encouragement

Every year at Easter, Christians refocus on the cornerstone of our faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, it’s easy to forget the significance of the resurrection as we celebrate with baskets, eggs, and bunnies. And it’s especially hard to live in the hope of his resurrection throughout the year as life brings inevitable challenges.

Whether you’re preparing for Easter, or just preparing your heart for the day, it’s helpful to recall that Jesus didn’t just come to earth only to die and rise again. He came so that we could live our lives fully with Him each day...resurrected.

In John 11, Jesus came to see his friends Mary and Martha because their brother Lazarus had died. The story ends happily, with the physical resurrection of Lazarus, but before commanding his friend to “Come out!” of the tomb (John 11:43 CSB), Jesus has a conversation with Martha.  He tells her that her brother will live.

Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

He wasn’t talking about his future resurrection or Lazarus’ future resurrection at the end of time. Jesus wanted Martha, and all of us, to understand that when we place our lives in His hands, He will raise them up again to live a fulfilled life in the present.

Our sin causes us to die spiritually because it separates us from a real relationship with God. We can lose all hope in ever having the life we were called to live. Jesus wants us to live a resurrected life, now.

Let’s look at 5 reasons the resurrection is important for the life you’re living right now:

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We all know about bad habits, and every year around this time, people commit to kicking them to the curb. New Year’s resolutions often center around those harmful practices that are hard to give up. In order to be successful, you not only have to change behaviors but thoughts and attitudes too.

It seems these days that we skip right over the season of thankfulness, into a time of chaotic buying and shopping. How is a Christian to respond to this season seemingly focused on greed? By preparing our hearts and minds to reflect Christ, it is possible to still enjoy some Black Friday shopping while keeping a heart of thankfulness. 

People are leaving your church. I’ve read that more people leave during the fall than any other season. This isn’t because people become wanderlust; rather, most physical relocations due to work or some other issue are made during the summer before the fall school season begins. It takes a few months to find a new church home, so fall is a heightened time of transition.

Model and TV personality Hailey Bieber, formerly Hailey Baldwin, took to Instagram Monday to share with her nearly 17 million followers how God has helped her battle her insecurities.

You were made for more than just having a good Christmas. You were made for a sacred, holy, and set-apart Christmas. These eight things will make your Christmas more meaningful:

A little girl recently who lost everything in the recent California Fire made the selfless decision to hold a toy drive for children in need.

Open Doors USA, a Christian organization that monitors Christian persecution worldwide, is offering believers an opportunity to write notes of encouragement to fellow believers.

Maybe the best thing you can do for your own frazzled, frustrated self today is encourage someone else...

Holding one of the most important jobs in our communities today, teachers see potential, put up with antics, and relentlessly seek to bring out the best in every student.