What’s the difference between “virtue development,” “rule keeping,” and “you do you”? While these are each ways that we can live, the Bible tells us that we have a big responsibility for our own spiritual formation.  And that formation and the process of becoming more like Jesus is an intentional, lifelong process of virtue development.     

What does it mean to be a Christian in today’s world? Sometimes opposition from the culture around us can be overwhelming. In such an adverse world, we need to be reminded of what it means to be a Christian and ask ourselves: Are we being formed into the likeness of Jesus Christ or influenced by a hostile world?

Do you ever pause to truly reflect on the gospel and what it means for your life? If so, how does that reflection embolden you to share it with others? Consider who in your life needs to hear the gospel, and then share and celebrate the good news with them.   

Do you ever pause and take inventory of the health of your relationships? It’s important to do so because the intentional growth, health, and well-being of your relationships begins with an honest assessment. Then the steps after the assessment are to create and implement a wisely crafted, specific plan for ways to improve your relationships.  

When we consider building intentional families, there are four specific principles we should put into practice — legacy, likelihood, lenses, and learning. Each of these principles require that parents or any person raising a child(ren) be diligent and intentional in the way they parent, with keeping God at the center.    

God designed families and marriage as incubators for children to experience and know Him. In fact, the model for Christian marriage is the relationship between Jesus and the Church.  Whether you’re currently married or are interested in marriage, it’s important to understand and model God’s desire for us to build intentional and Christ-centered marriages.   

Have you considered that God’s plan to change the world starts with wanting to change each of us? His plan to change the world is to present a new humanity seen in the lives of the people who are following Jesus. As you move forward in today’s world, how can you be a changed life, sharing the love of Jesus?

Do you pray for and share the love of Jesus with others? God’s heart is for every person to be prayed for and to have repeated opportunities to both hear and respond to the gospel.  And the closer we are to God, the more we will want to tell others about Him. 

Is there an area of your life that is poisoned by anger? If so, what would it mean to surrender that anger to God? Since God’s heart toward people is often very different from ours, we can actually transform our way of thinking when we conform our heart toward His.

You might have heard that God is a God of second chances. In your life, has this been true? Has God given you a second chance at choices or decisions you’ve made? As we see in Jonah, God gave him a second chance to obey Him.