To require God to prove that He is able and willing to fulfill His promises would be proof positive that one does not trust Him.

At least one indication of unbelief is the tendency to measure life's challenges against our own adequacy instead of God's promises. To enter our Sabbath rest, we must put an end to self-reliance - trusting in our own abilities to overcome difficulties, rise above challenges, escape tragedies, or achieve personal greatness.

Leadership is influence. To the extent we influence others, we lead them.

Grace has to be the loveliest word in the English language. It embodies almost every attractive quality we hope to find in others. Grace is a gift of the humble to the humiliated. Grace acknowledges the ugliness of sin by choosing to see beyond it. Grace accepts a person as someone worthy of kindness despite whatever grime or hard-shell casing keeps him or her separated from the rest of the world. Grace is a gift of tender mercy when it makes the least sense.

Two words will help you cope when you run low on hope: accept and trust.

When each elder or pastor has his will aligned with the Lord's, we waste no time arguing for our own.

There are times we need to tell ourselves, "Good job!" when we know that is true.