Memorial Day calls us to honor those who gave their lives in service—but as Christians, our highest allegiance remains with Christ. This reflection helps us navigate gratitude without falling into idolatry, keeping the gospel at the center.
1 Peter 1:1-5 – Peter addressed his fellow disciples as exiles with the reality that this world is not our home. Given that fact, our hope must be in something beyond this life.
Psalm 119:113-128 – Our world is rampant with people who not only defy God’s Word but persecute anyone who seeks to do the opposite. We cannot compromise commandments to be accepted by our rebellious culture.
If you really follow Jesus, He will demand you to express clear allegiance. Your relationship with Him will also cause others to determine their interaction with you based on how connected you are to Him.
Exodus 21:33-23:9 – In addition to God’s commandments instructing individual behaviors, He also provided a type of order in which society could thrive. In these multifaceted commands, we realize that God loves justice and a culture that embodies it.
Many of us struggle with a poor image of ourselves because we live in a culture that constantly showcases everyone’s filtered, glamorous snapshots of what seems to be perfect lives. It’s dangerous for our souls.
Students desiring to follow Jesus in college must decide how they will define truth. If you don’t know what you believe or why you believe it, forces can successfully alter your worldview based on cultural opinions.
The dismal state of the world can cause a leader to question if positive change is even possible. We must lead with integrity and intentionality no matter how dark this culture becomes.
All of us possess a worldview even if we have never thought about summarizing it as one. The existence of a worldview is undeniable, but the source of it is critical to your overall success.
In an ever-changing societal landscape, Christians often feel more out of place. The standards of this world will war against the biblical mandates, and therefore, we ought to feel different.
Each of us must decide how we will determine the identity of God and ourselves. With many options out there, on what foundation will you stand?
When a culture tries to rid itself of the notion of God, it finds something more disturbing than authority. Attempting to remove divine authority from our lives actually creates moral anarchy among us.
Some of our beloved Christmas songs take our eyes off Jesus, but even some of the sacred ones are not exactly scriptural in their content. To understand what happened on that first Christmas, we need to go back to the book.
In all the hustle and bustle of Christmas activity, it seems as if we lose Christ in the midst of it all. We must learn to slow down and quiet our souls if we can celebrate Jesus during this time.
A culture that defends its beliefs and behaviors on personal ideations of what feels true to an individual is one that is destined to fail. No matter how much “you do you,” you will ultimately have to make an account before God.
Pastors can approach social media platforms as available pulpits by which to point others to Jesus. If they are growing personally, they should look for opportunities to share what they are learning.
As our society continually explores and emphasizes sexual variations, the Church must consider staying faithful to God’s Word while remaining loving to all people. As representatives of Jesus, we must display grace and truth to our closest relationships and the culture at large.
While the world was shocked that Will Smith struck Chris Rock at the Oscars, we can’t overlook the fact that words led to that moment. Our speech has great power as well – how are we using it?
In 2022, Gallup reported that 81% of Americans believe in God. If you consider that majority number, do you notice that many people living their lives according to a biblical faith?
People often talk about the unique challenges that teenagers bring. Whether you are a parent, mentor, or church leader trying to invest in the student generation, you must prioritize that which can inspire them to be all God has called them to be.
Within broad groupings, the scientific community dates the Earth’s age as older than what biblical genealogies and sorts point to regarding as a timeline. Can these two coexist? Can we know the age of the Earth?
Whether or not we realize it, we are addicted to affirmation. So much of what we do is attempting to draw the attention of others. Social media gives us an unhealthy opportunity to be fulfilled simply by the number of interactions we receive. It’s time to go the second mile in inspecting your approvals.
In recent years, the rise of our social media interaction has caused us to communicate very differently than ever before. People who are reserved to share certain things in person become emboldened online to the detriment of us all. It’s time to go the second mile in reconsidering your comment.
Entertainment can inspire us to enjoy the wonder of the life God has given us, or it can entrap us into addictive and unhelpful patterns. We all have certain shows, movies, and media we love, but the danger comes when we lose our filter and limitations. It’s time to go the second mile in regulating your entertainment.
1 John 2:18-27 – Some people appear like they know Christ, but over time, the masks come off, and we see who they truly are. Beware of deceitful people who claim temporary or modifiable association with Jesus.
As we live our lives, love our homes, and lead our churches, there are many ways in which we can determine our direction. There are plenty of opinions out there, but is God’s Word reliable enough to transcend those fleeting thoughts?
For most of my life, I have resisted using the term persecution to describe what any Christian had to endure in the United States of America. Compared to what brothers and sisters experience around the world, we have it easy, but it is changing. It will get worse.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. These words of Jesus still ring like counter-cultural absurdities in chaotic times just as they did when he first said them. But in a time of unrest, where else will this peace come from?
When it comes to the United States right now, the hostility has escalated with little chance of backing back down. How can the cycle end?
If you stayed up late last night hoping to learn the status of the presidential election, you woke up with two realizations: you’re tired and we still don’t know anything. With tensions high now and people on alert, how should Christians respond?
Christians long for a change in the United States, but it’s not more present because we have fallen down on the job. Revival cannot begin in our country until repentance starts in the church.
With every passing year, American citizens become more polarized on an ever-increasing list of divisive issues. Is there a way back toward unity?
The United States of America is less than one week away from the polls closing on the 2020 election. Depending upon who wins, the administration will go in one of two very polarized directions. To what level should a Christian expect or desire?
Our culture changes the standard of what is acceptable by the year. As our culture moves further from biblical morality, the church must clarify the ideal and define our approach.
How should a Christian determine the direction of his or her presidential vote? While no person has to know who you support, God will, so make sure you feel confident before him regarding your decision.
What causes disagreeing Christians to unite is when we can agree upon a prioritized issue. While we often get sidetracked in inconsequential debates, a serious rallying cry often wakes us up. Maybe we need to keep that.
Every day we draw nearer to the most contentious election of our lifetimes, and every moment we come closer to living in the aftermath of half of a country who is infuriated by the results. How do we, as Christians, keep the main thing the main thing? It’s time to go the second mile in protecting commissioned objectives.
With increasing pressure to fall into particular political camps, how are Christians supposed to navigate faithfully? We cannot give in to any cultural system, no matter how widely accepted, if it contradicts the truths of Scripture.
No matter how hard we try, we cannot escape from the increasing political tension. While we are one month from the presidential election, we are in the middle of numerous controversies. As a disciple of Jesus, don’t get caught into traps laid out for us. It’s time to go the second mile in avoiding political extremes.
Our culture has debated what is essential and what is not since the emergence of COVID. In reality, no one determines what is essential other than yourself. What have your actions revealed?