To grasp the full significance of Jesus' nature as both man and God, we must step back and look at the grand narrative of creation. From the very beginning, Adam and Eve were tasked with ruling the earth under God’s authority. However, their surrender to temptation and the deceiver, Satan, resulted in the loss of their authority and separation from God's presence. Yet, even in that moment of failure, God already had a plan in place for redemption—a sacrifice that would restore the broken relationship and bring back the authority that had been lost.

When it comes to our relationship with God, there’s a big difference between living by faith and living by works. Living by faith is about trusting in God, not trying to prove ourselves through good deeds. It’s about the attitude behind our actions and how we feel about them.

Do you long for peace of mind? True peace begins with an intentional awareness of your thoughts and the practice of aligning them with the Spirit of God. By consistently observing your thoughts, you can grow more conscious of them and ultimately choose to shape them, rather than allowing them to shape you. One of the greatest challenges we face is allowing our minds to slip into autopilot mode, especially when negative or intrusive thoughts arise. In these moments, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but there’s a better way forward.

Imagine your mind as a TV, constantly flipping through channels. You start on the cooking channel, planning your next meal. But soon, you get bored and grab the remote, switching to a horror channel, replaying anxious thoughts. In the blink of an eye, you’re on a nature channel, remembering a peaceful vacation. But just as quickly, you find yourself overwhelmed by a work channel, flooded with thoughts of deadlines. It’s a whirlwind of distractions, each pulling you in a different direction, leaving you feeling scattered and exhausted.

To receive the Spirit of God, you must open your heart to the miraculous and the supernatural. Without this, you risk falling into legalism—the trap of believing that you can earn God’s favor by your actions alone, instead of receiving it freely through His grace. But grace can never be earned. It is a divine gift that can only be accepted by faith—faith in the extraordinary, the supernatural power of God.

God will always seem unjust or even evil to those who harbor evil in their hearts. For those who choose rebellion, who resist His ways, their view of God will be shaped by their own discontent and defiance. They will interpret His actions through the lens of their own bitterness and self-interest, often seeing only punishment or restriction, when in reality, God’s ways are rooted in love and justice. But for those who love Him, God’s nature is one of infinite grace, kindness, and understanding. He is gentle with those who are gentle, and His love draws near to those who seek Him with open hearts.

Trusting in God is where the miraculous starts. Perhaps you’ve carried certain habits or struggles since childhood, accepting them as part of who you are. But trusting God means saying, “Jesus, I don’t want this anymore. I know it’s holding me back from fully living for You. I believe You are a miracle worker, and I trust You to remove it from my life.” In that moment, we place our burdens in God's hands, no longer fighting the battle alone.

Being in the Spirit of God is a lot like trying to find your way to a new café in a city you've never visited before. At first, you’re a little lost—maybe you get turned around, take a wrong street, or even have to ask a local for directions. If you’re tech-savvy (or just need reassurance), you pull out your phone and let Google Maps guide you. You're feeling a bit uncertain, and every turn feels like an adventure in “how did I end up here?” But after some wandering and trial and error, you finally arrive. Success!

A great teacher isn’t just about knowing the material or impressing others with their teaching methods. The real magic happens when a teacher shifts focus from their own success to the student’s success. Instead of striving for accolades or basking in the glow of their students' achievements as proof of their own greatness, an exceptional teacher is focused on something much more powerful: helping students unlock their own potential, and become the best versions of themselves—not for praise, but for their own personal growth.

Life is a lot like a game of chess. Every decision we make—no matter how small—shapes the spiritual journey we’re on. Each thought, action, or choice we make has the potential to draw us closer to God or pull us further away. But when we align ourselves with God’s will, something incredible happens: doors open to a deeper, more fulfilling life—one that’s rooted in His purpose for us. And as we keep making choices that reflect His will, those doors keep opening, often creating a ripple effect that helps us overcome challenges and empowers others to do the same.

"Working out our salvation" or "growing in the Spirit" is like hitting the gym for your soul—it’s about putting in the work, enduring the struggle, and pushing beyond your comfort zone to build real strength. Just like lifting weights requires intentional effort and discipline, spiritual growth demands time, dedication, and a willingness to embrace challenges. But here's the thing: just as there are shortcuts in the gym, there are shortcuts in our spiritual lives too—ones that seem easier but ultimately won’t lead to true transformation.

We all have desires, and I believe that God has placed desires in our hearts for a purpose. Desires are not inherently bad—they are part of the divine design, woven into the very fabric of who we are. However, there are two types of desires: desires of the flesh and desires of the Spirit. The desires of the flesh often distort and corrupt the true desires that come from God’s Spirit. The ultimate fulfillment of our hearts comes from aligning our desires with God's will, but when we allow the flesh to lead, it often turns what could be a pure desire into something destructive.

Why are so many men and women struggling with gender and identity issues today? It’s a question that’s on many minds, and one that points to a much deeper issue than just outward appearances or labels. The struggle often goes beyond our physical traits; it’s about how we express ourselves, the roles we play, and the way we relate to others. Our society has put a lot of pressure on what it means to be a “man” or a “woman,” and in doing so, it’s left many people feeling lost or confused about their own identity. But the truth is that men and women were both created in the image of God, with unique purpose and value. And when we begin to embrace our identity in that context, we can experience greater peace and understanding.

One of the biggest challenges we face, both personally and as a society, is the belief that we are inherently good. Many of us understand and admire qualities like peace, patience, kindness, love, and empathy—qualities that come from God. But here's the deception: we often start to think that because we exhibit some of these characteristics, we have somehow become the “good ones,” and that others are the ones with the problems we can fix. This is a dangerous mindset. It leads us to believe that we have the answers to life’s struggles apart from Christ, and in doing so, we become blind to the deeper layers of sin in our lives. We might even convince ourselves that our own “goodness” is actually a reflection of God working through us, when in reality, it may simply be our ego trying to appear righteous.

The Lord is glory itself. Picture, if you will, the most awe-inspiring sight you've ever witnessed, or the most beautiful, soul-stirring moment you've experienced. The warmth of a loved one's embrace, the sunrise over a tranquil sea, or standing at the edge of a vast, endless horizon. Even these, in their splendor, are but pale shadows compared to the overwhelming glory of the Lord. Imagine standing before the awe-inspiring vastness of the Grand Canyon, where the sheer scale takes your breath away, and yet, there’s an undercurrent of fear, a sense of vulnerability, knowing how deep and perilous the canyon is. The grandeur and majesty of that view, stunning though it is, could never compare to the infinite glory of God.

When we lift our voices in worship, we are not just singing songs—we are offering ourselves to the Spirit of God. Worship is the act of aligning our hearts with the Divine, of connecting with the source of all that is pure, beautiful, and powerful. What we choose to worship shapes who we become. Have you ever considered why we might resist this transformation? More often than not it is because we are afraid of exposing what makes us vulnerable. When we have enough faith to open our hearts to God, He begins to transform us into beings of light, shedding the darkness within us.