Discover "The Guarantee of Your Best Future" in our new series, Me. We. Us. If you’ve ever wondered how to shape your future or how to unlock a life filled with purpose, you’ll be amazed at how close you actually are to finding it. It has been offered to you and is worth fighting for. You need only to engage in it.
Our rally cry is to live in the freedom Christ has already secured for us. This freedom isn't permission to do whatever we want. It’s the power to live as we were created to live: full of grace, love, and truth. Paul warns against returning to the yoke of slavery, whether it be legalism, sin, or performance-based religion. Instead, we're called to stand firm in the finished work of Christ, to eagerly await the hope of righteousness through the Spirit, and to run well the race marked out for us—f...
The word pictures of Jesus give us something on which to build our lives. Sometimes His parables unravel our perceptions of God. At other points they increase our hope and renew our image of His Kingdom. He seems completely at ease with the open-ended questions, the critique of faith, and the broad imagery which His parables give. Using two everyday objects, Jesus invites us to look at the old and to new and look for meaningful ways to make a life of following Him.
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet paints a vivid picture of the kingdom of heaven as a royal wedding banquet—lavish, prepared, and ready. The King has set the table, the feast is prepared, and now the invitation goes out. This is not just a meal; it’s a moment of decision. The question is, will we accept the invitation, and will we carry that invitation to others with the same urgency and grace the King has shown us?
In a world where quick answers and instant gratification are the norm, Jesus tells a disruptive parable about a persistent widow and an unjust judge. But this isn’t just a story about nagging God. It’s a call to steadfast, eschatological prayer: the kind of prayer that cries “Thy Kingdom come” even when nothing seems to change. Through the widow’s holy protest, Jesus challenges us to not lose heart in the waiting. Don’t give up. Keep praying. The Kingdom is coming.
If there’s anything we can expect from Jesus, it’s honesty. He tells people they have “little faith” while affirming others who have “great faith.” He calls out hypocrisy in those worried about being religiously correct, and He speaks straight to those who don’t seem to care about God at all. At the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells a story of an impending storm. His parable invites us to look honestly at all the angles of the story and place ourselves in it. His honest description o...
Jesus paints a stunning picture of the Father’s heart through the story of the prodigal son—not just a tale of rebellion and return, but a radical revelation of God’s compassionate love. When the son who squandered everything finally comes home, the father doesn’t meet him with anger or shame. He runs—runs—to embrace him, robe him, and restore him. This is the love of our Heavenly Father: not earned, but freely given; not cautious, but extravagant. We're invited to receive this love without hesi...
Luke 14:25-33 challenges us to count the cost of following Jesus. Discipleship isn’t casual—it demands total surrender. Jesus calls us to lay down everything, even what we hold most dear, to truly follow Him. This passage asks: Have we counted the cost? Are we willing to give Him our all?
We're often content with appearances, but Jesus calls us to something deeper: true spiritual life. In Revelation 3, the church in Sardis had the reputation of being alive but was spiritually dead. This message is a wake-up call to shake off apathy, remember the gospel, and return to a life marked by repentance, power, and purpose. It’s time to wake up, strengthen what remains, and walk in the purity and victory that only comes through Jesus.
Examples of faith and faithfulness, like we see in Ruth and her family, are awe-inspiring. They remind us how incredible people actually are and how ordinary people can make phenomenal impact. Looking on, we wonder how they do what they do and how they risk what they risk. But we're not intended to be spectators of faithfulness. Rather we're created to be risk-taking, faith-stepping participants in a story that's more than meets the eye.
This powerful promise from Scripture finds a living example in the story of Ruth. When she humbly approached Boaz and asked him to be her kinsman redeemer, she stepped out in faith—boldly yet respectfully requesting what was both within God's provision and Boaz’s power to give. Ruth’s story reminds us that sometimes what we need most is already within reach—we just have to ask. God honors courage rooted in trust, and He often moves when we move in faith.
As those created in the image of God, we're not just shaped by His hands, we're shaped to reflect His heart. One of the most profound ways we mirror our Creator is by living out hesed—the rich, covenantal love God continually shows us. Hesed is more than kindness; it’s a deep, loyal, and sacrificial love that never gives up, even when it’s undeserved. When we show hesed in our relationships and our communities, we don’t just talk about God’s love, we reveal it. This is what it means to live as H...
The story of Ruth is built on the key themes of loyalty, boldness, and generosity. But laced in and out of those confidence-building themes are the realities of tragedy, famine, and disobedience. In the first chapter of Ruth, the people who would become her family and Ruth herself face many factors outside. They, just like us, are faced with the question of how to respond.
In Colossians 1:15-23, we’re given a breathtaking vision of Jesus Christ—one that lifts our eyes beyond the ordinary and into the Holy of Holies. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, the One by whom and for whom all things were made. In Him, all things hold together. This passage invites us to see Jesus not merely as a teacher or moral example, but as the preeminent Lord of all—supreme over creation, sovereign in redemption, and reconciling all things to Himself...
You may be carrying a heavy load this Easter season. The stresses of life, worries about finances, mental health battles, pressures at work, and on and on... But there's good news! Jesus Christ has risen from the grave, and He offers salvation, rest, joy, and peace to anyone who comes to Him. It's gonna be okay because Jesus is alive!
Sometimes we don’t understand what God is doing—and that’s okay. In John 12, even Jesus’ closest followers didn’t fully grasp what was happening. The crowds cheering at the Triumphal Entry had no idea their Messiah was riding in not to conquer by force, but to lay down His life. Confusion and unmet expectations swirled all around. But Jesus was still moving toward the cross with purpose. Just because they didn’t understand didn’t mean God wasn’t at work. When life doesn’t make sense, we can rest...
In 1971, a man from central Indiana penned the lyrics of a gospel song called, "Because He Lives." When Bill and Gloria Gaither first sang the lyrics, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow," they were echoing the belief and hope of centuries of Jesus followers. Because of Jesus, we have hope that things are actually gonna be okay. But how does Jesus show us that truth, and how do we do offer the same for others? Let’s get up close and personal and see what we discover.
Praying with eyes open means being fully aware of the needs around us and responding with compassion and action. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus teaches that serving others—especially the hungry, thirsty, stranger, sick, and imprisoned—is a direct reflection of our service to Him. The passage reminds us that faith is not just about words or rituals but about actively meeting the needs of those around us. When we see a need, we're called to meet it, demonstrating God's love through tangible acts of ki...
We love the expressions and exploration of a child learning to talk. We crave hearing from the person with whom we’re falling in love. But on the other hand, we get tired of too many words. We describe some people as "chewing our ears off" or "babbling on" or "flapping their gums." We were made to communicate, and followers of Jesus are called to tell others about Him. While you may be wary of what to say and how to say it, Jesus wants each of us to name what is right in front of us, and in doin...
We’re all called to be water-walkers. We’re not called to the comfort of the boat, but a life on mission—walking on the water with Jesus and doing the impossible. --- Whether smuggling Bibles, feeding lepers, or working amongst a Muslim people group, Mick Veach’s commitment to share the love of God has taken him all over the world. As the Global Partners’ Area Director for Central Asia and the Middle East, he has presented the gospel in more than 60 countries. Mick serves as the lead pastor of K...
Every person's heart is constantly trying to fill itself with something other than God. The trouble is it never works. Nothing in this world is ever enough. Jesus offers us a different path to a blessed life: the path of the pure in heart! --- Brad Bullock grew up in a non-Christian home, but his life was radically transformed as a teenager when he began to attend NMC with a friend. As he grew in his relationship with Christ, he felt the call to full-time ministry. Brad, his wife Kelsey, and the...
Just as for Gideon, God’s presence with us is the key to victory. --- Geoff Eckart lives in Grand Rapids with his wife Arianna and their three daughters. He’s the lead pastor at Daybreak Church in Hudsonville, MI, and the founder and CEO of Never The Same, a national youth ministry organization with a vision to see new generations transformed in Christ. Geoff is also the chairman of the board for the National Day of Prayer Task Force.
We were created to enjoy rich community with others, but how can we as Christ-followers dive deeper in relationship with each other? In the midst of a solitude and loneliness epidemic, followers of Jesus have a roadmap in the Bible of how to “one-another.” --- Dr. Tim Elmore is the founder and CEO of Growing Leaders, a nonprofit organization created to develop emerging leaders. His work grew out of 20 years of serving alongside Dr. John C. Maxwell. He has written over 35 books, been featured in ...
Praying with ears open is about more than just speaking to God; it's about creating a space to truly listen. In our prayers, we often pour out our hearts, but it’s equally important to pause and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. When we open our ears to God's voice, we invite His guidance and direction into our lives. The Holy Spirit speaks in different ways through different means, leading us on a path of wisdom, peace, and purpose. Listening in prayer allows us to align our hearts with ...
We have the benefit and pleasure of reading the stories of the first followers of Jesus. Through the pages of Scripture, we see them as they rise and fall. We watch as Jesus interacts, teaches, and sends them to represent Him in the world. As we examine them, we wonder: "Will they see the world as Jesus hopes they will see it? Will they see how to represent Jesus and His kingdom in the world?" Great questions. And really, these are our questions. Will we see as Jesus sees? Will we see how to rep...
In Matthew 16:21-26, Jesus shifts the focus of His ministry, revealing to His disciples that He must suffer, die, and be resurrected. Jesus then calls His followers to take up their cross and deny themselves to truly follow Him. This is an invitation for any follower of Jesus into a radical way of life—one that disrupts comfort and security. To follow Christ means to embrace the path of self-sacrifice and choose difficult obedience. The way of the cross isn’t easy, but it's the way of transforma...
God’s presence has a profound way of disrupting the fear that often holds us back from sharing our faith. He can transform our hesitation into boldness. When we trust in His power rather than our own limitations, we find courage to speak, knowing that He equips us for every moment. In His perfect love, fear is cast out, leaving space for us to confidently share the hope we have in Christ.
Righteousness can be described as a vehicle for God's love. It's the transport mechanism of God's mercy and justice. God acts in just and good ways as He moves toward us. It's who He is, what He does, and we are better because of it. Not only that, we are to be a reflection and continuation of His right actions in the world. But what happens when we forget? You guessed it, a divine disruption of our self-righteousness.
