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Worship  is more than a Sunday morning tradition; it’s a posture of the heart. In this post, we will explore five powerful truths from the book of Psalms that teach us what it means to worship God with our whole lives. 1. Worship Through Trust “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” – Psalm 23:1 True worship begins with trust. When we trust God, we acknowledge His goodness and care for us, even when life is overwhelming. Psalm 23 reminds us that God is our Good Shepherd. He provides, protects, and leads us. Trusting Him means we believe He is more than enough. The more we know Him, the easier it becomes to surrender and rely on Him in every season. Worshipping through trust means we cling to Him in our need and declare that He is sufficient. 2. Worship Through Beholding “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” – Psalm 27:4 Worship isn’t confined to a church building. Psalm 27 invites us to behold God in everyday life. Beholding means keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus while we work, care for our families, or even run errands. It’s a lifestyle of awareness and adoration, turning mundane moments into opportunities to see and respond to God’s beauty. Whether we’re folding laundry or walking through a grocery aisle, we can behold Him and turn our hearts toward praise. Worship Through Repentance “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  – Psalm 51:10 Repentance is one of the most honest and humble ways to worship. It acknowledges our need for God and invites Him to transform us. Psalm 51 shows how confession and surrender can draw us closer to His heart. We will stumble, but worship calls us to be quick to repent, allowing God to purify our hearts daily. It’s in this space of brokenness and longing for holiness that worship becomes deeply personal and transformational. Worship Through Reverence “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”  – Psalm 95:6 Worship includes awe and reverence for who God is. He is Creator, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Reverence isn’t just a feeling; it’s a response. True worship recognizes that God is holy and calls us to live in submission to His ways. Reverence can be expressed physically through bowing and kneeling, but it’s also shown through obedience, humility, and surrender in our daily decisions. 5. Worship Through Thanksgiving And Joy “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”  – Psalm 100:4 Gratitude turns our attention away from what’s lacking in our lives and toward the abundant goodness of God. Worship through thanksgiving is about recognizing everything we have comes from Him. When we cultivate joy and gratitude, even in difficult circumstances, we reflect a heart of worship. Whether we are thanking Him for a small provision or simply for who He is, praise unlocks deeper intimacy with God. In all these ways and more, the Psalms remind us that worship is not a once-a-week event but a way of life. Whether through trust, beholding, repentance, reverence, or thanksgiving, worship  is how we respond to God’s goodness, beauty, and love. May these Psalms help you live a life of worship that honors God every moment of every day! By Keely McCartney, Contracted Writer for Biblica

A Bible verse that always catches my attention is Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” The note about the astounding measure of our forgiveness toward each other profoundly impacts me. How can I be as forgiving as God? Yet that’s the standard to which Paul holds believers: forgive each other just as God forgave you through Christ. That is immeasurable, boundless, complete forgiveness. A friend told me about a time he visited the beach. There was a rowdy group of young people there. They were loud, cursed, and wrote offensive and embarrassing words and symbols in the sand. But then something happened. The sky opened and it began to rain. The cloudburst sent the noisy group packing. After fifteen minutes or so, the sky cleared and the sun shone through again. My friend was glad he decided to wait it out. Then he noticed something: every nasty thing drawn or written in the sand had been entirely erased by that brief rainstorm. The rain had washed it all away. That’s a picture of God’s forgiveness. Christ’s death, burial and resurrection doesn’t selectively forgive things we do. If we are in Christ, we are entirely washed clean and forgiven (see Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:7). That kind of complete forgiveness is what Paul says we should also grant one another. Why Forgive? You likely agree that this is easier said than done. Forgiveness—let’s be honest—can be incredibly difficult. In some cases, we might even think it’s impossible. Does the Bible offer us guidance? The answer is: yes, the Bible helps us understand how to forgive. But before we unpack that, let’s also remember why this is so important. Why does it really matter whether we forgive one another? Forgiving each other is essential for Christian unity. Jesus prays for unity among believers  in what is often called his high priestly prayer. He asks God that all believers “may be one” just as the Son and the Father are one (see John 17:21). He prays for the “complete unity” of all believers, and then he gives the reason: “Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23). Jesus teaches that the unity of believers is a testimony to the world of God’s love. When Christians forgive one another completely, we model the grace and love of Christ and point those around us to their true Savior. Forgiving each other isn’t just about “getting along,” as important as that is. True, Christlike forgiveness shows the world who God is and points people to God’s love. How Do We Forgive? So, how do we practice Christian forgiveness and reconciliation? Jesus lays out practical steps in Matthew  18:15–17. First, seek to settle the issue privately with the person who has wronged you, just between the two of you. This means you don’t gossip about what they did; you hold it in confidence and speak directly to them. If they don’t listen to you, try to meet with them again, but this time bring one or two others along. This isn’t to “gang up” on them, but to encourage them to take their misdeed seriously so that you can work through the conflict and be fully reconciled. (Remember, Christians must always speak the truth “in love” [Ephesians 4:15]). If they still refuse to listen, you can then bring the matter to the church. By this point, it is expected that the person is willing to reconcile. If not, however, Jesus has grave words: If they refuse to listen to the church, treat them as an outsider (see Matthew 18:17). Remember, though, even outsiders and enemies are to be treated with love in God’s kingdom  (see Matthew 5:44). Disciples who resist living as true members of Christ’s family should always be treated with compassion and encouraged to repent. The way this process was carried out in first-century house churches will likely be different from how this is carried out today. Rather than going before your entire congregation, bringing select church leaders into the conversation might be more appropriate. As an important side note, we should also acknowledge that this process may vary when power dynamics are involved. If a person is abused or wronged by someone in a position of authority, making that person go to their abuser one-on-one is unwise and potentially harmful. In those cases, one or two witnesses, or advocates, should be called upon right away. Keep Forgiving After Jesus lays out this three-step model for forgiveness, Peter raises the logical follow-up question: “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21). Seven times might seem like a lot. There certainly are people who have settled into an unwillingness to forgive long before seven offenses. Let’s give Peter credit: suggesting seven times sounds generous. It’s more than double the traditional expectations of his day. Jesus’ response, however, blows the doors of our forgiveness wide open: “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22). This does not mean you should go sharpen your pencil and start keeping tally marks. No, Jesus’ response effectively tells his disciples that the number of times doesn’t matter. Don’t keep count. Just keep forgiving. Now, as another important side note, this doesn’t mean letting others walk all over you or harm you. But it does mean being perpetually willing to forgive. After all, Christ doesn’t keep count of our sins. He washes them clean, like letters on the beach. And, as Paul says, we are to forgive just as God forgave us through Christ. That’s a “no limits” posture of forgiveness. Because He First Loved Us The Bible tells us that we love because God first loved us (see 1 John 4:19). We can say the same thing about forgiveness. Christians forgive one another because God has forgiven us. And since God’s not keeping tally marks; neither must we. The challenge for us is to decouple our idea of forgiveness from how much the other person “deserves” it. We don’t “deserve” to be forgiven of our sins, yet we are. The key is to stop focusing on what others have done to  us and to focus instead on what Christ has done for  us! The path to unity and reconciliation requires that we forgive as a demonstration of love and Christlikeness. Forgiveness is a first step toward reconciliation, reconciliation is necessary for unity, and Christian unity shows the world the love of God. Adapted from the study material from the NIV Application Bible  based on the NIV Application Commentary series.

Rejoicing in All Circumstances Perhaps the best-known example of Paul’s admonition to rejoice in all circumstances is found in Philippians 4:10–13 . Paul expresses his joy that the Philippians have renewed their concern for him by sending Epaphroditus to him. Though their love for him had not changed, they did not have an opportunity to express that concern in a tangible way ( Phil. 4:10 ). Although this had brought him joy, Paul is also quick to point out that his joy did not depend on the Philippians’ aid ( Phil. 4:11 ). As Hansen points out, “His great joy had nothing to do with the fact that the receipt of gifts met his dire needs.” Rather, his joy was in the Philippians’ ongoing concern for him, and this joy flows from the deeper reality of their shared union with Christ. He had learned in every circumstance to be “content” ( autarkēs ). This noun in Philippians 4:11  is unique in the New Testament, and a cognate noun only appears twice. The word also appears in the Psalms of Solomon, an early Jewish document written sometime in the first or second century BC, where it refers to a “sufficient supply” of God’s provision (Pss. Sol. 5:16). All of these texts reflect an attitude of contentment and faith in the Lord’s provision of what is necessary. Paul prefaces this expression of contentment by insisting that he is not speaking of being in need ( Phil. 4:11 ). For a prisoner in an imperial jail in Rome, this is a curious statement to make. We might assume that since Paul’s basic needs were met, he would be content; however, this fails to recognize the often destitute condition of a prisoner in first-century Rome. Paul would have been completely dependent on others to provide most of his basic necessities. Nevertheless, he did not look to the Philippians to provide his most fundamental needs. On the contrary, his most important need was met “through him who strengthens me” ( Phil. 4:13 ). As a result of this, he could be content in low or high circumstances, in plenty and in hunger, in abundance or in need. In all these things, he learned to be content ( Phil. 4:11–12 ). Though the language Paul uses throughout this section echoes the language and ideas of some Stoic philosophers, his rationale is quite different than that of the Stoics. Note that Paul found contentment in both times of need and in times of plenty. In contrast to the Stoic ideal of eliminating all extraneous passions or possessions, Paul was still a man who knew how to feast! In contrast to the Epicurean ideal of “eat, drink, and be merry,” Paul was also a man who knew how to fast. In either case, he did not rejoice because of his lack or his plenty but because Christ had given him strength to endure. Fee rightly notes, “With that he transforms his very Stoic-sounding sentences into a sufficiency quite beyond himself, in Christ, the basis and source of everything for Paul. Thus ‘self-sufficiency’ becomes contentment because of his ‘Christ-sufficiency.’” The theology of union with Christ in his suffering and exaltation surely lies under the surface of this strength. Just as Christ endured death, even death on a cross, knowing that God would exalt him on the other side of the cross, so also Paul could endure any physical suffering or lack, even to the point of death, knowing that his union with the exalted Christ ensured his own eventual exaltation as well. Of course, Philippians 4:13  is well known as a verse used to support everything from winning football games to pursuing wealth and prosperity, but those applications miss the point. Christ gives his people strength not to win football games but instead to be content whether they win or lose. Or to put it in terms closer to Paul’s experience, to be content whether they win a football game or don’t have the time or money to play a sport because they’re too focused on having food for each day. Christ strengthens his people to be content because he provides what we need, and the joyful reality at the root of this is that all we really need is Christ. Those who are united to Christ have all they need in him; therefore, they can rejoice in whatever circumstances they may face with confidence that, to use the words of the psalmist, “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” ( Ps. 34:10 ). To speak of joy through sorrow is one thing; to live it is another. Nonetheless, even as I write this conclusion, my family and I have encountered the joy in sorrow that is only possible in Christ. We are walking with our own family and church through several challenges: the loss of my father, illness of other family members, relational problems, pastoral issues, and all the “normal” problems of life like flat tires and nagging colds. Yet in all these things, we can say, with Paul and many others who have gone before us, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. I do not doubt that many who are reading this are walking through challenges of their own that come with profound sorrow and suffering. Yet we are not alone in our suffering, for we are truly united to the sufferings of Jesus and so also united to one another. Moreover, we are united to Christ in his exaltation, so we can walk through our sorrow with the confidence that it will not always be so. Just as we walk through suffering together, we can also have deep joy in Christ together, both now and in the age to come. May the Lord give us grace to see both joy and sorrow in our union with Christ, and let this grace increasingly shape us into the image of Christ as we anticipate life with him forever. Christ strengthens his people to be content because he provides what we need, and the joyful reality at the root of this is that all we really need is Christ. This article is adapted from   Sharing Christ in Joy and Sorrow: A Theology of Philippians   by Chris Bruno.

There’s nothing like having a child look up at you and call you “Daddy.” But our relationships with our own fathers, and sometimes our own children, can be complicated. When our kids are young, we as parents tend to be slaves to the busyness of life—trying to keep a roof over our family’s heads, making sure there’s enough money  to put gas in the car, food in the ‘fridge and shoes on the kids. In the noise and stress of trying to get ahead and pay the bills, men and women, but sometimes men in particular, can tend to be less than attentive to the thoughts, feelings, and needs of the little ones around us. Maybe you’ve experienced this in your own life with your kids; or maybe you had a mom or a dad who was less than attentive when you were young. Jesus’ Relationship with His Abba The most hopeful model that we can have for our relationships, either as fathers or with our own fathers, is the relationship that Jesus had with his heavenly father. We see evidence of the love that the two of them had for each other at the baptism of Jesus, where God the Father audibly spoke these words: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). Throughout the gospels we see Jesus responding to this statement of love. He walks with his Father, prays to his Father, and cries out to him as “Abba” (or “Daddy”) during his darkest moments (Mark 14:36). Jesus’ relationship with his father is close, trusting, and intimate. The Abba Experience Brennan Manning, in his book The Signature of Jesus , describes it this way: “The Abba experience is the source and secret of Christ’s being, his message, and manner of life … In order to comprehend his relentless tenderness and passionate love for us, we must always return to his Abba experience. Jesus experienced God as tender and loving, courteous and kind, compassionate and forgiving.” As human fathers, we all have regrets. As sons of human fathers, we all have things that we wish had been different. But God, the Father who loved Jesus so well, stands ready and waiting to share that relationship with us. He longs to speak with us as we look to him for guidance during our happiest and darkest moments. Manning further states, “You and I not only are invited but actually called to enter into this warm and liberating experience of God as Abba  … We are privileged to share in the intimacy of Jesus with his Father.” For Reflection How can you begin today to walk into that same relationship with God that Jesus had? Drawn from the NIV Men’s Devotional Bible .

Exodus 34:6–7 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Romans 3:23–24 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Exodus 33:19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” Psalm 145:8–9 The LORD is gracious and merciful,     slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.The LORD is good to all,     and his mercy is over all that he has made. Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. 1 Corinthians 1:4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you,       and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.For the LORD is a God of justice;       blessed are all those who wait for him. Ephesians 4:7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Psalm 119:29 Put false ways far from me       and graciously teach me your law! Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This article is adapted from   ESV Bible Promises: 700 Passages to Strengthen Your Faith .

[He will] provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3 Mary was born into a dirty and crowded working-class district in Scotland in 1848. Her father sometimes threw her out on the streets when he arrived home drunk. And by age 14, she was working ten-hour shifts at the textile mill to support her family. But God exchanged Mary Slessor’s misery for something better when she began working at a city mission in Dundee. While there, she was inspired to sail to West Africa as a missionary to Calabar. Mary was no richer in Africa than she had been in Scotland—in fact, she now made her home in a mud hut. Throughout her 39 years in Africa, she never married. She was not even always in good health: Malaria and boils plagued her. Yet, despite the pain she suffered, God displayed his splendor through Mary and her work. She found joy in rescuing children from ritual murder. She discovered pleasure and purpose serving as a peacemaker with the Okoyong people. And she adopted a family. “If anyone may testify as to the reality of his presence and power, it is surely this unworthy servant,” she wrote to a friend. “He and his Word are a living bright reality for sure … I mean to glorify him and to magnify his grace.” The Israelites also had their share of misery. The Assyrians swept them from their homeland, destroying all they loved and everything familiar. However, their story, like Mary’s, didn’t end in misery. In fact, Isaiah predicted joy was ahead. God planned to exchange their mourning and despair for gladness and praise. Why? So that once rescued, God’s people would be living demonstrations of his splendor. We each suffer our own miseries, and we think things will never change. Perhaps you’ve experienced burdensome memories, a scarring divorce or a difficult diagnosis. However, can you sense any hope? Can you see God at work, gradually transforming the pain into something you can endure? You never know; up ahead you just might see the possibility of joy. Like the Jews in exile, and like Mary Slessor in Scotland, you can trust that, despite the present pain, God has plans for your future. He can use whatever you go through today to display his splendor through you tomorrow. Reflect How does this Isaiah 61:3 passage bring hope to your times of misery? How might God be planning to display his splendor through your current difficult circumstance? Drawn from a devotional in the NIV Women’s Devotional Bible .

Bible studies should come in all shapes and sizes, connecting all kinds of people to God’s word. Throughout my twenty years of ministry and countless conversations with women in the church, I’ve found that many long to lead a Bible study, but few feel equipped to do so. Whether leading from a stage in a church auditorium or from the couch in your living room, here are seven tips that I’ve found to be effective. 1. Begin with the end in mind. Start by writing a vision statement for your Bible study. Consider the following prompts: When Bible study wraps up, what do you hope the results will be? Who will be attending? Although you probably won’t know names, think about who will be invited. What will you study?Will it be discussion-based? Or will you include a teaching time also? A few examples of simple vision statements: I want to introduce women in my neighborhood to the Lord Jesus and the Scriptures. We will study the Gospel of John, and I will lead the discussion. When Bible study wraps up, the women in my neighborhood will know they have a safe place to ask questions about God, and we will have formed meaningful connections with one another. I want to teach five high school seniors how to read the Bible. We will study Colossians and Philemon. I will model and teach how to study the Bible, as well as facilitate discussion. My hope is to see these five students teach others to do the same during their freshman year in college. Your vision statement can also serve as the metrics of success for Bible study, rather than focusing on the number of people at the last meeting. It is tempting to look at numbers as the measuring stick for Bible study success, but numbers are not God's measuring stick. He is great at multiplying! 2. Set clear and realistic expectations. Communicate the start and end date, and the start and end time for each week. Then stick to what you said. Be sure to set realistic expectations for those who will attend, carefully considering and communicating what participants will be expected to study on their own and ways they will be asked to contribute when you gather. Take the mystery out of the commitment being made. Be clear about the way time will be spent. For instance, will there be a formal teaching time? Group discussion? Prayer? Will the first fifteen minutes be spent catching up, or will the study start immediately? 3. Be prepared. You do not have to be a seminary graduate to lead a Bible study. But you do need to be familiar with the content you are leading. A great starting place is to read the introductory pages in a study Bible about the book you will be leading. These pages include helpful context, like who wrote the book, who the original audience was, and what was going on in the world when it was written. Another great starting place is the video summaries offered through BibleProject. Then read the whole book several times, noting repeated themes. If you plan to lead a time of teaching during Bible study in addition to discussion, read a trusted commentary or two to make sure your main points are on track. Ask a trusted teacher or pastor to recommend their favorite commentaries. Send them a recording of your teaching and ask for feedback. And pray. Then pray some more. There is a healthy fear in leading Bible study. We are to do our best to handle the Scriptures accurately ( 2 Tim. 2:15 ). But a healthy fear should not keep us from creating a space to open the Bible together; rather, it should motivate us to be diligent students and great pray-ers. 4. Encourage contribution. You will be excited to share all that you discovered while you studied, but so will those attending . Give participants an opportunity to articulate what they learned while they studied the Bible. Use language that communicates that you are a co-learner alongside them. Share your questions and discoveries alongside theirs. Most Bible studies will have those who dominate the discussion and those who don’t share at all. An effective strategy to help both is to email the shy participant several days before Bible study meets, asking her if she’d be willing to begin discussion. Give her the question you’d like her to answer so she has time to think about it. She will not feel put on the spot, and she’ll know that her contribution to the group is valued. Emailing the shy participant also helps the one who tends to dominate. When you begin a discussion by asking, “Who wants to share first?” you are inviting the one who dominates to jump in right at the beginning. By directly asking someone else to begin, you are leading discussion time and creating a safe space for the shy participant to contribute. 5. Build relationships. Bible study should be deeply relational. The ultimate goal of Bible study is to get to know God better. We are spending time in his word, reading story after story about how he engaged all kinds of people, demonstrating his desire to be with  his people. Bible study is one way to give him our full attention and to anticipate his. Bible study is also a place to give attention to others. When Bible study is a place where participants feel seen and cared for, they will keep showing up. I believe this is why David prioritized our Bible study. We ate dinner together every week and planned nights around the fire pit to get to know one another better. And there is so much to learn from one another’s questions, discoveries, and insights! 6. Cultivate safety. When Bible study is a safe place to share discoveries and to ask hard questions, participants will prioritize attendance. Everyone craves a place to be honest about doubts and questions. Remember that you don’t have to answer every question on the spot. When stumped by a question, you can say something like, “What a good question. I’d like to give that more thought and circle back next week.” Enjoy being a co-learner with those you are leading. When doubts are confessed, respond with compassion and curiosity rather than a correction or even advice. You can say something like, “Thank you for sharing that doubt. That sounds hard. I’ve wrestled through something similar.” Or ask the group, “Has anyone else had similar questions? How were you encouraged in your season of doubt?” Carefully consider your audience. Are there people attending who are curious about Christianity but do not profess faith in Christ? Are there participants who haven't read the Bible? Also, remember that there are different learning styles represented and different personalities. Not everyone enjoys filling in charts and making lists. Incorporate photos, artwork, and music. Consider the needs of your audience as you prepare the discussion and teaching time, including questions that both the new believer and the seasoned Bible student want to answer. 7. Consider what is going on in the world. Bible study should impact our lives, making us more and more like the Lord Jesus. We want our time in the word to influence our families, friendships, workplaces, and even the nations. Know what is going on in the world. Read the headlines. Who needs to be fed and clothed? How will we shine light into seemingly hopeless situations? What is causing conflict among Christians? Move your participants to action in the world. If you feel you don’t have time during Bible study to give a call to action or application, you might be elevating content above heart change. Leading a Bible study is important, but it doesn’t always have to be complicated. Don’t let fear or perfectionism keep you from opening the pages of Scripture alongside others. Lead the robust discussion. Consider hard questions. Share discoveries. Build relationships. We need more Bible studies! There may be a “David” in your world who will change his schedule to attend your study. And God is delighted to meet you in your study of the Bible! The ultimate goal of Bible study is to get to know God better. Colleen Searcy is the author of   The Story of Jacob: An 8-Week Bible Study .

Israel had spent four hundred-plus years as slaves in Egypt, and then they called out to God, asking him to deliver them. God tells them he will free them from slavery and lead them to the land that was promised to them. Through Moses, God sends plagues on Egypt, but spares the Israelites living in Egypt from being ravaged by them. Finally, Pharaoh is compelled to let the Israelites go. The Israelites begin their journey out of Egypt toward the promised land, but Pharaoh has a change of heart and sends his armies to pursue them. They are hot on the Israelites’ heels, and the Red Sea is looming right in front of the people of Israel. They are trapped. But the people watch as God splits the Red Sea, creating a highway for them to walk through. When the Egyptian army comes after them, the sea collapses on them. As the Israelites continue their journey through the wilderness, God provides for them in undeniably miraculous ways. The Israelites have had front-row seats to see the incredible power and provision of God. Finally they are standing at the precipice of the promised land, the land God promised to them hundreds of years earlier through Abraham . Generation after generation had anticipated this moment, and it has now arrived. They are looking at it right in front of them. The biblical account reads, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders’” (Numbers 13:1–2). Remember, this is the promised land. God tells Moses to send some men into the promised  land—Not the “ I’m contemplating it  land” or the “ We’ll see  land” or the “ I’ll consider it  land” or the “ We’ll talk about it later  land.” It’s the promised land. God tells Moses that it’s the land “which I am giving to the Israelites.” Like, it’s already been decided. Send some men to explore the land I’ve already determined to give to you. God did not tell them, “I want you to go into the land and see what you think, decide if you feel like I’m capable of giving it to you. I want you to come back and do a SWOT analysis and a risk assessment. Oh, and you should also make a pie chart indicating the likelihood of success. I’ll take all of your information to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We’ll talk it over, and then we’ll let you know what we decide.” No. The spies are sent to investigate, but the land had already been promised. The twelve spies are chosen, and Moses gives them their assignment, ending with these words: “Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land” (Numbers 13:20). Moses tells the spies what to look for when they go in the land—fruit. Fruit is what is good. Fruit is evidence of what God has said. The twelve spies walk off, and everyone is waving—and then everyone waits . . . for forty days. I don’t know, but I would have assumed this reconnaissance mission would take maybe four days. They are gone for forty. The twelve men finally return with their report, and their report provides a great example of perspective . Remember, it’s not what we see; it’s what we think  we see. Our perspective is all-important; it shapes our reality. “They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there’” (Numbers 13:27–28). Their report essentially goes like this: “Just like God said, the land is awesome. And just like you asked, we brought fruit back. But . . .” But  is always a dangerous word when it comes to our perspective. Too often, it’s, “I know what God said, and I know what he promised, but . . .” and that’s exactly what happens here. “But the people are too powerful. The cities are too fortified. We saw descendants of Anak—they’re giants. They’re way too big.” Ten spies give a negative report. Two spies, Caleb and Joshua, have a different perspective. They all saw the same things, but they saw it differently. “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it’” (Numbers 13:30). They see the same things, but their reality is determined by their perspective. Ten come back reporting, “We can’t. It’s too much.” Two return saying, “It’s ours. Let’s go!” The ten aren’t sure their negative view is going to win the day, so they give what might be the first recorded telling of #fakenews: “But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.’ And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them’” (Numbers 13:31–33). Here we have another problem of perspective. If a grasshopper stands about one inch tall and the average Israelite man was five foot eight, that’s a ratio of 68 to 1. That means the men living in the promised land would have been about four thousand feet tall. When we fail to take our thoughts captive, they shape our perspectives in ways that exaggerate the struggles we are facing and underestimate the power of God. How do the people of Israel respond to the negativity of the ten spies? Do they fight back? Nope. “That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, ‘If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?’ And they said to each other, ‘We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt’” (Numbers 14:1–4). Negativity is like an infection that spreads. Pessimism becomes its own pandemic. Everyone is complaining and critical and ready to book their return trip to slavery in Egypt. But the other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, try to shift their perspective: “Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, ‘The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them’” (Numbers 14:6–9). Do you see how they looked at the same things but saw it completely differently? Ten come back: “We’re like grasshoppers who will get stepped on!” Two return: “They are helpless prey to us. We’ll step on them.” Why do the two spies have so much confidence? Because “the Lord is with us!” Our perspective shapes our lives, and our perspective is shaped by what we think about. What do you think Joshua and Caleb had been thinking about? It seems obvious—the miraculous way God had led them out of slavery . . . and the plagues he had sent upon the Egyptians . . . and the way he parted the Red Sea . . . and the manna he provided for them in the wilderness . . . and the water he made to gush out of the rock when they were thirsty. If God could do all that, how could he not do all this? What do you think the other ten spies had been thinking about? Obviously not all that. The ten see only problems; the two see only the presence and power of a God who had made promises he will always keep. By Kyle Idleman, adapted from Every Thought Captive : Calm the Mental Chaos That Keeps You Stuck, Drains Your Hope, and Holds You Back .

God created you because he wanted to be in relationship with you. He loves you. He wants you to know him personally and intimately, not just know about him.   Choosing to receive Jesus is a once-for-all decision. A process of getting to know God will follow, but you have to begin by inviting him into your life. This seemingly simple decision has huge eternal consequences. You may not recognize it, but your wrong moral choices (called sin) have condemned you to spiritual death (eternal separation from our holy God).   Jesus, who had no sin, chose to die to pay for your sins. When you recognize your sinful condition and accept by faith Jesus’ death as payment, you receive his life, which is eternal. Receiving this free gift of salvation is as simple as saying, “Jesus, I acknowledge my sin and your payment for it on the cross. I now ask you to forgive me and I willingly give my life to you.” At that very moment, he will come into your innermost being through the power of his Holy Spirit and start you on a wonderful journey toward intimacy and eternal life with God.   Here is a brief four-step system explaining why we all need Jesus in our lives, and how we can go about making that decision. It includes key Scripture passages supporting each statement; using the reference, you can look up these verses if you’d like to read more of the context.   First: Realize that everyone needs to be saved. No one is righteous; we are all guilty of breaking God’s law in some way, and therefore already condemned and sentenced. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin ( Romans 3:19-20 ).   Second: Understand that there is hope in Jesus Christ. Salvation does not come by keeping laws or being good, but only through faith in Christ. All have sinned, but anyone who receives Christ can be forgiven and accepted by God as righteous. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished… ( Romans 3:21-25 ). But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us ( Romans 5:8 ). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord ( Romans 6:23 ).   Third: Know that God forgives and accepts unconditionally anyone who believes in Christ. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death ( Romans 8:1-2 ).   Finally: Trust Christ in your heart and confess that he is Lord with your words. If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved ( Romans 10:9-10 ). Repeat aloud this prayer or something similar (what you mean is what matters, not the exact words you use): “I thank you, heavenly Father, for sending your own Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and pay the penalty for sin. I now believe in him and accept him as my Lord. Thank you that I am saved in him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”   Next Steps You may be wondering what kinds of practical steps you might take to guide you as you discover your personal path toward knowing God. Consider some of these ideas: • Ask God to reveal himself to you if you’re not sure he’s there.• Talk to people who display a genuine relationship with God—those who obviously love him and who live by a different set of principles than others you meet.• Spend time enjoying God’s creation.• Listen to the stories of people who have walked with God for a long time.• Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. You can trust God’s “gentle whisper” to give you direction. If you lack understanding, ask him for it.• Be aware that moments of doubt and questions are normal and legitimate as you discover your personal path.• Be alert to your presuppositions—the things you already believe—and your personal roadblocks. Try not to let them stand in the way of your discovery process.• Determine to spend time each day walking the pathway toward faith, and keep evaluating your progress.• Act on what you decide. Drawn from the NIV Jesus Everywhere Bible .

The ascension of Jesus is often thought of as one of the most pivotal moments in the Christian faith. Following his resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days on earth, teaching and preparing his disciples for what was to come. But everything changed when, Jesus “…was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19). This event, known as the ascension, not only transformed the lives of those first followers but continues to shape the Christian faith today. What Happened During the Ascension? The ascension took place on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, as Jesus’ disciples looked on ( Luke 24:50-51 ). This marked the moment where Jesus, who had lived physically among them since his birth in Bethlehem, left the earth and returned to heaven. The disciples witnessed as he was taken up into the clouds, an event both awe-inspiring and deeply significant; Jesus’ ascension paved the way for the Holy Spirit and his advocacy for all believers at the right hand of God in heaven. Purpose of the Ascension 1. Coming of the Holy Spirit. The ascension was a moment of transition for Jesus’ disciples. Up until that point, they relied on his physical presence. But now, they were instructed to wait for the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to continue Jesus’ work on earth ( John 16:7-15 ). Jesus assured his disciples that his departure was necessary so the Holy Spirit could come. Unlike his physical presence, which was limited by time and space, the Holy Spirit can be with all believers at all times. At Pentecost, the disciples experienced the Spirit’s arrival, which equipped them with spiritual gifts and boldness to carry out Jesus’ mission. 2. Jesus’ Reign and Heavenly Role . The ascension not only began the era of the Holy Spirit but also marked the start of Jesus’ reign in heaven. Sitting at the right hand of God signifies authority, and this reign will continue until his second coming, when he will return to the earth as the reigning Messiah ( Acts 3:20-21 ). Both Romans 8:34  and Hebrews 7:25  highlight that Jesus intercedes for believers, serving as an active mediator with God. This brings peace and hope to believers today, knowing they have an advocate in the heavenly realm ( 1 John 2:1 3. Preparation for His Return. The ascension also serves as a pledge of Jesus’ return. The angels at the scene declared, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Just as Jesus ascended in bodily form, Christians believe he will return to earth as the reigning Messiah. What the Ascension Means for Us Today The ascension is not merely an event from history; it holds ongoing significance: Believers are reminded that Jesus is actively advocating for us before God. Through the Holy Spirit, Christians are equipped to face challenges, share their faith, and grow spiritually. It serves as a promise that Jesus will return, offering hope and assurance of his ultimate victory. The ascension of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit transformed the early church and continues to empower believers today. It not only marked the conclusion of Jesus’ earthly ministry but also inaugurated a new phase of God’s work through the Holy Spirit. It offers believers the assurance of Christ’s ongoing intercession, the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, and the future hope of Jesus’ triumphant return. Based on study content in the NIV Chronological Study Bible .

He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.  Mark 16:9 How would you feel if you had been brought from death to life? What if you were really sick, at the point of death, and then suddenly you were healed? What would you do with your life after that? Would the experience change you? An outcast from society, Mary Magdalene was tormented by seven demons. But then she met one man who didn’t see her that way. Jesus cast out her demons, healing her from the inside out — bringing her from death to life. So what do you think Mary did with her life after that? Mary must have realized the remarkable chance she had at a new life. So, for the next three years, she chose to spend her days faithfully following and serving Jesus. Even when all but one of the twelve disciples deserted Jesus at his crucifixion, she stood near the cross, mourning the loss of her Savior. Three days later, she was still faithful. She went to the tomb and discovered that Jesus’ body was missing. Confused and upset, she didn’t recognize Jesus when he approached. Then he said her name, “Mary.” She knew that voice. The risen Savior could have appeared first to his twelve disciples, but instead he chose Mary Magdalene, the woman who showed him undying gratitude. Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. John 20:11-18 Turning Gratitude into Action Remember the last time you were so thankful you had to shout? Was it good news about a sick relative, a first date or a college acceptance letter? All are reasons to rejoice. But how about being grateful for life in Christ? If you’ve trusted Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, you’ve been given the promise of eternal life in heaven. You’ve been brought from death to life. You are loved by the heavenly Father, who promises you a full life in him. So don’t just stand there! Show your undying gratitude to your Savior by telling others what Jesus has done for you. Prayer Dear Jesus, I am eternally grateful for what you’ve done for me. Help me  to love you more each day and to tell others of my gratitude. Amen.

1. The resurrection is the core of the Christian message and should never be neglected or assumed. Sometimes today, when we hear the gospel preached, the focus is on the cross. The resurrection is often ignored, assumed, or mentioned only in passing. In contrast, the preaching recorded in the book of Acts emphasized the resurrection of Jesus, and barely mentioned his death. The apostles were preoccupied with the resurrection and emphasized it much more than the cross. Sadly, the church only seems to get excited about the resurrection once a year at Easter time. In reality, every Sunday should be Resurrection Sunday. The reason why the early church began to meet on the first day of the week was to celebrate Jesus's defeat of death. Imagine what church would be like if we consciously gathered every  week to celebrate the resurrection? 2. Belief in Jesus's physical resurrection is the defining doctrine of Christianity. It is surely a remarkable thing that every Christian denomination—from the Orthodox to the Catholic, from the Pentecostal to the Reformed Baptist—all believe one simple truth: the tomb was empty. There is very little else we all agree on! Only some liberals deny the physical resurrection of Jesus. Surely they thereby forfeit the right to call themselves Christians at all. In my book, Raised With Christ , I offered the following definition of a Christian: a Christian is someone who believes in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and lives in light of the implications of that event. This is based on Paul’s clear promise: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will  be saved” ( Romans 10:9 , emphasis added). 3. The resurrection demonstrated to the whole universe the deity of Jesus and God’s love for him. Jesus was, “declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead” ( Romans 1:4 ). It is the resurrection of Jesus that reveals his true nature to all who will see: “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance . . . and forgiveness of sins” ( Acts 5:30-31 ). 4. Without the resurrection, there would have been no church at all. After Jesus's arrest and death, the disciples were lost, helpless, and afraid. Peter denied Jesus, whilst the rest ran away. It is hard to conceive of anything other than the resurrection of Jesus that would have led to this rag-tail bunch of people sharing the message of Jesus in such a way that it grew into the largest religious movement ever known to man. Without their unwavering confidence in Jesus's resurrection, would the disciples have risked everything, and in many cases been killed for their faith? People do die all the time for falsehoods that they themselves genuinely believe to be true. It is, however, impossible to believe that all of the disciples would die for something they knew to be a deliberate deception. The church did not create the resurrection stories; instead, the resurrection stories created the church. 5. Our neglect of Jesus's resurrection may be one of the reasons our gospel preaching is so powerless. Spurgeon examined the preaching of his day and felt the reason for its lack of power was its lack of emphasis on the resurrection. Spurgeon determined to emphasize the message of the resurrection, and saw thousands of conversions as a result. If we choose to neglect the preaching of the resurrection, should we be surprised if we don’t see similar results? When Paul spoke about the gospel, he always meant the announcement of the glorious victory of the risen King. It is this gospel that is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" ( Romans 1:16 ). 6. The resurrection purchased our justification. When you ask most Christians about justification, they move straight to the cross of Jesus paying the price for our sins. But if justification simply means an absence of guilt, then we have a blank slate and have to spend the rest of our lives worrying about if we will mess it up again. Paul tells us in the contrary: "He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification" ( Romans 4:25 ). What this means is that when Jesus rose again he was declared to be righteous—not just lacking any sin, but embodying holiness. The credit of Jesus's perfection outweighed the debt of our sins. And now, the Christian is counted as righteous. Not "just as if I had never sinned" so much as "just as if I had already lived a holy life." Without this wonderful truth, we will not fully grasp the joy of salvation. Jesus was our obedience substitute during his life, our punishment substitute in his death, and our rebirth substitute in his resurrection. 7. The resurrection gives us the joy of knowing that Christ is with us today! He has promised that he will be with us to the end of time. This changes everything. A dead hero in the grave is no help to us. But a risen Savior in heaven gives us great confidence! Because the tomb is empty and Jesus is on the throne, we can know for sure that we will be victorious irrespective of what is happening in today’s world. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” ( Matthew 16:18 ). 8. The resurrection gives us hope that goes beyond the grave. We live in a broken world. Every Christian will at some point in their lives know the pain of grieving for a loved one. When Paul told us not to “grieve as others do who have no hope” ( 1 Thess 4:13 ), he did not mean that we would not experience sadness. But because Jesus conquered the grave, we have confidence that one day we too will rise, and so meet both Jesus and our believing loved ones again. This changes everything when we come face to face with death. 9. The resurrection unites every Christian with the life-giving force that raised Jesus from the dead. It is through the resurrection that, "the last Adam became a life-giving spirit" ( 1 Cor 15:45 ). Paul tells us, "the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you" ( Romans 8:11 ). This amazing power is available to transform, equip, and empower us: “What is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead” ( Ephesians 1:19-20 ). 10. Because of the resurrection, we can know that Jesus is personally coming back to judge and rule the world. It is a source of great joy for the Christian that Jesus will return. But it should also cause great concern for those who are living estranged from him. Because of the resurrection, we can be sure that this same Jesus will return again: The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. ( Acts 17:30-31 ) Jesus was our obedience substitute during his life, our punishment substitute in his death, and our rebirth substitute in his resurrection. This article is part of the 10 Things You Should Know  series.