Life is often compared to a race, but have you ever considered your spiritual journey as one? Whether you're a devoted believer or someone still exploring faith, we're all participants in this profound spiritual marathon. The Bible, particularly in the book of Hebrews, offers us a compelling metaphor of faith as a race that we must run with perseverance and purpose.

In our journey of faith, we often focus on our actions and behaviors, but how much attention do we pay to our thoughts? The mind is a powerful battleground where our spiritual fate can be decided.

What's feeding our thoughts today? Are we intentionally preparing our hearts and minds for Christ's return, or are we allowing harmful influences to take up residence in our thoughts?

Ask yourself: what does it really mean to be a Christian? How can we ensure that we're not just going through the motions, but truly living out our faith in a way that aligns with Jesus' teachings?

As William J. Toms wisely said, "Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads." Our commitment to following God's ways isn't just about our personal relationship with Him; it impacts everyone in our sphere of influence.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: If we claim to have met Jesus, yet have no desire to commit to His ways or to see His Kingdom established, we need to seriously examine the authenticity of our encounter. True encounters with Christ always bring change. It may not be instantaneous or dramatic, but there will be a shift in our priorities, our desires, and our actions.

What's the point of devoting our lives to God when it doesn't seem to make a difference?

This question strikes at the heart of our faith journey. How often have we wondered if our devotion truly matters? In a world that often seems to reward the wicked and ignore the righteous, it's easy to become discouraged. But the scripture offers a profound response to this doubt.

The key lies in understanding that money itself is neutral—it's our heart's attitude toward it that matters. Wealth can be a powerful tool for good when it leads to sacrifice and generosity. It can also be a dangerous idol if it becomes our primary focus and source of security.

It's not fair that Jesus would take all our failings and flaws. It's not fair that He would face the full fury of God's justice in our place. It's not fair that He would give us His purity and righteousness when we don't deserve them. But this unfairness is the very heart of God's love for us. God's grace is unfair in our favor.

The book of Malachi reminds us of a profound truth: "Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us?" This simple yet powerful statement reframes our entire perspective. We are not isolated individuals pursuing our own happiness, but part of a greater story—God's story.

We belong to something bigger than ourselves. We are part of a covenant, a promise that God has maintained throughout generations. Every time we exalt our desires above God's will, we disrespect this covenant. Our faithfulness, therefore, is not just about our personal integrity—it's about honoring our place in God's grand narrative.

God's love for us is not based on our performance but on His promise. Yet, when we lose sight of this love, we often slip into a lukewarm faith––neither blazing hot nor completely cold. We find ourselves in a weird middle ground, going through the motions without true passion or commitment.

In response to His people's skepticism, God points to the story of Jacob and Esau. This narrative serves as a powerful illustration of a fundamental truth: God's love is not based on our merit or performance, but on His sovereign choice. Both Jacob and Esau were flawed individuals, yet God chose to show mercy to Jacob. This choice wasn't due to Jacob's superiority but was a demonstration of God's prerogative to bestow His love as He sees fit.

If you want to be used mightily by God, get yourself out of the way. Learn to see yourself as a garbage pail, or, in the words of Peter, to clothe yourself with humility (1 Peter 5:5). It’s not about you; it’s not your personality, it’s the Word of God. God doesn’t need the intellectuals. He doesn’t need great people, fancy people, or famous people. The people aren’t the power. The power is the message! He puts the treasure in clay pots so that “the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Cor. 4:7b).

The Greek word we translate as “disciple” means learner. A disciple is a learner from the Lord Jesus. A learner is a listener and a practitioner. The Great Commission is a command to bring people to Christ to listen, learn, and practice. A disciple of Jesus becomes His learner forever.

Our obedience to God is critically important. It flows out of our love and gratitude toward God for what he has done on our behalf through Christ.

True Christianity has always maintained that faith necessarily expresses itself in action.

We labor, and we rest. This seems to be the way of life in this day and age. But why? Have you ever wondered why this circle of labor and rest shapes our days? And what about us Christians? Should our labor and rest be different?

The unity of the church is to be a reflection of the unity of the one God upon which the church is built. The ideal (unity) and the real (division) do not always match up in the life of the church. A biblical theology of unity reveals a richer and deeper understanding of unity than mere uniformity, but it also holds out the goal of visible unity towards which Christians should aspire.

The most gracious people you and I know are people who have had an experience of grace and fixate on grace. The least gracious people we know are people who may know about grace academically, “theologically,” but don’t seem the least bit changed by it and really have a fixation on the law. They have an inordinate fixation on who did what wrong and what they deserve.

The church is not a place we choose; it’s a place to which we’ve been called. We are called there not to cherish human fame, but to cherish Christ. And we’re called not to an individualized entertainment experience, but to use our gifts to build up the whole community.

The church was designed by God as a source of fellowship, accountability, and teaching, and to serve as a witness to those inside and outside its walls. We come together to worship him in joyful obedience.

The gospel must be trusted and believed even when the surroundings are extreme in measure. And when the church and His people can showcase this trust in the gospel, Paul says it will reveal the power of God for salvation.