Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NLT) Who do you allow into your inner circle? Our relationships affect us more than we realize. Too often, we give up our peace by letting the wrong people into our inner circle. We need to create our lives on purpose, and that includes intentionally choosing our close friends. The truth is that no one has the right to walk into your inner circle unless they earn your trust. What happens if a close friend breaks your trust? Forgive them, but remember that forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean restoring the relationship to where it was. Sometimes, the people who have broken your trust may need to be kept at …

A quarrelsome person in a dispute is like kerosene thrown on a fire. Proverbs 26:21 (MSG) How do you deal with difficult situations, when someone messes with you or gets under your skin? All too often, we seem to have one of two reactions. The first reaction involves becoming condescending and judgmental. When we’re offended, we criticize others while justifying our own thoughts and actions. We act like we’re ‘high and mighty’ with our manmade rules and religious ideas. If we’re not careful, we can live in this state of resentment, constantly feeling bitter, indignant or angry. When someone rubs you the wrong way, it’s important to remember that offence can’t be done to you. Offence is what you do to yourself. You get to decide how …

Do not be afraid, you who are highly regarded by God. May peace rest on you and make you whole; be strong; be brave. Daniel 10:19 (VOICE) What is stealing your peace and keeping you up at night? Without peace, your mind and health are compromised. When we’re in constant turmoil, we develop thinking habits and belief systems in our lives that hurt us. We struggle to be at peace, and our bodies can’t heal and be restored the way God designed them to. You were created to live in a peace that’s supernatural. I’m not saying that you won’t struggle with anxiety at times, and there are physiological and medical causes of anxiety that sometimes need to be addressed. If you’ve done all you …

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognize them as men who had been with Jesus. Act 4:13 (NLT) Do you have a friend who is successful in an area that you want success in? Maybe you have one that is an established business person and you’re just starting out. Or, maybe they’re an A student and you want to create better study habits. As you spend time with this person, you find that you become more like him or her. People rub off on us when we spend time with them. This same things happens when you …

…I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. John 10:18 (NKJV) Sometimes the way Jesus is portrayed really bothers me. Because He was humble and He served others, many assume that He was a pushover. They portray Him as a weak, mild-mannered guy who put up with people that abused and took advantage of Him. That’s not the Jesus I see in the Bible. Jesus is humble, but He knows who He is. He said, I am the light of the world (John 8:12) I am the Son of God (John 10:36), and no …