Christian Life

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.

Steven Furtick, pastor of North Carolina megachurch Elevation Church, recently preached a message titled “The Benefit of the Doubt” in which he talks about the place of doubt in the Christian life.

The most effective way to bring God-honoring Christian influence into legislation and policy is to have Bible-minded Christians of high character and integrity in office. It is impossible to elect desirable people unless they are on the ballot to elect. And it is only possible to be on a ballot by running for office.

We are in dire need for Bible-minded, God-honoring Christians to step up and run for office–NOW! The good news is there is still time for these people to file for office; the bad news is history shows many great leaders will not answer the call.

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The usual adversaries are at it again in the ongoing war over the place of the Bible and Christian faith in the U.S. armed forces. On behalf of 26 military families, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is battling with the Navy over a POW/MIA display at the naval hospital on Okinawa, Japan.

Prince William and Kate Middleton announced this morning the name they have chosen for their baby boy. He will be known as “His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge.” He is fifth in line to the throne.

If you are a Christian, you assuredly want to hear Jesus say to you someday, "Well done, good and faithful servant," but it's one thing to desire this and another to be walking the straight and narrow path. These four characteristics are essential living out the Christian life faithfully. Although many godly traits are attributed to faithfulness, these four are vitally important. How can we increase faith and serve God with all of our heart? Here are just four ways:

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In Revelation chapter two, we see what appears to be a model church. They performed good works and were involved in the community. They were steadfast and patient. They hated evil and pointed out false doctrine. But Jesus said, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” His message was brief, but powerful. They were to repent quickly or He would remove their influence. He would remove His presence from their midst.

A.W. Tozer said, “A Christian will make spiritual progress exactly in proportion to his ability to criticize himself.” Do you want to mature...are you ready to grow and change? Then you must assess your spiritual health often. This type of model church spoke about in Revelation, often has the courage to speak God's truth but does not have the humility that allows God's truth to speak to them. Did you catch that? “We are never, never so much in danger of being proud as when we think we are humble” (C.H. Spurgeon). Here are just a few things we can learn from Jesus’ words to the church in Ephesus. Be encouraged: Jesus’ words often hurt before they help.

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Not nearly as much love is given to “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” the Peanuts Halloween classic, but you may be surprised to learn that this movie also contains Christian themes.

The truth is that most of us are not called to glamorous lifestyles. In fact, most callings, at least most of the time, tend to be pretty un-glamorous.

What really makes you mad? If you’re an American, you’ve got an awful lot to choose from.