Maturing as Christians

The idea that God can bring good out of the worst of circumstances is an important truth. Looking at our lives from this way of thinking and understanding, the truth of (Romans 8:28-31) become clear and obvious. God is creating something original with our lives—something of eternal significance which will only be apparent to us at the end. The Holy Spirit is changing believers into the image of God (Romans 8:29). Brothers and sisters in Christ, being conformed to the image of

The idea that God can bring good out of the worst of circumstances is an important truth. Looking at our lives from this vantage point, the truth of (Romans 8:28-31), becomes clear and obvious. When times are hard, we immediately want to know why, so that we can make sense of our circumstances and move on. Yet God sees from a far more distant horizon called eternity. Our lives are a beautiful pattern of journeying with God. Nothing is wasted, nothing is unimportant to God. Go

How do we grow in discernment? Immerse yourself in Scripture which creates the foundation of a biblical worldview. Depend on the Holy Spirit who guides believers into all truth. You train your discernment by actively applying God’s Word to your daily life decisions. James 1:5 promises that God gives wisdom generously to those who ask. Regularly ask God for insight and clarity. Wisdom is the practical application of discernment! It is the God-given ability to make righteous ch

What is biblical discernment? It separates the precious from the worthless! It is the Holy Spirit-empowered skill to separate truth from deception. It means to “judge, examine, or separate thoroughly.” The writer of Hebrews refers to it as the trained ability to “discern good from evil” (Hebrews 5:11-14). The Bible is the primary tool for discernment. A widely used analogy is that to easily recognize a counterfeit, bank tellers don't study every fake bill ever made. They stud

What is biblical discernment? Biblical discernment is the Holy Spirit-empowered skill of using God’s Word to distinguish between truth and error, and right and wrong. It moves beyond just making a "good choice" by enabling you to view situations, teachings, and life choices through the lens of God's character and truth (His perspective). Perspective is important. Our decisions and how we live our lives are based on how we see things. In that sense, perspective is often even m

Let’s respond rather than react! Biblically, a response happens when we stop, we think, we reframe our thinking with biblical truth. Reactions are the result of forgetting, or at least we’re not choosing to remember, that God is in control, that He knows what He’s doing, that none of this has happened by accident. Biblically, trusting God means resting in His unchanging character, promises, and control—especially when life makes no sense. It is an active choice to rely on His

Biblically, true Christlike love is tested by how you treat your enemies, betrayers, and those who hurt you. Even though Jesus knew Judas Iscariot was going to betray Him, He still washed his feet at the Last Supper (John 13:1-17). Jesus demonstrated that love and service should not be withheld even from one’s greatest adversary. Jesus taught to "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecut

As believers in Christ, it’s easy to get bogged down in all the turmoil, injustice, and evil that surrounds us. But how are we to respond? And how can the biblical response keep us from being troubled? There’s the political realm, social unrest, injustice, the craziness that’s on social media that seems to stir that pot and make it even worse in some cases. And, if that’s not enough, we’re encountering more and more sin and evil. We’re living in a time where wicked or decepti

Did you know that in the Bible, life and death are deeply spiritual states rather than just physical conditions? Physical death is defined as separation of the soul from the body, and spiritual death is defined as separation from God. The Bible describes physical death as the temporary separation of the human soul and spirit from the physical body. It entered the world as a direct consequence of Adam's sin (Genesis 2:17). Scripture describes spiritual death as the most seriou

In continuing to unpack what He means by the “abundant life,” Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). As Jesus says here, abundant life is that which is eternal, life without perishing, life that is protected by the hands of our Savior Himself. According to Jesus, the abundant life assures believers of absolute security in their salvation, emphasizing that God's protective grip is unbreakable