Religiosity

Suffering and worry often go hand in hand. One of the greatest battles I wage on a daily basis is with anxiety over sickness—especially during the cold winter months when it’s nearly impossible to avoid. After years of dealing with chronic pain and illness, I have become terrified and almost paralyzed with anxiety when someone in my home gets sick. The threat of catching an illness, in addition to the weariness of my daily discomforts, creates panic within my whole being. I often become irritable, overwhelmed, and obsessive in my attempts to control my circumstances. The reality is that being a Christian doesn’t exclude us from facing genuine fears and anxieties. Disease still strikes, friends still betray, bodies still fail, life still hurts. However, God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1 v 7). Believers are equipped with the tools we need to fight this battle for peace.* Time and again I’ve found that the greatest antidote to

. Heaven is a physical place. Slide 1 of 10 Many people hold varying beliefs regarding the afterlife. Some deny it exists. Others feel there are stages one goes through before reaching a certain level of paradise. Still others view heaven as a place filled with angels and everything spiritual but nothing material.  Scripture, however, reveals an actual place with a specific location. Speaking of heaven, Jesus told His disciples He was leaving to prepare a place for them. The apostle Peter wrote about “the new heaven and Earth” God would create, which, according to Revelations, contains physical things such as horses, trees, a temple, and a glorious city—the New Jerusalem ( Rev. 12:22 , 15:8, 19:14, 22:2). . Heaven is a place of inexplicable joy. Slide 2 of 10 Imagine a place free of pain, sorrow, sickness, and sin. Imagine having nothing to fear—not rejection, failure, loss, or death. Imagine experiencing perfect relational intimacy with God and others. No more hiding, i

When you feel your life is falling apart, God is still there. He sees your pain. He knows your hurts. He can comfort your soul. Yes, life can be hard—but God is bigger than your problems, and He will take your sorrows and give you peace that you can’t even comprehend.

Goal 1: Know what you believe. Slide 1 of 20 When it comes to spiritual matters, understand your faith.  I Peter 3:15  tells us to, “… be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”  If you don’t know what or why you believe, how can you share your faith and how can you stand firm? This year, make it a goal to know what you believe. Set a goal that involves studying the Bible and studying a particular point of faith that has always confused you. Goal 2: Be real. Slide 2 of 20 Don’t hide behind platitudes and clichés and trite phrases when life shakes you. Instead, take a risk. Be vulnerable. People won’t open up to you if you don’t open up to them. Pretending everything is okay never helped anyone.  This year, set a goal to go deeper with the friends and the community God has called you into. Be honest with your prayer requests. And make it a goal to make sure your friends know you are there for them. Think of you