What Does the Bible Say about Fear? The Bible addresses two types of fear: the fear of the Lord as a positive and reverential awe, and the fear stemming from anxiety or dread, which God calls us to overcome. The fear of the Lord brings wisdom and protection. At the same time, we are to cast off our fears of life’s threats and trust in God’s love.

The next time you give, ask yourself why are you giving? Does it meet these criteria? Are you giving willingly, obediently, and cheerfully? When you do this, God will bless you, but the irony of it all is the blessing of financial breakthrough is not the focus of your giving. The joy of giving is your focus, and when that happens, God is happy to b

1. JohnMost pastors and seasoned Christians recommend the Gospel of John as the best place to start when reading the Bible. And for good reason, since John gives a clear view of Jesus, the Word, entering our dark world to save us by becoming a man (see John 1:1-14).We read about His darkness-shattering work throughout the book as He performs miracl

What greater comfort is there than the knowledge that our sins can forgiven and the hope that one day, we will live forever with God in the place of no sorrow or tears!How Can Christians Share God’s Consolation and Comfort with Others?Share the gospel: As followers of Christ, one of the greatest comforts we can give anyone is the truth of Jesus. We

When you let laziness take over your thoughts and efforts, you convey to God a sense of entitlement, when God owes us nothing. It is by His grace and love for us that we get any blessings, and being active in our faith (witnessing to others, praying, reading the Bible, fellowshipping with others) allows us to draw closer to Him and prepare for more

1. Mormonism Is Not a Christian SectMormons see their church as “a restorationist movement within Christianity (they believe the Great Apostasy occurred between the time of the New Testament church and its restoration under Joseph Smith)” says Joe Carter. However, there are many differences between the Christian church and Mormonism.For example, Mo

1. MandrakeIn Genesis, we read about Leah and Rachel’s competition to have children. Reuben found mandrakes amid this baby frenzy and brought them to his mother, Leah (Genesis 30:14). Mandrakes might seem to be an unimportant detail of the account, but the way these plants were used reveals a lot about these sisters and contributes to an overarchin

1. Have Your Relationship Tested by Someone Who Cares about YouSometimes friends and family can be a little too supportive, or on the other hand too confrontational. A strong relationship can withstand scrutiny and testing, but relatives may not be the right people to ask the tough questions that will encourage you to really grow your relationship.

The Wrong Path to RevivalSadly, I am inclined to believe that many think revival will come based on who is in the White House, the halls of congress, the governor’s mansion, the mayor’s office, and the local school boards. For example, I have heard many Christians excited about Donald Trump being president and some have even posted images of him as

3. Crying Out for Justice“Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises” (Psalm 10:1-2).Many of the psalms of lament come from a people who have been wronged. They are cries for justice. Psalm 10 is one of these. The world

We have a redeemer in Christ. When Jesus rose on the third day, he stood on the dust. He proved He was the Messiah that would rule over the Earth.“But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds” (Isaiah 53:5).Isaiah was a prophet speaking seven hun

3. Filled with PeaceMatthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Those who are living in the father’s will are filled with a peaceful confidence that their Father is trustworthy. When we have a need, struggle with our sin nature, or are unsure about the fut

1. God as ShepherdPsalm 23 opens with the statement, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” We begin with acknowledging God as our shepherd. He gives us his love, care, guidance, and protection. In our prayers, thank him for his constant presence. Jesus proclaims in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for

Real Life ExamplesI looked up information on heat stress when gardening. Oregon State University shares, “Shallowly rooted plants will dry out more quickly and will wilt faster.” I have seen this in my own planter boxes this summer; the flowers are only able to root so deeply and they often get stressed on these hot summer days. If they were in the

2. Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday happens at the beginning of Lent. The day before is Shrove Tuesday, sometimes called Fat Tuesday, the last day before the fast of Lent. Many Christians in liturgical churches eat pancakes on Fat Tuesday. On Ash Wednesday, churches hold services where priests or ministers put ashes on congregants’ foreheads in the shap

And this is really the story of the gospel. Zephaniah shows us the reality of sin and judgment — sin is not a trivial matter but an offense against a holy God. But sin and rebellion doesn’t get the last word. God is radically dedicated to redeeming a people for Himself, which means that He’s willing to be a surgeon. Zephaniah points to God’s heart

Go When You CanThe small Christian college I went to required every student to take a cross cultural trip. This was an intentional requirement, so that students would graduate with a broader, more gracious view of the world we live in, the world God created. In your life, the same push to discover God in a different place opens your eyes and heart

3. Learn to Trust God to Lead Us towards HealingAnxiety and depression are life-stealing conditions and God desires we find freedom from them. He is on our side! I think for me I felt like this struggle was my own defect, and somehow this made me feel like I needed to overcome this struggle on my own. Of course, that is not at all biblical, but som

Later church leaders probably saw an opportunity to use these holidays already celebrated across the empire. While local customs also existed, the Roman Empire universally observed these days. Christians could use December 25 to point to Jesus, the true Light of the World (John 8:12). By assigning Jesus’ birth to December 25, the church could help

Either way, it is terrible to think about, and whoever ran the inn missed out. Instead of being part of the greatest miracle to take place at that point in time, the inn keeper either opted out due to money, or was unable to make space because of the busy season. 2. Joseph’s Family MemberAnswers in Genesis believes, “Perhaps most importantly, the G