It's no accident that the King of the universe came to earth in the most humble way possible: born in a barn, surrounded by animals, with His first visitors being simple shepherds of the fields. The very nature of His birth teaches us that whether you're born in a barn or live among nobles, Jesus came for all people -- and we're all equal in our ne…

You don't always see the difference between houses built on solid foundations and houses built on shaky foundations until the storm comes -- and the same is true of how we build our families. When we make Jesus the center of our homes and our lives, no amount of trials or tribulations will be able to shake our foundation. Only He can bring us stabi…

In John 14, Jesus tells us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that there is no other way to the Father except through Him. Our job as Christians is to spread that Gospel message. In a world where "truth" seems more subjective every day, are we ready to share the one and only Truth with others when the opportunity presents itself?…

Mary wasn't perfect. She wasn't sinless. But she had a heart that was prepared to submit to God's will for her life. When we follow her example and adopt a willingness to obey, Jesus moves in us and uses us to do Kingdom work with eternal impact.Richard Ellis

God's love was so clearly displayed when He sent His Son, Jesus, to be the Savior of this world. He loved us enough, even in our sinful state, to make the greatest sacrifice of all on our behalf. He doesn't want anyone to be condemned to hell, but we have to choose to receive the gift He's offered: salvation through Christ alone.…

The story of the birth of Jesus is filled not only with THE wise men of the nativity story, but with other wise people who submitted to God's call on their lives. True wisdom comes when a person responds to God's leading with obedience. Only by following Him do we become "wise guys" in the best sense of the word.…

If being a Christian were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you? When we surrender our lives to Christ, we're born again with the Holy Spirit inside us -- and that's a heart transformation that everyone around us should be able to see!Richard Ellis

The difference between Jesus and any earthly king is that Jesus never grew up to become a king -- He was born the King of Kings! We can't accept the gift of salvation that He gave His life to pay for without submitting ourselves in reverence to Him. When we choose to make Him the King of our lives, we're also choosing to let Him rule our every deci…

When it comes to questioning the Bible, the Christmas story is one of the most popular examples for why it "can't" be legitimate. Skeptics who challenge Scripture are nothing new, but when we have our doubts, it's important for us to research and study God's Word ourselves instead of throwing out the whole Bible just because we don't understand eve…

Did you know that the Pharisees of Jesus' day could have figured out who He was, simply by asking where He was born? But they didn't take the time to ask important questions, and often, neither do we. It's tempting to ignore parts of the Bible that we don't understand, but if we seek God whole-heartedly, He promises to reveal Himself to us through …

Of all the gifts we receive at Christmas, the greatest is the gift of Jesus Christ. Through Him, God has offered us salvation from our sin. And if we accept His offer, we not only receive the present of His Son -- we receive the gift of being in His presence forever.Richard Ellis

The God who's given us the very breath we breathe in this physical life is also the God who's given us the opportunity to have eternal life with Him. But His offer of redemption isn't meant for us to keep to ourselves -- it's meant for us to turn around and give away to others. Are we going to be selfish with our salvation, or are we going to "regi…

When it comes to picking people who will become part of His Kingdom, God doesn't choose the ones who would seem logical in the eyes of the world. The "in crowd" is simply made up of those who hear His Word and respond in obedience.Richard Ellis

If you or someone you know is struggling so much in this life that you wish you'd never been born, the best thing you can do is be born again. Through all of our struggles and suffering, the only hope we can cling to is in God Almighty. He sees the whole picture, He knows the whole story, and He has good plans for each and every person who puts the…

God used Mary as a part of His plan to save the world. And if He can use a virgin to birth the Savior of all mankind, He can choose to use each of us for His purpose, too, if only we make ourselves obedient to Him. God doesn't look for "special" people to use for His glory -- He looks for open hearts ready to put His will ahead of their own.…

God offers each of us the ultimate gift, bought and paid for with the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. The best part is that it's absolutely free -- all we have to do is reach out and accept it. And once we've received such an immeasurable act of love, we can't help but respond in worship.Richard Ellis

God's given each and every one of us amazing gifts, talents, and abilities -- and they're best used when they glorify Him. The greatest gift that's ever been given is Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. All we have to do is receive it.Richard Ellis

Jesus is the "X" factor in us -- He allows us to do things that just don't seem possible from the outside looking in. When we choose to believe that God can accomplish anything and everything He says He will, we get a front-row seat to watch the impossible take place.Richard Ellis

How many times have you heard (or said), "Jesus is the reason for the season"? The sentiment is good, but the reality is that WE are the reason for the season -- because WE are the reason He came to the world. He was born for us, He lived for us, He died for us, and He rose again for us -- all so that He could offer us a free gift of eternal life t…

Our purpose in life is to give God our best and do anything for ourselves after -- but too often we get that backwards and do everything for ourselves first while giving God what's left over. Career, money, fame or material possessions will never bring us true joy, but when we're obedient to God and put His call on our lives first, He utilizes us f…

God's blessed us beyond what we could ever comprehend. And the best way to thank Him for all that He's given us is to turn around and give Him all that we have. The Lord's asking us to give generously, no matter how much or how little we have, because when we do, He always fills us with so much more.…

When Jesus ate His last meal with His disciples, He took time to teach them the importance of remembering the suffering and death He was about to experience. It's in the process of giving thanks that we remember all that God gives to us. Jesus thanked His Father for what represented the worst suffering anyone could ever endure on the cross -- so le…

When we call out to God and ask Him to help us, then we have to be ready and willing to obey whatever He tells us to do in response -- even if it sounds crazy. And when we follow through on His answers to our call, we also have to remember to thank Him for the blessing we receive as a result.Richard Ellis

Scripture teaches us that God is merciful. Gracious. Slow to anger. Quick to offer salvation for all those who choose to believe in Him. But His Word also reminds us that His mercy will come to an end for those who continue to hold onto their sin and refuse to repent.Richard Ellis

When we repent from the sin that's left our lives broken and in pieces, we experience God's forgiveness. As we begin changing because of His grace, we need other people to help us pick up the pieces and show us what it looks like to live the Christian life. And as our lives begin to be made whole, we get to a place where we're able to help others i…

People walk through the doors of a church from all kinds of backgrounds and with all kinds of baggage. But no matter how different we are, God's called each of us to be part of His Church, and to be in community with one another. Let's live our lives as both "rockers" -- rocking the world by living out the Gospel -- and "knockers" -- pursuing God a…

Being smart is not the same thing as being wise. We can accumulate all the knowledge we want, but as children of God, we're instructed to grow in wisdom in order to make wise choices. The more we begin seeing things through God's eyes, the more we're able to live in obedience to Him.Richard Ellis

Jesus taught us not to retaliate in the midst of our suffering, and He lived by His own words when He endured beatings and crucifixion on the day of His death. The Bible also tells us to have discernment and to seek God in every situation -- including in situations of abuse and domestic violence. If He tells us to stay and endure, we've got to trus…

Too many people want the benefit of salvation without the lordship of Christ in their lives. Only when we fully submit to Jesus do we experience the freedom He brings from the sins and entanglements of this world.Richard Ellis

One of the greatest ways to determine how well we're letting God use us is to examine the parts of our lives that have been wasted. Instead of falling into temptations of distraction and temporary pleasure, we've got to run with endurance down the path He's called us to. We need wisdom in order to recognize the lies that the devil uses to take us c…

When we realize that Jesus’ death was the justice for our sin, we find peace with God. God provided a way of justice for our sins through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, so that we can be brought into perfect peace in relationship with Him. And when we have peace with God, we can see past our differences with others and extend peace to them, too.…

Scripture compels us that no matter how spiritually mature we might act or feel, if it's not rooted in God-honoring love, it's meaningless. If God shows us an area of our lives that needs to change, our maturity is deepened when we listen and respond in obedience. Let's examine our hearts, listen to the counsel of others, and grow in love the way C…

We're called to give an account for what Christ has done in our lives. When we're prompted to share the Gospel, we have to summon the courage to step out in obedience and testify -- because we never know what God's doing behind the scenes.Richard Ellis

There's nothing in this world -- no physical or spiritual power -- that can come against us if we're living in the power of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God's given us His power to be more than conquerors. Let's walk with confidence in that truth, knowing He's already won (and because of that, we have too!).…

These days, the world often feels "upside-down" more than it feels "right-side-up"! It's easy to allow the storms of fear and anxiety to take over our lives when we're surrounded by constant change. But we can take comfort in knowing that the Lord is always with us, and that He never changes. As children of God, let's trust Him to take care of us -…

When we listen to the Lord, He guides us to meet the needs of those who cross our path. But Scripture specifically tells us that when we give to others, we should do it in secret so that all the glory is given to God and not to ourselves. Everything we have is a gift from Him, so let's be good stewards of what's already His and distribute it where …

As Christians, we ought to be waiting on the Spirit to blow some wind in our sails -- and then allow Him to guide us where He wants us to go! Part of maturing in our faith is learning to look for the "tell tale signs" that God's working in someone or something, so that we can join Him in what He's doing. The Holy Spirit wants to use us to do extrao…

Jesus endured excruciating suffering in order for us to be saved. So when He tells us to "take up our cross" and follow Him, we'd better be ready to give our lives for His sake at any moment. Being "cross fit" means that whether we die physically for our faith or not, we still need to die to ourselves and follow His will each and every day.…

The Christian life is a race we're running through this temporary world -- but often, it's less of a sprint and more of a marathon! Whether our journey is long or short, the devil is always seeking to do everything he can to try and take us out of the race. That's why we've got to let go of past struggles, current burdens, and anything else that's …

Many people walk through life fearing all the "what ifs" that could happen. But when we put our faith in God, we trade our "what ifs" for "what is" -- and what is certain is that God promises to take care of us, provide for all our needs, and work all things for our good, no matter what negative situations come our way.…

Half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. It's so common in this country, many couples have "pre-nupes" drafted before they even get married to decide how things will be divided when they inevitably split up! In order to have a God-honoring level of love and commitment in our marriages, we have to do things His way. And His way req…

Life changes when we adopt the mindset that everything we have belongs to God. Scripture tells us that He loves us and wants to give us good things. When we live with open hands and the understanding that nothing belongs to us anyway, it's easier to give cheerfully as the Spirit leads and to build a heavenly treasure that can never be taken away.…

When we as broken people choose to follow Jesus, He inevitably leads us to other broken people who are also in need of a healing Savior. None of us are perfect -- but we have to love each other enough to call out sin for what it is in hopes that it will lead to repentance. Instead of ignoring destructive behavior, let's be willing to sound the trum…

When it comes to the things we value -- our time, our money, our talents -- we tend to hold back from God because we're afraid He's going to take it away and leave us empty-handed. But when we give Him all we have, He can use it in miraculous ways. Instead of hoarding what He's given to us in the first place, let's offer it freely, knowing He can t…

Though this world is filled with evil, God's given us the ability to overcome it through the power and protection of His Holy Spirit. He's chosen to dwell in us so that we may become more like Him and able to fight against darkness. And once the Spirit lives within us, there's nothing that can ever separate us from Him!…

Even Christians who have seen the Light sometimes still choose to live in the dark. When we hide with our sin, we become prisoners of war. But God calls us to expose our sinful ways and walk in truth, embracing the abundant life He offers to us.Richard Ellis

When Jesus died to save us from the power of sin, He replaced it with the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. We should live with confidence, not fear, knowing that whatever temptations and trials we face can be overcome through that same power.Richard Ellis

As believers in the salvation power of Jesus Christ, we know this world is only a "terminal", a waiting room en route to our permanent destination of Heaven. But while we're here in transit, God's got a purpose for us to fulfill, and it's up to us to live out that purpose while we wait for Him to bring us home.…

When our relationship with the Lord is where it's supposed to be, our relationships with other people tend to flourish, too. And the greatest friend we can ever have is Jesus! Through Him, even the most broken relationships can be reconciled if we allow Him to intervene and heal those past and present hurts.…

God has the power to raise people from the dead -- He did that through Jesus, and He does that in us when we believe in Him. Christ died so we could live. But He didn't just sacrifice Himself to give us an abundant life in Heaven -- He did it to give us an abundant life here on earth, too.Richard Ellis