1 Corinthians 14:1 (NIV)“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.”It is fascinating to me that after spending an entire chapter explaining spiritual gifts and another chapter celebrating love, Paul begins chapter fourteen with a command that brings everything into proper perspective. He doesn’t tell the church to chase spiritual experiences. He doesn’t te...  Read More

1 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV)“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”One of the most remarkable truths about spiritual gifts is that they were never intended to stop with us. Every gift the Holy Spirit gives has someone else’s name attached to it. Think about that for a moment. If God gives someone a word of encouragement, it’s because someone else needs encourage...  Read More

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV)“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”When most people think about church, they naturally think about what happens on Sunday morning. We gather to worship, hear God’s Word preached, pray together, and encourage one another. Those thin...  Read More

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”One of the most overlooked words in this verse is the word stewards. Peter doesn’t say we are owners of our gifts. He says we are stewards. An owner has the right to do whatever he wants with what belongs to him. A steward understands that everything ...  Read More

Romans 12:4-6 (NIV)“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…”One of the quickest ways to become discouraged is to spend your life comparing your calling to someone else’s. It’s...  Read More

Acts 8:20 (NIV)“Peter answered: ‘May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!’”One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is wanting what God can do for us more than we want God Himself. That’s exactly what happened with Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8. Simon had spent his life amazing people with signs, wonders, and displays of power. When he w...  Read More

Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”As we come to the end of this week’s study, it’s worth asking one simple question: Why are so many Christians exhausted? We have more acces...  Read More

John 15:8 (NKJV)“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”One of the most overlooked truths about fruit is that it is never produced for the branch. An apple tree doesn’t eat its own apples. A grapevine doesn’t enjoy its own grapes. The fruit exists for someone else. It provides nourishment, refreshment, and life to those who come and partake of it. Je...  Read More

Luke 10:41-4241 … “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part…One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is becoming so busy doing things for Jesus that we forget to simply spend time with Jesus. This is the tension we find in the story of Mary and Martha. Both women loved Jesus. Both welcomed Him into their...  Read More

Genesis 5:24 (NKJV)“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”One of the shortest biographies in all of Scripture may also be one of the most profound. The Bible tells us very little about Enoch. We don’t read about great battles he fought, miraculous signs he performed, or famous sermons he preached. Instead, God chose to summarize his entire life with one simple statement: “En...  Read More

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”One of the greatest frustrations in the Christian life is realizing that we still struggle with the very things we thought would disappear after coming to Christ. We know we should be more patient, yet we still lose our te...  Read More

John 15:5 (NKJV)“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”⸻One of the greatest misconceptions about the Christian life is that abiding is something we do for a few minutes every morning. We think if we spend thirty minutes reading our Bible, say a quick prayer, and maybe listen to worship music on the drive to work...  Read More

John 15:4 (NKJV)“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”⸻If you asked most Christians what God wants from their lives, many would answer, “He wants me to produce fruit.” While that’s true, it’s not where Jesus begins. In John 15, Jesus never commands His followers to produce fruit. Instead, He giv...  Read More

Acts 1:8“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”One of the greatest challenges in the Christian life is learning the difference between believing in the Holy Spirit and depending on the Holy Spirit. Most believers would agree that the Holy Spirit exists. Most would acknowledge His importance. Yet many still attempt to navigate life through their own strength, wisdom, d...  Read More

2 Corinthians 1:3-4“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation…”Life has a way of reminding us that we are not in control. No matter how strong our faith may be, every believer eventually walks through seasons of disappointment, grief, uncertainty, suffering, and pain. There are moments when prayers s...  Read More

John 14:26“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”One of the greatest ministries of the Holy Spirit is teaching believers the truth of God’s Word. Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them and remind them of everything He had spoken. While that promise...  Read More

John 16:13“When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.”We live in a world filled with competing voices. Every day we are bombarded with opinions, philosophies, advice, and endless streams of information. Everyone claims to know the right path forward. Yet information and wisdom are not the same thing.One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is guidance. Jesus called H...  Read More

Romans 8:26“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.”The Christian life is impossible to live in our own strength. Most believers eventually discover this truth through experience. We try harder to be patient. We work harder to overcome temptation. We make promises to God that we are determined to keep. Yet sooner or later we come face to face with our limitations.This is exactly why Jesu...  Read More

John 14:17“He dwells with you and will be in you.”One of the most significant differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is the believer’s relationship with the Holy Spirit. Throughout the Old Testament, we see the Spirit of God coming upon individuals for specific purposes. He came upon Samson and gave him strength. He came upon David and empowered him to lead. He came upon the pro...  Read More

John 14:16-17“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth… for He dwells with you and will be in you.”One of the greatest promises Jesus ever made was not that our lives would be easy, successful, or free from trouble. It was the promise that we would never have to walk through life alone. As Jesus prepared His disciples f...  Read More

1 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT"Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts."Every home has a culture. That's not a question; it's a reality. The only question worth asking is: who is shaping it?Some homes are ruled by comfort. Everyone gravitates toward the path of least resistance, conflict is avoided at all costs, and peace is preserved, even when peace isn't t...  Read More

Matthew 16:15-16 (NLT)“Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’”The entire conversation at Caesarea Philippi ultimately came down to one question: “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus did not ask His disciples for information. He wasn’t conducting a survey. He was calling for a decision. In a world full of competing voices,...  Read More

Daniel 3:24-26 (NIV)24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazi...  Read More

Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV)16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or wors...  Read More