We read in the story of the prodigal son that when the son finally decided to come home, while he was still "a long way off", his father saw him and ran to him. But the only way the father could have seen him coming is if he had been waiting anxiously for his return. This parable paints for us the picture of God, our Father, expectantly and longing…

You might be familiar with the verses in the Gospels where Jesus says that the most important commandment is, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." But have you ever paused to really reflect on that word..."all"? God gave His all, His only Son, so that we could be made…

In Scripture, we read about the resurrection power of Jesus before He was ever raised from the dead. Jesus Himself brought Lazarus back to life after He had been dead for 4 days. Nothing is impossible for God, and no matter how dead we might feel, He's come to give us abundant and eternal life.Oleh Richard Ellis

Families don't all look alike. And when we blend families, the odds are statistically stacked against us from the start. But the key to remember is this: the most important thing we can do for our family, no matter how it's made up, is live in a way that directs our loved ones to the Lord. In order to do that, we have to depend on God and allow Him…

We've done absolutely nothing to earn an invitation from God for us to be with Him forever. Yet because Jesus has covered us in righteousness, we're invited to come anyway. It's our responsibility to respond -- what are we going to choose?Oleh Richard Ellis

We'll never fully know who we are until we understand Whose we are. When we respond to God's call in our hearts, we become His. Then, we get to learn about who He's created us to be, and how to live out His purpose for us.Oleh Richard Ellis

When Christ lives in us, we have nothing to fear, because no weapon formed against us will prosper. God will never cause fear and confusion in our lives, but He will give us the tools to combat those things when the world sends them our way. Most importantly, He offers to give us the Holy Spirit and fill us with power, love, and a sound mind.…

God always answers our prayers. Sometimes, His answer is yes; sometimes, His answer is no; and sometimes, His answer is that we need to wait. As hard as that can be, the truth is that we can't see what He has in store; all we can do is trust Him, knowing that He has the big picture in His hands.Oleh Richard Ellis

Esther was put in a position to be used by God to save His people. But in order to live out her purpose, she had to be willing to obey Him -- even if it cost her very life. All of us have a choice every day to obey God, and in order to live out the purpose He has for us, we have to be willing to lay down our lives, deny ourselves, and follow Him.…

We live in a culture where people are often fake about who they are, and how they care about others. But the Bible calls us to be the opposite: sincere in our love for one another, no matter who we are or where we come from. We've all been saved by grace through faith in Jesus; that alone is reason to love one another honestly.…

If there's "nothing to" the Gospel, then why do lives continue to be changed by it every day, more than 2000 years after the death and resurrection of Christ? Even in the New Testament, we read that in the early Church, religious leaders tried -- and failed -- to shut down the movement of the Gospel, with the end result being the strengthening of b…

People often have no problem believing history books, while simultaneously doubting the authenticity of the Bible. But as Christians, we have to put our faith in the truth of Scripture, believing that Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead. Our sinful self was crucified with Christ, nailed to the cross with Him, and because of that truth we…

Following Jesus isn't about acting like Him; it's about having Him live inside us. The more we get to know God through relationship with Him, the more we become just like our Father.Oleh Richard Ellis

Our earthly fathers play a big role in how we perceive God as our Heavenly Father -- for better or for worse. They can have a lasting effect that echoes into adulthood, and they can cause us to hold onto our past even once we've been born again in Christ. But when we choose to follow Him, He doesn't just make us an "improved" version of our old sel…

The story of Ruth is a beautiful illustration of what it means to truly trust and obey God. Ruth's loyalty to Naomi and obedience to the Lord set in motion a series of events that would one day culminate in Joseph -- Jesus' earthly father -- being born into their family line. No matter how crazy it may seem, we're always better off for trusting God…

The devil's only purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. We can never let our guard down, but have to always be on alert for his schemes. In order to fight the enemy, we have to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus each and every day; it's in our obedience to Him that we find abundant life.…

History reveals time and time again that there are consequences for our disobedience to God. Continually making the choice to do the right thing often isn't easy, but it's always right, and our choice to obey will pay off in the end.Oleh Richard Ellis

Do you remember how the Flintstones would get in their "car" -- and then have to use their own manpower to make it move? Too often, we try to live a "Flintstones" kind of spiritual life; we believe we can do things in our own power instead of relying on the power of God. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside us as believers, a…

The Christian life is about doing the work of God together with the people of God. We're all members of His family, joined together to bring glory to Him in this life. Being part of the Church isn't just about what we get out of it, but what we bring to it. And learning to love those we don't always like or agree with -- believers and nonbelievers …

Everything we have has been given to us by God; it was never ours to begin with. Yet we clutch it in our fists as though it belongs to us, and in doing so, we love our "stuff" more than we love Him. When we give our lives to Christ, we're also giving the things that we own, to be used for His purpose and for His glory.…

Clutching to our plans and our lives with clenched fists is a sure way to lose everything in the end. The only foolproof way to win is to lose ourselves to God -- and that means offering ourselves up with open hands, letting go and surrendering in obedience to Him.Oleh Richard Ellis

Hebrews 12:1 instructs us to run with endurance the race that's set before us as Christians. The question is: are we running it with tenacity, or are we just coasting along? If we want to do the former, we have to let go of the baggage that's weighing us down and run with determination and perseverance -- even when it gets hard.…

At Christmas, we wrap gifts and place them under a tree to be received. But have you ever considered that the Gospel tells of the greatest gift of all being placed under a different kind of tree to be received by any who would choose to accept it? Salvation was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus -- freely given by God to be received by us at…

Sometimes, life socks us in the gut. In those moments, the world is watching to see how we'll react. Our lives ought to show that our trust and faith in God keep us standing, even in the most painful circumstances.Oleh Richard Ellis

Often, God allows pain in our lives in order to bring us back to Him. And just like the father in the story of the prodigal son, He doesn't condemn us -- He welcomes us home with open arms. When we return to Him, it doesn't matter how broken we are; He promises to rebuild and restore us in a way that makes us truly whole.…

Have you ever wondered why God would leave believers here on the earth instead of bringing us to heaven right now? It's because there's a whole world of people who don't yet know Him -- and He's charged us with the responsibility of making sure they hear the Gospel before it's too late. Every Christian has a call to tell others about the free gift …

There are times in our lives when God's grace pours down like rain. But there are also times -- many times -- when it's His "dew" that sustains us on a day-to-day basis. His provision for every area of life demonstrates His immeasurable grace, and His gift of salvation through Christ's death and resurrection is more than enough for our every need.…

Contentment isn't a state that's based on circumstances; it's a state that's based on spiritual maturity. In the book of Philippians, Paul writes, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in w…

God freely gives His grace to us. He doesn't hold back, even knowing that we'll squander it and continue to struggle with sin. Now, we're called to live sacrificially in service to others, offering everything we have to be used by Him as the Spirit leads.Oleh Richard Ellis

When Jesus died, He knew something that His followers didn't: He knew that God would raise Him from the dead and bring Him back to life. Because of His sacrifice, we're given the opportunity to be raised from eternal death and given eternal life in heaven, but accepting the salvation He so freely offers us is a choice that each and every person has…

The story of David and Goliath is a famous example of God defeating a literal giant. But there are countless stories throughout Scripture, throughout history, and throughout each of our lives where God has been faithful to defeat proverbial giants on our behalf. We're going to face trials and tragedies in this world -- Jesus assured us of that -- b…

God promises to supply all of our needs; if we doubt that, we just need to look at the countless examples in Scripture that demonstrate how He's cared for His people all throughout history. But Jesus teaches that we have more than just physical needs, and unless we eat the spiritual food that nourishes our spiritual needs, we will never be filled.…

Examine your life as it is right now. Are you holding onto something -- and unwilling to give it to God so that He can bring healing and help you move on? Whether it's our own mistakes from the past, or the hurt caused by someone else's actions towards us, we have to be willing to let go if we want to step into and take hold of the fullness of life…

Jesus spent His entire time on earth modeling for us what it looks like to live and love outside of the box. Obedience to God draws us out of our comfort zone by necessity, so that He may be glorified and His name may be made known to others. What "box" are you trapped in that's keeping you from surrendering in full obedience to Him?…

Joseph was just an average guy -- until he decided to trust and obey God, and ultimately became Jesus' earthly father. We might not all be Joseph, but when we become Christians, we cease to become "average Joes". The moment we choose to follow Jesus, God dwells in us through His Spirit and works through us to accomplish extraordinary things.…

Scripture's filled with stories that sound crazy on the surface, and none more so than the Gospel message of Jesus coming as the Messiah to die for our sins. In fact, 1 Corinthians 1:18 tells us that "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." We will never convince any…

Scripture assures us that all the pleasures of this world will never be enough to fix our own brokenness. While it's important to enjoy and appreciate the life that God gives us, we can never lose sight of our role in obeying His commands to pursue Him above all else. Only He can change us from the inside out, and give our lives purpose and meaning…

We are all going to die one day -- of that much we can be sure -- but not all of us are sure of what will happen to us after death. We have the choice to be assured of our salvation in heaven because of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf, but it's up to us to choose. As the sand falls in our hourglass of a lifetime, our "death wish" should be an eter…

In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. In the New Testament, Jesus took it one step further when He commanded us to love others as we love ourselves. The only way for us to obey is to understand the depth of God's love for us, and then to love Him in response. When we do that, we're able…

Those moments when we trade in our original plans of obedience to God, and exchange them for the temporary and fleeting pleasures of the world, can be huge mistakes that lead to grave consequences. Every choice we make has an impact not just on us but on others -- that's why we've got to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.…

The way we conduct ourselves on a day-to-day basis is meant to represent the abundant life we have in Christ. That means our lives would ideally model for others what it looks like to serve God. When we have a "model home" in both our family life and our personal life, that attracts others to what we have -- which is God in us -- and they're drawn …

Scripture tells us that the world is on a wide and easy road to destruction. That's why as followers of Jesus, we're called to take the narrow path. Ours might be a difficult journey filled with trials and testing, but it's worth it for the eternal reward we have in Christ.Oleh Richard Ellis

The worry that we feel is often a direct reflection of our lack of trust in God. When we choose to believe that He knows what's best for us and has good plans for us, He gives us unexplainable peace and the ability to rejoice in all circumstances.Oleh Richard Ellis

Usually the biggest hurdle standing between us and freedom from sin is...ourselves. We have the ability to learn from the consequences we've experienced in the past and recognize the path down which our current struggles are leading us. We can choose to be deceived, or we can choose the path that leads to life in Christ.…

Satan has only one goal when he tempts you and me into sin: to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. He lures us in with promises that the ways of the world will be fun and fulfilling, but it's all smoke and mirrors. The only way to an abundant and fulfilled life is by submitting to God -- hating what's evil, and clinging to what's good.…

We can have good things in our lives, but unless they're also God things, they can come between us and Him. Sin struggles, distractions, or even innocent pleasures can be barriers to the life of freedom God has in store for us. It's important to examine our day-to-day living and identify whether we need to do teardown in some areas that are keeping…

Have you ever been in a situation where you've felt prompted by God to obey Him...and you've felt your neck stiffen because you just don't want to do it? Those are the instances where we need to ask Him to soften us the most! He's going to call us to action in ways that make us uncomfortable, because He has a purpose beyond what we can see, and oft…

The Christian life is meant to be lived out in community. Those who are more spiritually mature serve as examples to us when they follow Christ and we imitate them. Likewise, there are others who come behind us who can follow us as we grow in our own maturity.Oleh Richard Ellis

The more we come to understand the magnitude of our sin, the more we're able to appreciate the magnitude of the forgiveness God extends to us. He's made a choice to forgive and pardon us. We've received unmerited grace through Christ's death on the cross, a sacrifice that paid the price for all our sin.…

Religion says that we have to follow manmade rules in order to earn God's love for us. But the Bible assures us that we already have His love. Salvation is a free gift, unmerited and unearned, and once we accept it, we can begin to respond to His love by letting Him live in and through us.Oleh Richard Ellis