Sometimes we need a wake-up call to keep us from becoming complacent! In the same way that parents expect their children to grow and develop, God monitors the development of His children. He expects us to avoid the paralysis of the status quo.

It doesn’t take long to mess up a life. Poor choices will cause us to end up a million miles from where we were meant to be. God has designed us with the capacity to experience His very best for our life. Whether we realize that plan or not is our choice.

Today’s world is filled with uncertainty and danger, so it is not surprising when people feel helpless at times. But if you are a child of God you can be confident that, whatever happens, He has you in the palm of His loving and capable hand.

God knows what He is doing! We can lean on Him and trust Him with every detail of our lives. Despite what may be happening in the world around us, we can know that God is God, and He is in control.

The Bible tells us that we are valuable to God, and He has stamped His image on us. He has a clear purpose for each life and we can learn to experience that purpose when we begin to live according to His beautiful design.

Our shadow is a symbol of our influence, and it is a reflection of all that we are – what we do, what we say, and how we speak. Periodically we need to ask ourselves, “What kind of shadow am I casting as I walk through life?”

When you are in love with stuff, you will go through life with a closed fist. But if you want to experience more contentment and joy in life than you ever thought possible, ask God to help you change your perspective on “stuff,” and He will do just that.

In today’s culture, the biblical definition of marriage and family is under severe attack.  It is increasingly evident that the family, like a house, needs a firm foundation if it is to survive the storms that threaten its stability. Only a firm foundation will enable the family to be strong, to grow, and to become all that it can and should be.

A dangerous and ungodly challenge to a biblical worldview has infiltrated our schools and the institutions that serve families. Jesus issued a particularly stern warning that is still relevant today to anyone who would place a stumbling block in the path of a child and thereby corrupt the innocence of childhood.

One of the greatest challenges of our culture is that, as a people, we have lost our sense of the holiness of God. The solution: Don’t put God in a box! Draw near to Him, listen to Him, and invite Him to occupy the place He desires – and deserves - to have in your life.

Sometimes God’s grace comes to us in the form of discipline. If we fail to listen to God when He whispers to us in love, He may force us to listen when He shouts to us in discipline. But God is also in the business of forgiveness. When we return to Him, His amazing grace will restore us, heal us, and bless us for His service.

What is your goal in life? If it is to experience life as God intended it to be, the good news is that we can have the assurance of a rich and full life now, empowered by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God’s plan is never second best.

Doubt isn’t always bad, as it can become a stimulus to faith. When we begin to wrestle with doubt, we need to adjust our focus. Instead of dwelling on our doubts and amplifying them, we can focus on God and discover how He will help us transform our doubts into steadfast faith.

The death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, became a catalyst for an extraordinary period of growth in the early church as the power of God, through the Holy Spirit, was released. What God gave Stephen is available to each of us as we seek to serve, witness, and make a difference in our world today.

In a culture filled with negativity, how important it is to be a cheerleader for the people in your life. When we encourage someone, or speak a word of affirmation at just the right time, we help that person become more confident in the use of the gifts God has given to serve Him.

We all need something to which we can anchor our lives. If not, we will be filled with anxiety because we are without conviction and unsure of everything. Instead, when we are anchored to the truth, we can experience confidence and joy because we know God’s promises will stand.

God often uses special moments in our lives to emphasize the importance of our relationship with Him. To benefit from these, we need to guard against anything that would block us from hearing from Him. Don’t miss any of the lessons that Jesus, our Master Teacher, uses to strengthen our faith and help us grow.

We all need the gospel. No one is so good that he does not need it, or so low or destitute that he cannot receive it. The wonder of God’s grace is that, once we have acknowledged our need for it, nothing will keep us from receiving the new life which only Jesus can provide.

When we consider the Cross of Jesus, we begin to understand just how much God loves us. It is the power of the Cross that enables us to return good for evil and to forgive our enemies. Jesus on the Cross won the victory over evil forever.

Life is not just a race or a boxing match, it is a war – and we are not bulletproof. That’s why we must appropriate the full armor of God every day. Not only does it protect us; it provides everything we need to win against the forces of evil that confront us.