Never let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God.

Obedience is our responsibility. The outcome is God's responsibility. As we learn to trust him with our future, trust him with those we love, trust him as our provider, and trust his sovereign plan, that gives us the foundation to step out in faith. We can trust that he'll always be faithful.

You are not who others say you are. You are who God says you are.

The New Testament is peppered with "one another" reminders. While Scripture says to love another, encourage one another, offer hospitality to one another, be kind to one another, many people are content tolerating one another, if not ignoring one another.

I'd argue that people today aren't rejecting Christ so much as they're rejecting the church.

When we generally make healthy choices about food (or wise choices about life), we tend to move in the right direction, living as we believe God wants us to live. If we make an intentional exception for a special treat or for a diversion, that might not be a big deal. But if we step off the best path, we're tempted to detour into more unwise choices. In that case, your decision does matter.

The truth: you have what you need. Watch out for excuses. Whenever you're tempted to whine about what you don't have, remember that God has given you everything you need to do everything He wants you to do.