9 Tips for Reading the Bible Daily in the New Year   If you have been going to church for any amount of time, you’ve been told it is important to read the Bible. You may have even made a resolution to read the Bible every day in the new year. This is a wonderful resolution to make! Unfortunately, many people make this resolution at the start of a new year and then give up by February. This may be because people don’t really know why or how to read the Bible. They aren’t engaged when they read God’s Word. For example, Christianity Today reports, “From 2021 to 2022, Bible engagement—score ..read more

20 Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas for Christians   With Christmas quickly approaching, it’s time to finish your gift list. But we encourage you not to go overboard. It is easy for us to get caught up in the hustle and bustle – and overspending. According to a 2023 report, “Every year, an estimated third of American adults go into debt to pay for holiday expenses.” God wants to be good stewards of our finances. He also wants us to be cheerful givers. Fortunately, we can be cheerful givers and shower those we love with gifts this time of year while also thinking carefully about how and why we ..read more

Dealing with Doubt as a Christian   Somewhere along the lines, many Christians have been made to feel ashamed for having doubts about their faith. If this sounds familiar, keep reading. Many Christians struggle with doubts. According to a study by Barna: 52% of U.S. adults and teens have experienced religious doubts in the past few years. Similarly, exactly half of those who are Christian or who have some Christian background or experience (50%) say they have gone through a “prolonged” period of doubt at some point in their life. It is natural, normal, and acceptable to have doubts fr ..read more

What to Do When the Church or Christians Let You Down   If you have been in a church for a length of time, you are aware that they are full of sinful people. And sinful people hurt others. But there are sometimes, such as abuse from church leaders or betrayal by church friends, when the hurt is so big that it causes you to question where you belong. In fact, bad church experiences is one of the main reasons people leave the church. Andy Stanley writes, “Most bad church experiences are the result of somebody prioritizing a view over a you – something Jesus never did and instructed us not ..read more

A Thankful Heart = A Healthy Mind   With Thanksgiving upon us, now is a good time to remind ourselves why having an attitude of gratitude is important. As Christians, we are told to give thanks. It should be a natural part of our life once we accept God’s amazing gift of salvation. But sometimes life doesn’t go as planned and we find ourselves lacking gratitude. When we struggle with thankfulness, it hurts every part of us: spiritual, mental, and physical. However, it is when you struggle to find reasons to be thankful that you need to express thankfulness the most. According to the Chr ..read more

The State of Christianity in 2023   America was founded as a religious refuge, and many still see it that way. While it was once considered a Christian nation, it’s looking more like a hodgepodge of Christianity, different religions, and the religiously unaffiliated. Looking at current church statistics, it may feel like doom and gloom. But, as Christians, we have hope! We know this is just our temporary home and the Church is not going anywhere. In fact, even amid declining numbers, there are many positive things happening. For example, while overall church attendance has dropped in Am ..read more

Practicing Service   Serving is at the heart of Christianity. While some people find fault with the church and Christianity as a whole, serving seems to be where we shine. Lifeway found that “religious organizations were the main organizations people volunteered for, with 33.1 percent of people responding this way.” There is a very clear reason for these numbers – the Bible instructs Christians, repeatedly, to practice service. Did you know that the majority of charitable organizations in the United States are faith-based? Not only are charities where people give money often religious ..read more

How to Help a Friend Going Through a Hard Time   As Christians, we know we are called to carry one another’s burdens, but often, this seems easier said than done. Helping others during a tough time is not easy. Your friend may be suffering a horrible loss, and you may worry that you may do or say something that makes her pain worse. Your friend may be stuck in what seems like a hopeless situation, and you may simply not know what to do. While we know we should help a friend going through a hard time, we just don’t know how to do it in a practical way. That ends today. We’re providing si ..read more

How to Bless Your Pastor   As you may or may not know, October is Pastor Appreciation Month. This appreciation month is designed to recognize the hard work your pastor does. It’s easy to forget that pastors do more than deliver sermons on Sunday mornings. They also lead ministry teams, visit those in the hospital and hospice, spend time caring for those in need, and pray for their congregation – on top of many other seldomly recognized tasks. Think about how it feels when you help carry someone else’s burdens. You know we are called to do so, but it is still heavy. Now imagine feeling l ..read more

How to Make Christian Friends as an Adult   God created us to be in relationship with Him and others. The simple truth is that we are better together. But as you get older, it seems harder and harder to make Christian friends. When we were children, it seemed like we made friends easily. It came down to who wanted to play at recess. But, if you ask any adult who has moved to a new city and had to learn how to make friends all over again, they’ll tell you it isn’t that easy. There are several reasons why. Sometimes it is because we don’t see the need. Sometimes it is because we are too b ..read more