Author: Derek Grier (Derek Grier)

When it comes to your relationship with the Lord, would you say you’re ‘all in?’ Oftentimes, believers stay on the banks of belief – they stay on the outskirts of the living water, staying only ankle-deep. Contrary to this half-hearted faith, the Bible calls us to be all in for the Lord. In John 7:38, it frames this call to action perfectly:

How often in life do we give up on things because they are not what we had expected or hoped for? How often do we dwindle in our faith when we are faced with adversity? Oftentimes, our earthly expectations get in the way of God’s plan for our lives. God knows what we need, and what we need to do to help those around us as well. We can see this demonstrated through the life of Paul.

The Holy Spirit is a being. Oftentimes, many of us picture the Holy Spirit as a passive force, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In the book of John, Jesus reveals many truths regarding the nature of the Holy Spirit and how He helps us as believers. Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we have access to the Holy Spirit and all that He helps us with.

In the book Ephesians, we are called to be imitators of Christ. We are called to walk, live in, and operate in love just as Christ taught us. No matter people’s opinions towards us, we are called to love them. In a world that is filled with division and hate, we are called to be imitators of the selfless love of God.

Fear. A complex word, fear can entail many things – fear of death, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of opposition, and countless more. While these fears are each unique in their manifestations, they are common in one way: their origins. All fear originates from the same place: from within us. But it doesn’t just come about by itself – fears arise in accordance with the media, literature, and entertainment we choose to consume.

What do we do when the adversity life brings our way is overwhelming? Where do we turn when we are flooded with fear, uncertainty, and anxiety? Our answer was provided to us by God through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. Our answer is the 3rd head of the Trinity – The Holy Spirit.

Do you recognize the power of influence? Who you read, watch, talk to, and listen to is influencing you each day – whether you realize it or not. Each person we hang around, we’re opening ourselves up to their personality, character, morals, actions and thought patterns. If we continue to hang out with the people we have been hanging around, we will continue to be molded by them – for better or for worse!

Stewardship is a common topic of biblical discussion. Whether or not we are effective with what God entrusts us with will determine a lot – about ourselves, our futures, and even His blessings. If we are intentional in following His guidance in diligence, He will be faithful to bless and entrust us with more.

Our society is widely focused on their personal wealth and how to increase their possessions, prestige, or even power. As believers, God has called us to be different from those around us. Many times, people put their finances first. In a world and culture where this is a reality, let’s strive to operate in love according to God’s guidance. Let’s strive to labor in love to effectively display the grace Christ already showed us when He sacrificed Himself on the cross.

Oftentimes, people start strong in their walk with the Lord, then gradually decline in the coming days, months, years. Some fail to invest time in prayer, others in God’s Word. Usually, this is not intentional, but instead is the result of life’s distractions piling up and making us lose our focus on the bigger picture. We must be intentional to stay focused on what truly matters and not let the little difficulties of life distract us!