Let’s talk about faith.

Faith is an important and recurring theme in the Bible. Believers are called to put their faith in God’s word. But what is faith, and why is it so important that we develop it? Does faith change our lives?

The Bible provides what I consider to be the definitive answer. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” Faith is believing in God’s power, and taking comfort in his promises.

We gain mountain-moving power when we place our lives in God’s hands!

Faith Is Trusting God’s Power

In Matthew 17:14-20, the disciples are unable to drive out a demon from a man’s son until Jesus shows them how it’s done. When his disciples ask why they couldn’t drive out the demon, Jesus tells them it’s because they lacked faith. If they had faith the size of a tiny mustard seed, he adds, they could command a mountain to move, and it would do so.

We find the power of faith also demonstrated in Matthew 8:5-13, when a Roman centurion runs up to Jesus to ask that his servant be healed. Jesus asks the centurion if he wants him to accompany him to his house. The centurion demonstrates his faith by replying, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word and my servant will be healed.”Jesus marvels at his faith, and does as he asks. The centurion returns home, to find that his servant was healed at the exact time the centurion was speaking with Jesus.

Faith is Trusting God’s Goodness

Doubt can be considered an enemy of faith (Matthew 17:14-20). When looking around, it can feel like the world is crashing down around you. But God hasn’t left us alone. And he’s given us tools to help us keep our faith strong.

God’s Word tells the story of his goodness and guiding hand throughout history. Even when things fell apart, God still had a plan. And nothing can thwart it. One of my favorite verses is Romans 8:28, which reminds us, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

God’s power is demonstrated through his creation. The natural world is so intently and complexly designed that scientists still struggle to comprehend much of it. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.”We can have faith in God’s power, because we can trust in his goodness.

Keep Feeding Your Faith

If something isn’t fed, it dies. The same is true for our faith. So we must continuously strengthen it. I keep my faith strong by studying my Bible and reviewing my favorite encouraging Bible verses, some of which I listed earlier. Praying is another way I keep my faith strong. Prayer helps me to talk to God, which deepens my relationship with him. God wants to be in a personal relationship with each of us.

How do we deepen our relationship with him? With faith, time, and communication. We build our faith in God as we deepen our trust in his goodness and power.

Are you actively building your faith? In what ways has God proven his goodness and power to you? In what ways have you demonstrated to God that you have faith in him?

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GUEST BLOGGER CLAYTON THOMAS CARTER, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN PLANO, TEXAS, IS PASSIONATE ABOUT ENCOURAGING THE KNOWLEDGE OF A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW. HE ENJOYS PLAYING TRUMPET AND SERVING AT HIS CHURCH.

Does the noise of the world get to you, too?

Living in an age where, because of the internet, everything can be shared on a whim, we are constantly exposed to all the different views and opinions of the world. It all can feel very confusing, especially if we’re teens struggling to figure out our path in life.

As someone living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), sometimes all the noise can really get to me. But when I find myself overwhelmed, I know there is one solid foundation that I can always turn to for clear direction: the Bible.

Peace Amid the Noise

The Bible is the Word of God, given to humanity so that we might know God’s character, His will, and who we are in Him, through Christ. His Word details the creation of the universe and humanity (Genesis 1 and 2), the way to salvation (John 3), and historical events in which we can see God at work. Its expansive writings are amazing and encouraging — and convicting. It’s great stuff.

What is it about the Bible that makes it a worthy foundation for our lives? The Bible’s reliability is based on two facts: One, God is good and wants to guide us in our daily lives. Two, the Bible is history, so we are reading the experiences of other real, flawed people. We get to see how God worked in their lives.

When I was a kid, I needed the guidance and wisdom of my parents to gain knowledge as I physically matured. God, our Creator and spiritual Father, gives us guidance and wisdom to mature spiritually. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” James 1:5 adds: “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God — who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly — and it will be given to him.”

Due to my sinful nature, I am prone to faltering and disobeying God. It’s the same with you, too. But in His goodness, God shows us how to live well. His Word is like a mirror: It helps us to become aware of our sin, to see our need for repentance, and to turn to God for His ceaseless love and forgiveness. We can live with that assurance.

History is a great teacher. It is a blessing to be able to read the Bible and learn from the failure and victories of real people — from Adam and Eve, to the Jewish prophets and kings, to the committed disciples who spread the Gospel message far and wide. In reading their stories, we get to see the heart of God, and His understanding and patience for us. He knows we’re human!

Though I am still in my teens, I recognize that daily life can feel like standing in the midst of a storm. But every storm has an eye; a place of peace, despite the chaos. The Bible is that eye for me. The quiet space where I can feel God’s peace, and where I can gain wisdom and confidence.

What “storm” is causing you distress right now?  

Today, open your Bible. Ask God to meet with you, and to provide you with peace and clarity as you read His Word. God is not distant; He is always near. His Word grounds us in the midst of noise and chaos.

NEXT STEPS

> Interested in helping people to know God personally? Get started here.
> Need prayer? Contact us. We would love to pray for you!

GUEST BLOGGER CLAYTON THOMAS CARTER, A STUDENT IN PLANO, TEXAS, IS PASSIONATE ABOUT ENCOURAGING THE KNOWLEDGE OF A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW. HE ENJOYS PLAYING TRUMPET AND SERVING AT HIS CHURCH.

The Bible discusses many topics, from our human limitations and weaknesses, to the nature of life, to the sublime magnificence of our God. Much more than a descriptive list of facts, Scripture hints at the truth of things – the essence and purpose of God’s creation – the things that are real beyond our human interpretation and perception.

I read Scripture because I want to understand who God is, and what He wants of me. I don’t fully understand all of the Bible, but I have been finding God as I linger in it. Perhaps the way I connect with God in His Word can work for you, too, if you’re struggling to connect. 

Why Read God’s Word

It’s frustrating that we can’t fully understand all that we read in the Bible, for numerous reasons. We often bring our subjective lens to the text, which can change the intended meaning. Or we take the text out of context, and end up making wrong assumptions. But it’s often because we hurriedly skim as we read, rather than taking the time to ponder, because we want to check “Read Bible” off our busy daily to-do list.

We can fix these issues. But a bigger reason we can feel a disconnect with the Bible is because we lack God’s knowledge and perspective. Which can make reading the Bible feel like work. But God repeatedly tells us to dive into His Word, with delight, because we need its knowledge to have a firm understanding of what Christianity is all about.

First, Scripture tells us who God is. Second, the Bible tells us who we are — and why Christ selflessly chose to die for us on the cross. God’s Word gives us peace, which we need in a world that feels increasingly anxious. As 1 Corinthians 13:12 reminds us, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Finding God in Scripture is for our benefit. So how can we best grasp God’s truths? There’s no right way. But what I do know: “Get in, get out” doesn’t work with the Bible. Finding God requires that we build the habit of lingering with Him to really know Him.

Finding God As I Linger 

God chose to give me an engineer’s mind. That means that I approach any task or problem from numerous angles, with various methods, as I seek out the best solution.

So when I read the Bible, my logical brain kicks into overdrive. I don’t read just one translation, but many translations — which I compare! I also research words in Hebrew or Greek, to better understand subtleties and nuances in the original text. I also read commentaries, just to learn what respected theologians think. Like I said, I’m a geek! And I know I have a lot to learn.

But I can be so analytical and methodical in my approach that I often miss the overall message. It’s like observing a painting with such focused scrutiny, that I can only see the brushstrokes and blobs of paint, not the subject matter. 

Especially if I read the words silently in my head. My geeky brain not only filters out the overall theme, but much of the poetry and beauty of the words. Or my thoughts wander, or the words knock around in my head, without making sense.

So here’s what I do: I read Scripture out loud. It’s as if, in the timbre and nuances of my voice, the poignant request of my yearning heart for God amplifies. I feel an emotional connection with God, and am able to fully focus on what He wants me to learn.

As I speak His Word aloud, God’s presence pierces my heart with a deep assurance and certainty. Not a logical certainty, not anything I can put into words or grasp with my mind, but certain nonetheless — fair and true and deeply wonderful. I am seen. I am loved. I am known.

My soul opens, and I am able to catch incandescent glimpses of our God’s magnificence. My tears of joy are the truest response of my heart’s overflowing gratitude. I am blown away that the Creator of the universe wants to be known by me!

See If It Works For You

So, that’s my daily practice, if you want to give it a try. As you read God’s Word aloud, imagine that you hear Him speaking. Read slowly. Savor the words. Emotionally connect with the message. There is always something that God wants to reveal to us, when we give Him our pause to do so.

We discern the ineffable beauty of God more with our open and surrendered hearts than we do with our logical minds. Finding God becomes a sacred event when we get in His Word and allow Him to connect with us. It doesn’t matter that we don’t understand everything in it. Our walk with God is about our journey, not just our destination.

>>> God wants a relationship with you. Click here to learn more!

Guest blogger Dan Muenchau is a retired engineer who enjoys showing the love of God to others.

Names are significant. It’s always a big deal when someone knows your name, which is why we all try to be better at remembering them. I meet a lot of people, and I hate forgetting and having to say, “Hey, you!” or “Good to see you, man!” Remembering a name is a big deal, and not just because it makes it convenient to get someone’s attention. A name is a revealer of character, like when someone says, “Oh, she’s got a really good name in the industry.” It’s not just what you call someone, but what they are.

The same goes for God. The Bible calls Him by many names. Each has a story, and each reveals a different aspect of God’s character. In this post I highlight what may be the most important name for God, which reveals His loving character. 

Yahweh: I Am Who I Am

The most important name for God is Yahweh, which translates to “I am who I am.” This name, which God called Himself, shows up with one of the most well-known Bible characters, Moses.

You may know that as a Hebrew baby, Moses was spared from infanticide that the Egyptian pharaoh ordered to curb the population of the Israelites, Egypt’s slave labor. His mom puts him in a basket and floats him down the Nile River, where Moses is found by one of Pharaoh’s daughters and raised as an Egyptian. As a young adult, Moses connects to his Israeli heritage and tries to ingratiate himself to them by killing an Egyptian abusing a Hebrew slave. It doesn’t work. The Israelites are like, “We don’t know you.” And the Egyptians are angry about the murder. So Moses runs away, ending up in another country, where he lives as a shepherd with his father-in-law, a pagan priest. 

One day Moses sees a bush that’s on fire, but not burning up. Curious, he edges closer, and God speaks to him. God tells Moses that He is going to rescue the Israelites from centuries of slavery. Moses is like, “Cool, thanks for letting me know. Glad you are doing that.” Then God tells him that He’s going to use Moses to make it happen. Moses has some objections. He says, “If I go to the Israelites, they are going to say, ‘What is the name of the God who told you this?’ What do I say?” Because Moses grew up as an Egyptian, he was familiar with hundreds of gods. So which one is this?

God tells Moses, “Yahweh.” I am who I am.

Yahweh: Not Our Build-A-Bear

At first glance, Yahweh, I am who I am, doesn’t seem to reveal much. But the name actually does.

First, it reveals that God is a personal being. He is not just some force, like the Star Wars, “May the force be with you” thing. This is a big deal to understand. People who don’t know Jesus view God as an impersonal force in the universe, and will often say things like, “The universe drew us together” or “I hope the universe will guide me to make the best decision.”

This sounds nice, but when you think about it, an impersonal force is a very low hope. It’s no different than blind luck. God is not the universe; He is the personal being who has always existed. He created the universe. He is a person who desires a relationship with His creation, you and me, which is what Christianity is all about.

Second, the name tells us that God is who He is apart from our opinion about who He is. God exists outside of our imagination. He isn’t what we want Him to be — or who we are afraid He is. He is Yahweh, regardless of what we think about Him. He is I am who I am.

When I was thinking about this, a birthday idea came to mind for my granddaughter, who is about to turn two. I thought about those Build-A-Bears, and I decided to go online and build a bear for her. But God is not a Build-A-Bear. He is the eternal God who exists beyond our opinion of Him.

He created bears — and you and me. So our job is to relate to Him, not make Him in our image. When people say, “Oh, my God would ever do that,” or “I can only believe in a God who only does X,” they’re acting like God is their Build-A-Bear. But He’s not. He’s I am who I am.

Yahweh’s Unchanging Nature

God chooses eight descriptors of His essence, which all point to a God that sounds too good to be true. These words describe not WHAT God does, but WHO He is at His core. His essence:

Compassionate
We don’t have to try to catch God on a good day. He’s not moody; sometimes mean, other times gracious. He is always compassionate. The Hebrew word is related to the word for a woman’s womb, capturing the kind of emotion a mother feels for the baby she carries. God is saying, “I am not some distant deity who doesn’t care about you. Every ounce of My being is in love with you and concerned for you.“

Gracious
Another strong and good aspect of God’s character, this lets us know that He is far more generous toward us than we can imagine. He is not stingy or stodgy. He is a giver, especially of what we don’t deserve. 

Slow To Get Angry
God does not have His finger on the trigger. He is patient, and gives us a really long rope. That’s a very good thing, because we wouldn’t last a second if He were a hothead.

Overflowing with Love and Always Faithful
What fills God up is love, and what you will find when you come to Him is love overflowing your direction. His love is without limit; like His faithfulness, it won’t run out. We live in a world with very little loyalty and endurance in relationships, but God sticks with us, and will outlast our latest foolishness. 

Unwavering, Committed Love
The Hebrew word chesed is one of the most important words in the Bible, and God uses it all the time to describe Himself. It’s a covenantal love, like marriage, based on a promise that He will never break. It is an irrational commitment to another person, to do what is best and to stick with that person no matter what. 

Forgiving and Just
God is slow to get angry, and quick to forgive. He doesn’t hold on to grudges. He’s not passive aggressive. He doesn’t bring up stuff from the past. But He is also just, because love demands justice. Yet His justice is not a contradiction to His love. His justice and mercy come together at the cross of Jesus, where God took on our deserved punishment, to remove the guilt of our sin. At the cross His mercy triumphs over justice. He graciously gives us the choice of knowing His justice or His grace. 

The Ones That Jesus Loves

God’s unchanging nature is set; we can’t custom-design God. Which is a good thing, because His love for you and me is way bigger than we can possibly comprehend. Even now, after two decades of pastoring, God continues to show me that He’s way more than I imagine.

I did a sabbatical at the beginning of the year, which was richly life-giving and life-changing for me. I went into it with some questions I wanted to pursue with God. But as I tried to take them to Him, what I got back was a sense of “Great questions, but I don’t really care about that right now. Let’s worry about all that later. I just want you to know my heart for you right now.” And that’s what happened. I was overwhelmed by God’s heart, in a deep way that surpasses book knowledge.

So this is my hope for us today: That God enables us to deeply experience His character. His love.

I don’t know how your past has shaped your view of God. Perhaps you see Him as a distant deity who sits back and watches you suffer without concern. That’s not who I am who I am is. Maybe you view God as an angry judge who is just waiting to give you what you deserve. That’s not who Yahweh is. If you’re wondering how He feels about you, the good news is that you don’t have to wonder. He loves you. He is for you. He has compassion and grace and unwavering faithfulness toward you. And nothing you can ever do can ever change that. 

I love how John, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, refers to himself when he mentions himself in the New Testament book, John. John never refers to himself by his name or in the first person. Instead, he calls himself  “The one that Jesus loved.” John was so overwhelmed by God’s love for him, that this became his identity. We can make it our identity, too.

The apostle Paul offers a prayer in the New Testament book of Ephesians for his friends in a church he started in the city of Ephesus. This prayer has become my constant prayer, for you and me:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

>> Who is Jesus? FREE download: Read the first chapter of Josh McDowell’s bestseller, More Than a Carpenter.

>> God wants a relationship with you! Click here to learn more.

Guest blogger Jeff Jones is the senior pastor of Chase Oaks Church, based in Plano, Texas. This post is part of Jeff’s sermon series, “Names of God: Our Invitation to Know God Better.” You can watch the sermon series by clicking here.

I can still recall the precious moment that I devoted myself to Christ. I remember becoming totally sold-out, convinced that Jesus rose, saved me from my sins, and loves me forever. From that point on, spreading His message of salvation became so meaningful to me that it had to be my life’s purpose. I wanted nothing more than for people to accept the historical and spiritual truths of the Christian faith.

But early on, as I began talking to people about Christ, I found that most people were not receptive to the message. To my surprise, many conversations ended quite abruptly. I couldn’t understand why people could so easily reject the Gospel message that I deeply treasured.

How could they not love hearing about Jesus, especially after what He did for them on the cross? Was I the problem?

Talking to People About Jesus, But Doing it Wrong

After this kept happening, I realized that although I was sharing the TRUTH of Jesus, I was getting in the way. I thought people were rejecting the truth of Jesus because they were rejecting Him. Turns out, they couldn’t stand talking to me. I began to realize that it was the way I was talking to people about the Gospel message that was the problem. 

I’ve heard Josh McDowell say, “Truth doesn’t change, but the way you present it better change.” 

This struck at the heart of my problem. I wasn’t adapting my message to my audience. I was talking to people in the same tone, convinced that the unchanging truth of Christ meant that I also could be unchanging in how I spoke to others. I came across like an insensitive robot! My passion for Jesus came out all wrong. Perhaps you can relate?

I wanted people to get excited about the truth of Christ. I wanted to draw them to Jesus, but my way of going about it pushed them away!

Reading my Bible one day, I was overjoyed to finally make the connection with how I could change. Ephesians 4:15 says this: “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” Sometimes the simplest verses are so powerful. It was crystal clear — I was talking to people about the truth, but not with love.

What does it really mean to speak in love? The next part of the verse clues us in: “grow up in every way…into Christ.”

When we’re young, we often look up to certain people that we decide we want to be like when we grow up. So we start acting like them. We might even dress like them. As a kid, I really admired Spiderman. I LOVED wearing my Spiderman costume! As children of God, growing into looking like Jesus means that we try to imitate Who He is.

As children of God, growing into looking like Jesus means that we try to imitate Him.That’s the key to speaking the truth in love. Instead of trying to measure up against a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” or simply “be nicer,” I opened my Bible to Jesus. I soaked up His example like a sponge, just as I did when I tried to be like Spiderman.

When I allowed Jesus to become the object of my admiration, I not only began to naturally imitate Him, He began to change me. This is why spending time with Christ in prayer, reading about Him in the Bible, and learning from others about Him is essential.

When I simply enjoyed Jesus, I began to deeply admire Him — and wanted to show up like He does. As His Word changed me, I slowly began to talk to people about His truth in love. His love.

Jesus Connected With Each Person

One particular Bible passage that deepened my admiration of Christ is about a woman highlighted in Mark 5:25-34. The story begins with Jesus in a crowd, “pressed around” on all sides. One in the crowd trying to get close to Jesus was this woman, who “had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.” 

It’s important to note the context here. The Old Covenant Law stated that women with blood issues had to be “put apart” from the community for seven days. This woman had been bleeding for 12 years. Pause and let that register. A decade of bleeding would have debilitated, depressed, and weakened her. Worse, she was made to live apart from her community, friends, and family. Exhausted. Lonely. Desperate for connection and love. Desperate for a way out.

Mark gives us the details of this encounter: 

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” His disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Notice how Jesus told her the Good News. He stopped everything, gave her His full attention, and addressed her as she truly was: not defective, not worthless, but as His beloved child. Jesus told her the truth in love. He carefully noted her desperation, and leaned into her vulnerability. I envision her sobbing tears of joy! Jesus fully healed her and fully accepted her — and now she could fully live.

Jesus didn’t tell people the Good News because He had to, but because He loved them. Though He could have stayed in Heaven, Jesus chose to become human, like us, so that we could see Him eye-to-eye, and clearly see and hear the truth.

Wow, I had it all upside down! Truth be told, in my early days of evangelizing, I spoke to everyone as if they were a Pharisee. But I realized that when I talk to people about the Good News, I must start with love — as Jesus did. 

And I must let that love guide how I speak to them. To show love, I have to want to understand others. I must step into their world and be relational with what they’re dealing with — as Jesus did. Yes, it’s harder for me because I don’t have God’s loving nature, but I could certainly do better! 

Let’s Follow Jesus’ Example

Jesus is for all of us, because He knows how desperately we need to be in relationship with Him. So let’s NOT get in the way and mess that up!

I invite you to reflect upon your own journey with Him. Reflect on how God reached out to you. It was with kindness and compassion, right? So how should that guide you in talking to people about the truth of Christ?

I hope you feel encouraged to imitate Christ in not only what He said, but how He said it. Let’s admire Him, and get excited about being like Him, so that others can come to personally know Him, too!

>>> God wants a relationship with you. Click here to learn more!

Dylan Kochan works in administration with Josh McDowell Ministry. He is an aspiring law/philosophy student, hoping to bring the Christian worldview to both fields. A resident of Southern California, Dylan is excited to marry his beautiful fianceé.

Do you have any hobbies that you really enjoy in your free time?

Perhaps you like to watch movies or play computer games, or you’re a big fan of sports or music. Personally, I enjoy collecting action figures, LEGO sets, and comic books. I also like to spend time watching online entertainment reviews. All positive, fun hobbies.

But my hobbies can become a problem when I give them too much of my time. Sometimes, when I allow my hobbies to consume me, I put really important things like my family and my Christian faith on the back burner. I can forget what’s really important in life.

Can you relate?

Inviting God Into Our Hobbies

In the New Testament book of Luke, Jesus is approached by a rich man who asks Him what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus tells the rich man to sell everything and follow Him. But the rich man walks away, dejected. He is so attached to his riches, that he can’t bear to give them away.

He can’t see that Jesus is trying to show him where he should be placing his primary commitment: on the things of heaven. Wealth is certainly appealing, but it is temporary. We can’t take it with us, and it sure won’t buy us an eternity with Jesus.

Our attachment to things (and even people), can cause us to give God only a fragment of our heart. I really enjoy my collections, but this story reminds me that my action figures, LEGO, and comics are just “stuff.” They are unimportant, compared to having Jesus in my life.

That’s not to say that hobbies are “bad,” or that God doesn’t purposely give us our interest in them. He may already have a plan in mind to use them as opportunities for people to hear about Jesus. Actually, this has happened in my life. My mom asked to use some of my LEGO as part of a Vacation Bible School (Christian summer camp for kids) lesson on how Jesus builds us up. How cool is that?

Setting Habits to Keep God Central

When we become Christians, God calls us to continually deepen our knowledge and faith, and to glorify Him in whatever we think, say, or do. But our schedules can get jam-packed to where we can become so busy with work and hobbies that we forget to carve out time to focus on God.

When I recognize that I’ve spent more time on my hobbies than thinking about God, I feel convicted. Fortunately, God doesn’t hold this against me. He always warmly welcomes me back to spending time with Him.

One tool that has helped me is setting a daily habit to read my Bible and pray. Talking about the Bible with my friends also helps to deepen my commitment to live for Jesus, as does my family’s weekly Bible study on Monday nights.

And when I see the need, I intentionally limit the amount of time I allow my hobbies. When I was younger, my parents sometimes made me put my LEGO sets away when they saw that I was becoming too absorbed with them. This didn’t make me happy at the time, of course. But now I see that their boundary helped me to see my need for balance.

I really enjoy my hobbies, and I expect to keep enjoying them. But I am fully committed to only one thing: Jesus. He wants to know and guide you and me, and He does so when we choose to pursue Him first in our lives.

Do you know Jesus yet? He is so worth putting first in our lives! 

NEXT STEPS

> Interested in helping people to know God personally? Get started here.
> Need prayer? Contact us. We would love to pray for you!

GUEST BLOGGER CLAYTON THOMAS CARTER, A STUDENT IN PLANO, TEXAS, IS PASSIONATE ABOUT ENCOURAGING THE KNOWLEDGE OF A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW. HE ENJOYS PLAYING TRUMPET AND SERVING AT HIS CHURCH.

Life is hard. But our hardships can lead us to recognize God’s strength in our weakness.

Maybe you’re going through a rough patch. Or maybe you’re dealing with an ongoing physical or mental disability. Personally, I struggle with autism, which makes sensory processing difficult. It can cause me to feel anxious, overwhelmed, or distracted. Even by small things. Sometimes, everything feels hard to handle.

When we’re struggling, we might find ourselves asking, “Why must I put up with this? Why doesn’t God fix things and make it easier?” In our struggle, let’s remember that God often uses our weakness to display His strength.

It’s not about us. It’s about Him.

Power in Weakness

The apostle Paul, the world’s most famous evangelist, writes in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 that “a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.” Not once, but THREE times Paul prayed that God would remove this hindrance. God didn’t.
Instead, God replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”

God didn’t allow Paul to be afflicted out of spite. Rather, He needed Paul to remain humble, reliant on His power. We can compare this to a father disciplining his child, a theme the Bible uses often. God knows that we can be spiritually ignorant; sometimes we need a reminder of where to place our focus and draw our strength.

When we become prideful, it’s easy to make poor decisions, take credit, and grow selfish. God wants us to rely on His wisdom and His authority. Human thinking can often get shaky, but God remains our solid foundation (1 Corinthians 1:20). Paul’s life demonstrates God’s transformative power.

Strength in Surrender

I don’t know about you, but I found the mentality of “power in weakness” confusing to grasp at first. Why would God want to use weakness to showcase His might? Why not just start by using someone qualified and strong?
Again, it’s not about us, it’s about Him.
When we see someone strong and muscular lift a really heavy weight, are we surprised by his or her ability? Not really; we expect feats of strength from those with bulging muscles. But when we see a fearful person (Gideon) lead a 300-person army to victory, a shepherd (David) become king, or a pariah (Moses) return from exile to free God’s people, we’re astounded at what the fearful, the insignificant, and the outcast can do through God’s power.

This is how God works: He shows us that it’s not our appearance, ability, or status that matters, but our faith in His power. We all can overcome and accomplish mighty feats when we surrender to God instead of relying on self.

That’s why Paul writes that he boasts not in himself, but in what God has accomplished through him. If God appeared to you in a vision, like He did Paul, leaving you blind until He sent someone to lay hands on you to restore your sight, you’d fully recognize God’s power, too.
This encounter helps us to understand Paul’s words when he writes, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 
God provides our opportunities, our needed abilities, and the experiences we need to get us there. Take this article, for example: Without God placing me in the right spot, at the right time, with the right support system, I likely wouldn’t be writing this, my third guest post for the Josh McDowell Ministry. God gets the glory for this blessing.

We all struggle with things that might make us feel weak or make life feel difficult. But God wants us to trust Him, so that we can endure and overcome. He wants to show us what He can accomplish through us. Because it’s not about us. It’s about Him.

NEXT STEPS

> Interested in knowing God personally? Get started here.
> Need prayer? Contact us. We would love to pray for you, to help share your burden!
> We invite you to read Josh’s book, More Than a Carpenter. Jesus died. He rose. He lives. He empowers us to live for Him!

GUEST BLOGGER CLAYTON THOMAS CARTER, A STUDENT IN PLANO, TEXAS, IS PASSIONATE ABOUT ENCOURAGING THE KNOWLEDGE OF A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW. HE ENJOYS PLAYING TRUMPET AND SERVING AT HIS CHURCH.

Come and see my Jesus.

I heard about The Chosen television series about the ministry of Christ. Friends highly recommended it, but I didn’t expect much. I mean, how many ways can you tell the Jesus story? It’s been done many times before. And typically on a low budget, with marginal acting. So I didn’t rush to watch it.

In fact, the whole first season (8 episodes) had already aired before I finally sat down to watch the first episode. Again, my expectations were really low. But within minutes I felt myself emotionally drawn into the lives of Bible characters I’ve only read about — Mary, Simon Peter, Andrew, Matthew, Nicodemus — each displaying his or her unique personality and flaws.

But what of Jesus? He doesn’t appear in the show until the end of the first episode. Immediately, it’s clear that He’s different. A man, yes, but possessing a quiet intensity and supernatural force of love that made Him a magnet to sinners, even me. Come and see!

SCRIPTURE REVEALS JESUS AS GOD

When I read the Bible, I am convinced of Jesus’ divinity. I so clearly see Jesus the Messiah. But I can only see glimpses of Jesus the man. I think because the Bible gives us many details about Jesus’ wisdom and supernatural wonders, but so few details on how He struggled with the constraints of being temporarily housed in a human body.

Yet it’s not lost on me that back then people had the opposite challenge! They struggled with accepting Jesus’ claims that He was God. “Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” Matthew 13:54-55

Would I, I wonder, have rejected Jesus’ claims if I’d grown up with Him in Nazareth? Would I have refused to believe, simply because He kept His knowledge and power hidden for the first three DECADES of His life? Would my mind simply refuse to believe out of stubborn pride?

Jesus patiently provided proof of His divinity, as He selflessly ministered to the clamoring crowds over the next three years. Many believed, and many refused to believe, just as they do today. The Bible clearly tells us that even when some personally experience miracles, they will refuse to believe. My heart hurts at thinking that I could have been one of them.

JESUS THE MAN

The disciples struggled with learning to trust Jesus, too. They wholeheartedly embraced His power. In a later episode James and John, whom Jesus nicknames “the sons of thunder,” ask Jesus to rain down fire on some who were unkind to Jesus. The brothers simply couldn’t understand why Jesus didn’t demand His due respect or act like a conquerer. But slowly, oh, so slowly, they came to understand that Jesus was calling them — had personally hand-picked them — to selflessly love as He did, so they could credibly share the message of God’s great love.

In learning to admit and desire to overcome their weaknesses and failings to resemble Jesus, the disciples demonstrate the typical human journey toward God. The disciples show us ourselves. And Jesus shows us who we can be, through His grace and love and power.

Like the disciples, I can’t get enough of this Jesus. Both calm and confident, His actions demonstrate strength and quiet authority. Self-assured yet humble, strong yet gentle, He leads with understanding and compassion as He invites people into deeper relationship with God. This Jesus displays an irresistible sense of humor. I instinctively trust this Jesus. I want to give my all to Him.

Jesus is the image of the perfect man — the man I think God intended me to be, before the Fall brought sin into the world.

JESUS OUR MESSIAH

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!” Isaiah 43:1

The highlight of the first episode happens in the last few minutes, when Jesus frees Mary Magdalene of the daily misery of her demonic possession. “Do not fear,” Jesus tells her. “I have called you by name.” Gently cradling her head in his hands, He pours hope and belief into her. “I have redeemed you,” He says. “You are mine.” I watch Jesus reveal the unfathomable grace and mercy of God, and I yearn to be healed and redeemed by Him as well.

In a later episode, Jesus seeks out a man who has been lame for 38 years. Jesus pointedly tells the man, “You only need me. Do you want to be made well?” The man wrestles with having hope that Jesus can actually heal him. “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Jesus commands. The man locks eyes with Jesus for another long moment, then clearly decides that he can’t let the opportunity pass by. He attempts to stand on crippled feet, and grows giddy upon realizing he’s healed.

In THAT moment my heart swells in gratitude, too. I am the lame man who has been healed … the blind man who can now see … the person in despair of life’s troubles whom Jesus has personally and joyfully redeemed.

This is the power of The Chosen series. In every episode, we feel the personal heart tug toward the warmth and compassion of Jesus. We are invited, as Jesus continually points us to God, to see truth of the Gospel in an intimately personal and emotional way. The experience includes the rich tapestry of the sights and sounds that Jesus likely experienced as He physically walked this earth. As Jesus pour Himself out to the point of exhaustion to heal, and teach, and encourage, and love, we so clearly see Him as both man and God. This mystery is so astounding. But as we choose to believe, we become The Chosen.

Come and see this Jesus for yourself. Come and see Him remind you of the truth that you need only Him. Say yes, when Jesus asks you, “Do you want to be healed and redeemed?”

>>> God wants a relationship with you. Click here to learn more!

Guest blogger Dan Muenchau is a retired engineer who enjoys showing the love of God to others.

Some people think God is focused on our shame. But if that’s true, why was Jesus so extraordinarily loving and gracious to sinners?

And why did He willingly make THE definitive statement, as He hung on the cross, about the depth of God’s desire to reconcile with us?

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

Not Shame, But Reconciliation

God is just and holy. So our sin does matter to Him. But through His actions and words, Jesus made it clear that God wants to give us every chance to humble ourselves to reconnect in right relationship with Him. God is not gleefully rubbing His hands together in expectation of punishing us with eternal separation from His presence. But He has given us free will so, ultimately, we make this choice for ourselves.

Adam and Eve provided us with the owner’s manual on how to sin. Yet even as they ate the fruit that opened their eyes to how much they had just forfeited, God showed them tender compassion. First, He gave them the opportunity to confess to remove their shame. Unfortunately, Adam chose to pass the buck to Eve. And Eve blamed the serpent.

The Bible does not give us a lot of details about God’s conversation with Adam and Eve before He chose to banish them from paradise. Perhaps they weren’t remorseful. Or perhaps they thumbed their noses at God, confident that they’d do just fine without Him. (Sound familiar?)

Whatever their attitude, God did not forsake them. He clothed them, even as He forced them to leave the beautiful, easy, stress-free life He had intended for them. He maintained a relationship with them, giving them ongoing opportunity to humble themselves before Him. But their sin led to more sin; one of their sons even murdered his own brother.

By now, millions have lost their lives at the hands of others. Sin, in every form, is plentiful. Yet God continues to extend His grace to us. In coming as Messiah, He offered us the only way to leave the ache of our shame behind. When He returns, this time as Judge, His followers will personally experience the new paradise, this time forever, with sin no longer in the picture.  

Les Parrot, a clinical psychologist, offers an explanation for how sympathy and empathy differ. Sympathy, he says, is standing on the shore and throwing a life ring to the person struggling in the ocean. Empathy is choosing to dive into the chilly, churning waves, putting oneself at risk, to personally deliver the drowning person to safety.

This act is so rare, that we call these people heroes. In God’s case, we call Him Savior. 

Adam and Eve made the choice to reject God, and instantly felt the shame of their decision. The Bible says that all of humanity shares their shame, because we share their fallen nature. But then came Jesus. Do you know Him yet?

Next Steps

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> Want to start a relationship with Jesus? Click here.
> Want to find freedom from your shame? Join our Resolution Movement.

Sheri writes and edits for Josh McDowell Ministry.

I’ve yet to read a book on Buddhism that gets it right on how God views us.

Take, for example, this paragraph in a book titled Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha:

“The message of ‘original sin’ is unequivocal: Because of our basically flawed nature, we do not deserve to be happy, loved by others, at ease with life. We are outcasts, and if we are to reenter the garden, we must redeem our sinful selves. We must overcome our flaws by controlling our bodies, controlling our emotions, controlling our natural surroundings, controlling other people. And we must strive tirelessly — working, acquiring, consuming, achieving, e-mailing, over-committing and rushing — in a never-ending quest to prove ourselves once and for all.”

Wow. Just reading that hurts my heart. Because it’s simply not true.

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

God IS Radical Acceptance

In truth, I find Buddhist teachings to offer many nuggets of wisdom. But the teachings fall short of the freedom and self-acceptance we gain through a personal relationship with Christ. It’s not about you and me redeeming ourselves. It’s about our allowing Him to do so.

God became human to demonstrate His radical love and acceptance of us. In choosing to take on our sins as He hung from the cross, Jesus liberated us from our “striving tirelessly” to “redeem our sinful selves.” Just ask the thief hanging on the cross next to Jesus: fully accepted and welcomed, just because he humbly asked.

We each know the depth of our personal shame and failings. So desperate are we to jettison our self-loathing, that we’ve devised many ways to attempt to do so. For some it’s religion. For others it’s people-pleasing. For others it’s some form of numbing. Many do strive to earn their value through their endless busyness or good deeds.

But only one path frees us from our “never-ending quest to prove ourselves once and for all”: God.

Our accepting His radical acceptance of us fully wipes our slates clean, over and over again, as we bring ourselves to Him. God is the only source that can truly soften the daily suffering and struggle that is part of being human. God is FOR us, 24/7.

Buddhism teaches that attachment is the cause of suffering; that Nirvana is finally reached when one fully liberates from all attachment. But I can so clearly see that  it’s my attachment to Christ that has given me freedom.

As I more fully trust in who He says that I am (forgiven, accepted, loved, wanted, valued, etc.), I am more able to accept myself, and grow in my ability to look more like Him: patient, kind, selfless, self-controlled, loving, forgiving. I can turn my gaze outward, to be of service to others, by getting my focus off of myself.

Like Christianity, Buddhism has rules of conduct. Rules that encourage one to live to a high standard that honors others over self. I’m all for that. But it is relationship, not rules, that imbues Christianity with such life-changing power. Through Christ we gain a personal relationship with God. God always sees our highest selves, despite how we might currently show up. He is the God of a million chances. Our loving Creator who cares to be in relationship with us. That blows my mind.

We’re all prodigal sons and daughters trying to find our way home. Jesus warmly invites us to “Come and see” (to steal the slogan from The Chosen) that He truly is The Way to peace and love and self-acceptance.

Jesus becomes our “why” and our “how,” as we choose to follow Him.

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