Today, we're unpacking two teachings from 1 Corinthians--speech that uplifts and love that unifies.

This month we're examining the heart posture a virtuous woman brings to her work. A Proverbs 31 woman approaches her tasks with a willing heart, geared to service, and faithful hands that those around her can trust in. She is honorable, diligent, humble, and effective. She makes wise investments on behalf of her family that cultivate good fruit. We will look at the investments we can make to cultivate good fruit in our lives, and end with a self-assessment on how we can impro

Paul tells us it is best to remain unmarried, but it is important to understand the context in which he speaks. In this post, we dive into 1 Corinthians and learn the importance of remaining completely devoted to the Lord both in singleness and in marriage. Yes, it's possible to do both with the help of the Holy Spirit. Marriage is not something to avoid and it doesn't have to be a distraction, but the proper foundation in Christ is a necessary first step to steward marriage

In the early days of the church, Paul often had to fight against false teachers and false wisdom by reminding believers of the truth of Jesus Christ which reveals both the power and wisdom of God. A heart and mind submitted to Christ reveals the foolishness of the worldly mindset. This spiritual wisdom is what Paul seeks to remind the Corinthians of. When the world seeks to sway you, remember the truth and stand strong on the foundation of your faith.

There is not one appearance of righteousness. Those intent on rejecting God and His wisdom will not be pleased by any package He presents in. John the Baptist and Jesus' ministries looked different outwardly, but inwardly, served the same God and purpose. Our differences are purposeful and used by God to reach different people in different ways. When you serve the same God, diversity is not the opposite of unity. It is the expansion of it.

Dive into the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh, reflecting on specific areas you may need healing. Learn how to access the Holy Spirit inside you, so you may live a life of good fruit and godly virtue.

Is waiting on the Lord passive: a life on autopilot until He shakes your shoulders and says this is the way or this is the one? For so long, I've felt that waiting on the Lord, trusting the Lord, surrendering my life to Him means not moving until He says go. But that is not the case. Submission is a heart posture: a willingness to walk slowly, receive re-direction, hold your plans with open palms, remain flexible and unattached to specific outcomes. Submission is not stillnes

This new year, I'm unsubscribing to striving, planning, ambition, and goal-setting. And I am subscribing to surrender. Surrendering to the Lord doesn't mean you don't have any plans or goals. It means the Lord is the one guiding you. He is the one telling you which opportunity to say yes to. He creates new goals for you. He opens new doors for you. He gives you new ideas and desires. He will help you discern the right thing, the right one, and the right time. This year, slow

Sex, intimacy, and purity--these are all sensitive topics that aren't easy to talk about. But it's in the areas we keep private that the devil can easily slip in. I'm sharing my story so that hopefully you won't have to. Let there be light in dark places, words of truth and wisdom where there was once silence.

There is a difference between self-seeking and seeking the Lord. False teachers would have you seek wisdom from sources other than the Lord. Today, this may look like: inner divinity (the power of manifestation), astrology, tarot, secret knowledge spirituality (modern-day gnosticism), etc. The Bible makes it clear there are other powers, other spirits, other knowledge out there. But that is not the power, spirit, or knowledge we are called to seek. Jesus is the way, the truth

Your hope is proof of the thing not yet seen. Your hope is proof of the harvest to come. Your hope is the seed of the harvest to come. Your hope comes from God. He's not asking you to give it up. Let your hope be proof of God's goodness, proof of His love for you. Let your persistent hope be a reminder that God is working behind the scenes, aligning things that will one day present a harvest He ordained for you before you were even born.

Jesus was able to forgive not only those who betrayed and tormented Him, but all people to come, because He knew it was not man's fault. Man is God's creation, created perfectly in His image. By design, we are not evil or corrupt. The devil is who corrupts man, but it is more than corruption. It is inhabitation or possession. Separate the human from the spirit living inside them. There are no evil people, only evil spirits.

False teachers try to make us doubt in who Jesus Christ was, what He did for us, and thus doubt in the truth / Word of God. The devil's deception does not always come as strict opposition, such as to say that Jesus never existed or that God isn't real. Sometimes the devil's deception comes with a slight bending of the truth. The devil gains footholds in our hearts and minds by planting seeds of doubt, and then those seeds grow into weeds that consume us from the inside out.

Through this multi-part blog series, The Divine Return, I'm going to address three major areas from my return to God. The first: the lies the devil uses to keep us from seeking God. The second: the difference between religion and relationship with the Lord. The third: how to truly surrender to the Lord and accept the Holy Spirit.

The Book of James reminds us to stand firm in our faith, seek God's wisdom, and exemplify true Christ-like love. It is a reminder of what true Christianity looks like and acts like. Let us remember the truth. Let us remember love. Let us remember we are not each other's enemy. There is only one enemy and his name is Satan.