Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.  1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT)  I’m going to say something that might shock some people: I think Christians don’t fight enough. Now, let me qualify that statement. I’m not talking about picking fights or arguing with people—although conflict can be necessary and healthy when we need to work things out.   I’m talking about the sedate way many believers go through life. I’ve heard many preachers talk about trusting God. But the way they instruct people to trust Him is so passive that people begin to believe they don’t have to take any responsibility for themselves.   Because of that, …

“Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”  1 Samuel 14:6 (NLT)  God is drawn toward movement.  First Samuel 14:1–23 shares a great example of this. While King Saul and the Israelite army camped out near the Philistines’ military outpost, Saul’s son, Jonathan, decided to take action. He told his armour-bearer, “Let’s approach the enemy base. If they tell us to come up and fight, that means God will help us defeat them!”   The Philistines saw the two Israelites approaching from a disadvantaged position and naturally invited them to fight. As Jonathan …

Júntate con sabios y obtendrás sabiduría; júntate con necios y te echarás a perder. Proverbios 13:20 (DHH)  Según Proverbios 13:20, andar con gente sabia lo hace sabio. Del mismo modo, si usted desea mejorar su autoestima, deberá establecer relaciones con personas que estén felices y se sientan bien consigo mismas.  Si las actitudes de los demás lo afectan negativamente, ¿cómo crecerá para Dios? Dios quiere que usted se levante y sea todo lo que Él dice que usted puede ser, y si las personas con las que pasa su tiempo le impiden crecer en una dirección positiva, es posible que deba distanciarse.  No estoy sugiriendo que abandone a cada amigo que sufra de autoestima baja. Sin embargo, incluso las mejores amistades tendrán que enfrentar heridas …

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.  1 Corinthians 3:10 (NKJV)  Many people spend their lives responding to other people’s crises while their own lives sit idle. When problems arise, they are fantastic at reacting to people’s needs. But don’t mistake a life of reaction for a life of action.   Now, should we help people out, visit the sick and comfort the hurting? Absolutely! However, God also calls us to do something proactive—not just reactive—with our lives.   Years ago, God dealt with me on this issue. My parents taught me to fight the good fight of faith, so I have no problem pulling down strongholds, speaking the …

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17 (NLT)  I’ve noticed some believers develop a certain pride about staying “holy.” I hear things like, “Pastor, I’ve been married sixty years and never once cheated on my wife,” or, “I’ve always been honest and never broken a promise.” It sounds virtuous to say, “Nobody can hold a sin against me. Look at how well I avoided doing any of these wrong things my whole life.” While that’s good, the greater question is, did you actually live along the way? What did you do for the Kingdom?   The problem is that we often think to live “holy” means not to commit certain sins. But today’s verse reminds us …