How is your faith today? If you find that your faith tank is low, then allow me to make two suggestions. One, start filing your heart and mind with God’s word. Two, start acting on what he said. As you do, you are putting your faith into action, and you will discover that God honors his word.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

So much of our Christian walk exists as an oxymoron. For example, you don’t work to earn salvation; you receive it by grace. You lose your life by trying to keep it, but you gain life when you lose it. Our experience as believers should be contrary to everything the world tells us. 

When we come to this verse in Isaiah 40:31, we see another oxymoron. Here we find strength in waiting, trusting, and hoping in the Lord. Again, this goes against what we would normally associate with finding strength. So what does Isaiah 40:31 mean and how can you apply it to your life starting right now?

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How do you effectively cope with grief, and what wisdom does the Bible offer in guiding us through this process?

I know some of you might say my politics are my witness. And maybe that is the problem because unfortunately, as I am about to show you, that cannot be true all the time. As Christians, we must remember it is not about red or blue, but salt and light. Your Christianity is not defined by the party you belong to, but by your identity in Christ. 

Guarding your heart is not much different from what we do in other parts of our lives. For example, we know if you eat terrible food, then your body will not operate at its best. If you spend more money than you make, you will end up in debt. Guarding your heart is simply an issue of cause and effect.

Since you have encountered the saving grace of Jesus Christ, you are free from the bondage of sin, guilt, and shame. This liberation enables you to embrace the abundant life that God intends for you, right here and now. The freedom you now have in Christ empowers you to live with purpose, hope, and confidence.

If you give with the right heart, then it becomes something you want to do, not something you must do.

Satan does not have an insatiable desire for your belongings. He is not fixated on your house, your car, your bank account, or your job. In fact, these material possessions hardly register to him, unless he can exploit them to undermine your faith and hinder your relationship with God.

Salvation comes by only one means, and that is by placing your complete faith and trust in this finished work of Jesus Christ. You must acknowledge him as Savior and Lord and recognize what he did is everything you need for your salvation.

If an apostle can be unmarried and a pastor of a church can be unmarried, then clearly marriage is not a qualifier for leadership. Whether churches do this consciously or subconsciously, the time has come that we stop disqualifying people for leadership just because they are not married.

In singles ministry, I believe most churches have the right intentions. However, it seems even though the intentions may be good, they seem to be laced with far too many assumptions. These assumptions sometimes make me wonder if churches are approaching singles ministry from the right perspective. What should be a ministry that is encouraging and empowering, often leaves the participants wanting more and sometimes discouraged. 

Within many singles ministries, there are some common mistakes that I see many churches making. As part of my research for this article, I looked at some church websites to gather information on their singles ministry. I will share some of what I found to show you what I mean. Where necessary, I changed the name of the church, but I hope this will help give some perspective.

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What measuring stick are you using to define what it means to really love Jesus?

You may have a job or money in the bank, but those things are resources that can come and go, as recent events in our society have proven. By relying on God for provision, you are acknowledging him as your source, and you can trust him knowing he will provide everything you need. 

Lust can be ignited towards different things. What we may miss when talking about lust is everything in life has the potential to become something we lust after. So it is something you must pay attention to in your life.