• How to Have a Daniel-like Faith

  The apostle James challenges us to understand the connection between faith and obedience. In James 2:17, he writes that faith without works is dead. In other words, we cannot have unshakable beliefs without obeying.

• The Transforming Grace of God

  God has predestined every believer to be conformed to the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ. The process begins at salvation and continues until we join Him in heaven. The apostle Paul is a good example of the Lord’s power to transform an unrighteous man into an image-bearer of Jesus.

• The Call for a Believer

  Years ago, God temporarily allowed me to have such physical ailments that I could do nothing but lie in bed. At first, this felt frustrating, but eventually I began to realize His plan for this trial. Life had become too busy for me to hear something the Lord needed to tell me. He certainly managed to get my attention by stilling my physical body!

• The Importance of Right Motives

  David found King Saul’s hefty reward for Goliath’s defeat interesting—in fact, he asked to have it repeated twice (vv. 26, 30). Money, freedom, and a pretty girl would make almost any teenage boy take notice! However, though David was young, he was not foolhardy. The reward was a nice perk, but it wasn’t the young shepherd’s motivation.

• Childlike Faith

  On our own, we are unable to choose salvation. God’s Spirit must first convict us of our spiritual need. Specifically, He nudges-that is, He almost places a discomfort within our hearts-and reveals sin. This imperfection in our lives creates the need for a Savior to redeem us.