Forged By Faith

Acts 1:8 NIV I'm telling you, we have to stop limiting who we are in our faith. This world likes to keep people down by convincing them that they're small. We've all been told that we're too weak, too messed up, too unimportant to ever make a difference. But the opinions of this place cannot alter what God says about us. And as this verse points out, He created us to be a part of something massive! We've all been there and that thought of giving up before we even get started. We think, "How can I possibly make a difference? Why should I even try?" Well, because God thinks we can do it. In fact He knows we can do it. He created us to do it! He designed us to be His hands and feet down here. He built us to carry His love and compassion to those around us. So if He doesn't doubt us then we should stop doubting ourselves! The truth is that it's not about us. It's not about our capabilities. Our impact isn't reliant upon our strength, knowledge,

Romans 8:37 NIV Yesterday we talked about Christ's ultimate victory over everything that we could possibly face in life. In Him even death has lost is sting and the ability to scare us. So we have the amazing opportunity to serve the true King whos reign will never end. But I think we sometimes forget that we were born to be overcomers too. So often we allow ourselves to play the victim to our circumstances. That's got to stop! We were not created to be defeated by sin and darkness. Each of us have been given the light that will see us through everything we face. Our biggest problem is that we forget it. We forget that we have the power to overcome. We forget that we have the right to choose to do better. We forget that we have the ability, the opportunity, and the strength to leave our sinful lives behind us. It's easier to keep going back to the sins that we know than to turn and walk into a different life. It's easier to continue tripping up over the same stumbling b

John 16:33 NIV I woke up today to find that my mom is feeling completely horrible again. I hate seeing people not feel well, especially when they just look done and ready to throw in the towel because it's so miserable. There's been a lot of that for most us lately. Pain, illness, being worn out by everything that we're dealing with. Life is this constant series of ups and downs. But over the past year or so it seems that the downs are more frequent and longer lasting. So it got me to thinking about how rough life can become. That's not some huge secret or surprise to anyone. Every one of us have faced plenty of situations that have helped us see that fact. But what do we do about it? Do we roll over and give up the ghost? Do we whine and complain all the time? Do we let the hard days get us down so far that no amount of good days can lift us back up? Well, all of those are options I guess but not one of them will help us in any way. What will always help though is lean

John 15:2 NIV Let's be real with ourselves for a moment. We all have plenty of branches in our lives that aren't bearing fruit. No matter how good we think we are we still have things in our lives that just aren't doing anything to help us. In fact, we have things in our lives that are sucking the life out of the good that we're trying to do. Any time, energy, or attention that we give to the unfruitful things in our lives is wasted! If we pour anything into our bad habits or poor choices then we're throwing it away. That time and effort could be put into growing our best parts and focusing on improving ourselves. That's one of the big points of the Gospel. It's about realizing our flaws, acknowledging our mistakes, and working on doing better. It's cutting away the negative things we've done and not allowing them to hold us back anymore. Thankfully God is willing to prune us. He's willing to help us cut away the things that aren't helping us

Hebrews 13:8 NIV My family and I are in one of those seasons of constant change. We like to kind of joke about it saying that something new is changing every day but that's pretty much the truth of it. What we manage to figure out or work our way through today might not apply or matter tomorrow. It's one of those periods where we never know what's coming and there's really no way to prepare for it. That kind of uncertainty can easily bring about stress, worry, doubt, and confusion. The lack of understanding and ability to figure out what's coming next is a pretty uneasy feeling. But I woke up today and one of the first things that crossed my mind is that Christ isn't changing. No matter how crazy things may be in life at any given moment, He is still the same King that He's always been! So while life brings us uncertainty, He gives us solidity. Our circumstances may be completely out of control as far as we can see, but He still has everything figured out. W

Galatians 5:24 NIV Here's another really big lesson that I've taken away from all of these verses and posts. Our faith is about setting ourselves aside so that we can focus completely on Christ and living the life that He calls us to live. If left up to our own choices, we will always do what we want and what we think is best. And while we can spin it around in our minds to where our desires make sense, they will never come close to His plans for us. It's a lesson that I'm working on every single day. I'm realizing more and more that I need to get out of His way. While I'm focused on my own goals and desires I'm more likely to miss out on where He's leading me. If we get too consumed by what we want life to be then we're probably going to miss His path and the life that He created us to live. As this verse is showing us, if we truly want to live for Christ then we need to stop chasing our own selfish desires. We can't live for Him and still prior

1 Peter 4:11 NIV Today is the 6 year anniversary of that very first daily Bible post back in 2015. I definitely never thought that I would keep that going for this long! But I'm beyond thankful for the opportunity and ability to do so. One of the biggest things that I've discovered along the way is that God's given each of us a voice and an opportunity to make a difference. And while our voices may sound different and our callings are also unique, each one of them is truly important! I wanted to share that with you today because I know that life is often frustrating. We can easily start feeling like we don't matter. There are so many people in this world, each with a lot going on. So it's far too easy to feel like we're forgotten, alone, and meaningless. But you're not! None of us are. Every single one of us is known and loved by the One True King! And each of us can make a huge difference with these lives that He's given us. He didn't just put us to

Psalm 48:14 NIV Yesterday we talked about how our God is unstoppable. Each of us are a small part in this humongous masterpiece that He's drawn. Nothing can stop what He has planned. Nothing can change His will for our lives. Nothing we face is without purpose or reason. We simply need to learn to trust in Him above and beyond anything else. He is our God! You know, I look back at all these little plans and dreams that I've had in my life. Some worked out and went how I imagined. Most didn't even come close to happening at all. But what I see mostly now is that it all went according to God's plans. While I may have not gotten what I thought I wanted, I get exactly what I needed. While it definitely hasn't all been easy or understandable, it all made sense to Him. That's what matters. We have no guarantee that our lives will go how we want them to go. And as weird as it may sound that's an incredible blessing! We don't know what's best. We don't k

Isaiah 14:27 NIV You guys realize what we're a part of? I think we often limit what our faith really is by trying to wrap our minds around it. But we can't fathom how big it really is. It can't fit inside of our understanding. It brings walls of cities down. It parts seas. It sets the captives free. It gives sight to the blind and helps the deaf hear. It raises the dead to life! I was listening to Unspoken yesterday and their song Bury the Workman really hit me. Nothing can stop God's work. Even if they try to kill every believer, God will still win. Even if they burn all the Bibles and turn off all the Christian radio stations. If they outlaw prayer and refuse to let churches meet. Nothing can stop the work that God is doing. This world and the evil in it simply can't compete with Him! The Bible talks about so many people of the faith that our world silenced. Killed. Tortured. Stoned. Eliminated. Or so they thought. They thought that taking the breath from Christ

John 9:41 NIV You have to love those old-school Biblical mic-drops! Reading through the story of Jesus healing the man who was born blind and the very last verse in chapter 9 just dropped the cold hard truth. The Pharisees were arguing with Christ about healing the man, and He took the opportunity to point out their hypocrisy and lack of true understanding. At one point or another we've been convinced that we knew it all. We allowed our pride to become our own blindness. This idea that we were perfect, knew everything, and were above reproach became a stumbling block that prevented us from actually growing in the truth. That's an all too common thing in life. Our arrogance keeps us from seeing our weaknesses and guilt. It prevents us from improving because we've convinced ourselves that we don't need to. Dangerous place to be! And when it comes to our faith that's the last thing we ever need to do. Our faith brings with it this responsibility to continue leaning on

John 8:32 NIV We've been talking a lot about how our faith is dependent on our relationship with Christ. It's not about what we have to offer Him. It's not about who likes us or approves of us. It's not about our worldly accomplishments or anything else like that. It's about focusing on Christ and living our lives committed to following His path for us. I was reading through John last night and this one hit me a little different than it ever has before. I've always thought about the freedom of being truthful. The truth is what it is and it never needs to be defended or justified. But lies have to be solidified because they're empty. They're made up. They're fake. So not having to deal with coming up with lies or having to remember the falsehoods we've thought up is freeing. But when I read this verse last night I realized that maybe it isn't just talking about being honest and truthful. Maybe it's talking about knowing the Truth. Christ.

John 6:29 NIV I think someday we're going to be amazed at how hard we've made this faith thing. Pretty sure we do that with just about everything. It's almost like we intentionally go out of our way to overcomplicate anything that we can. Don't know if we just like things being difficult or if it's a product of the ways of this world but maybe things really are easier than we make them. We live in a world that has requirements for nearly everything. So perhaps we're just used to feeling like we have to work for and earn everything. We've gotten used to having to say all the right things and do all the right things in order to be accepted and approved of by those around us. But as we've talked about lately, we're not here to fit in or gain worldly acceptance. The truth is that God knows that we're not perfect. He knows that there's nothing that we can offer Him because He has no needs. We can't buy our way into Heaven. Saying all the right

John 6:37 NIV When we finally stop trying to fit in to this world and quit caring about what others think about us then we're free to move on. We're free to actually let a whole bunch of stuff go and truly give Christ a chance to change our lives. What we'll find when we do open our hearts to Him is that sense of belonging that we've searched so many other places to find. We were made to need a relationship with God. He created us to be His children so He could be our Father. But through the lessons the world teaches and getting lost in all those earthly things that never really mattered, we forgot that. We thought that we could find a sense of home down here. We started thinking that somewhere out there in this big old world was everything we needed to feel whole. But no matter how long we look or how many places we try to find it nothing ever clicks. That's because it's not meant to. We need that connection to God in order to ever feel alive, to ever feel comp

John 12:43 NIV Yesterday we talked about how our lives should be spent living for God and making Him proud. That's a hard thing for some to do because God's ways are so much different than man's ways. What's important or required to make others like us doesn't really matter to God. So we need to decide for ourselves who we're living for and who's approval we're trying to attain. Down here we can gain the approval of others in countless ways. We can have a ton of money and everyone will want to be around us because we're rich. We can have all the fanciest things and people will think that makes us more special. We can say all the right things and try to earn popularity that way. We can join all the right groups and try to find our worth there. But what does making other people like us ever accomplish? Does it make us better people? Does it really make us more important or more valuable if we are massively popular? Will God love us more if we have a mi

John 5:44 NIV We've got another one of those amazing verses that stopped me in my tracks while reading. Another one of those that is so accurate and poignant still today. All of us have looked in the wrong direction for approval and acceptance. Like we've been discussing, we've all looked to the wrong things to find happiness and fulfillment. It's all too common to seek approval and praise from other people. We seek our comfort and joy in things made by human hands. We think that we're going to find our value in being part of some group or gaining some title. Yet we never find any of that comfort, any joy, any value, or pride, or anything else from other people or worldly things. That's because they're not where those things come from. The pride, satisfaction, joy, peace, and fulfillment that we're looking for are only found in God. When we're living for Him according to His plans and His will for our lives then we don't need anything else. We do

1 Timothy 6:6 NIV So many people just won't allow themselves to be happy. These days it's all about materialism and having everything go our way all the time. And when things inevitably go counter to our hopes then we freak out and get all angry. When we don't get something we want then we start feeling sorry for ourselves. Not sure why we feel the need to continually chase things that can't make us happy, but we need to realize that we already have enough. Being content is something that's becoming far too scare these days. Seems like everyone is focused on finding something in this world that makes them happy. Some look to things sitting on shelves at the store. Other think that happiness is found in trying to please someone else or fit into some group. But what we will always find is that it doesn't really matter what we have around us. If we're not happy inside then nothing outside can help. The more I focus on my faith and make growing toward Christ my

John 3:19 NIV Absolutely love everything about this verse! Read it last night and woke up with it still in mind so I had to share it. It has that timeless truth to it that the Bible still holds. It applies as much to our lives today as it did way back then. And with talking about failure and messing up lately, it fits that really well too! The fact is that all of us have done things that we're far from proud of. We've tried to cover up and hide those weaknesses and mistakes. We don't want anyone to see that we're messed up. Guess we figure that if we can convince others that we're good enough then maybe that lie will take root in our hearts and we won't have to feel that sting of shame and regret anymore. But these days we've taken it even further. Society has in many ways decided to make evil look okay. The world twists and turns things seeking justification for living in sin so that nobody has to feel bad. Again, if we can have someone else tell us that it

Proverbs 24:16 NIV Failure. What a terrifying word, right? Well it depends on your perspective. Some see failure as proof of not being good enough. They think that failing at something is this horrible final ending. But the way I see it, failing at something is proof that we tried. We may have not made it but we gave it a go. We might fall short but at least we're further than if we never left the starting line. See what I'm saying? I had a couple of awesome workouts to start the week. Definitely better than I would have imagined with injuries and illness plaguing my normal routine lately. Went into yesterday not feeling quite well, but tried anyway. Didn't go how I wanted it to go. Made it about 20 minutes or so, far from the hour and half that I usually put in. So I failed. I fell short. I didn't accomplish what I truly wanted to. But I tried. We need to start learning to see things differently. Instead of seeing something as failing, look at the effort you put in. Ma

Jeremiah 10:23 NIV I honestly believe with everything I have that we're here to follow God rather than figuring things out without Him. The more we try to force things to go our way the more mistakes we're going to make. Without God's guidance we're leaning far too much on our own strength, knowledge, and ability. The point is that we will never get where He can take us without following Him! I've said so many times in these posts that trust is scary. Control brings us comfort. However, as long as we try to stay in control then we're pushing God out of the way. We convince ourselves that we know how to get where we want to go. But as this verse is pointing out it's not up to us to decide where we go. It's not up to us to chase after what we want. Our job is to follow God wherever He leads and whenever He leads us there. While that may take us in a much different direction than anything we would choose or expect, it's going to be for our best. We just

Matthew 14:29 NIV We just talked about how we always have the choice to be happy in life. Personally I think that's one of the most important choices that we can make every single day. It will help with whatever comes our way. Let's be real here, very rarely are we prepared for what God leads us to in this journey. Not only do we not know what lies ahead, but most of the time we also don't know how His plans will work out. But they always do! All of us can talk a pretty good game. We can convince ourselves and those around us that our faith is rock solid and that nothing can faze us. We don't want anyone to see that we have worries, fears, doubts, and questions. We put up this brave exterior that tells the world that we're invincible. But underneath that is a heart that's prone to wavering and worrying about the things we're dealt in life. I firmly believe that there are a few really common things that help absolutely nobody. Being angry all the time. Seeing

Proverbs 17:22 NIV This is a little reminder that you can be happy. Not really sure why, but that fact seems to be lost on many in our modern society. Maybe it's because there's so much going on around us lately. Or perhaps it's just because happiness is sometimes really hard to find in life. Whatever the reason we need to get past it and work on simply finding joy again. I don't quite understand why anyone wouldn't want to be happy and cheerful. Sure, life sucks sometimes but it's only that much worse when we let it bring us down. When we are constantly playing the victim to our circumstances then we're only allowing them to have this power over us. We're giving whatever we're going through the right to keep us from being happy. Why do that? Do not get me wrong, I completely understand that not everything in life is smooth or easy or enjoyable. Fully understand that! Most things go differently than we'd like and some stuff is as miserable and pa

Galatians 6:4 NIV Yesterday we talked about how we have so many opportunities to learn in life. We can always do something better. None of us will ever have the luxury of being perfect so we can let that idea go! Instead, replace it with this unyielding desire to improve ourselves. Like I said in yesterday's post, when our focus is learning and growing then there's no end to what we can refine in our lives. We have a responsibility to ourselves to always be evaluating what we're doing, saying, and thinking. If we're not then who knows what kind of junk is piling up inside? We have to constantly be testing whatever we're doing to ensure that it's right. That way we can find all those little bits and pieces that are holding us back and keeping sin in our lives and deal with them. That's how we do better! Unfortunately, settling or accepting is a far too common trait in humanity. We get it in our minds that a little sin isn't that bad if we don't pay at

Proverbs 18:15 NIV I shared a little story yesterday about something that I noticed that I needed to work on. Not sure if anyone else does that but it seems to be something I'm doing constantly. I make these little mental notes of things I do or say that I feel I need to fix or change. I pay attention to how other people behave and listen to the things they say and make notes of things that don't seem right. It's not from a judging perspective at all. I just think that we're surrounded by endless opportunities to learn and become wiser. I think that we have all kinds of examples of right and wrong and it's on us to take it all in, sort it, and use it to better ourselves. There's always something to learn, something to notice, something that can make us better if we're willing to listen and pay attention. We have to learn in order to improve. We have to admit that we don't know everything so that we can learn new things, things that we need to know. We ha

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV You ever do or say something and instantly feel like a scumbag? Happens to me all the time, but I do my best to notice it so that I can do better going forward. Well, I did it again yesterday. I was surprised with a little gift and instead of responding with gratitude, I mixed in a little negativity. And now I've thought about it all night so I figured it might be something to share! Gratitude should be our instant reaction to the gifts that we're given in life. We don't deserve anything good, so whenever we get something good we should be overwhelmed with thankfulness. I guess it's one of those broken pieces of humanity that's crept in and trips us up. We've gotten so used to seeing the bad in things that we can even start seeing the bad in the gifts that we receive. That's definitely not a place we need to be! The gifts that we get may not be what we would have chosen, but they're still gifts. Someone took their time to think o

Philippians 2:3 NIV We talked yesterday about how dangerous it is to set our sights on gaining worldly things for ourselves. We can end up losing who God created us to be just so we can gain earthly possessions and comforts. Life is more than just us and what we think we want. It's about more than the material and temporal things that so many prioritize. If our time here is only spent on us then we're missing out on being a part of something far bigger and more meaningful! Back in December, my family and I sat down and did something that had been on my mind for quite a while. We got the opportunity to sponsor a couple of kids through Compassion. And I have to say, it's been one of the most amazing and heart-warming experiences ever! It has helped remind me of the fact that we really can make a big difference for others. And that in doing so we receive this joy that no worldly thing can't offer us. We received a letter from one of them this morning and it instantly broug

Matthew 16:26 NIV Life is this series of trades. We trade our time to earn money. We trade our money for things we need or want. We trade the things we have for newer versions. We trade our peace for worries. We trade something with every decision that we make. So we better make sure that we're good with losing whatever we're giving away to have whatever we're getting in return. But let me make it as clear as I possibly can, nothing this world offers is worth losing our souls. Nothing in this place is as valuable or important as who God made us to be. Nothing. There is not a thing that we can gain in this world that is worth losing sight of God or who we are in Him. We should all know that because we have all experienced it in some way. Like I said, we trade our peace for worrying about things. We give the trials we face this power to distract us from the promises and provision of our Father. That's something that every single one of us have done and experienced, probab

Psalm 37:4 NIV I was lying in bed last night thinking about all I've seen and felt God do in my life lately. It really is true that the good Lord provides, even if we don't see a way forward. He's always up to something and we can count on Him every day and in every situation. It's really amazing when you see something happen and you just know that God was behind it! But it got me to thinking about how faithful He's always been, and how much more faithful I should be. He's given and done so much in my life and I owe Him more than I could ever possibly repay. There's no way to even remember all the things that He's done, gotten me through, and given me along this journey. His blessings are endless and innumerable! The very least that I can think of to do in return is to live the best life that I can. Just give Him all that I have because I know that I wouldn't have anything without Him. When we make God our main focus then everything else comes into p

1 Peter 4:3 NIV There comes a time in all of our lives when we're presented with a choice. We can either choose to keep doing what we've always done, travelling the same road we've been on. Or we can turn, change, try something different, do something new. One option is easy, comfortable, popular, and extremely common. The other is harder, takes more work, and might lead to leaving all kinds of things behind. But having lived this, and still living it today, I can say that it's worth making that choice to leave things behind and do something new. Whether it be a matter of your health, your happiness, your peace, or whatever other reason you might have, it is worth it! We owe it to ourselves to give God a chance to lead us both to and through the changes that He knows need to be made in us. If we don't change then we'll never experience anything new. If we keep following this broken culture and those around us then all we will ever have is whatever they have. And