Seeing things from our limited perspective can get us into trouble. We react to our circumstances based off what we see and how we interpret the things going on around us. Feeling rushed forces faith to give way to certainty and hope to lose out over control. The perceived pressure leads us to feel overwhelmed, so we continue to force our way in a never-ending loop that leaves us exhausted.

The light and the dark. It’s the epic struggle we’ve seen depicted in our stories since the beginning of time. The hero of light struggles against the villain of darkness. We love these stories because they seem to reflect our world. They reflect our desire that the light will win out over the darkness…

When considering our relationship with God, our beliefs might not pose the most significant threat to our faith. This doesn't negate the importance of our beliefs, as they indeed hold substantial significance. However, if these beliefs fail to influence our words and actions, another issue arises. Our beliefs transition from being a strong foundation to a mere novel concept. Instead of convictions, they remain intentions.

When the alarm clock goes off, and you awake from your nightly slumber, have you ever stopped and thought about why you are getting up? I'm not talking about an important business meeting or shuffling the kids off to school. I'm highlighting something much more profound, something that drives not only our words and actions but also the way we perceive the world around us. So, let me ask again: what motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?

As I typed today and looked down at my aging hands, I wondered when my hands started looking like my grandmother's. Of course, I remember many things about my grandmother: her stories, watching The Price is Right and Days of Our Lives, and snapping green beans and shelling peas. But, what always sticks with me was her hands wrinkled, with age spots, and some of her fingers bent from arthritis.

In life, we face crossroads all the time. Situations present themselves that force us to consider, decide, or choose…

During my freshman year of high school, a skating rink opened in my town. With limited options for teens to hang out and have fun (at least in a legal way), it instantly became the place to see and be seen…

Often the difficulty we have with Scripture is not due to a lack of comprehension but rather an unwillingness to put those truths into practice, especially when it comes to dealing with difficult people. For instance, take today’s passage found in Romans…

We often find ourselves yearning for a place to belong, where our souls can rest. Yet, in the pursuit of belonging, we must not forget that this privilege comes with a sacred responsibility.

Hello....my name is Tony, and I'm a distraction addict. It's been less than an hour since I last hopped online to check my email and scroll through social media. Now, it's your turn. As a fellow distraction addict, what is your vice of choice? What do you turn to repeatedly to divert your attention, escape being alone or avoid dealing with issues taking place inside your heart?

No matter our circumstances, hope is always within reach when we know Jesus Christ. Life can sometimes throw unexpected curveballs, leaving us feeling disoriented and overwhelmed. But, amid it all, Jesus stands as our constant companion, offering hope that transcends every situation.

Isn't life an incredible journey of changing seasons? God's handiwork is all around us, and those changing seasons are like God's way of reminding us about the natural order of things. Just as God directs the rhythm of nature, He's also orchestrating the rhythm of our lives, moving from one season to the next; as one chapter ends, another begins. Embracing the art of introspection and reflection is pivotal during these transitions; without them, we miss witnessing God's provision, protection, and guidance through it all.

What we see affects the condition of our hearts. Our heart is forged by what we encounter. For better or worse, our lives are always expressing what is inside. Yet, very few of us stop long enough to consider where our eyes focus. If we did, we'd notice that our gaze is continuously moving and doesn't stay in any spot for very long.

It's not enough to simply know the Gospel; we're called to be living testaments of it. We're called to become the good news ourselves! Think about it for a moment. The Gospel isn't just a set of doctrines or words on a page. It's a life-altering, heart-transforming force meant to shake us to our core. And when we truly grasp its power, we can't help but be changed by it. We become the embodiment of that radical, all-encompassing love and compassion.

Full transparency: I've never been one to make my bed. As a teenager, my mom's mantra as she would shake her head and close my door was always, "his room, his mess." We won't speak of the college apartments and dorm room experiences. It's as sketchy cleaning-wise as one would expect…

You have a say in who you become. It's very easy to hear a statement like this and begin to list all the things you need to change feverishly. Many items that make the list are attempts to make up for the past or avoid remaining the person that you currently are. Almost all of the selections are some version of behavior modification centered on replacing the bad with the good.

"We love because he first loved us." These eight simple words hold the essence of our faith journey. Our love, our capacity to love, and our ability to love others all begin with God's love for us. Before we could even fathom love, God was loving us. Before we had a chance to earn it, God was pouring out His love upon us. The very source of love, grace, and mercy flows from His heart.

In a world marred by brokenness, pain, and division, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless. We see suffering on the news, in our communities, and sometimes even in our own homes. The weight of it all can be paralyzing. But what if we viewed our lives not as mere spectators to this brokenness, but as active agents of healing?

All it takes is turning on the television to realize we live in a crazy world. We get bombarded with news about the crisis in the Middle East, political unrest, racial disunity, a troubled economy, and many other unsettling tidbits. Discord and disagreement seem to define our days. The talking heads have our heads spinning and reaching for the aspirin or, at the very least, the remote.

Rest often feels like a luxury we can't afford. We push ourselves to the limit, convinced that constant activity is the key to success and fulfillment. But what if we've got it all wrong? What if rest isn't just a pause in our journey, but an essential part of it? Let's consider the idea that rest is a preparation that readies us to return. This concept invites us to see rest not as an interruption of our purpose, but as a vital component in fulfilling it.