Daily Reflections From God's Word

Tag: Worship

  • “Everyone Needs a Little Jesus”—But Do We Want the Real One?

    “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church… that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:17-18 (NKJV)

    Not long ago, I came across a story that’s stuck with me. A man was walking through town when he was approached by a homeless man—ragged, weathered, and smiling. He held out his hand for a shake, but instead of letting go, he pressed something small into the man’s palm.

    It was a tiny plastic Jesus figurine.

    Bright yellow sash. Three words: “Jesus loves you.”

    And then came the line: “Everyone needs a little Jesus.”

    Sounds innocent enough, right? But the deeper meaning of that phrase hit hard—and it should.

    Because that’s what we’ve done to Jesus in this culture.

    We’ve shrunk Him down. Sanded off the rough edges.

    We’ve made Him into something little—a feel-good mascot for our struggles, a backup plan for our regrets, a pocket-sized god we consult when life gets uncomfortable.

    We want a Jesus who forgives but never confronts.

    Who comforts but never commands.

    Who gives peace, but doesn’t call us to war against sin.

    A Jesus small enough to fit into our schedule, but not big enough to rearrange our priorities.

    But Scripture paints a different picture.

    The real Jesus is loving—unfailingly so. He welcomes the children, weeps with the broken, and meets us in our darkest hour.

    But He’s also the same Jesus who turned over tables in the temple. He rebuked religious hypocrisy. He walked straight into demonic strongholds and sent legions fleeing. He calmed storms, raised the dead, and said, “Follow Me” without any fine print.

    And let’s be clear—when Jesus says, “Follow Me,” He’s not asking to join your journey.

    He’s telling you to surrender yours and join His.

    He’s not here to improve your life. He came to take it over.

    Colossians 1 says, “In all things, He must have the preeminence.”

    Not prominence.

    Not participation.

    Preeminence.

    That means Jesus doesn’t play second fiddle. He’s not an addition to your plans—He is the plan.

    And if He’s not Lord of all, then He’s not Lord at all.

    It’s time to stop settling for a “little Jesus” and get real about the Lord of glory.

    He doesn’t fit in your pocket—He holds the universe in His hand.

    He doesn’t just comfort you—He commands you.

    He doesn’t just bless you—He bought you.

    Are you following the real Jesus—or just a version that doesn’t confront your comfort zone?

    Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas of your life where Jesus is present but not preeminent. Then repent, surrender, and let Him take His rightful place—not just in your heart, but over your whole life.

  • The Amalekite You Spared Will Be the One That Finishes You

    Scripture Focus: “He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.” —1 Samuel 15:8 NKJV

    “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” —1 Samuel 15:23 NKJV

    “So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen.” —2 Samuel 1:10 NKJV

    We don’t talk enough about how dangerous partial obedience really is.

    Saul was king. Appointed by God, chosen for a divine purpose, equipped with authority and opportunity. And when God gave him a clear directive—wipe out the Amalekites, every one of them—he went to war, but didn’t follow through. He killed the people, sure. But he spared Agag, their king. Maybe it seemed more merciful. Maybe more strategic. Maybe he wanted a trophy of war. Who knows?

    But here’s what we do know: God saw it as rebellion. Not just a misstep. Not just a mistake. Not a “gray area.”Rebellion.

    And it cost Saul the throne.

    Samuel didn’t sugar-coat it:

    “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” (1 Sam. 15:22–23)

    Let that sink in. God compares rebellion—not doing what He clearly told you to do—to witchcraft. That’s not just harsh. That’s a divine indictment.

    Because God doesn’t want lip-service. He doesn’t want sacrifices if they come from a heart that’s selectively obedient. Obedience is the measuring stick—not activity, not emotion, not ritual. Just raw, humble obedience.

    But Saul didn’t get it.

    He thought a sacrifice would smooth it over. He thought partial obedience plus good intentions was enough. He thought sparing Agag wouldn’t matter.

    Fast forward to 2 Samuel 1. Saul is mortally wounded, barely clinging to life. And who shows up?

    An Amalekite.The very people Saul refused to destroy. The very enemy God told him to wipe out. The sin that wasn’t fully dealt with now finishes him off.

    “So I stood over him and killed him,” the Amalekite said, “because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen.” (2 Sam. 1:10)

    Saul’s delayed obedience ended in destruction. The enemy he spared became the agent of his demise.

    So let’s get honest. What Amalekite are you sparing?

    What sin have you convinced yourself you can “manage”?

    What compromise are you justifying because “it’s not that bad”?

    What command of God have you partially obeyed while trying to dress it up with good works?

    Maybe it’s pride. Maybe it’s lust. Maybe it’s unforgiveness. Maybe it’s that habit you’ve renamed a “struggle” just so you don’t have to repent of it.

    Whatever it is—God told you to kill it. Not cage it. Not hide it. Not clean it up and put a robe on it like Saul probably did with Agag. He said destroy it.

    And if you don’t—it will come back. It might take time. It might wait until you’re tired, broken, or spiritually exposed. But it will come back.

    The thing you’re trying to control will one day control you.

    The sin you’re feeding will one day feed on you.

    Don’t be fooled by the delay. Just because the Amalekite hasn’t struck yet doesn’t mean judgment isn’t coming. God’s patience is mercy, not permission.

    Obedience isn’t optional.

    If God says walk away from the relationship, walk.

    If God says shut the door to that addiction, shut it.

    If God says confess, surrender, repent—do it now.

    Because partial obedience is still disobedience.

    And disobedience always carries consequences.

    Reflection Questions:

    1. What has God told you to completely remove from your life that you’ve been sparing or managing?

    2. Are you offering sacrifice (church attendance, service, giving) to try to cover up an area of rebellion?

    3. Is there any area where you’ve obeyed 80%, but left the final 20% untouched because it’s painful or inconvenient?

    Today’s Prayer: Lord, I don’t want to offer You empty sacrifices while keeping parts of my life in rebellion. I don’t want to play games with my sin. Show me the Amalekites I’ve spared. Expose them. Make me ruthless about killing what You’ve called cursed. I choose obedience—total, immediate, uncomfortable obedience. Help me walk in surrender. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

  • Worship With Ashes Still on You: A Grown-Up Faith That Won’t Let Go

    Text: Job 1:20–22; Job 2:7–10; Job 13:15–16 (NKJV)

    There’s a moment in Job’s story that stops me cold every time.

    It’s not when he loses his livestock, or his house, or even his health.

    It’s not even when he buries his children.

    It’s what he does next that breaks me open.

    “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.” (Job 1:20, NKJV)

    Worship.

    Not after the storm passed.
    Not when the healing came.
    Not when God explained everything.

    Right in the thick of ruin, with his heart in pieces and the air still thick with grief, Job chose to worship.

    That’s not just faith. That’s grown-up faith.

    What Does Grown-Up Faith Look Like?

    We’ve heard the phrase “childlike faith” preached from the pulpit—simple trust, dependence, wonder. And that’s good. It’s biblical. But there’s another side to spiritual maturity that doesn’t get nearly as much airtime.

    Grown-up faith doesn’t always get answers.
    It doesn’t always feel God’s presence.
    It doesn’t always see the reward.
    But it remains faithful anyway.

    It’s the kind of faith that keeps showing up at the altar when your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling.
    It’s the kind of faith that keeps your Bible open even while your world is closing in.
    It’s the kind of faith that tears its robe in grief and still says, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

    “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there.
    The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
    Blessed be the name of the Lord.”     (Job 1:21, NKJV)

    Let that sink in. Job didn’t worship because he understood. He worshiped because he trusted—and trust doesn’t need an explanation when it’s rooted in relationship.

    The Real Test of Integrity

    Job didn’t just endure suffering—he was stripped bare in every way. Financially. Relationally. Physically. Emotionally. And then came the voice of the person who should’ve stood beside him in solidarity—his wife.

    “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
    But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:9–10, NKJV)

    He didn’t rebuke her harshly. He didn’t retaliate with bitterness. But he refused to let go of his integrity.

    There it is.
    Right there is the battle line we all face.

    Do we have a faith that endures adversity? Or do we only serve God when the blessings flow?

    Grown-up faith doesn’t just praise in the light—it clings in the dark. It holds on when the feelings fade. It says, “I still believe” even when every earthly reason not to is staring you down.

    “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation.” (Job 13:15–16, NKJV)

    Job wasn’t in denial. He wrestled. He asked questions. He poured out raw grief and soul-deep confusion. But he never let go of the God who had let grief touch his life.

    That’s grown-up faith.

    A Mirror for the Modern Church

    Let’s be real. We’re not very good at suffering.

    We’ve built a brand of Christianity that sells the blessings of God but rarely prepares people for the battle. We hand out coffee mugs that say, “God is good,” but don’t know what to say when a believer is drowning in loss and no rescue boat comes.

    We’ve started measuring our spirituality by how “blessed” we appear.
    But what if the truest test of faith is what we do when the blessings disappear?

    Can you still praise when your body is sick?
    Can you still pray when your heart is shattered?
    Can you still stand when it feels like God Himself allowed the storm?

    That’s the crossroads. That’s where integrity is either refined or abandoned.

    Let’s Be Honest With Ourselves

    If you’ve been walking through a season of fire—where nothing makes sense and God feels silent—I want to speak to you gently but truthfully:

    Don’t confuse God’s silence with His absence.
    Don’t confuse your pain with His punishment.
    And don’t confuse your confusion with faithlessness.

    Sometimes faith is loud and victorious.
    Other times it’s quiet and stubborn—barely a whisper.
    But if you’re still clinging? Still choosing to worship even while you bleed?

    Then you’ve got grown-up faith, my friend. And it’s rare. And it’s beautiful.

    Final Questions for Reflection:

    • What’s the condition of your faith when God doesn’t answer?
    • Is your relationship with Him built on who He is—or just what He gives?
    • Have you ever praised God through tears instead of triumph? What did that moment change in you?
    • What does it mean to you to “worship with ashes still on your skin”?

    Let’s not settle for a faith of convenience.

    Let’s be a people who worship not just when God gives, but also when He takes away.
    Let’s carry a faith that can stand in the furnace—not because we understand, but because we know the One who walks in the fire with us.

  • One Compass. One Master. Choose Wisely.

    One Compass. One Master. Choose Wisely.

    Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) is one of those verses that doesn’t leave much room for nuance:

    “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

    Jesus didn’t say it would be difficult to serve two masters.

    He said it would be impossible.

    We like to believe we can juggle both—church on Sunday, compromise on Monday. A foot in the Spirit and a foot in the world. But that’s not how loyalty works.

    Every heart has a compass, and it only points in one direction at a time. North toward Christ—or South toward compromise. East toward comfort—or West toward culture. You may claim both, but your choices reveal the truth.

    This is not a warning to the lost.

    This is a wake-up call to the churched.

    Revelation 2:4 (NKJV) hits like a gut punch:

    “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

    Not lost.

    Left.

    That implies direction.

    Movement.

    Intent.

    We didn’t just wander off like spiritual toddlers. We shifted our loyalty—sometimes slowly, sometimes boldly—but always intentionally.

    Because living for God must be done with intentionality.

    We want the peace of God without the discipline of following Him.

    We post Scripture on our socials while bingeing filth on our screens.

    We lift our hands in worship, then tear people down with gossip.

    We cry out for direction but ignore the Word already given.

    Then, after all that, we wonder why we feel spiritually dry, directionless, and disillusioned.

    James 1:6–8 (NKJV) names the problem:

    “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

    A double-minded man.

    One foot in, one foot out.

    Always teetering between two worlds.

    It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in church or what your last spiritual high felt like, if your direction isn’t fixed on Christ, your foundation is already cracking.

    And that brings us to Ephesians 3:16–17 (NKJV):

    “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love…”

    Discipleship is not about feelings. It’s not about hype. It’s about direction—and foundation. Where are your feet pointed? And what is your heart rooted in?

    If Christ truly dwells in you, there should be evidence. There should be strength in your inner man. There should be spiritual grounding that holds fast when the winds of doubt, culture, or temptation blow. But if you’re divided—if you’re attempting to serve two masters—then instability will follow you like a shadow.

    Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) offers both a promise and a choice:

    “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

    That’s the direction. That’s North. But it’s not automatic. That path has to be chosen, walked, and guarded.

    You don’t coast into holiness. You choose it. You pursue it. You turn your back on everything else—not perfectly, but purposefully.

    So, let’s get brutally honest: Where is your compass pointing?What are your daily decisions saying about who your Master really is?

    Have you left your first love while convincing yourself you’re still devoted?

    You can’t have both. Not forever. One Master will win.

    Let it be Jesus.

    So let’s talk about it: What part of your walk with God needs course correction? Let’s open the conversation and challenge each other toward obedience and clarity.

  • When Was the Last Time Discipleship Cost You Something?

    “…To be a disciple of Jesus is going to cost you something…”

    That quote hit me square between the eyes. Because when I held it up to my own life, I had to admit something uncomfortable: I don’t know that I’ve ever truly lived that kind of discipleship. Not consistently. Not fully.

    Jesus didn’t mince words. The call to follow Him was direct, costly, and repeated.

    Matthew 16:24. Mark 8:34. Mark 10:21. Luke 9:23

    That phrase—“take up your cross and follow Me”—isn’t some poetic metaphor for mild inconvenience. It was a death sentence. A surrender of will. And the fact that all three Synoptic Gospels include it—Mark more than once—tells us just how central it is to the Christian life.

    Discipleship isn’t a suggestion. It’s a command.

    And we’ve spent far too much time reshaping that command into something manageable.

    Comfortable.

    Instagrammable.

    We’ve turned “take up your cross” into a cozy quote rather than a call to daily death to self.

    Let’s be brutally honest: when was the last time following Jesus actually cost you something?

    Not just time.

    Not just a tithe.

    But real, personal sacrifice.

    Something that forced you to change your plans, stretch your faith, or confront your pride?

    We love the verses about being blessed. We highlight the promises of peace and provision. But we skip over the ones about obedience, sacrifice, and suffering. We love the idea of being “called,” but wrestle when that calling demands discomfort.

    That’s not legalism. That’s lordship.

    And Jesus made it crystal clear:

    “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)

    He didn’t say, “Take up your dreams.”

    He said, “Take up your cross.”

    That cross is not a religious accessory.

    It’s a declaration of surrender. It means laying down your rights.

    It means serving people you don’t like, giving when it hurts, forgiving when it’s undeserved, and going where you’d rather not go.

    Jesus said in Matthew 25:35–40 that whatever we do for “the least of these,” we do for Him. That means giving a sandwich to the hungry, a drink to the thirsty, a warm welcome to the outcast, and our time to those who can’t repay it.

    Discipleship means getting out of our comfort zones.

    Rolling up our sleeves.

    Doing the hard, often thankless work of loving people well in Jesus’ name.

    It’s not flashy. It’s not always fun. But it’s faithful.

    So here’s the challenge:

    What has your faith cost you lately?

    What have you surrendered—not just out of guilt, but out of obedience?

    May we be found faithful—not just in belief, but in obedience.

    Not just in words, but in sacrifice.

    Not just on Sunday—but every single day.

  • When God Feels Distant: Walking by Faith in the Spiritual Desert

    Scripture Focus: Job 23:8-10 (NKJV)> “Look, I go forward, but He is not there,And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him;When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.But He knows the way that I take;When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”

    Let’s be real: not every season of faith feels full of fire and clarity. Some seasons feel dry, silent, and agonizingly uncertain. You do all the right things—you pray, you read your Bible, you go to church, you try to stay obedient—but still, you feel like God has gone dark. And no matter where you look, you can’t seem to find Him.

    If you haven’t walked through a spiritual desert yet, you will. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Because the Christian life includes valleys. And some of those valleys are silent ones.

    Job knew this desert. In Job 23:8–10, we see a raw, gut-level expression of what it feels like to seek God and come up empty. He looks in every direction—forward, backward, left, right—and still, no trace of God. That’s not just disheartening; it’s devastating. Especially when you’re trying to walk in faith and remain obedient.

    The pastor of my youth, Bro. Bass, used to talk about spiritual deserts with a kind of solemn reverence. He’d say, “You can be praying, reading the Word, doing all the right things—and still feel like you’re just going through the motions.” I remember him sharing how, at times, he’d feel like God was distant even though his routine was rock-solid. He said he kept walking not because he felt God’s presence, but because he trusted God’s promise. That kind of faith leaves a mark on a young heart. It stayed with me.

    What makes Job’s declaration in verse 10 so powerful is that it comes after his desperate searching. Job says, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”

    That’s not resignation—that’s resolve. Job is saying, “I may not see Him, but I’m convinced He sees me. I may not feel Him, but I trust His purpose.”

    Sometimes God allows the silence not to punish us, but to purify us. The silence exposes what our faith is really built on. Are we only in it for the feelings? For the emotional highs? Or will we trust Him in the stillness?

    Silence doesn’t mean absence.

    Distance doesn’t mean rejection.

    If you’re in a season where God feels far away, don’t quit. Keep walking. Keep showing up. Keep talking to Him even when it feels like He’s not talking back.

    Why? Because He knows the way that you take. And when the testing is over, you won’t just be okay—you’ll come forth as gold.

    So here’s your reflection today:

    Have you ever walked through a spiritual desert? What did it reveal about your faith?

    Are you in one right now? If so, what keeps you going?

    How do you respond when God goes silent?

    What does Job’s example teach us about trusting God when we feel nothing?

    Let’s stop pretending these seasons don’t exist and start helping each other walk through them. Share your thoughts or stories below—you never know who’s in the desert right now, just needing someone to say, “You’re not alone.”

    Father, thank You for being faithful even when I can’t see or feel You. Strengthen me to walk through the desert without turning back. Refine me in the silence, and bring me out shining like gold. In Jesus’ name, amen.

  • But If Not—The Fireproof Faith of the Faithful

    Daniel 3:16–18 (NKJV)“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods.’” Daniel 3:16-18 (NKJV)

    There’s a line in this passage that should stop us in our tracks: “But if not…”

    It’s not a lack of faith.

    It’s not doubt.

    It’s full-on, furnace-ready, God-centered conviction.

    These young men looked the most powerful ruler on earth in the face and said, “Do your worst. Our God is able. But even if He doesn’t—we still won’t bow.”

    Now, pause right there. How many of us are still standing when God doesn’t answer the way we want Him to?

    We live in an age where faith is often treated like a spiritual vending machine. Punch in a verse, press “prayer,” and expect the blessing to fall. But this passage reminds us—biblical faith isn’t measured by the outcome. It’s measured by obedience, no matter the cost.

    These men didn’t just believe God could deliver them. They believed He was worthy, even if He didn’t.

    That’s not just bold. That’s holy.

    And it makes me wonder—what kind of faith am I living out in front of others? Is it the kind that stands firm when culture applauds me, but folds the moment I get called out? Or is it the kind that can stand in front of the fire, knowing God can deliver, but being fully committed even if He chooses not to?

    Truth be told, many of us are more like the Israelites who bowed than these three who stood.

    We rationalize.

    We compromise.

    We say, “God knows my heart,” while our knees hit the ground before golden idols we no longer even recognize as idols—popularity, acceptance, politics, status, convenience.

    But the real question we have to ask today is: Are we building a faith that will hold up when the fire is turned up?

    That’s not just a rhetorical question. It’s one that demands a response.

    Where in your life have you been “careful” when you should’ve been courageous?

    What cultural pressures have you allowed to shape your obedience?

    What if God doesn’t answer your prayer the way you hoped—will you still worship Him?

    We need a revival of that “but if not” kind of faith. A faith that’s fireproof because it’s not based on the outcome—it’s based on the One who walks with us through the fire.

    And friend, don’t miss this: Jesus didn’t show up before the fire. He met them in it.

    Sometimes your deliverance isn’t from the fire—it’s through it.

    Reflection Questions:

    1. What are you currently facing that feels like a fiery furnace?

    2. Are you trusting God to deliver you, or only following Him if He does?

    3. What would it look like for you to stand without compromise this week?

    Let’s get honest, church. Let’s stop bowing and start standing.

    Prayer: Lord, give me a boldness like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Help me to stand firm in the face of pressure and not bend to the world’s demands. May I trust in Your ability to deliver—but walk in obedience even if You don’t. Strengthen my resolve to honor You no matter the cost. In Jesus’ name, amen.

  • Built by the Lord, Anchored by the Truth

    “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” — Matthew 7:24 (NKJV)

    There’s a special kind of heartbreak that comes from watching something you built fall apart.

    A career you sacrificed for.

    A marriage you swore would be different.

    A life plan that felt foolproof — until it wasn’t.

    The truth is, what’s not built on the Lord won’t last.

    It’s like stacking bricks on sinking sand — eventually, it caves under the pressure.

    The song says it so clearly:

    “I put my ruins into Your hands and watched You restore them like only You can.”

    God isn’t intimidated by your ruins.

    He expects us to come to Him broken, not picture-perfect.

    He’s the God of restoration — but only if we hand Him the blueprints and let Him build His way.

    We need to start be asking ourselves some difficult questions…

    Where have I been trying to “build” on my own name or strength?

    Am I trusting Jesus with the entire house, or just a few rooms I’m willing to surrender?

    This is personal for me. I’ve seen it firsthand in my marriage. We leaned hard on our own understanding — our own coping habits, expectations, pride, and pain — and it cracked the foundation. We didn’t invite God to build it from the start; we just handed Him the wreckage and expected Him to bless it anyway.

    Now, we’re separated. And I don’t know what reconciliation looks like — or if it’s even on the table. But I do know this: building without God at the center was a recipe for collapse. The ruin wasn’t random. It was the natural result of trusting our own blueprint instead of His.

    I’m not sharing that to blame, but to confess: even with good intentions, even when you love deeply — if the foundation isn’t Christ, the whole thing stays on shaky ground.

    The bricks might get battered by life.

    The storms will come.

    But if the Lord builds it, it will stand.

    Today, let’s hand Him the keys:

    “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” — Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)

    “Lord, I give You the blueprints. Tear down what needs tearing down. Build what needs building. I trust You to make it stand firm in Your Name. Amen.”

  • The Evidence of Transformation

    “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2 NKJV)

    I sat with a friend tonight, deep in conversation.We were talking about how the Holy Spirit truly changes people — not just on the surface, but at the core.

    As we swapped stories, faces came to mind.

    People I knew before Jesus got a hold of them — people whose lives shouted anger, addiction, bitterness, emptiness.

    And then, one by one, I remembered what happened after:

    They were radically different.

    Not perfect. Not instantly polished.

    But undeniably changed.

    That’s the work of the Spirit: not just better behavior, but a renewed mind.

    That’s why Paul tells us not to conform to the world — not to blend in, not to compromise, not to water down. Instead, we’re called to transform. And the first battlefield is always the mind.

    God’s will isn’t discovered by accident.

    It’s proved in a life that’s surrendered, renewed, and re-formed by the Holy Spirit.

    Today, ask yourself the hard question: Is there real evidence of transformation in my life?

    If the answer is “not much” — don’t fake it, and don’t despair.

    Get honest before God.

    Ask Him to renew your mind, starting right here, right now.

    Transformation isn’t optional for the Christian life.

    It’s the proof that we’re alive in Christ.

  • Craving the World’s Approval: A Silent Snare

    There’s a silent snare that creeps into our hearts, and it looks deceptively harmless. It’s the craving for validation from the world. At first glance, it feels natural — the desire to be liked, to be accepted, to be seen as valuable. But left unchecked, that desire becomes a chain.

    The world’s approval is a fickle thing. What’s celebrated today is often condemned tomorrow. What gains applause now can quickly draw criticism when culture shifts. And so the dangerous cycle begins: we start adjusting our convictions to match the crowd. We soften truth to stay accepted. We trade depth for popularity.

    But Scripture speaks clearly:

    “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15, NKJV)

    That’s not a suggestion — that’s a warning. The world and its values are passing away, but the Word of God endures forever. When we anchor ourselves in the approval of man, we tether ourselves to something unstable and unreliable.

    Paul addresses this tension head-on:

    “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10, NKJV)

    We can’t live to please both. Sooner or later, the path of obedience will collide with the path of public approval. When it does, we’ll have to decide whom we truly serve.

    Here’s the danger: seeking the world’s validation leads to compromise.

    It whispers, “Just a little adjustment. Just go along to get along.”

    But every small concession moves us further from the truth we’re called to live by. And the shift is gradual. One little thing at first. Then another little thing. Until suddenly, your changing your entire message.

    On the other hand, seeking God’s approval brings clarity and freedom. His standards don’t shift with culture. His love isn’t performance-based. When we root ourselves in His truth, we find stability in the storm.

    So here’s a challenge for today:

    Examine your motives.

    Are you living for the applause of man, or the approval of God?

    Whose opinion weighs more heavily on your decisions?

    And if you follow that path to its end, where will it lead?

    Let’s choose the approval that lasts.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts — how do you guard your heart against the pull of worldly validation?