Real Live Faith

Have you ever pondered “Good Friday” and what it was that made it so good? Why would that day ever be associated with the word, “good”? Do you know what happened on that day?

Even in the most amazing paradise of Eden, work still existed. Maintenance was needed. Nothing was automatic or given without effort needed to ensure its continuance. How silly of us to want the desired results, but not want or expect to put in the time and effort to achieve them.

As our kids grow older, we get tempted to hurry them through life. If we’re not careful, we can rush so much that life becomes unenjoyable for everyone.

Who are the difficult people in your life? Family, friends, people at church, classmates, coworkers? Life is full of difficult people, but it’s important how we choose to deal with them.

Have you ever lost something of great value? You placed it somewhere with intention and when you went back to fetch it, you discovered it missing. Maybe it was your car keys, perhaps your cell phone, maybe a piece of jewelry, or money. I don’t know about you, but when I experience disappointing or unpleasant situations in life, I like to go to the Bible and read about others who have walked through similar trials.

This year has been described in many ways and I don’t know about you, but I think our emotions during this year could equally be described. Can I get a witness?! The Bible has many words of encouragement for believers, but one in particular I found to be quite the gem, is tucked away in the Old Testament. How many of you are familiar with the book of Nehemiah?

Our prayers are not effective because we are special. They are effective, powerful, and productive because the One we pray to is powerful!

Do you struggle in your prayer life? Are you able to pray for others, but find it difficult to have your own personal time of prayer? Or do you have a strong prayer life when it comes to seeking God for your needs, but struggle to lift up others? Does it seem the only time you get serious about praying, crying out to the Lord, and seeking Him fervently is when you’re in the middle of a crisis?

We are well into the month of November, and you know what that means. We are getting closer and closer to that special day where we get to feast in a mighty way: Thanksgiving! Did you know the tradition of Thanksgiving, as a time to focus on God and His blessings, dates back almost 400

For many of us, we process the information we hear and read either in an external manner or an internal manner. We also tend to process different experiences, trials, and ideas in both of these ways. We are uniquely made by God. He fashioned and formed every part of us together: our physical traits, our personality, and even the way we process interactions in our life.