God did not instruct Joshua and his army to storm the city upon arrival. He had meticulous steps for them to take to achieve the desired outcome of victory. God was very specific and purposeful in how He orchestrated the walls of Jericho falling. If God is that purposeful about helping the Israelites claim the city, we can be confident that God is

Take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Do this several times.Close your eyes.Relax your shoulders.Think about the body. Start at the feet and work your way up while relaxing each muscle.Call a friend. Sometimes sharing conversation can help take our minds off of worry and stress.Write in a journal. Use a specific journal for prayer requests a

I believe that 1 Peter 1:3-9 can help to answer this. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we have a living hope and an inheritance stored up for us in heaven. The great unveiling of our salvation is coming. But in the meantime, we suffer through the trials of this life, especially because of our faith in Christ. Peter compares these trials to a refiner

Some would use Matthew 12:32 as evidence of Jesus speaking of a type of forgiveness happening even in the “age to come.” Jesus, it is said, is here leaving open the possibility of forgiveness in the next world—just not for speaking against the Holy Spirit. Augustine argued this in part and Gregory the Great held this position a bit more dogmaticall

Why Is God Good to Us?There is one act we should always remember because this is an eternal reminder of God’s goodness and how God thinks of us. Let me give you this Scripture to help you understand the point.“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).This one verse and the cross

If you continue to do this too often, don’t be shocked if the people that don’t agree with your political stance eventually leave your church, not all at once but slowly over time. There is nothing wrong with having political opinions, but keep them out of the pulpit because that is not where they belong.4. We Make Church Transactional, and Not Rel

Is God More Angry or Violent in the Old Testament? Often, when passages are read out of context, God’s actions do appear wrathful, but closer contextual examination shows that God balances His justice with mercy all through the Bible. Understanding the pattern of God’s patience and His judgment can be found in a few key verses. Some of the acts tha

5 Time-Tested, True Ways to Stay Faithful During times of social and cultural upheaval, it’s especially good to remember the foundations of our faith. God has not left us to fend for ourselves on the shifting sand of moral relativity, but has provided time tested and true keys to enable us to overcome every challenge. These keys are not new, but ar

What Does “The Day of The Lord” Mean? This phrase refers to when God’s plan for the Earth will be fulfilled, and His reign will begin. Scripture appears to use the term to designate a period of time associated with what’s called The End Times. But some scholars think it applies to one particular day.Some of the Old Testament prophets delivered mess

This is where many explanations of the sin of Babel stop, but this misses a deeper and more fundamental arrogance in the face of God.God specifically told Noah and his descendants to spread out and “fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). Beyond trying to be better than everyone else, the people of Babel were disobeying God’s command. God told them to dispe

God’s creations are loved by Him. Whatever we may encounter in this earthly life, we know that God will restore, renew, and refresh us.When we are downtrodden, heartbroken, and exhausted mentally and physically, going to the Father is opening the door for Him to restore our soul.When we are filled with joy, going to the Father opens the door to sha

And still today there are many churches that require a certain level of conduct or appearance in order to be a part of that body. They do not generally claim that one’s salvation is based on these requirements, but they do seem to imply that they are necessary for right standing with God.What Is Wrong with This Approach?Even though justification by

Here are some ways people celebrate and observe Palm Sunday:Palm Branches: Reflecting the biblical account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, where crowds spread palm branches on the road before Him, worshippers often carry palm branches in processions. Churches distribute palm fronds to congregants, who may wave them during the service or bring them

How Can We Have Faith in God during Our Hardest Days?Sometimes, I have faith goals. A lot of the challenges that we have concerning faith are in our minds. Once we get past barriers in our minds, we know that God can see about us. Stop waiting until the last minute to seek God for things that you need. Have some faith goals and start with long-rang

When a church attempts to operate from any other power source than Christ, that church can officially be identified as dead. The problem with a deceased church is that it rarely recognizes the condition. A dead church will often continue to function in its own power, programs, and pomp and attribute the momentum to Christ—celebrating every temporal

Who is supposed to do the honoring?It’s impossible for any of us to be exempt from this command. Even those of us who have not known our maternal mothers and fathers have caregivers who have adopted us into their lives. We honor them. We all look to those who have gone before us and done the best they knew to do. Believers or not, our obedience to

Upon the birth of his first-born son, “Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house. The name of the second he called Ephraim, ‘For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction’” (Genesis 41:51-52). Asenath was witness to what the Pharaoh decreed, was th

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1 Corinthians 12:27).We each have a part to fulfill. When we attempt to take another person’s role or we are dissatisfied with our own, the group of believers suffers (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).Many women, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna, followed Jesus and supported H

The Right Lens Truth is, everyone wears a lens of some kind. For example, we wear either the lens of faith or the lens of fear. The one you wear will make all the difference in your life. Every Bible hero wore the lens of faith. In 2 Kings 6, the prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by a confederate of enemy armies. The servant was anxiou

Yes, we have an obligation to obey God. However, the commands found in Scripture are about more than obedience; they are about loving communion with God.God calls us to have faith. Jesus’ rebuke of the two disciples should give us pause to examine the condition of our own faith. He called the two disciples “foolish” and “slow of heart to believe” (