“Nothing paralyzes our lives like the attitude that things can never change. We need to remind ourselves that God can change things. Outlook determines outcome. If we see only the problems, we will be defeated; but if we see the possibilities in the problems, we can have victory.” – Warren Wierbse.

Is there something in your life that needs to change? You may be saying, “I can change.” The world offers us many ways to change and things we can do to change, but they are all based on our ability to enact change through logic, reason, etc. It usually doesn’t work all that well. You need God’s power to affect lasting change because only God can make the changes you can’t make yourself.

The apostle Paul felt that way nearly 2,000 years ago. He says this in the Bible: “I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does” (Romans 7:24-25 MSG).

Lasting change requires intentionality, focus, and effort. You have to change what you think, and then you’ll change what you speak. When you change how you think and how you speak, it will change how you behave. And then the change in behavior will change the direction and course of your life. Our thoughts, words, and actions create who we are.

If you want your reality to be different from what it currently is, you need to start with what is happening in your thought life. Renewing your mind doesn’t happen just by casually reading the Bible or certain scriptures, but consuming them to the point that they become a part of you. Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

Change is inevitable. It’s unavoidable. It brings about the unexpected things we didn’t plan for. It pushes us out of our comfort zone. It forces us to adjust to circumstances we may or may not have been ready for. However, no matter how ready or reluctant we are to make or embrace change, one thing is for certain God is with you every step of the way.

The closer you get to God, the more your faith in Him increases. The more your faith in Him increases, the more your trust in all He has mapped out for you should increase. The more you trust God, the easier it will be to embrace the changes He orchestrates for your life.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you typically respond to change? Does it excite you? Does it stress you out? Do you experience a combination of both excitement and stress?
2. Read James 1:22–25. Has Scripture ever revealed something about you that you needed to change? If so, what did you do? 

Summary: A healthy spiritual life is characterized by a deep connection with God, a sense of purpose and meaning, and a positive impact on others. Signs of spiritual health include a thankful heart, a willingness to repent and seek forgiveness, a love for God’s Word, and a desire to live in light of eternity. Strong relationships with other believers, encouragement, and forgiveness also mark a healthy spiritual life. 

If you asked a group of people what it means to be healthy, you would get a number of ideas or perceptions. Most of the answers would relate to physical health. Healthy bodies are undoubtedly important, but there’s another level of health, our spiritual health.   

As followers of Christ, we’re called and empowered to be spiritually healthy.  What does that mean? The short answer is to experience a healthy, growing, vibrant walk with Christ that begins with a sincere longing for the Lord’s presence. In 1 Peter 2:2-3, Peter describes a spiritually healthy person as someone with a healthy appetite: “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.” Not an appetite for baked goods, but for the Lord’s presence in their lives.  We have “had a taste” of the difference He has made and is making for us.  We are convinced that what He is doing is good, and we long to know Him in a deeper way.   

The spiritually healthy not only hear the word but hold onto it. They are grateful to know that this is what they are choosing to feed their minds and their hearts. Those who successfully grow spiritually healthy are those who eagerly hear God’s word, hold onto what they’ve heard, and apply it to their lives. A spiritually healthy follower of Jesus values prayer and invests in their walk with God.

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better” (Colossians 1:9-10).

When the Apostle Paul heard of the Colossians’ faith, He was overjoyed. He made it his practice, along with those with him, to remember the Colossians in his prayers every day. He prayed that their young faith would grow mature. He prayed that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, spiritual wisdom, and understanding.   

As we pray and develop a new Christ-centered way of thinking, what begins to take place in our lives? When we start to see life differently, we start to live differently. In describing his prayers for them and going into detail about what he was praying God would do in their lives, Paul taught the Colossian church to value prayer and invest in their walk with Christ.

Every Christian would agree that a man’s spiritual health is proportional to his love for God. ~ C.S. Lewis.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you currently measure your spiritual health?
2. What are some signs that you are thriving spiritually? (e.g., Joy, peace, hope, increased compassion, desire to serve others).
3. What are some areas where you feel your spiritual health is lacking or needs improvement? 

Summary: Spirituality is a fundamental aspect of Christianity. It guides believers on a journey of faith and strengthens their relationship with God. Christian spirituality, in general terms, is a way of living out one’s faith, striving to become more like Christ and following His teachings. It’s a journey of deepening one’s relationship with God through the Holy Spirit and involves personal and communal practices.

If you ask 10 people what it means to be spiritual, you would probably get 10 different answers because the term means something different to everyone. Spirituality is something that’s talked about a lot but is often misunderstood. When we hear the phrase spirituality, we think it is reserved for people, for unique individuals, typically in the ministry, in other words, for the spiritual elite.   

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel disconnected, especially from our spiritual roots. Amid the chaos and demands of daily life, our relationship with God can often feel neglected, leading to a yearning for deeper spiritual connection. However, nurturing this bond is not just a religious duty, but a pathway to true peace, purpose, and fulfillment.

In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees defined their spiritual stature by their disciplines. They believed they were superior because of their spiritual habits, such as fasting. But when Jesus tells His followers the traits He is looking for, He does not mention disciplines such as prayer or fasting. He is looking for transformed lives and views spiritual disciplines as exercises that help us grow nearer to God.

Christian spirituality can be defined as an ever-changing, evolving, maturing openness to God’s work through your life in all ways. It is easy to say spirituality is all about the institution, the rules, the culture and the academic study of God.

Christian spirituality is our internal pulse that pursues God in all places. It is heightened in quiet, awakened by music, motivated by new ideas, uplifted by seeing God at work, and constantly seeking God’s presence. The bottom line is that Christian spirituality is a lifetime journey leading to a deeper understanding and relationship with Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit, and loving ever closer to the heart of God: to know God more fully.

Contrary to popular opinion, Christianity is not just about emotions or feeling close to God. Yes, we experience emotions, and sometimes we feel close to God and sense His presence. However, Christianity is not grounded in these subjective feelings but in the Word of God and Jesus Christ. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8 ESV) This verse boldly states: if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. If we don’t sense the presence of God, we might need to start hungering and thirsting for God.

Discussion Questions:

1. What spiritual practices are most helpful in connecting with God or your faith?
2. How does prayer, meditation, or Bible study impact your daily life?
3. What are some ways you can incorporate more faith-based practices into your routine? 

“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:13-16.

Having summarised the position and privileges of the believer and the glory of our salvation, the apostle Peter exhorts Christians to live their lives in a godly manner and points out the responsibilities and duties that are incumbent on all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. We know right from wrong, but that doesn’t mean we do what’s right or wrong. Sometimes we procrastinate. We put the fix in on our decisions. Paul says it best in Romans 7:15, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.”  

When we are submissive to God’s will, passivity is needed. Jesus demonstrated this kind of passivity on the night He was arrested. Rather than allow His disciples to fight for Him, He willingly submitted to the abuse of His captors. “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly” (1 Peter 2:23). The Son of God allowed Himself to be mocked, beaten, and insulted by men—and He did nothing to stop them. He had earlier told His disciples, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” (Matthew 26:23). There was a reason behind His inaction.  The Lord was actively giving Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Throughout the Bible, we see a picture of Jesus who is strong, focused, resolute, unafraid, calm in the face of danger, and compassionate, gracious, and merciful. This is the standard that He holds us to. There is no such thing as “let go and let God.”There is no place for just going through the motions when God has called us to action. There is no place for complacency.

To avoid being a passive Christian, one must cultivate a strong prayer life, study and apply God’s Word, follow Jesus, and actively serve in the body of Christ. The Christian life is a call to action, not complacency.

Faith is essential to salvation. It is what saves us and what God gives us to see Him more clearly. However, He is clear that having faith is just the beginning. Faith is the precursor to action. Faith causes you to change. The world will believe based on what you do. Jesus shows us that. Your faith is truly living when it is demonstrated through action. James 2 :17 says, “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”  True faith requires action.

Discussion Questions:

1. What’s one area of your life where you struggle with passivity or fail to act?

“An active faith can give thanks for a promise, though it may not be as yet performed, knowing that God’s bonds are as good as ready money [cash]”  – Matthew Henry.

If you Google spiritual growth, you’ll find a lot of suggestions that are not helpful and fairly mixed in quality, likely due to the ambiguous meaning of the phrase. After all, what makes someone “spiritual,” and in what way can this quality “grow?”

For Christians, spiritual growth is the progressive increase in Christ’s inward and outward manifestation in our lives. This means that any active pursuit of spiritual growth must be an application and outworking of what we have in Christ by the indwelling Spirit through faith.

Faith has become a pretty common word. Most Christians would say they have faith. But there is a fundamental difference between active and passive faith. The bottom line is that faith is an action.  Faith is not discussing, thinking, or celebrating God’s truth. It is the process of adapting your behavior, your decisions, and ultimately, your whole lifestyle so it aligns with what God has asked you to do — without needing to see the evidence, it will all work out in the end. Active faith results in action.  An active faith isn’t just a belief; it’s a vibrant, engaged response to God’s presence in our lives. It’s about walking in obedience, serving others, and sharing the good news. An active faith empowers us to trust in God’s promises and live out our purpose, ultimately glorifying Him in all we do.

Jesus is our ultimate example. His words and actions match perfectly. Though talking about faith is good, we should also put our faith into action. That is the essence of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The religious leader spoke about loving God and people, but Jesus showed him that he mainly loved himself and wasn’t concerned about others. After Jesus finished the story, he asked the self-absorbed religious leader which of the three people acted like a neighbor to the man lying on the side of the road, bleeding. “The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same” (Luke 10:37).

The Christian walk is a call to “trust plus effort.” There’s a difference between saying I believe in something and acting on that belief. Actions speak louder than words. James put it this way: Faith without works is dead. In other words, faith without action is dead. The Bible is full of miracles and promises of God that require action on our part. We are part of the equation that God uses to solve problems. When we genuinely believe that He can use us, we start acting in a manner consistent with that belief. We actively become His hands and feet.

While being an active Christian is partly about reflecting on God’s word and connecting with Him personally, the larger focus is on giving your time and efforts to put our faith to work.

Discussion Questions:

1. Think about the biblical concept of faith without works being dead: how do good deeds demonstrate a genuine faith? 
2. How is balancing faith and action challenging, and how can we best navigate those challenges? 
3. In what practical ways can we put faith into action, individually and collectively? 

“Jesus said “My Father is always working, and so am I.”   – John 5:17

There is a popular Sunday School song entitled, He’s got the whole world in His hands. The lyrics include: He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got the whole wide world in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands. We say that God is at work — working mightily, working miraculously, working in mysterious ways — but it’s easy for humans to look around and ask, “God, how exactly are you working? And could you please pick up the pace?”

Jesus’ coming was not in vain. He came to save the lost, and He will save the lost in 2025. He came with the express purpose of rescuing souls from a life and eternity separated from God. He will save many thousands this year. God is active and working, and one thing is for sure: He is not geographically limited.  We need to learn to see where God is working in our neck of the woods and join Him in that work. God is not asking us to start the work or figure out where to work. He is already at work and invites us to partner with Him.

Yolande Korkie, author of 558 days in Hell, tells the story of the time she and her husband were taken hostage by Al Qaeda while serving in Yemen. She was later released after eight months, but unfortunately, her husband was killed by Al Qaeda. This led her to encourage those in crisis and equip believers to be the light of Christ in the darkest places. A South Sudanese pastor shared his testimony of how he fled from South Sudan and the hardships of the refugee camps in Uganda. He survived life’s lowest moments and atrocities and continues serving the Lord with great joy in the camps.

God has a heart for every nation and is busy redeeming the nations to Himself. In his book Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper says, “God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshippers for himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of his name among the nations.”

God is working in powerful ways worldwide, but he is also working here in this country, in our cities and communities. Driving on 98 or 23 and other streets in Panama City and Panama City Beach will reveal multiple churches with multiple services and full parking lots at every service.  God’s presence and influence are felt and manifested in everyday life in the church and our communities. Take a second look if you’re looking for evidence that God is at work. You will find proof that God is active, working, and demonstrating His power to change the world.

Discussion Questions:

1. In what ways does the belief in a living and active Jesus shape our daily lives and actions? 
2. How does the idea of Jesus working in the world challenge us to live differently? 
3. What practical steps can we take to embody the living presence of Jesus in our communities?
   

Summary:  In the mid-1100s, Bernard of Clairvaux, a monk in France, considered how we experience the love of God. He published a devotional called the Love of God, in which he identified four degrees, or progressions: (1) loving ourselves for our own sake, (2) loving God for our own sake, (3) loving God for his own sake, and (4) loving ourselves for God’s sake.

Bernard of Clairvaux was a monk who followed very strict disciplines. His devotional classic, The Love of God, explains divine love and how we grow and develop in the perfect love of God that has come to us in Jesus Christ. In it, he presents the Four Degrees of Love. His fourth stage of maturity is the love of self for God’s sake.

If you have spent any time in church, you have heard the commandment in Mark 12:30-31: “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.” We work very hard to love God, and we try very hard to love our neighbor. But we often miss the two words at the end, “As yourself.” How well do we do in loving ourselves? We are not all that good at loving ourselves because we are investing all our time in loving God and loving others.

God’s love enables us to love ourselves, a common and significant concept in Christianity. It’s not about self-worship or narcissism but rather about recognizing our inherent worth and value as beings created in God’s image. In this context, loving ourselves means accepting ourselves, our imperfections, and our growth potential, knowing that God loves and values us. It is not because we suddenly realize that we are pretty great; in fact, we know that’s not true.

When we see how Jesus loves us, we can start loving ourselves well. And that is when we can truly love our neighbors. And indeed scripture tells us to do everything in love. But if we love God and ourselves through God’s love, our neighbors will see and feel the difference. When you are living out God’s love for yourself and then naturally to others, you don’t have to work very hard to convince them of anything. They will see it and be drawn to it naturally.

It’s important to learn to shut off the chatter of the outside world and love yourself for who you are today. The fact is that no one is perfect. Everybody has been created differently and, most importantly, in God’s image.

“It is not contrary to Christianity that a man should love himself, or what is the same thing, that he should love his happiness. Christianity does not tend to destroy a man’s love for his own happiness; it would therein tend to destroy humanity. Christianity is not destructive of humanity.” – Jonathan Edwards

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean to love yourself biblically, not selfishly? How does this understanding align with the concept of loving God and neighbor? 

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” This verse underscores the importance of God’s Word in guiding us toward purity.” – Psalm 119:9.    Ezekiel 36:25–27

Over twenty-four times in the gospels, Jesus said, “follow me.” When Jesus says “Follow me,” it’s far more than a simple invitation to walk behind Him. And it’s more than Bible study. It requires transformation: aligning our lives with His teachings and example, and embracing His values as our own. It signifies a willingness to leave behind old ways and habits and be entirely shaped by another’s example. We should strive to do what Jesus does well. At the top of that list is a Jesus kind of love.

Jesus loved unconditionally. Jesus was frequently associated with and cared for marginalized individuals, including the poor, sick, lepers, women, and those considered outcasts by the religious leaders of His time. He demonstrated compassion and offered healing and fellowship to those often rejected and overlooked by society. Jesus loved every one of His followers, pouring into them day and night despite their flaws.  And He loved sacrificially. Love is a choice. God chose to become a man and, as a man, He chose to hang on a cross so that we could be saved. So it makes sense that as apprentices of Jesus we should be known for our love, as He was known for love.

The teaching of Jesus is so clear, you almost wonder why we don’t follow it. Imagine a world in which people loved like Jesus loved. Imagine if Pharaoh had walked a path of love, loving the Hebrew people instead of making them slaves. Imagine how the exodus story may have turned out differently. Imagine if the people of God in the Old Testament had walked the path of love, loving God and each other. Imagine if the religious leaders who sought to destroy Jesus had walked in the path of love and loved Him rather than hated Him. Now imagine if Jesus had practiced hatred instead of love. Imagine if Jesus had lashed out in vengeance rather than reaching out in love at the cross.

Imagine, in 2025, if all Christians in the world had the character of Jesus. Imagine if we were imitators of Jesus, so that through our lives, actions, and relationships, others would see Jesus in us. Imagine how things could be different now if we all walked as Jesus walked, in the way of love with everyone.

The world desperately needs that kind of love. Love is more than something you feel; you choose by keeping your eyes and heart focused on Jesus’ example. God’s Love is for everyone. Does that mean your combative neighbor? Yes. Your estranged sibling? Yep. Your micro-managing boss? Yes, it includes them, too.  Everyone we encounter is someone that God loves and Jesus died for.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does “loving like Jesus” mean to you personally? 
2. How does Jesus’ love differ from other forms of love? 
3. How can we ensure that our actions and words reflect the love of Jesus?
   

“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command… This is my command: Love each other.” – John 15:12-14, 17.

It must be important if Jesus repeated it three times. Jesus frequently discussed love. He emphasized loving God and one’s neighbor as the two greatest commandments. He also spoke about loving one another. In the Christian life, a believer aims for love. That’s the goal.

The journey of Jesus from the manger to the grave was a journey of love. We read the life of Jesus and are amazed at what He did, at what He said, at how He relayed the truth of God and the Kingdom of God. We sit back and study the scriptures to see what will happen in the future. We try to figure out God’s will for our lives. We go over it and over it again and here is the simple truth: Loving God means loving others.

Matthew 22:35-40 shows God’s greatest two commandments for our lives are to love. Love is our highest purpose. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

The ability to love is a crucial element of an apprentice’s spiritual growth because it reflects a transformed heart and a deeper relationship with God. Developing love is not just a matter of feeling but also of actively choosing to serve others and demonstrating Christlike qualities in our actions.

So, if you are a real estate agent and love as a real estate agent,  you have fulfilled your God-given purpose. If you are a nurse and use your work to love, you have fulfilled your God-given purpose. If you are a musician and use your music to love others, you have fulfilled your God-given purpose. And, if you are retired and use your spare time to serve meals to the homeless, and it’s done in love, you have fulfilled God’s greatest purpose for your life.  Love is the goal.

We miss the point when we focus on what we do as our purpose. It’s not about what we do as much as it is about how we do what we do. Do we do it in love? All things must be rooted in love to be rooted in God. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says:  “If I could speak all languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had a gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor, and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

Following Jesus is a life of love.

Discussion Questions:                                      

1. What does it mean to love God? How can we practically express our love for God in our daily lives? 
2. What does it mean to love one another? How does this love manifest in our interactions with family, friends, and even strangers? 
3. How does the concept of “God is love” impact our understanding of love in general?