We live in an age of talking points and tweets where everyone has an opinion that they feel like everyone else should know about. We have become quicker to speak than any other generation before us. And when everyone has something to say, nobody feels heard.

Our life and very existence has a purpose, and I want to hit on that purpose today. It sounds so simple but here it is: We are intended to be a blessing to the world and people who bless the people around us.

In order to experience the Bible as the well-crafted masterpiece that it is, we have to learn how to recognize the unique literary styles and techniques that the biblical authors are using.

When you are reading the New Testament and you come across an Old Testament reference that raises questions or piques your curiosity, stop and take a few minutes to do these two things.

I recently wrote about the practice of beginning each morning by meditating on the Scriptures. Since then some of you have asked me how to include your whole family into reading Scripture together. Well, after several years of trial and error, I thought I’d share how we are currently trying to implement this practice into the weekly rhythm of our family.

Whatever your goals may be, we all know that there are things in our lives that we need to alter or do better, and the New Year offers us the ceremonial fresh start that motivates us to actually start implementing these things into our daily routines and weekly rhythms.

Every marriage experiences moments where grace and forgiveness are needed. One day your spouse will do something that hurts you. One day your spouse will wrong you in some way. One day a conflict will arise and some conflict will ensue.

Living our lives with this consumer mindset often makes it difficult for us to commit to anything because we have this ongoing fear that we are potentially missing out on something better.