There is a word we have all been raised to honor. From the time we are small we are told to be nice. Be nice to your brother. Be nice to the guest who has come to the house. We learn very early that niceness is the currency of belonging, the thing that keeps us safe, approved, and welcome in the rooms we wish to remain in. For most of my life I prided myself on being a nice man. What I did not see for a long time is that my niceness was rarely about the person in front of me. It was about me. It was about being liked. It was about avoiding conflict and managing how others felt so that I could remain comfortable in their company. My niceness wore the costume of love, and underneath it was quietly serving myself.
We need to make sure the enemy doesn't have any legal right to harass the body of Christ. This is an area many might neglect checking to see if the door is closed here. "To the woman He said: 'I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.'" Genesis 3:16. I've been meditating on Genesis 3:16 this week. One Bible translation interpreted it as Eve's desire to dominate Adam, while others saw it as her desire for her husband. I read a commentary that scholars debate whether the verse means to dominate or simply to desire. After the Fall, [fall of man] we came under a curse that caused many to follow their lust and pride instead of God. I felt the verse meant Eve desired to dominate Adam. Adam became frustrated and wanted to rule over Eve.
Would you like your daily Bible study time to truly come alive, no matter how long you've been walking with the Lord? These 7 practical Bible study tips—drawn from my personal journey and shared with countless believers—have helped people at every stage of faith deepen their understanding of Scripture, gain confidence in hearing God's voice, strengthen their relationship with Him, and discover greater purpose and meaning in life. Whether you're seeking fresh insights after years of study or simply wanting to renew your quiet time, these simple habits invite you into a more intimate, Spirit-led encounter with God's Word. They're easy, accessible, and powerful for anyone ready to grow closer to God through consistent, heartfelt engagement.
Have you ever sat in a church service, heard a powerful message, and walked away feeling like the truth was poured directly into your mind — but somehow, a week later, it had not quite reached your heart? You are not alone, and more importantly, Jesus understood this problem perfectly. His response was to stop giving information and start telling stories. When the disciples noticed this, they were genuinely puzzled. They asked Him directly, 'Why do you speak to the people in parables?' His answer is one of the most revealing statements about communication and the Kingdom that exists in Scripture.
What does God's Word say to us about being redeemed from our enemy? According to the word of the Lord found in Psalm 107:2 we've been redeemed from the hand of the enemy. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy," Psalm 107:2. Do we believe it? Or do we still underestimate the power of the Lord within us? At first many will respond with a reassuring response, "Yes, I believe!". But when difficulties designed by the enemy come our way to steal, to kill, and to destroy us, many of God's people cave into the attack of the enemy, and often without any form of resistance. This response to Satan's tactics is not right. We are to believe what God says about His redemptive hand upon us. And what does He say about our redemption from our enemy?
One of the great quests in the history of philosophy is investigation into the meaning and purpose of life. Philosophy seeks the purpose not only of human existence but also of animal existence, of flower existence, of the existence of rocks and of everything else. Philosophy is profoundly interested in questions of purpose and meaning. But when we consider adverse events, this is the question that burns in everyone's mind. Why did this happen? Particularly if one is a theist and especially a Christian theist, we ask the "why" question. "How could God allow this to happen?" or "Why, God, did this happen?"
The prophet Habakkuk lived during a season of moral decline, political unrest, and spiritual confusion. As he looked around at the culture in which he lived, his heart was deeply troubled. Violence was rampant. Justice seemed absent. Evil appeared to be flourishing unchecked. In his anguish, Habakkuk did what every child of God is invited to do—he brought his questions to the Lord. "How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and You will not hear?" (Habakkuk 1:2) Have you ever prayed a similar prayer?
Faith is the substance of things desired. There is power in faith, in believing. Jesus told the centurion, "Go, as you have believed it will be done for you. And the slave was healed at that hour" (Matthew 8:13 LEB). Believing is not something you always like to do or always feel like doing. It's a decision you make. Just as faith is a powerful force, there is also a force opposed to faith called fear. Fear is the reverse gear of faith. It is actually faith in the devil's ability to eliminate your faith. If faith is the substance of things desired, then fear is the substance of things not desired. The reason someone fears a thing is because they believe in its manifestation. So we could say worry is believing in the manifestation of the thing we worry about.
"...just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word." Ephesians 5:25–26 Think about the feeling of waking up after a night of restless sleep when your mind is already cluttered with the noise of the previous day. You feel heavy, distracted, and slightly overwhelmed. The worries and pressures you carried yesterday have left a permanent film over your thoughts. You try to focus, but your mind is already racing with a dozen different opinions and demands that do not actually belong to you. It is a feeling of being weighed down by things you never intended to carry, leaving you stuck in a cycle of stress that you cannot seem to shake on your own.
Have you ever wondered if something is holding you back from experiencing the promises of God? I remember a time in my life when I was hearing about all the promises of God but never actually experiencing them. I heard about peace, but I didn't have any. I heard about joy, but I was unhappy all the time. I could see God's promises in His Word and I believed them, but something was missing. As I spent time studying God's Word, I came to realize that the root of my problem was found in the wrong mindsets I was living with.