It can happen to anyone and maybe it has happened to you. You are sitting in church or in a small group and the time comes to pray. You can feel the leader of the group scanning the attendees because you know they are going to ask someone to pray. On the inside your heart begins to race because you are hoping they don’t ask you. You purposely keep your head down and avoid making any eye contact because you don’t want to give even the slightest impression that you are interested in leading the prayer. The tension continues to mount as the moment of truth draws near because they are about to ask someone. What a great relief you experience because this time they didn’t ask you. You got skipped over, and this was one time where it didn’t matter because thankfully, someone else was chosen to pray. Immediately your anxiety subsides, and you feel as if you have dodged another bullet.

If you have you experienced something like this when you are asked to pray in public, you are not alone. Many people are afraid of praying in front of anyone else. This fear can grip you whether you are praying in front of a group or even just one other person. There can be an inherent pressure that comes with it, and I must admit there have been times when I have felt it.

When I first met my wife, we went out to eat. I asked her to pray for the meal. She got very nervous and declined and asked if I could pray for it instead. I later discovered she felt intimidated to pray in front of me or anyone else for that matter. Over time she has since conquered that intimidation (as I have) and she is comfortable praying in front of a room or with someone else one on one. Trust me, if she can do it so can you. The question is how do you do it?

I want to give you four things to consider which can help you overcome the fear of praying in public.

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If you are still trying to figure out who Andrew was in the Bible, you have good reason. That’s because the Bible doesn’t speak much about Andrew. In the entire New Testament, his name only appears twelve times. We get one big glimpse of who Andrew was early in John, but outside of that he remains relatively unknown, though he was one of the twelve chosen by Jesus. Today we will look at some of those mentions and see what we can gather from what was written about Andrew in the Bible. 

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Solomon knew more and had more than perhaps anyone who ever lived... and after getting it all he said, "All is vanity." Was he being satirical, or was there something serious and profound behind this shocking statement?

Be honest, when I mentioned that did you immediately think of it as sin, because many don’t. I know just saying the word busyness may not bring a high level of conviction, but I want to walk you through a passage of Scripture that will hopefully change your mind.

Obedience is not always the fun, happy word we like to talk about in church, yet it is essential in your walk with Jesus because of what it represents in your life. Obedience is what separates the winners from losers, the overcomers from the underperformers, the ordinary from extraordinary, and those who live a victorious Christian life from those who don’t.

We all know people, including ourselves, who were paralyzed in one way, shape, or form because they were afraid. As believers, how do we deal with this issue of fear? We have been given a different mandate. God encourages us many times in the Bible not to be afraid or walk in fear.

If there is one topic you should get excited about as a believer in Jesus Christ, it is heaven. I would even say if you can’t get excited about heaven, then you need to check your heart because heaven is our eternal home. Everything we do in this life should be geared toward the day we see Jesus face-to-face. Ultimately, he is our eternal reward, and we will have the privilege of spending eternity with him.

Have you ever found yourself gazing at the night sky, wondering what lies beyond the stars? The concept of heaven has fascinated humanity for centuries, offering a vision of hope, peace, and eternal life. As Christians, our curiosity about heaven is deeply rooted in our faith and the promises found in Scripture. The Bible provides us with glimpses of this divine realm, painting a picture of a place where God's glory shines brightest and where believers will experience unending joy and communion with the Creator.

That is going to be an amazing time and hopefully you are looking forward to it. To help put you in the heavenly frame of mind, let's explore what the Bible says about heaven. I want to share 21 Bible verses to tell you what heaven will be like. Let this be an encouragement to you to keep pressing forward, because there is a blessed hope awaiting you so don’t give up.

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As I looked back, I began to recognize a few things. I discovered when worry is present, usually there are four things it will reveal about you. As you come with me on this journey, you may see yourself in these four things, but that is okay because even if you are worrying about something now, there is a remedy to get you through it.

If you are going to protect yourself from drifting, God’s Word is going to play a critical role. You must become familiar with God’s Word, and most importantly you must become obedient to it.

To drift means to be carried along by currents of water or air, or by the force of circumstance. It can also mean to wander aimlessly. If we are being warned about drifting, then what are the reasons we may be prone to drift in the first place?

Most of this passage in Ephesians addresses the role of the husband. I know much has been made in our society and in the church especially of the submission of the wife, but this passage spends more time talking to the husband.

The Bible is clear that we should show respect for the elderly. There is much we can learn from those who are older and who have walked with God for a long time. Many elderly people have legacies of God’s faithfulness and have lived lives of righteousness that we can glean from. 

What can creep into people’s thoughts is, “What about truly evil people?” While on the surface this can seem like a very logical question, there is a recognition missing from it. There is an assumption that somehow God may not be interested in reaching the truly evil person. This is simply not true. Let’s not forget all of us are sinners and undeserving of God’s salvation, yet he saved us.

The word “backslide” can have many connotations, but what does backslide mean in the Bible? To answer that question, we must first consider what people have backslidden from, and then whether their position can change.