“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” 1 John 2:3   What principles guide your life? Many people live by some kind of self-determined standard. The internet is full of “rules for a happy, successful, and fulfilling life.” As believers, our[...]

“and [Daniel] continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.” Daniel 6:10   Consistency is the missing element in many of our lives. We often let the busyness of everyday life keep us from being consistent[...]

“Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit” Daniel 6:3   The phrase, dare to be different, means not shying away from being who you are. Both our culture and Christianity promote this idea but not for the same reason. The Bible tells[...]

“Because of the littleness of your faith” Matthew 17:20   Have you ever wondered why you don’t have more strength or power in your spiritual life? Jesus’ disciples certainly did. After they failed to deliver a boy from demon possession they asked Jesus, “Why could we not drive it out?”[...]

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” 2 Peter 3:18   Have you ever watched a mature Christian remain steady in the face of an overwhelming challenge? You may have even thought, “I could never handle that the way she did.” Well, that believer is[...]

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:11   Joy is standard equipment to the Christian life. Jesus said His followers should be full of joy; which means there are levels of joy[...]

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”  Philippians 4:4   We often read this verse and hear, “be happy about everything.” But that’s not what it says. So how do we follow this command to rejoice always? Well, it’s important to understand the difference between happiness and[...]

“Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham” Genesis 22:1   We don’t know how strong our faith really is until it’s tested. You’d think that Abraham’s faith wouldn’t need to be tested after a hundred years. But as we grow older the tests get tougher, the[...]

“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.’” Genesis 12:1   While faith is a very familiar word, we can be uncertain about what it actually means. We know we’re[...]