Your Questions Were Never the Problem That question you asked in Sunday school that made everyone go silent? It wasn’t because you asked something wrong. It was because they didn’t know how to answer it. That time you raised your hand during the sermon and the pastor gave you that look? You weren’t being disruptive, you were being curious. And that made them uncomfortable. That moment when you said, “I don’t understand,” and someone told you to “just have faith”? You weren’t lacking faith. You were displaying it. Real faith asks real questions. But along the way, you started believing that your confusion was evidence of your stupidity instead of evidence of their poor teaching. You internalized the message that good Christians don’t ask hard questions, don’t admit confusion, and don’t challenge explanations that don’t make sense. You learned to nod along when you didn’t understand, smile when you disagreed, and stay quiet when you had doubts. That wasn’t spiritual maturity. That was intellectual abuse. The Lie That’s Keeping Christians Dumb Here’s the toxic teaching that’s been destroying Christian minds for generations: “If you have to ask questions about faith, you don’t have enough faith.” This spiritual gaslighting suggests that confusion is a character flaw rather than a cognitive process. It implies that people who need explanations are spiritually inferior to people who accept everything without question. Church culture reinforces this by celebrating blind acceptance and shaming intellectual curiosity. We applaud the person who says, “I don’t need to understand it, I just believe it.” We praise the believer who “trusts God even when it doesn’t make sense.” We celebrate the Christian who “has simple, childlike faith.” You see, there will be times where we will need that ‘childlike faith’, and that ‘trust when it doesn’t make sense’ type of faith. There’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s great to have, but not everyone is either like that or is at that stage in their walk with God. Meanwhile, we treat people who ask “why,” or “how,” or “what if” like they’re spiritual problems to be fixed rather than minds to be engaged. But here’s what we’ve forgotten: God created human intelligence and curiosity. Asking questions isn’t evidence of weak faith. It’s evidence of engaged faith. What Your Questions Actually Revealed When you asked questions that made church leaders uncomfortable, you weren’t exposing problems with Christianity. You were exposing problems with their version of Christianity. Your questions revealed that they had shallow theology. When someone responds to legitimate questions with “just have faith,” they’re usually protecting weak doctrine, not strong convictions. If their beliefs could survive examination, they wouldn’t be afraid of examination. Your questions revealed that they preferred control over understanding. Leaders who discourage questions often care more about compliance than comprehension. They want followers, not thinkers. Your questions revealed that they confused certainty with confidence. There’s a difference between being confident in God and being certain about every theological detail. Your questions threatened their need to appear like they had everything figured out. Your questions revealed that they were afraid of honest inquiry. Churches that shame questioners are usually churches with something to hide — whether that’s intellectual dishonesty, abusive leadership, or theological errors they can’t defend. Biblical Evidence That God Loves Questions If God hated questions, the Bible would be a very different book. Instead, Scripture is full of people asking God hard questions and God engaging with their inquiries. Abraham questioned God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He literally negotiated with God, asking, “What if there are fifty righteous people? What about forty? What about ten?” God didn’t rebuke him for questioning. He answered every single question. Moses questioned God’s call on his life multiple times. “Who am I? What if they don’t believe me? What if I can’t speak well?” God didn’t tell Moses to “just have faith.” He addressed every concern with specific answers. David filled the Psalms with questions: “Why do the wicked prosper? How long will you be angry? Where are you when I need you?” God didn’t consider these complaints evidence of weak faith. He included them in Scripture. Job spent entire chapters questioning God’s justice, goodness, and purposes. When God finally responds, He doesn’t condemn Job for asking questions. He condemns Job’s friends for giving simplistic answers to complex problems. Thomas demanded evidence before believing in Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus didn’t shame him for needing proof. He provided exactly the evidence Thomas needed. From there, he became the disciple who traveled the furthest to deliver the gospel according to church tradition. The disciples constantly asked Jesus to explain His teachings. They said things like “We don’t understand this parable” and “What do you mean?” Jesus never told them they lacked faith. He explained things more clearly. Paul encouraged believers to “test everything” and “examine the Scriptures” to verify what they were being taught. He praised the Bereans specifically because they questioned his teaching instead of blindly accepting it. The pattern is clear: God engages with honest questions. He always has. Why Churches Are Afraid of Your Intelligence Questions expose poor leadership. When leaders can’t answer basic questions about what they’re teaching, it reveals that they might not understand it themselves. Your curiosity threatened their authority. Questions challenge tradition. Many church practices exist because “that’s how we’ve always done it,” not because they’re biblical or effective. Your questions forced them to defend traditions they’d never examined. Questions require actual study. Answering thoughtful questions requires doing homework. Some leaders would rather silence questioners than do the work of providing good answers. Questions create accountability. When you ask “Where does the Bible say that?” you’re holding teachers accountable to their source material. Some teachers prefer assumptions over accuracy. Questions democratize knowledge. When everyone is encouraged to ask questions and think critically, it’s harder for leaders to maintain knowledge monopolies or spiritual hierarchies. The Difference Between Faith & Gullibility Churches that discourage questions often confuse faith with gullibility, but they’re opposite qualities. Gullibility says: “I’ll believe anything you tell me without question. "Faith says: “I’ll believe this because I’ve examined it and found it trustworthy.” Gullibility is passive. It accepts information without processing it. Faith is active. It engages with truth and wrestles with implications. Gullibility fears examination. It avoids hard questions because it’s built on shaky foundations. Faith welcomes examination. It invites questions because it’s confident in its foundations. Gullibility creates weak believers. People who never question their beliefs can’t defend them when challenged. Faith creates strong believers. People who’ve worked through their questions have conviction that can withstand opposition. The church leaders who tried to make you feel stupid for asking questions were actually trying to turn you into a gullible follower instead of a faithful thinker. How Smart Faith Actually Works Smart faith asks good questions. It wants to understand what it believes and why it believes it. It’s not threatened by inquiry because truth can handle examination. Smart faith does homework. It studies Scripture, reads broadly, and engages with different perspectives. It’s not afraid of learning because it trusts that truth will emerge from honest investigation. Smart faith admits uncertainty. It’s comfortable saying “I don’t know” about things that aren’t clear rather than pretending to have all the answers. Smart faith distinguishes between core truths and cultural preferences. It knows the difference between essential Christian beliefs and denominational traditions. Smart faith welcomes discussion. It enjoys theological conversations because it sees them as opportunities to grow and learn, not threats to defend against. What to Do With Your God-Given Intelligence Stop apologizing for being curious. Your questions aren’t character flaws. They’re evidence that God gave you a brain and expects you to use it. Find communities that welcome questions. Look for churches and Christian friends who see your curiosity as an asset, not a problem. Study for yourself. Don’t rely on other people’s theological opinions. Read Scripture, research history, and engage with different perspectives so you can form your own convictions. Ask better questions. Instead of just questioning everything, learn to ask productive questions that lead to understanding rather than just doubt. Help others feel safe to question. When you encounter Christians who are afraid to voice their doubts or confusion, create space for them to process honestly. Remember that your intelligence honors God. Using your mind to understand truth is an act of worship, not rebellion. The Church You Deserve You deserve a church that sees your questions as gifts, not threats. You deserve teachers who can explain what they believe and why they believe it. You deserve a community that values understanding over blind compliance. You deserve leaders who are secure enough to say “I don’t know” when they don’t know. You deserve a faith that can handle examination because it’s built on truth. The church that made you feel stupid was protecting its weakness, not God’s truth. The church that shamed your questions was revealing its insecurity, not your inadequacy. The church that preferred your silence to your curiosity was prioritizing control over growth. Church hurt has a way of making you believe the problem was you. You weren’t the problem. Your questions weren’t the problem. A church culture that’s threatened by intelligence, that’s the problem. Your mind is not God’s enemy. It’s one of His greatest gifts to you. And any church that treats it as a threat isn’t worthy of the God they claim to serve. © 2026 Ashneil Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

There comes a moment in every life when we pause long enough to look back. Not with bitterness, and not with despair, but with the sober honesty that only time can teach. The seasons behind us begin to take shape: spring with its energy and innocence, summer with its work and responsibility, autumn with its wisdom, and winter with its clarity and legacy. Each season carries its own beauty, and each one leaves its own mark. But as we age, we also recognize something else: there were opportunities we didn’t take. There were conversations we postponed, ministries we delayed, relationships we didn’t mend, and nudges from the Spirit we didn’t follow. Scripture gives voice to that ache in a single, haunting line from Jeremiah, where the people lament that “the harvest is past, the summer is ended” (Jeremiah 8:20). It is the cry of a heart that realizes a season has slipped away. Many older adults know that feeling well. We look back on our “summer years” — the decades of activity, responsibility, and productivity — and we see moments we wish we could reclaim. We feel the weight of what might have been. That feeling is not foreign to Scripture, nor is it rejected by God. In fact, He meets us right there. Yet the beauty of the gospel is that God never leaves us in regret. Jeremiah’s lament is not the end of the story. It becomes the doorway to renewed clarity, deeper wisdom, and fresh purpose. The sorrow of missed opportunities becomes the soil where new obedience can grow. The ache of the past becomes the teacher that shapes our future. As we move into the “autumn years,” we discover that this season is not defined by decline but by depth. Autumn is when fruit ripens. It is when colors become richer. It is when the air grows clearer and the horizon stretches wider. Scripture reminds us that wisdom is found with the aged and understanding in the length of days (Job 12:12). The years behind us have not been wasted; they have been preparing us for a season of influence, mentoring, and spiritual clarity. But to step into this renewed purpose, we must make a spiritual movement that Scripture describes with remarkable tenderness. It begins with recognition of seeing the opportunities we missed. It moves to remorse — a form of sorrow — not shame, but the honest grief that acknowledges what could have been. Then comes reflection, the willingness to learn from the past without living in it. After that comes release, the moment when we “forget what lies behind” and turn our face toward what God still has ahead (Philippians 3:13). From there, God brings renewal, stirring a fresh spirit within us. And finally, we re-engage, stepping into new opportunities with the wisdom and courage that only years can give. This movement is not theoretical. It is deeply practical. Many seniors discover that the conversations they once avoided now feel urgent. The relationships they once neglected now feel precious. The ministries they once postponed now feel essential. The faith they once held quietly now feels like a legacy worth passing on. God uses our past to awaken us, not condemn us. And He does something even more beautiful: He opens new doors. Scripture reminds us that God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23), and that includes the mornings of our later years. The God who designed earth’s seasons (Genesis 8:22) also designed the seasons of our lives. None of them are wasted. None of them are without purpose. None of them fall outside His redeeming hand. So, what does it look like to live with renewed purpose in the autumn years? It looks like choosing to bless rather than withdraw. It looks like offering wisdom rather than assuming no one wants to hear it. It looks like praying with greater fervency, loving with greater tenderness, and serving with greater intentionality. It looks like recognizing that every day we are given is a day to influence someone’s faith, encourage someone’s heart, or strengthen someone’s walk with God. The truth is, we all have missed opportunities. But we also all have new ones. The God who walked with us through spring and summer walks with us still. He is not finished writing our story. He is not finished shaping our legacy. And He is not finished using us for His glory. Jeremiah’s lament may echo in our hearts at times, but Paul’s encouragement carries us forward: we press on. We move ahead. We step into the future with hope. The autumn years are not the end. They are the season where wisdom ripens, purpose deepens, and faith shines with a steady, enduring glow. And in God’s hands, even missed summers can lead to a beautiful harvest. © 2026 Randy DeVaul, MA.

Why I Wanted to Share This When I.M. Koen published this piece, it really stuck with me and I wanted to share it. Biblical illiteracy isn't just a modern problem, it's the same warning God gave Israel through the prophets, centuries ago. It's not the easiest thing to hear, but I think it's something believers have to sit with. That's why I wanted to bring it here and share it with you. When You Get Crickets The day I decided to devote the rest of my life to teaching Torah to Christians happened because of a life-changing incident. It wasn’t a burning bush, a shofar blast, or an angelic visitation. It was a conversation with the Associate Pastor of a beautiful North Dallas church. He told me there is never a reason for a Christian to read the “Old Testament”. I asked, “Not the beauty of the Psalms, the Wisdom of Proverbs, David and Goliath, none of it?” He replied that it was “old” and “done away with." If a Christian simply reads the red-letter words of Jesus, he will “be just fine." I replied, “Done away with? You realize the ten commandments are in the Torah, right?” Crickets.......... That’s the day I realized this belief was not only spiritually lazy but also dangerous. And far more pervasive than one shepherd in a church. It was the beginning of a cycle that repeated throughout the Hebrew scriptures with dire consequences. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6 The greatest threat to God’s people has never been the nations around them. It has been forgetting the Word that was given to them. That theme runs throughout the entire Tanakh. Israel forgot and then slowly drifted away. Israel suffered. Then they remembered, were restored to sanity, and returned. That lesson has never changed. Whether Jew or Christian, the danger is not merely rejecting Scripture. The greater danger is assuming we know it when we no longer read it. Many Christians have neglected the Hebrew Scriptures in favor of the New Testament. Many Jews are culturally Jewish but have never seriously studied Torah, the Prophets, or the Poetic Books. Different communities. Same danger. Biblical illiteracy. “Therefore, My people are in captivity for lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitudes parched with thirst.” Isaiah 5:13 Neither prophet’s warning is aimed at outsiders. They are aimed at God’s own people. Whenever God’s people neglect His Word, captivity follows. That was true for ancient Israel. It can be true for both modern Jews and Christians. In fact, Hosea and Isaiah were speaking to covenant people who already possessed the Scriptures. Their problem wasn’t access. Their problem was neglect. Knowledge is not presented as a luxury. It is presented as a matter of survival. The captivity came before the chains. The people first became captive in their minds, their values, their actions, and their understanding of God. The physical captivity merely followed. That spiritual truth is highly relevant today. Neither prophet says: “My people are destroyed for lack of passion, worship, programs, or good intentions.” They say, “for lack of knowledge.” We can be sincere and still be ignorant. We can be religious and still be oblivious. We can even believe we know God while becoming increasingly unfamiliar with His Word. 📖 Worth Reading: Is the God of the Old Testament really different from the God we see in Jesus? God Isn't Trapped Within Old Testament Walls explores why Jesus came to reveal God, not reinvent Him. A False Sense Of Security There is a false sense of security in simply “showing up” at church or synagogue. Many Jews have a menorah, yet can’t tell you the Parasha for that week. Many Christians have a fish on their car. But can’t find the Book of Ruth unless they go to the Table of Contents. The lack of Biblical literacy in the faith world today is astonishing. In the days of King Josiah, the Book of the Law was rediscovered in the Temple (2 Kings 22). God’s Word had become so neglected that finding it was a national event. When it was finally read aloud, Josiah tore his clothes because he realized how far the nation had drifted. That story feels surprisingly modern. Many homes contain multiple Bibles. Most phones have Bible Apps. Many believers can quote their favorite verses. Yet relatively few have read the entire Torah, the Prophets, or even the whole Bible from beginning to end. The result is often a faith built on fragments rather than the full counsel of God. We can possess a Bible, attend services, celebrate holy days, keep kosher, and still be starving spiritually. That is precisely the tragedy Hosea and Isaiah confronted, and it may be one of the greatest challenges facing both Jews and Christians today. People can even believe they know God while becoming increasingly unfamiliar with His Word. The Torah Is So Much More: It Is Spiritual Life Or Death. The Torah was never intended simply to be read. It was meant to be meditated upon, discussed, taught to children, spoken of at home, and carried into daily life (Deuteronomy 6). Knowledge of Scripture is relational. To “know” God means more than knowing facts about Him. It means walking with Him, understanding His expectations, and realizing that “covenant” is more than just a Biblical word. It is our lifeblood, our reason for being. And when Torah becomes unfamiliar, God often becomes distant. How did God’s chosen people get to this point: “For My people are foolish. They do not know Me. They are senseless children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they do not know.” Jer 4:22 Here are those two words again: “My people." Rust grows over time. Weeds take over a field slowly. And the spiritual decline of a person, a household, or even a nation happens “here a little and there a little” (Isaiah 28:10) Lack of knowledge leads to destruction (Hosea) and captivity (Isaiah). Ignorance is never neutral, it’s serious business. What we do not know about God eventually affects how we live before Him. Every generation is only one generation away from biblical illiteracy. And every generation that forgets God’s Word eventually pays a price for that forgetfulness. My message for you emerges directly from the Hebrew Scriptures and invites every reader to ask: “When was the last time I opened the Scriptures and truly sought to know the God who gave them?” “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 Somehow, the spiritual journey feels safer when we have a guide, and that map is God’s word. © 2026 I.M. Koen. A Note From The Editor: I.M. Koen and I have always felt strongly about this: the Old Testament is not outdated or optional, it's every bit as alive and necessary today as it was when God first gave it. I've written on this myself, if you want to keep exploring it, take a look at God of Love vs the God of Wrath, where I dig into why the God of the Old Testament and the God we meet in Jesus have never been two different Gods at all. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

The Emmaus Road is one of Scripture’s most honest portrayals of emotional struggle. Two disciples walked away from Jerusalem carrying the weight of disappointment. Their faces were downcast, their steps heavy, and their conversation filled with confusion. They had believed Jesus was the One who would redeem Israel, but His crucifixion shattered their expectations. Their grief was so overwhelming that when Jesus Himself approached them, they didn’t recognize Him. When Jesus asked what they were discussing, they stopped walking. Their shock revealed how deeply their emotions had shaped their worldview. They assumed that anyone who knew about Jesus must be grieving His death. In their minds, the entire community of believers was devastated, confused, and hopeless. But their feelings didn’t reflect reality. Some people were celebrating Jesus’ death, believing they had eliminated a threat. Others were indifferent, seeing His crucifixion as just another execution. Some were hiding in fear. And some, like the women who visited the tomb, were already filled with hope because they had encountered the truth that Jesus had risen, just as He had said He would. Their testimony aligned with everything Jesus had taught about His suffering and resurrection, yet the disciples dismissed it because their emotions had already decided the story was over. This is what happens when feelings become our lens. Emotions are real, but they are not reliable. They can cloud judgment, distort perception, and convince us that our experience is universal. When we feel hopeless, we assume everyone else is hopeless. When we feel discouraged, we assume no one sees a way forward. When we feel abandoned, we assume God is distant. When we feel overwhelmed, we assume the situation is impossible. The disciples weren’t lying about their feelings. They were simply interpreting life through them. Their emotions had become their “truth,” even though their truth didn’t match God’s reality. This is why Scripture emphasizes the renewing of the mind. Transformation doesn’t begin with changing how we feel. It begins with changing how we think. Paul’s instruction to renew the mind is not a call to ignore emotions but to anchor them in truth. Likewise, his command to think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy is not a sentimental suggestion but a spiritual strategy for emotional stability. Jesus models this strategy on the Emmaus Road. He doesn’t start by soothing their emotions. He starts by addressing their interpretation. He listens to their disappointment, then gently challenges their assumptions. He opens the Scriptures and reframes the story they thought they understood. He shows them that the Messiah’s suffering was not a failure but a fulfillment of God’s plan. He walks them through truth until their perspective begins to shift. What’s remarkable is that their emotional transformation begins before their eyes are opened. As Jesus explains the Scriptures, their hearts begin to burn within them. Something awakens. Something stirs. Their feelings start to change because their thinking is being renewed. Their hopelessness loosens its grip as truth takes root. When their eyes are finally opened at the breaking of bread, everything becomes clear. The One they believed was dead is alive. The One they thought had failed has fulfilled every promise. The One they assumed was absent has been walking with them the entire time. Their response is immediate. They return to Jerusalem — the same road they had just walked in despair now becomes the road they run with hope. Their testimony, once shaped by disappointment, is now fueled by resurrection. This story speaks to anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by emotion. When feelings dominate thinking, perspective shrinks. We lose sight of what God is doing. We assume our emotions reflect reality. We project our fears onto others. We dismiss hopeful voices. We forget what God has already said. And we overlook the possibility that Jesus is walking with us even when we don’t recognize Him. But when truth renews the mind, perspective widens. When perspective widens, feelings begin to heal. And when feelings heal, testimony becomes powerful again. The Emmaus Road teaches us that emotional transformation begins with mental renewal. Jesus restores hope not by changing circumstances but by changing perspective. He still does the same today. © 2026 Randy DeVaul, MA. Want more content like this? Explore more articles Knowing God.

Obedience, trust, and letting go of your dreams Not only is Isaac Abraham’s heir, but he is also the son of the promise. He is the fulfillment of the promise and covenant God made with Abraham. There was a famine in the land, as bad as the famine during the time of Abraham. And Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar. God appeared to him and said, "Don’t go down to Egypt; stay where I tell you. Stay here in this land and I’ll be with you and bless you. I’m giving you and your children all these lands, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I’ll make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky and give them all these lands. All the nations of the Earth will get a blessing for themselves through your descendants. And why? Because Abraham obeyed my summons and kept my charge – my commands, my guidelines, my teachings." (Genesis 26:1-5) When Isaac chose to obey God and to trust in Him, God blessed him abundantly. Isaac planted crops in that land and took in a huge harvest. God blessed him. The man got richer and richer by the day until he was very wealthy. He accumulated flocks and herds and many, many servants, so much so that the Philistines began to envy him. (Genesis 26:12-13) Isaac’s abundance forced him to move away from the area, and as was the case with his father and Lot, he too was involved in an argument over water (Genesis 26:14-22). Whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, the Water of the Word will separate you from the world. Living for God will always cause friction and conflict within the world. Obedience Isaac obeyed God’s command. The blessings did not come automatically; they were conditional. God’s Word is based on cause and effect. We have to accept Jesus as our Savior to enter into the covenant of God. We have to obey His Word to receive His promises. When you honor God through your obedience, He will bless you abundantly. These blessings may be possessions and finances, but the greatest blessing you receive is a relationship with God Almighty and living in His peace. Choose to obey God and follow His plan and purpose for your life. He will anoint you with all the wisdom and knowledge you need to live for Him. God may ask you to sacrifice your Isaac just as He did with Abraham. God will often give you a dream and then ask you to lay it on the altar for Him. Why? He is testing your heart. He does not do this because He doesn’t know your heart, but because you don’t know your own heart. You have to know, unquestionably, what is most important to you: God or your dream. Are you willing to sacrifice all for the sake of Christ? The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. (Jeremiah 17:9) Sometimes we have to discover, however painful and disappointing it may be, that our dreams are not necessarily God’s dreams for us. My own plans may not correspond with God’s plans, and my needs may not be what God has in mind for me. When we hold on to our own ideas and dreams at all costs, we will only create heartache for ourselves. It is so important to live with an open heart and open hand. I couldn’t cling to the people, dreams or possessions I had. I had to let go and believe that God had something better in mind. He is always busy doing something new. The more I tried to hold on to what I had, the more I limited God in my life. This was one of the hardest lessons I had to learn as a young Christian. I had to learn that God didn’t keep me from pain, sorrow, or difficult circumstances. However, He never left me. He remained faithful in every situation and circumstance. The lives of Joseph, David, Job, and Jeremiah, to name a few characters, are good examples of God’s faithfulness during challenges and trials. There is another important truth that we can discover in Isaac’s life. We can clearly see that God determined his place and his role in life long before he was born. Likewise, God has our lives planned out and He has predetermined the part we should play in His eternal plan. It does not mean that we do not have any freedom of choice. We can choose against God’s plan for our lives but who, in their right mind, would willfully choose against God’s plan for their life? I also think this clearly answers the question of whether our conception and birth were truly unintentional. You may not have been a part of your parents’ plans, but you certainly were included in God’s plans, and His plans are always superior to theirs. Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God – you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration – what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day. (Psalm 139:13-16) Forget the Past Maybe you are one of the fortunate ones who grew up in a Christian home, or maybe not. Maybe you have been born again, having accepted Jesus as your Savior, or maybe not. Maybe you lost your way. Maybe you are living far from God. Don’t lose hope. There is good news for all of us. When we accept Jesus, we become heirs of God’s promise to Abraham. We become descendants of Abraham and members of God’s family. If you have backslidden, and if you have lost your way, return to God. Don’t run away from Him. Where would you go? Run to Him. He is your Father. Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. (Isaiah 43:18-19) Forget the things that happened in the past. Forget about all the mistakes you made and the sins you committed. When you have confessed your sins to God, He promises to never recall them again. Don’t hold on to the past and allow it to jeopardize your future. God is doing something new. Expect it! Be excited over it! See it! Meditate on the promises of God. God will do what He has promised to do. When you read the history from Abraham to Jacob, there is one thing of which you can be certain. God is in control and His plans are always for the good of those who love Him. God can provide abundantly, even in the midst of a famine. The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. (Hebrews 11:1) God’s Plan We often wonder about God’s plan for our lives. We struggle, sweat and strive to discover God’s plan for our lives, but have you ever thought that God’s plan for your life might be for you to get to know Him, nurture a relationship with Him, obey His Word and trust Him to lead you every step of the way? Too easy? That is where we err. We always seek to find the most complicated solution to our problems. It is human nature. God’s plan is simple. We are the ones who complicate it. There is an old hymn called “Trust and Obey” that our parents and grandparents used to sing. That is all God asks of us. Do you trust Him with your future? Only you know the answer to this question. By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him — and this after he had already been told, ‘Your descendants shall come from Isaac.’ Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that’s what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar. By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau. (Hebrews 11:17-20) Remember that no situation is beyond God’s ability or control. Lazarus was dead for four days before Jesus commanded him to come forth from the grave. Your dreams and your circumstances may seem dead and hopeless to you, but in God’s hands there is a new beginning. Give your life to Him. Do not wait one moment longer. Do it now! Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. … So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! … But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust; if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy. (Hebrews 10:23; 35; 38) It doesn’t help to say that you believe, but have no corresponding action. Faith is expressed through deeds. It is not what we say that makes the difference, but the manner in which we live. Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham ‘made right with God by works’ when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are ‘works of faith’? The full meaning of ‘believe’ in the Scripture sentence, ‘Abraham believed God and was set right with God,’ includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named ‘God’s friend.’ Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works? (James 2:21-24) What has God asked you to do? Are you willing to obey Him? Are you prepared to sacrifice your Isaac? © 2026 Rina Schultz Continue exploring God's plan and the call to surrender: The Part of God's Plan No One Wants to Talk About by Gail Thomson — If surrendering your Isaac means trusting a plan you can't yet see, this piece goes deeper, showing through Job's story that God's plan centers on His will and glory, not our comfort, and why that is still good news. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

A holy shift of the thoughts we don’t want to speak out loud. To all the mommas, whether seasoned or brand new: This one’s for you. 🤍 Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash The Morning Shift Another day begins earlier than you wanted it to. It’s a rainy Tuesday… or is it Wednesday? You don’t give it another thought, as you are already on the move to greet a tiny human excitedly waiting for you to scoop them up and start the day. Your heart swells as you snuggle them close and kiss tiny, soft cheeks. I better memorize them before they fade into toddlerhood, you think. The morning shift has begun. Your phone dings. You’ll get to it later, maybe. Last week, it took you two days to answer your friend because your baby was sick. Wondering if your friendship can endure this season, you think to yourself, I’m a horrible friend. While you’re getting the bottle ready, you make a mental note to order some bigger jammies. You wonder how a small human can grow so fast… When was the last time I bought myself a shirt? The baby on your hip reminds you that your bottle-making is too slow, so you hurriedly cap it and shake it on the way to the rocking chair, where you’ll attempt to feed the cutest little alligator who will drink an ounce and beg to get down and play. Where did all the burp cloths go? You grab a burp cloth from the mountain in the laundry room. After sitting back down, sweet Gator chugs half the bottle and spits up all over both of you. Back to the pile for more clothes. I have got to fold this today. I’m so lazy. The clock reminds you that it’s ten minutes until you need to leave, so you kick into high gear — re-dress yourself, change the baby, throw the bottle in the sink, pick baby back up because they start to cry, run to your closet for shoes, hurry the dogs into the backyard, load the baby in the car seat… and then you smell it. Sweet Gator is now a stinky ‘gator… Freshly diapered baby in hand, you strap them back in the car seat, turn off the lights, grab your keys, and head out the door. You’re 10 minutes behind when you remember your lunch in the fridge, but the car is already loaded, so you decide to leave it for tomorrow. You wonder to yourself why you can’t ever seem to get out the door on time. I’m so disorganized. After dropping off ‘gator at daycare, you head to work. Late. Again. You’re exhausted from the morning and hope your boss understands that you’re trying. It’s hard to focus on your emails because you’re wondering if Gator’s teacher knows the special bounce that calms them down. Are they crying for you, asking where “Ma-ma-ma-ma” is? Feeling like a horrible mom, you remember the work project you were supposed to send over to your boss yesterday. You had to leave early because daycare called, so you didn’t get to finish. I’m such a bad employee. Work day finished, you head home where your husband and Gator are waiting for you. Their giggling voices reach your ears as you open the door. No scrambling, just playing after a long day at work and daycare. He’s such a better parent than I am. After quick hellos, you get dinner ready and on the table. An hour later, it’s bath and bedtime for Gator. Cleaning up bath toys while your husband tackles the kitchen, you think about all the time you missed with your baby during the day. Suddenly, it’s too much. Sobs wrack your body as you think, I can’t do this. Why is all of it so hard? Then you hear it — the still, small voice you’ve been ignoring all day. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 Leaning into the quiet, you hear it again. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you… do not let your hearts be troubled… John 14:27 You think about all the things you’ve said to yourself today. All the lies the enemy has tempted you to believe. In the stillness, the Holy Spirit reminds you what’s true. You pray and ask the Lord to change your perspective, to renew your mind in Christ Jesus. The Holy Shift Another morning begins. You think, Lord, thank you for another opportunity to share your love today. The same routine — get baby ready, handle the spills and accidents, get everyone out the door. Yet this time, something is different. The blowouts and tantrums and work emails are still there, but your inner monologue is different. A twice-forgotten lunch means you’ll have to eat out again. Thank you, Lord, for providing the means for me to buy food. Baby Gator is teething, so you’re tired from being up all night. Lord, I’m resting in you today, for your yoke is easy and your burden is light. For the rest of the day, you hold every thought captive and remind yourself of the truth of Scripture as opposed to feasting on the enemy’s lies. Instead of all the negative thoughts, you repeat to yourself, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. It doesn’t change your situation, but it does change the way you view it. All the chaos and striving suddenly become joy and blessing. Your identity is no longer a tired momma. You are a thankful, redeemed, beloved child of the King. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things… and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8 © Stephanie M. Thanks for reading! If any of this resonated with you, or you’d like to see more content like this, please consider subscribing so you’ll never miss out on a post.

A verse that stings, until you read it backwards. “You will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:20b) Ouch. Sipping my coffee through my morning devotions, God’s Word hit me like a ton of bricks. Why did Jesus just tell me that I would never enter the kingdom of Heaven? Not exactly the encouragement I wanted to start my day. Yesterday, one of my piano students was learning a large, fast run in the middle of a Mozart piece. We divided the run into a pattern that repeats itself multiple times, but even after recognizing this pattern, the measure was a big, hairy mess. After multiple attempts and great frustration, I suggested we learn the pattern backwards, starting at the end. Minutes later, the passage was comprehended - slow, yet smooth. What if I tried the same thing with today’s reading? “Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19-20) “You will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.” Who will never enter? If I go backwards, I’ll find my answer. “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.” Yikes. Obviously, the unrighteous will never enter, but the scribes and Pharisees? On the outside, they certainly appear to obey the law, but God looks at the heart. I’ve vented some not-so-nice words to Hubby over the past year and had some uber-critical thoughts. My righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees? Hmm. Sometimes I’m wallowing in a sea of unrighteousness, flailing for a life preserver to save me from my own wretchedness. “Whoever does the commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.” But I don’t follow all the commandments. No other gods. No worshipping carved images. No use of the Lord’s name in vain. Keep the Sabbath. Honor Mom and Dad. No murder, adultery, theft, false witnessing, or coveting. What commandments I don’t break on the outside, I break on the inside. So how can I be made righteous? And Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to FULFILL them.” (emphasis mine) So when Jesus came, He didn’t get rid of the Law, but instead showed that He is the only one who can perfectly obey the law. He lived a perfect life, and in His perfect life, fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures. As John the Baptist announced, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Putting my coffee down, I started reading again, this time going slowly forward. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets, which will not go away or be changed because of Jesus. Even though I can’t keep and teach the commandments perfectly like Jesus, I can still try. It would be kinda cool to be called great in the kingdom of Heaven! The only righteousness I have has been imputed to me by Jesus because I believe in Him, therefore my righteousness DOES exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. I will therefore enter the kingdom of Heaven. Thank you, Jesus, for taking the punishment for my sin when you died on the cross. Will you enter the kingdom of Heaven? Ponder this as you enjoy Mozart. First published in Pursuing Perfection on Substack by © Tessa Lind, tessalind.substack.com

This mortal life is finite. On my drive to work this morning, it dawned on me that all of our lives have an expiration date. A “best if used by” date, if you prefer. Most of us have little to no idea when that date will be. Some have been issued a date by a physician as a result of a terminal illness. Others on death row may have been assigned a date of execution. But for most of us, that exact date remains an unknown mystery. That’s not really the point of this story. The point of this writing is to explore our best use of the limited precious time we have left. Generally speaking, I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in divine purpose and alignment according to God’s perfect Will. Following the meditation on this expiration date philosophy on the way, I arrived at the office and noticed an email from a fellow Medium reader/writer who had commented on one of my stories with a link to his own ponderings on a similar subject. link here, so I perceived it as confirmation. What I don’t want to do here is repeat the same story or listicle you’ve already undoubtedly read plenty of times. And, truth be told, each individual’s list of priorities should be unique to them. This may not be a new question to ask yourself, but when you imagine laying on your “death bed” (assuming it is not a sudden, unexpected demise and that you have enough mental clarity to answer this question) which activities will be the ones you wish you had invested more time doing? Conversely, which time-wasters could you potentially regret? Moving Beyond the Scroll Social media is not all bad. Certainly there is value in connecting with people, especially when the conversations or saved memories are particularly meaningful or useful for tracking important dates. But let’s be honest. I seriously doubt I will wish I had spent more time scrolling through social media at the end of my time here. Time spent with the people I love and the people my spirit is led to comfort ranks high on my list of greatest priorities. Daily conversations with God tops my list. Faith and the Journey to Sobriety Amazing Grace I was blind, but now I see… Although I was introduced to faith in God as a young child (1970s), and experienced an unforgettably intimate moment (1995) with Jesus while pregnant with my son listening to a gifted cassette of baby lullabies, the year (2017) I got sober my spiritual eyes were opened in ways like never before. One year later I made some major (rock your world) life-altering decisions. Grace in Marriage and Redemption Regarding marriage goals, Ephesians 5 and 1 Corinthians 13 come to mind. A fellow faithful writer Sienna Krieg recently wrote about some of this here, echoing some of my own thoughts on the subject. Essentially living Ephesians 5 (ALL of it) out in my marriage became of utmost importance to me. Although I had studied about the hope of winning my unbelieving husband over without words in 1 Peter 3 and had also learned about the possibility of an unequally yoked spouse being sanctified in 1 Corinthians 7:14 as well as reading about the fact that God hates divorce in Malachi 2:16 a part of me felt like I was dying inside one day at a time, because I could only experience part of Ephesians 5 instead of the whole chapter as God’s design for marriage explained. Thank God, my Higher Power is God of forgiveness, faithfulness, agape love, and redemption. Through my wilderness wandering alone with only Jesus by my side through the world lockdown (2020) I was quietly led into a humble Ephesians 5, 4:2, 2:4, 3:20–21 marriage this time. God is amazing. He proves that fact to me over and over again with each new sunrise, sunset, and deep breath I am able to take in one moment at a time. Additionally, my gift to you the reader is letting you in on this little secret (you may or may not have already discovered for yourself) The entire Bible is God’s LOVE story to us [believers] His eternal bride. Thank you Kevin Bettany for reminding me of this vital fact through your poignant marriage testimony shared below in the comments. Conclusion: Ultimately, our time here is a gift, not a guarantee. By realigning our daily habits with our eternal values — choosing connection over consumption and faith over distraction — we begin to live not just for the moment, but for the legacy of love and purpose we leave behind. Let your remaining days be defined not by what you accumulated, but by how deeply you loved and how faithfully you walked your path. Journal Questions: If your life is a story with a finite number of pages, what is the central theme you want to emphasize in the chapter you are writing today? What is one “time-waster” you can commit to trading for a meaningful interaction this week? How does your faith or spiritual practice shape the way you view your daily priorities? In what ways have you experienced grace or redemption during your most difficult seasons? When you imagine looking back on your life, what single act of kindness or connection do you hope remains in the memory of those you love? © 2026 Nora Gwen Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Knowing God. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

A Simple, Scripture-Based Answer There's a lot of talk about sin in church, in Scripture, in the media and in everyday conversation. But if someone stopped you and asked, "okay, but what actually is sin?" how would you answer? That's what I'm hoping to answer for you today in a neat and tidy way that makes sense without doctrine or denominations involved, just straight from Scripture. Sin Is a Transgression, Not Just a Mistake At its core, sin is a transgression against God's law. It's not just "doing something bad" or "making a mistake." It's a violation of who God is and what He's called us to. "Sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4) "for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23) Scripture describes sin like a debt, a debt too heavy and dark for any of us to carry on our own. And that debt has a consequence. Sin leads to death, not just the kind where you stop breathing, but a harsher separation, one that keeps us from ever being in God's presence. That's the weight sin carries. It's what stands between us and God. Sin Didn't Start With Adam and Eve Most people assume sin began in the Garden of Eden, the moment Adam and Eve ate the fruit. But rebellion existed before that ever happened. Genesis 2:17 records God's warning not to eat from the tree, "but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” This warning came before the fall of humanity. Which tells us rebellion had already occurred in heaven because of satan. Scripture points to satan as the first to sin, corrupting a third of the angels with him (Revelation 12:3-10). Before humanity ever fell, pride was already there. The Root of Sin Is Pride The Bible doesn't always use the word "pride" directly, but it paints a clear picture through language like "conceited," or in the original Greek, "puffed up," an inflation of self beyond its rightful place. "not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil." (1 Timothy 3:6) This is the pattern Scripture shows us again and again. Self-exaltation leads to downfall. "Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) Why This Matters Pride rarely announces itself. It creeps in ever so subtly, in the credit we think we deserve, the recognition we crave, the control we want to protect. That's the same root that started it all in the garden, and it's still spreading today, in all of us. Sin isn't just an idea or a rule we broke. It's the debt we can't pay, the weight we can't carry, the thing standing between us and God's presence. Understanding that is the first step to understanding why any of the rest of it, grace, forgiveness, restoration, matters so much. © 2026 Jane Isley Continue Exploring: 📖The First Sin Didn’t Happen in Eden— Where pride and rebellion truly began. 📖 If I Sin and Die Before Confessing, Will I Go to Heaven? — What happens when sin catches you off guard, and why the answer isn't about a perfect confession record. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

Softer message, bigger crowd, smaller truth. The church has one job Jesus gave it: make disciples. Teach people how to follow Him, the comfort and the correction, the grace and the cost. But discipleship is demanding, and demand is bad for attendance. So in a lot of places the message got softened, the hard parts got trimmed, and the Gospel got a rebrand. Scripture warned us this would come. Paul told Timothy a time would arrive when people would no longer put up with sound doctrine, but would gather teachers to tell them what their itching ears wanted to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). That warning reads like a description of the present church culture. You can see it in messages that never mention sin, in leaders more concerned with platform than truth, in a Christianity marketed like a brand When a church starts asking "what keeps people coming back?" instead of "what does God say?", it has stopped discipling and started performing. The four articles below diagnose that drift from four angles. One names what the church is for, before we measure how far it has wandered. One exposes the softening of the message itself. One traces how a congregation goes silent and drifts together. And one shows what happens when the whole thing becomes a performance. Read them in order, or jump to the one that names what you have been sensing. Start with what the church is actually for. Before diagnosing the drift, it helps to remember the mandate. Brian Tubbs's It's Not the Church's Job to Validate You; It's to Disciple You draws a clear line. The church doesn't exist to affirm you, flatter you, or revolve around your preferences. Its job, per Jesus's own Great Commission, is to make disciples, to teach people how to follow Him, even when that's uncomfortable. A church that disagrees with you or challenges you isn't failing; it may be doing exactly its job. This is the baseline the other three measure against, because you can't see how far the church has drifted until you know what it was built to do. Then watch the message itself get softened. Dr. Anudeep Manne's Speaking the Whole Truth: When Churches Soften God's Word puts the drift under a spotlight. As the prosperity Gospel spread, preaching grew less confrontational and more comforting, feeding people what they want to hear so they keep coming back. But God's Word carries both sweet and bitter: "all have sinned" and "God so loved the world," and you can't preach one while burying the other. Real biblical teaching comforts and convicts. A Gospel that only soothes has been turned from a double-edged sword into a bouquet of flowers. Then see how a congregation drifts together. The softening doesn't happen only at the pulpit; it happens in the pews, one silent nod at a time. My article Mob Mentality Breeds Apostasy traces the self-feeding cycle: a leader drifts off course, conviction stirs in the room, but comfort wins and everyone stays quiet. One person, then another, until the whole body is reading the room instead of reading their Bibles. Psychology calls it mob mentality. Scripture calls it apostasy, itching ears gathering teachers who say what they want to hear, and a church slowly becoming a crowd primed for deception. Then watch it become a performance. When truth is optional, image takes over, and Gary Ellis's When Christianity Becomes a PR Stunt names the endpoint. Faith turned into a brand, a campaign slogan, a badge of purity worn over lives that don't match, Jesus's name repeated like a magic password while the actual stories, the grace, the struggle, the cost, get brushed aside because they don't serve the narrative. When Christianity becomes marketing, Ellis writes, it's no longer Christianity. And the exhausting irony is that the fake versions are exactly what drive sincere people away. (Ellis passed in 2026; his work remains in the archive in his memory.) Where this leaves you. A church that trades truth for comfort, correction for applause, and substance for image hasn't modernized, it has drifted from the One it claims to serve. The remedy isn't cynicism or walking away from faith itself; it's the opposite, a return to the whole counsel of God, to discipleship over validation, to being the church rather than performing as one. If you've felt the ache of watching Christianity turned into a product, you're not imagining it, and you're not wrong to want the real thing back. © Jane Isley