Sometimes it’s difficult to be patient. God promises good things for us in the future, but in the meantime, we deal with struggles, pains, and griefs, in the waiting. To see God’s promises, we require patience and endurance. 

Yet, how do we develop this patience? First, we can pray for it when we need it. Second, we can remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness in our lives. And then be thankful for his work in the past and present. In light of his love, we can extend our thankfulness even into the future. This hope gives us strength and patience. 

Here are 7 ways Thanksgiving can help you practice patience.

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Certain characters might not be well known, but their impact spans hundreds of years. In Jethro’s case, his wisdom and leadership at a crucial moment gave Israel and the Western world important principles.

Looking through the Scripture, we can piece together what it means to have the Seal of God and what it teaches us about our heavenly Father.

While the Bible doesn’t specify a date for the birth of Christ, Scripture and history give us clues to explore when God's Son came to earth as a baby.

We all experience different seasons. For one, our earth moves through summer, fall, winter, and spring. More tropical areas might not have those but still have rainy and dry times of the year. 

Beyond our physical world, we go through different stages of life, from young to old, failures and successes, grief and joy. Every person has seasons—from the emotional, the personal, and the spiritual. 

With such a common and universal experience, we should seek God’s wisdom and how we can find God through such changes. God’s love shares his wisdom through the Spirit and the Scripture, addressing the different transitions of life. 

Here are 7 Bible verses about seeing God in seasons.

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Perea in the Bible may be unfamiliar to most of us today, but as we explore its importance, we will see more of God’s plan in action.

Thankfulness opens the door to deep communion with God, inviting us into his presence for his endless grace. When we express gratitude, we shift our focus from ourselves to God and others, acknowledging his goodness and constant provision, even if unseen. As Psalm 100:4 declares, we “enter his gates with thanksgiving.”

However, our sinful nature makes thankfulness difficult. We easily see what we lack instead of the abundance we’ve been given. We tend to focus on our problems, desires, and disappointments rather than recognizing God’s blessings. Being ungrateful has spiritual consequences, and we see examples of this through different people in the Bible. Yet even through their actions and the consequences, God can teach us how to live in gratitude and stay in close fellowship with him.

Here are six examples of ungrateful people in the Bible, and what they teach us.

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Jesus, the Son of God, addressed the Mosaic Law during his ministry on earth. “I have come to fulfill the Law” (Matthew 5:17). 

The New Testament records several reasons Jesus came. To list only a few: To seek and save what was lost (Luke 19:10). To bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). To bring abundant, eternal life (John 10:10). To destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), and many more. 

As one of these purposes, Jesus teaches during the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

Yet the New Testament also contrasts the Law with the Spirit. The Law brings death and the Spirit life (2 Corinthians 3:6). So when Jesus says he doesn’t abolish the Law, but fulfills it, what does he mean? 

To begin to understand, we should start at the beginning.

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There seems to be a type of paradox in the Christian life. On the one hand, God tells us to be humble. At the same time, Scripture calls us to boldness. While these appear to conflict, we likely misunderstand one or both of humility and boldness. 

Humility recognizes our inability and weakness. Our knowledge is limited, and we often seek things for selfish gain instead of love. Biblical humility doesn’t devalue us in any way. God loves and values us so much he provided a way to be reconciled with him through Jesus (John 3:17). We find humility when we engage the Lord Almighty. In light of his omnipotence, omniscience, goodness, love, and more, we realize our own inability and immense value. 

Boldness, therefore, comes from sharing the character and amazing works of God. Looking to ourselves, boldness becomes pride. True boldness rests in exalting God’s name, the only one worthy of praise. In reality, we can only be truly bold when we are humble. 

Here are seven ways the Gospel makes us bold.

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After the flood and before God calls Abraham and Sarah, the Bible tells us about this tower and God’s response. It may be an odd story, but the Scripture included it for a reason. What can we learn from the Tower of Babel?

The biblical narrative around Christmas is designed to bring hope and peace. Meditating on the Advent season leading up to Christmas can help us experience the hope and peace the Father provides in His Son, Jesus. 

Among the inevitable strife and unrest, Christ calls us to stand in faith and intercede for God’s will and peace. As believers, we turn to Scripture to guide our prayers for Israel from a place of calm, not fear. Our prayers must align with God’s promises and provide hope during the turmoil.

I used to read and watch scary stories, from Stephen King to slasher flicks. My spiritual mentor once asked me, “Why do you watch that stuff?”

I answered, “Have you read the Bible?”

The Scripture repeatedly warns about the existence of great and absolute evil, how we have an enemy out to kill and hurt us in any way he can. Since these warnings are radical and extreme, the Bible often expresses the existence of evil with disturbing images and statements.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Christians should watch horror movies. At the same time, many in our culture do consume this material, especially in October leading up to Halloween. Great stories reflect the greatest story, the Gospel, and that can include horror stories. As Jesus followers, we don’t have to participate in viewing these movies to engage in conversations, using these films as opportunities to lovingly engage in biblical truth.

As examples, here are five horror movies with biblical lessons.

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