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All who desire to follow in the ways of Christ can expect a fate like His. Obviously, we will know persecution as we grow apart from the world. We will know what it feels like to leave worldly things behind. We will feel the joy in helping others grow closer
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If we claim to follow Jesus, then our desires must align with His, not the other way around. This can be accomplished in two ways. We can be like Jonah, who did God’s will but resented every minute of it, or we can be like Jesus’ disciples, who tried
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A sign of good character is that when difficult times come, we stay the course. It’s cliché to say, but anyone can talk a good talk. Character comes when we walk the walk. Words are easy; actions are hard. Want to truly know who you are deep inside? Put
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We may leave everything, but we’ve lost nothing. I don’t get that mindset right all the time. I have moments where I look longingly at what others have. But those moments of weakness are fleeting. At my core, I am genuinely grateful for the spiritual community around me
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We must simply receive. Honestly, this is one of the hardest things for me. When someone gives a gift, the hardest thing is to honor the gift and just receive it. When someone gives a compliment, the hardest thing is to just receive it. I want to earn it. Or,
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We need to be vigilant. The world has many ways to pull us away from God. The world can distract us with stuff. The world can confuse us with its logic. The world can make us so busy we don’t have the time to devote to God. The follower
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Following the way of Jesus is harder than it looks. Jesus came to the earth, embraced human nature, and taught among us so He could ultimately give it all up and die for someone else’s sake. He set a high bar. It’s a daunting example to follow. Take
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“Well done, faithful servant.” Do we want to be a servant? Doesn’t the world chafe against the idea of self? Our culture is about being yourself, doing what you want, and everything being okay. How often do we hear the example of submission to another as something to be
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God wants to be a part of life with us. On a spiritual level, this statement is a bit absurd. He created life. Whether we want Him or not, He is a part of life. In fact, God sustains life. Yet, there is more to it than fact. Even though
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Through the cross, God demonstrates His willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice to fix the greatest possible break in relationship. Paul understands this when he writes Romans 5:7-10. The depth of God’s love is that while we could not save ourself, He died so we could be
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God knows our hearts are hard, that’s why Jesus went to the cross. Above all, He is a loving God. His forgiveness stems from that love. We cannot be perfect, but we can be repentant when we are not perfect. The Pharisees come to Jesus to test Him as
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Through the repentance and forgiveness that comes through God’s judgment, we can be at peace with one another. Nobody is perfect. We will all make mistakes. We will all rub one another the wrong way. Through God’s Word, through conversations with others, through our prayer life with God