Rooted and Built up in Christ

The media does what it does best, which is, sell fear. Let's be real, how often do we hear good news on the news? From health to politics to the economy to immigration, you name it, it's all negative. So, in the midst of all these happenings, especially in light of the corona virus, just wanted to remind you that as believers we are covered. This is not to downplay the situation or say you shouldn't do what you're supposed to do like eating healthy, staying hydrated, and washing your hands, but this is to say don't give in to fear. With schools getting shut down, grocery stores running out of supplies, and workplaces switching to working remotely, it is very easy to cave in. But as believers, we must learn to take our stand in situations like this. The scripture that readily comes to mind about protection in times like this is Psalm 91. Please take time to meditate on the entire chapter but I will share a few of my favorite verses below to encourage you. 1. Go...

We probably have heard this quote or similar sounding ones before: "The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. And the first to forget is the happiest". While this quote encourages us to do things we normally find difficult (apologizing and forgiving) to do; it has the wrong motivations. Apologizing and forgiving is not about being brave or strong but about being obedient to God. We should apologize or forgive not because we want to be seen as the "bigger or better person" but because God said so. Doing these things to be seen as "bigger or better people" is pride and God hates pride (Proverbs 16:5). Secondly, God has instructed us to love everybody and love is not proud (1 Corinthians 13:4). Besides the fact that forgiveness is a commandment from God, there are two other primary reasons why we must forgive. We'll explore them below. We must forgive because God forgave us Jesus showed his love for us from the...