. The world is getting increasingly comfortable with things that go against God -- and too many are staying quiet. Yes, we need to get involved in choosing our leaders, but it has to go beyond that; now's the time for us to speak out boldly and stand up for what’s right…

The way we spend our money shows who -- or what -- we worship. It's easy to be selfish when it comes to our finances, but our perspective changes when we recognize that everything we have comes from God first. And when we live like money was never ours to begin with, we wind up spending it differently -- as a tool to bless others and to glorify Him…

We want God to use us to accomplish His work -- we just don't want to experience the trials that He uses to prepare us for that work. If we spend our lives running from tough times, we'll never be strengthened and refined to do great things, but we can choose instead to arm ourselves with Scripture and to face the trials head-on when they inevitabl…

Before God can use us to impact others, we first need to go to Him for wisdom in using what He's given us. Part of being a follower of Christ is allowing Him to call the shots in every area of our lives -- including our money. When we seek His will first in our finances, He not only blesses us, but He blesses others through us.…

We've all got that thing that grates on our nerves, whether it's a dripping faucet or a yappy Chihuahua! But instead of letting those little irritations get the best of us, let's consider that sometimes God allows "annoyances" in our lives so that we can respond to them accordingly. When we follow Christ's example and keep our eyes on the Lord, we …

The story of Samson is an amazing example that no matter how much we mess up our lives, God still has a purpose for us. We're all "cracked" from things in our past, but that doesn't stop the Lord from picking us up and using us to hit a home run!Oleh Richard Ellis

If we want to know God's will for our lives, we need to read His Word! He's given us clear directions on how to live, but so often we don't bother to read it and then wonder why things don't turn out the way we wanted. Scripture doesn't stop us from making mistakes, but it gives us directions to find our way back when we stray.…

The very basis of the Christian faith and the Christian life is founded and centered on the truths we read in the New Testament: that Jesus came to earth, fully human and fully God, to save us and free us from the power of sin and death. In Him, and Him alone, we have new life and the promise of an eternal hope and future.…

It's easy to complain when we don't get what we want. But the Bible is filled with examples of why complaining only hinders us from a life of trusting in God. We can either be like the Israelites, who didn't get to see the Promised Land because they chose to complain instead of obeying the Lord, or we can step out in faith knowing God's never let u…

Homing pigeons have a way of always returning home. In the same way, when we become believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit acts as a sort of "homing mechanism" inside of us that draws us back to God, no matter how far we drift. Repentance isn't just for the unbeliever -- it's a reminder for each of us who have strayed to stop where we are and return …

We all look up to someone -- and we all have people looking up to us in one way or another. That's why every single one of us, as leaders, need to both see and be good examples of leadership. When we listen to wisdom from those who have gone before us, we can lead those who are following behind us. And when we make mistakes, it's important to repen…

Hebrews 6:19 talks about hope in Christ being an anchor for the soul. That's because when we put our trust in God alone, we're held fast through all the storms of life. It's only by clinging to Jesus through our trials that we'll develop perseverance, character, and eternal hope.Oleh Richard Ellis

This world of broken people is waiting for us to acknowledge the weight they carry, and to bring them the answers that can only be found in Jesus. God's always working on the other side of the situation, even when we can't see Him -- that's why we've got to obey Him when He calls, knowing other people's lives are at stake.…

When it comes to being silent even amidst suffering, Jesus was the perfect example -- and the perfect sacrifice. He willingly endured death for our sake. When suffering comes our way, one of two things will happen: God will either shear us from the "fluff" of our lives, or He'll defend us from the enemy that seeks to come against us.…

When we receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection, we're promised the reward of Heaven -- period. But the way we live between now and eternity is a choice we have to make daily. If you could skip to the end of your life and look back to today, how would it look different based on the decisions you make?…

Our sin doesn't stop God from loving us. But in order for us to have a relationship with Him, we have to first come to a place of repentance so we can receive the forgiveness He offers. God's love, grace, and mercy know no limits -- let's respond to that and live in an abundance of gratitude.Oleh Richard Ellis

Though trials and struggles will come our way, God's got a purpose in everything: to make us holy. Christ's death paid our debt and made us free, but God desires for us to choose to stay with Him. There is no one who will take better care of us than the Lord when we give ourselves as slaves to Him.Oleh Richard Ellis

The nature of sin means that as soon as we're born, our lives are headed into a nosedive. As we grow, we can make the choice to continue in that downward spiral, telling ourselves the lie that we can fix it on our own. Or, we can realize that only Jesus can give us the power to turn "nose up" and head in a different direction by allowing Him to wor…

The story of Job depicts the epitome of extreme hardship and loss. Yet he chose to worship God in the midst of his trials, and God restored even greater blessings to him and his wife. It doesn't change the pain Job suffered, but God carried him through, and He offers His same companionship to us in all that we endure.…

As Christians, we live in a fallen world that's constantly drawing us away from God and His design for our lives. The devil's always trying to take us out -- but God's given us the armor to fight back. When we arm ourselves with Scripture and start each day strengthened by His Word, we're better able to resist the schemes and attacks of the enemy.…

Racism isn't a government problem or a culture problem -- it's a Church problem. It's our job as Christians to treat all believers as family; there is no distinction between brothers and sisters. No matter our differences, love triumphs over all things in the body of Christ.Oleh Richard Ellis

When we consider that the Bible is God's Living Word to us, it becomes more apparent why it's so important for us to read it over, and over, and over again! It takes effort to understand Scripture and develop a love for studying it. But none of it will make sense unless we ask Him to reveal Himself within its pages, and when He does, we discover wa…

God chooses people who are humble and willing to obey Him, no matter how ignorant they might feel. He doesn't want to use us because of all the great knowledge we can obtain, He wants to use us so that He gets the glory. The only qualification we need in order to do His work is a spirit of humility -- He'll take care of the rest.…

God wants to use us to do His work, but we get so busy doing our own thing that we wind up exhausted! When we obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we do the things that He gives us strength to do. Not only that, but He'll lead us into times of rest, too -- times that allows us to focus on who we are in Him.…

We all have dates in our lives that are etched in our memories forever -- whether it's for better or for worse. And when it comes to the grief, sorrow, and pain that some of those more difficult days hold, it's especially important for us to remember that it's still a day that the Lord's made, and therefore, that we can rejoice in it. When we're te…

Repentance happens when we not only confess our sin, but we also change our behavior. And that can't happen without God. We all make mistakes, but true repentance starts with confession and continues with a changed heart and a changed mind.Oleh Richard Ellis

To live passionately for Jesus means that not only will you be rejected by the world -- you'll also be rejected by "religious" people. The call to follow Christ means being prepared to give up everything in order to pursue Him, but the price we might pay to is nothing compared to all that we gain.Oleh Richard Ellis

Leaven, or yeast, is used as a biblical analogy in two very different ways. It can represent evil, like in the forms of complaining or disobedience, as an example of how an infection in one person can negatively affect the whole Church body. On the other hand, it can also represent us as Christians in the world: we're meant to infect this planet in…

God has made a way for us to be in right relationship with Him through His Son. So when we, as His creation, are far from Him, He misses us and calls us back to Himself. It's important for our relationship with Him to be strong and healthy because whether we realize it or not, other people around us are affected by how committed we are to following…

Real spiritual "heart change" begins with a kind of godly sorrow that leads us to repentance. But when we've repented of our sin, we should always follow it up with action steps. When we truly repent, we don't go back to doing the same thing over and over again -- we allow God to help us and strengthen us to make permanent changes in our lives.…

Before Jesus came for us, people had to make constant sacrificial offerings as atonement for their sins. But even with those sacrifices, the guilt of their sin never went away. Jesus' death on the cross not only paid for our sins -- it removed them from us so that we could be cleared of guilt forever.…

When Peter shared the Gospel with Cornelius -- a Gentile -- it served as an example that sometimes, God will push us outside our comfort zones and cause us to break traditions for the ultimate goal of reaching others. It's important to listen for the voice of God so that we're not venturing out and doing things on our own. The people He calls us to…

Scripture tells us that everything in creation is held together by God, and He's present in every place. We can never get away from Him -- and when we surrender to Him, He begins to live inside of us through His Spirit. With God in us, we are never alone.Oleh Richard Ellis

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He showed the disciples that even death cannot stop Him. Yet when He Himself died and was placed in a tomb, they doubted what He'd promised. When we question whether God can do all things, including working miracles in our own lives, let's remember and trust that nothing is impossible for Him.…

This world is filled with people in need of God's grace. But how can we show them His grace unless we've experienced it ourselves? Because of Christ's death on the cross, we've all been given the opportunity to be forgiven and accepted as children of God, no matter our sin. And once we experience His grace in our own lives, we can share it with tho…

What does it actually mean to become dead to our sin? Once we've been made alive in Jesus, we're no longer slaves to the sin of the past. It might be difficult to give up old sinful habits and patterns, but we've been made more than conquerors in Christ and given God's grace as we strive to walk forward in freedom.…

We can call ourselves Christians and be pro-choice, but we cannot call ourselves mature Christians and not be pro-life. The evil in the world today has led to millions of unwarranted deaths of unborn children. As we mature in Christ, God produces in our own hearts the value of the life He's created in the womb.…

Every moment on earth could be our last. None of us have any idea when God will say our time here is done. That's why it's so important that we don't waste it! We have to choose to obey God -- not just every year, every week, or every day, but every second of our lives -- so that He can work through us to reach as many people as possible.…

God specifically designed the Body of Christ in such a way that we are able to comfort each other during times of trial and suffering. In fact, it's one of the ways we demonstrate our obedience in following Christ: by showing the same compassion, care, and love to others that He first showed us.Oleh Richard Ellis

The Bible is a textbook of instruction for God's people on what it means to turn from sinful ways and follow Him. We can't surrender fully to the Lord and give Him our whole lives while still continuing down the path of sin. Unless and until we have a "turn-around" and repent from our old nature, our lives will continue going in the wrong direction…

Suffering isn't just possible in this life; it's guaranteed. The person who grounds themselves in the promises of Scripture will be far more prepared when tragedy strikes than the one who fails to stand on the Word of God. As we walk through seasons of trial and tribulation, our lives are a testament to His work in us.…

God never ditches us - but we have a tendency to ditch Him when life gets tough. Scripture's full of people who suffered and, like you and me, they often felt that the Lord had abandoned them. But their stories also reveal that in each case, He was actually fulfilling a bigger plan and purpose for their lives. Through their experiences, we can find…

When Jesus came as the Savior of the world, God chose to announce His birth in incredible and miraculous ways. But Jesus promised to come back one day, and in the meantime, God uses us to announce that He'll return. While we wait with expectation for that day to come, we have a responsibility to share the Gospel with others so that their lives migh…

Jesus came to earth in the poorest of conditions. He was born in a stable, and God chose to share the news of the Messiah with smelly, poor shepherds before anyone else. None of the circumstances under which Christ was born were accidental -- they were orchestrated by God as a reminder that Jesus would go on to be the Savior of the whole world, and…

The world would have us believe that there are many religions and names by which we can be saved, but the Bible tells us that it's only through the mighty name of Jesus that we're offered the incredible gift of salvation. We're invited to come to Him as we are, filthy in all our sin, and be washed clean by the power of His blood that was shed for u…

It's no accident that the King of the universe came to earth in the most humble way possible: born in a barn, surrounded by animals, with His first visitors being simple shepherds of the fields. The very nature of His birth teaches us that whether you're born in a barn or live among nobles, Jesus came for all people -- and we're all equal in our ne…