Have you ever been in a situation where you've felt prompted by God to obey Him...and you've felt your neck stiffen because you just don't want to do it? Those are the instances where we need to ask Him to soften us the most! He's going to call us to action in ways that make us uncomfortable, because He has a purpose beyond what we can see, and oft…

The Christian life is meant to be lived out in community. Those who are more spiritually mature serve as examples to us when they follow Christ and we imitate them. Likewise, there are others who come behind us who can follow us as we grow in our own maturity.由Richard Ellis

The more we come to understand the magnitude of our sin, the more we're able to appreciate the magnitude of the forgiveness God extends to us. He's made a choice to forgive and pardon us. We've received unmerited grace through Christ's death on the cross, a sacrifice that paid the price for all our sin.…

Religion says that we have to follow manmade rules in order to earn God's love for us. But the Bible assures us that we already have His love. Salvation is a free gift, unmerited and unearned, and once we accept it, we can begin to respond to His love by letting Him live in and through us.由Richard Ellis

Throughout Scripture, God teaches us to pray with persistence. The words we use, big or small, are far less important than the heart behind them -- and whether or not He answers the way we want Him to, He'll transform our hearts through the very process of prayer.由Richard Ellis

God created the entire universe, and expanded it far beyond anything we have yet to discover. He created humanity. He knows all things -- past, present, and future. The idea that we could impress Him with anything we say or do is laughable in comparison. He sent His only Son to cover our sin so that our lives could bring Him glory, not through our …

Life wasn't meant to be lived in solitude or isolation -- and the same is true for the body of Christ. When we choose to follow Jesus, we become part of God's family. Scripture teaches us the importance of not neglecting to meet together, but it also teaches us the importance of loving one another the way God first loved us.…

The more we try to be in control of our own lives, the more out of control our lives will become. The more we can learn to trust that God is ultimately in control, the less we'll stop fighting to take over. No matter what comes our way, He's faithful to love us and to meet every need.由Richard Ellis

Men can be a piece of work. Women can be a piece of work. But when both obey the order that God designed for them, they work well together. Though men and women are spiritually equal, He created men to lead, and when we follow His plan as He laid it out for us, it brings immense glory to Him.由Richard Ellis

Words can speak life, or they can speak death and destruction. When we participate in gossip or slander, we're allowing the tongue to destroy not only the person we're talking about, but also our own integrity. The words we choose to use have the power to harm other people or turn them to the Lord; which do we want it to be?…

God intended for His followers to multiply, and we're His plan to make it happen. One of the signs of a mature believer is that he or she is bearing spiritual fruit and planting the seeds of the Gospel at every opportunity. To do that, it's important to first be growing in Him, staying connected in the Word, and walking with the Spirit.…

It's likely that many of us are carrying hidden sin through our day-to-day lives. But whatever it is we're hiding will be exposed sooner or later; the only question is, do we want to expose it ourselves or wait until someone else finds out? Whatever we cover God will uncover, but the reverse is also true: whatever we're willing to uncover and surre…

In a fast-paced culture that thrives on racing to accomplish goals at the cost of relationships, it requires both effort and intention to slow down and spend time with others -- including Jesus. In order to be used effectively by God, we have to first spend time building our relationship with Him.由Richard Ellis

All you have to do is read Scripture to know that from the beginning of Creation, people have used excuses to try to get out of having God use them in miraculous ways. Yet when they were finally willing to be used, God was still willing to use them. He has the power to accomplish what anyone would deem "impossible", and there's no limit to what He …

Suffering comes in a lot of different forms -- including choosing to do the right thing in the face of temptation. But even Jesus was tempted like we are today, and when we choose to follow Him, we're also choosing to suffer as He suffered. In those moments when we find ourselves facing a moment or a season of weakness, it's important to remember t…

When Jesus tells His disciples that they're not of this world, He never told them not to be in this world. We're on this earth for a reason, and we can't run away from the sin and struggles that exist because of the broken nature of humanity. It's important, though, that we allow ourselves to be filled with God and His Holy Spirit before we walk ou…

The Bible is filled with promises from God -- promises that He'll strength us, uphold us, and be with us through all the trials and tribulations this world brings. His grace is sufficient for us in our weaknesses; when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, He renews the Spirit within us to face any challenge the enemy tries to bring.…

The story of Daniel in the lions' den is an extraordinary example of what it looks like to obey God even if it means risking one's own life. Our situation might not always look as drastic as Daniel's -- but God might not always rescue us like He did with Daniel, either. At the end of the day, our focus needs to be Kingdom first and not on this worl…

Scripture tells us that when we give our lives to God, He doesn't just refinish what's here -- He makes us completely new. It takes time for new Christians to grow and mature; that's why we all have a responsibility to be discipled and to disciple others.由Richard Ellis

We tend to gravitate towards people who are a lot like us. After all, that's familiar and comfortable...right? But the closer we get to Jesus, the more "riff raff" people we'll find -- people who God will challenge us to love and accept even though they might think and act differently than us.由Richard Ellis

God doesn't want us to think too much of ourselves -- but He never intended for us to think too little of ourselves, either. When you and I accept His love for us as individual people who were made in His image, then we can start to view ourselves in a correct perspective as valuable to and for Him. And when we allow Him to love us and we respond b…

When Jesus commanded us to love one another, He knew that would require us to love people who we don't always like. It's easy to love people who think and act like us; it's something entirely different to love people we disagree with or are even repulsed by. But when we love others -- even when it's hard -- we show the world the type of love that G…

You cannot manufacture the presence of God. When the Holy Spirit fills His people, that's what attracts people to church -- not some fancy building. God can't be contained in manmade walls; He dwells in every believer. May His Spirit be so evident in us that when we're together, people would be able to say, "God is in that house."…

Proverbs 12:22 tells us, "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight." We not only lie often, but we do it so flippantly, too. If we want to live lives that are pleasing to God then we've got to be truthful to Him and to the people around us -- and that comes from knowing the Truth Himself, Jesus Christ…

Have you ever considered that jealousy is a disease of the heart and the spirit? The world around us constantly plays the comparison game, feeding a spirit of envy within us and making us feel like what we have isn't enough. Scripture tells us that in Jesus, we have more than we could ever need. When our contentment is found in Christ, it leads to …

God warns us against sin all throughout Scripture. That's why He's laid out a path for us to avoid the suffering and inevitable consequences that come with disobedience. When we choose to do it His way, we should also be on the lookout to invite anyone who's willing to jump in with us and follow Him.…

Often we have to win the small battles before we're ready to win the war. If we keep focusing on the "big" sin that we can't seem to shake, we'll keep losing on the small stuff too. Instead of trying to conquer our biggest sin struggle right away, it's sometimes better for us to focus on simpler victories first -- because once we begin to win with …

How often do we get bogged down and overwhelmed by the things this world throws at us, instead of focusing on what we're here to do? Jesus gave us a job before He left: to take the Gospel to the entire planet. We need to live in the mindset that He can use us to take the world for the Gospel's sake, and when we trust Him to accomplish that goal thr…

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our faith becomes a reflection of Him to the people around us. That's why it's critical that we find a local church where we can plug in. God wants to use us to serve in ways that only we can, knowing that He'll use whatever is in our past to touch someone else's life.…

God invites us to ask Him for anything, and He promises that He'll give us whatever we ask -- according to His will. Like a child asks their parents, He wants us to come to Him in relationship and ask Him. As a loving Father, He knows everything we want and need, but He'll only give us what He knows is best for us.…

We're all being used by somebody. The question is, are we being used by God or the devil? It's our choice to obey what God is calling us to do, no matter how dirty our hands get in the process.由Richard Ellis

When Jesus rose from the dead, even His own disciples -- those in His inner circle -- doubted Him and raised questions. God's big enough to take on our doubt, but we also have to be ready to put our faith in the truth that He reveals to us. Jesus is alive and He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us; Hallelujah and Amen!…

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the pivotal moment through which all who choose to follow Him now have a way of escape from judgment, sin, and eternal separation from God. And with the resurrection came numerous sightings of the risen Jesus, and numerous attempts to discredit the fact that He rose again. Plots by the enemy to attack those who …

So many tried to stop Jesus. From his birth to His earthly ministry, on every side from the most unexpected places. Yet, no force could. As His followers we must know that His message is still under attack.由Richard Ellis

When Jesus was crucified, His last words impacted not only those who were around Him that day -- the thief hanging on the cross next to Him; His brother, whom He told to take care of His mother; and the witnesses of the crucifixion as He proclaimed that "it is finished" -- but they also impact us today. His death was the full payment, once and for …

When Jesus died on the cross, He took all of our sin -- past, present, and future -- and nailed it to the cross along with Himself. It's on us to accept the fact that He paid our debt in full, and then move forward in the freedom that can only come from living in God's forgiveness.由Richard Ellis

It wasn't enough for Jesus to die for our sins - He also had to conquer death. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for us when He was crucified, but it was in His resurrection that He overcame death and now offers us eternal life. All we have to do is accept His forgiveness and surrender our lives to Him.…

The Bible tells us that this life is like a vapor. In fact, according to God's time, we're on this earth for mere minutes in the grand scheme of eternity. It's important for us to realize that time is slipping away, not so that we can live in fear of dying, but so that we can utilize what time we have left by following His will and living to glorif…

You probably haven't thought much about the donkey and the colt that Jesus needed to ride on when He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. But what if the man who owned them had been unwilling to give them when he heard the Lord needed them? We need to always be prepared and willing to give God whatever He asks, whenever He asks -- even if it means giv…

God's Spirit takes up residence inside of us when we accept His salvation and submit our lives to Him. And when He's running the show, that means we no longer get to live the way we did before we chose to follow Him -- the way the world encourages us to live. He's the "landLord" now, and it's our responsibility to submit ourselves to live under His…

Men and women alike are subject to temptation; none of us are immune. In those moments when we feel swayed to give in to the allure of what the world has to offer, it's important to focus on what God has given us at home and be the husband or wife we need to be for our spouse.由Richard Ellis

Single men and women who are seeking a relationship should be seeking Christ first, because when they do that, they'll find someone who has Christ living in them. Without Him, we have no defense against sinful things, but when He lives in us, we're no longer "only human".由Richard Ellis

In the same way that it delights a parent when their child obeys and desires to do things for them, God is delighted when we obey and serve Him. When we live our lives to please the Lord, we'll be amazed by the ways He uses us to touch others -- and the ways He rewards us all the while.由Richard Ellis

Jesus was the fulfillment of the sacrifice needed to satisfy the punishment for all of our sin; it's His blood that washes us clean. He paid the price for our salvation not so that we could continue to be weighted down by the past, but so that we'd be free to run the race before us with our eyes fixed on the eternal prize that awaits us.…

The Apostle Paul writes about singleness being a gift from God, because it allows the individual to serve Him wholeheartedly. But he also addresses those who are gifted with marriage, and instructs them to give God their whole lives. If someone who loves and follows and serves the Lord is going to get married, it's important that the person they're…

We're naturally drawn to sin, and the more we sin, the more our lives spiral out of control. But when we submit ourselves to God's reign and rule, He grows the fruit of His Spirit in us, and it gives us the power to control the sinful tendencies of our flesh.由Richard Ellis

We can listen to sermons all day long, or read our Bibles from cover to cover. But if we never actually respond in obedience to what we're being told, it will eventually cease to have any impact on us spiritually. If we're ever unsure of the response we should have when reading Scripture, we can ask God to give us ears to truly hear what it says --…

Jesus didn't teach His disciples to pray for monthly bread or yearly bread; He taught them to pray for daily bread. In other words, Jesus emphasized the importance and necessity of regular time in prayer with the Father. When we make a habit of praying and giving thanks to God, we're obedient to Him in the small things, and over time, the big thing…

No one can purchase salvation. It's not up for bid; it can only be received as a free gift from God. Even after we accept that gift, we're bound to fall and fail, but because of His relentless grace, we're able to get back up and continue to follow Him.由Richard Ellis

In America, we have a lot of churches, but not enough disciples making disciples. Our churches are orphanages for new believers, and if we're really following Jesus, we'll put away our fears about what it means to disciple someone else and obey His calling to just go out and do it.由Richard Ellis