Modesty. Just say the word and many people immediately grab their soapbox and get ready to spout their opinions on the subject. While no two opinions are completely alike, many would agree that a modest home, for example, is considered a well-cared for, but basic house. The same is true regarding a modest meal. While it may be small and simple, it’s still healthy and good. Although we likely disagree on the details, most of us agree that modest clothing is a good thing, yet when it comes to our behavior and abilities, people frequently say, “Don’t be so modest.” Like it’s a bad thing. So which is it?

From childhood, one of my favorite verses was, and still is, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. I learned this as a song in a chapel service at a private christian elementary school I attended at the time, and it has always stuck with me.

Another one of my long time favorite verses is where God promises to give “peace…which transcends all understanding”.

And a verse I consistently recite to myself when I am in need of keeping my mind from sinful thoughts is, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”…

You might be thinking, how in the world is serving a spiritual discipline? As Nate mentioned at the beginning of this series, spiritual disciplines are relational, things we do regularly to know God better.

So, how does serving grow our relationship with Him?

I’m glad you asked! God has given each of us gifts and talents for serving others and to bring Him glory. And He is a generous Giver, giving each of us many different talents…

It was a sobering moment when I realized I had become complacent and had begun going through the motions of my faith rather than being active and engaged. Christian complacency can look like different things for different believers, and it’s dangerous because it is easy - all you must do is sit back and go with the flow. This is because complacency does not require discipline, accountability, or action. Because of these things, a life of complacency can be appealing to many, making it a dangerous tool that the enemy uses against us…

What are you waiting for? Have you ever been in a place where you feel stuck? Where you feel as though life is passing by but you’re not moving with it? Where you feel like your sin is overwhelming, making you feel ashamed and broken? The Bible passage we will study today is written by a person who feels overwhelmed by their sin…

“Follow your heart! Do what makes you happy!” Pithy advice, to be sure, and quite common in the twenty-first century. We’re often told by celebrities, social media, friends, and sometimes even family that the desires of our heart are sacred above all and not to be ignored.

And, on its surface, all of this sounds wonderful! As Americans, this independent spirit runs deeply through our psyche. Our country’s founding document even proclaims that we as American citizens have an inalienable right to “the pursuit of happiness”…

“How can I grow in discernment? What does that actually mean? Is that different than wisdom?”

We talk about wisdom and discernment, but what do they mean? We may want to be wise and discerning but how do we do that? They are closely related, and we can grow in both, but before looking at how to grow, let’s define discernment and wisdom. In a devotional from the NIV Lifehacks Bible, wisdom is defined as “a capacity of the mind that allows us to understand life from God’s perspective.” Wisdom comes from a proper view of God…

We’ve all heard Christ’s statement, recorded in the book of Acts, that, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) And sometimes, in our more private thoughts, we’ve responded, “Well, that’s not been my experience.” Maybe we’ve misunderstood “blessed” and maybe we just disagree with Christ, Himself. (…a truly frightening thought!)

Well, if we read our Bible’s at all, there’s no doubt that giving is strongly encouraged in the Scriptures. And whenever we find ourselves questioning or disagreeing with something clearly taught in the Bible, we should hit pause. Even when we don’t understand all of the reasoning or purpose of some biblical commands, we need to stop and remember Who gave the command, and that should begin to settle the issue for us…

2 Corinthians 12:9 became a comforting truth during a more challenging season of my life as a young adult. From a young age, a clear calling toward a career in the medical field gave my life direction and stability. However, after graduating from college, my path took an unexpected turn. Rejections from several medical schools left me very uncertain about my future and with a pre-med degree I had invested the past 4 years studying for that I wasn’t too sure what to do with…