Throughout Jesus' ministry, He took time away from the crowds and even His disciples to pray by Himself. Jesus modeled the importance of not only serving God with our actions but of being still and drawing close to God to renew our souls.

Jesus is coming back - it could even be today.

Our fleshly nature tempts us to put ourselves above others or seek a position or place for ourselves instead of allowing others to have it.

Some believe we have little or no role in our own Christian maturity. God does everything, they think, and we simply have to "let go and let God." After all, if it's the "fruit of the Spirit," we should passively let him work within us as we abide in Christ.

Grace means forgiveness-period.

This is a time when all of God's people need to keep their eyes and their Bibles wide open. We must ask God for discernment as never before.

Scripture suggests that meditating on the Word of God can have an always-on effect of peace and strength in difficult times.