Maturing as Christians

Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). The world defines peace as the absence of trouble. If everything is calm, then people say they’re at peace. But the moment something shakes that foundation—finances, relationships, health, Supreme Court decisions or whatever—their peace vanishes. Here’s the eternal perspective: God’s peace is different. I

Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). Being untroubled and undisturbed is huge for living in this world. Here’s an eternal perspective: Peace isn’t found in the absence of problems! It’s found in the presence of God! Believers are to live in the presence of God by developing a continuous awareness of His indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:23), a

The statement, "Truth doesn't need to be believed to be true" means that reality is objective and independent of personal opinion, feelings, or consensus. The truth doesn’t need you to believe in it. It’s not a trend or an opinion, it's reality revealing itself. Biblically, this indicates truth is rooted in God's nature and Word (John 14:6, John 17:17), remaining absolute and unchangeable, regardless of whether humans accept, deny, or ignore it. And we intuitively know this b

Biblical resilience is defined as a Holy Spirit-dependent, steady endurance that enables believers to withstand hardship, maintain faith, and continue obeying God, rather than merely "toughing it out" on their own. It is the ability to "bounce back" from tragedy, crisis, or failure by relying on God's strength rather than self-reliance. Ultimately, biblical resilience (Proverbs 24:16) is crucial for navigating this life with a sense of purpose and a close, faithful relationsh

Philippians, often called the "Book of Joy," is a New Testament letter written by the Apostle Paul while imprisoned in Rome, showcasing that biblical joy is an internal, Christ-centered contentment, not dependent on external circumstances. Despite potential execution, Paul demonstrates that while happiness depends on favorable happenings, biblical joy is a steadfast fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), maintained even in chains. Moral of the story: Don’t let your circumstanc

In our walk as born-again believers, it may seem that God is silent, but God is never silent! What looks like silence and inactivity to us is God allowing us the opportunity to listen to His voice. God is involved in every area of a believer's life--the very hairs on our heads are numbered (Mark 10:30; Luke 12:7). Therefore, when God seems silent to us, it may mean that we have stopped listening to His voice, or we have neglected His Word. His Spirit speaks to us through the

I have been asked, “Dr. Robert, how can I know when God says no?” If you are asking for things not according to His will, He says “no.” It means He is prioritizing His sovereign, loving, and long-term plans over immediate personal desires. According to 1 John 5:14-15, God hears prayers aligned with His purposes (His "will"). A "no" often acts as protection from harmful paths, a mechanism for spiritual growth, or a necessary redirection to something better. Even a “no” from Go

I have been asked, “Dr. Robert, how can I know when God says no?” If you are stretching the Word of God to make it say what you want it to say, God is saying no! For example, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) is often misused as a promise of limitless personal achievement, but in context, it means having the strength to remain content and faithful in any situation, particularly in suffering, poverty, or hardship, not overcoming obstacl

I have been asked, “Dr. Robert, how can I know when God says no?” If you have to force it to make it happen, this probably means God is saying no! When we are forcing something to happen, our efforts will pull us away from God the harder we try to make this certain thing happen that we really want to happen. Psalm 32:8-9 teaches that God prefers to guide through gentle instruction but will allow circumstances to become difficult (like a bit and bridle) to prevent stubborn fol

This is a prayer for God’s character—( love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) (see Galatians 5:22-23)—to shine through my actions, even though I’m flawed, imperfect, and struggle with human weakness. For me, it highlights the biblical theme that God's strength is perfected in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Be encouraged! ~Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., Bible teacher & expositor