“The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds and no more, but the soul can bleed in ten thousand ways, and die over and over again each hour.” Those are words from the iconic 19th century pastor/theologian, Charles H. Spurgeon, who personally understood the silent, unnamed pains of depression.

Just as we are not immune to physical health problems, people of faith are not immune to mental and emotional suffering. The psalmist cried out, “Darkness is my only friend” (Ps. 88:18). Many people in our churches relate to this ongoing sense of loneliness and despair.

Spurgeon’s self-awareness and candor were ahead of his time, but we now know it is estimated that half of us will experience some form of mental illness in our lifetime. “Combining the child and adult populations, more than fifty million Americans today experience at least one diagnosable mental health disorder on any given day. And it’s reported that there are 123 suicides in the U.S. every single day.

As pastors and churches invite people to follow Jesus, we also invite them to bring all of their brokenness into our community of faith. Jesus reconciles people to God, but he will not restore all that sin has stolen until he returns again. So until then, we serve people in their suffering. We voluntarily walk with them through the maze of their emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual challenges. Rather than viewing them as new recruits to serve our church goals, we eagerly join God’s redeeming work in their lives.

The complexities of mental health issues, however, strain pastors and churches in some very practical ways. While we want to help, we are not always sure of our role in diagnosis and treatment of those who suffer in this way. So let’s consider these four guidelines for serving people facing mental health issues:

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One man, Martin Luther, stood alone against an empire. His motivation was spiritual, but the outcome of his conviction was spiritual and political, leaving a global legacy 500 years later and celebrated this October 31st.

Unbeknownst to even himself, Luther completely upended the current religious system. He initially sought to clarify church doctrine and reform it from within. Despite attempts on his life and retaliation and persecution, his persistence led to one of the most significant events in history that quite literally changed political and religious institutions forever.

Everywhere you turn danger lurks—yes, even in your church. While this is nothing new, according to the Book of Jude, we seem to have developed an attitude of false security behind the doors of our churches. But truth is, the church has always been a spiritual battlefield.

If you could see the invisible battle going on around you during the eleven o’clock hour on Sunday morning it would scare the bejeebers outta you. And if there are lost people in your congregation, the battle wages intensely.

Sunday after Sunday, Satan and his demons walk away with the high attendance award.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 5:12 NAS)

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Every year, the world is faced with a slew of natural disasters that, in many cases, claim the lives of hundreds. As Christians, these kinds of events can threaten to shake our faith. How are we to interpret them? Is God angry at the world? Is He trying to teach us something? Is He punishing us? These five Christian leaders offer some insight into how to view natural disasters from a biblical perspective. Hopefully, these quotes will strengthen your faith and encourage you that God is in control no matter what.

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When Jesus left this earth, He promised that He would return one day and take us to live with Him in His heavenly Kingdom. We are living now in the Church Age, and regardless of what you believe about specific eschatology of the end times, all Christians can agree that Christ is coming back and we are called to be ready and walking the straight and narrow path so that He may tell us "well done, good and faithful, servant" on that glorious day when we meet Him face to face.

Here are eight things you can do as you seek to cultivate a life centered on Christ, eagerly awaiting His return.

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I'm not sure when the term "spiritual warfare" was coined, but in my research, I've discovered it mentioned as early as the 1600s.

Spiritual warfare is depicted (without using the term) back to the writing of the New Testament as Paul stated:

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:11-12)

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Here are 4 proven ways to stand strong in the face of spiritual warfare:

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If you’re like me, some days reading the Bible feels like running five miles on a treadmill after two hours’ sleep with 10 urgent things on your mind. It feels like a drag you don’t really have time for. It’s one more box to check off your list of “Things Good Christians Do.” Maybe you speed read while checking your phone. Five minutes after you snap that Bible shut, you don’t remember a thing anyway. So what’s the point?

Or perhaps you feel guilty because you never get around to it, and who needs that?

Bible reading can be an empowering, life-transforming habit, but maybe we make it too difficult. We think we have to carve out a half hour each day for serious Bible study. We think we have to plow through the entire Bible in one year for it to really count. Then we get discouraged when we can’t follow through. All or nothing thinking can leave us feeling defeated before we even start.

In reality, reading the Bible doesn’t have to be hard. God loves any small effort we make to draw near to Him through reading His Word.

Here are nine simple ways to make Bible reading easier.

When it comes to spiritual warfare, we want to avoid extremes. We don’t want to blame everything on the devil and his cohorts, because sometimes the battle is within our own hearts (Rom 6). But we don’t want to ignore or make light of the real battle against “spiritual powers” of darkness either (Eph 6:12).

The key is finding out exactly what the Scriptures teach, and then laying hold of the Scriptures that will help us win our battles.

Some people foolishly use the name of the Lord like a magic charm or incantation. It might surprise them to know we’re never taught in Scripture to rebuke or cast out Satan or demons. That is the Lord’s work (Matt 8:28-34). Even the archangel Michael refrained from rebuking the enemy. He said, “The Lord rebuke you” (Jude 9).

Remember, even speaking to Satan got Eve in trouble (Gen 3:1-5). We are simply exhorted to resist or stand firmly against the enemy and he will flee (Jas 4:7).

Spiritual warfare involves conflict with our sinful world (1 John 2:15-17), our sinful flesh (Gal 5:15-16), and our enemy, the devil (2 Thes 2:4). Here are some Scriptures that can help us be valiant and victorious.

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With patient instruction, moral courage, generous hearts, care for women in crisis, and a little political resolve, the worst effects of Roe can be mitigated and the lives of many unborn Americans can be saved.

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Are you looking to learn something new, deepen your Bible knowledge, listen to more sermons, or explore today's relevant cultural topics through the lens of a Christian worldview? These 20 podcasts do all that and much more! We encourage you to give at least a few of these podcasts a listen and see which ones you may want to include in your daily routine. There is sure to be a podcast (or two!) on this list for everyone, no matter what your interests or what you are looking to focus on this new year in your walk with the Lord.

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