With The Trump Administration in Hanoi, Vietnam meeting with the leadership of North Korea, the talking heads of cable news are all speculating as to what will happen as a result of this summit as well as the overall strategy of how to denuclearize North Korea. Such speculation has led to many people, from all political beliefs, to jump to conclusions. When we jump to conclusions we not only are ignoring new information, we are also closing ourselves off from the possibilitie

With so much going on everyday in the news cycle, our thoughts can sometimes be very clouded by the problems of the world as well as our own personal issues. When we either don’t or aren’t able to deal with them, our problems have a tendency to only grow more and more insurmountable. What we must remember in times like this is that our God is not limited like we are. God is not limited in mind, body, spirit, or time nor does He see our problems as we do. In Ephesians, Paul pr

With the Trump Administration in Vietnam for a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, the news cycle is full of speculation about what could happen. Such a frenzy can, and usually does, stir up worries in all of us. Worry is a strange thing, though. Unlike fear or doubt, which can creep into our minds all by themselves, worry is typically a result caused by either one. When thought of that way, worry becomes a choice rather than an inevitability. The Bible tells

There is so much pressure these days on each of us to be perfect. We see everyday our friends and family — as well as celebrities and “influencers” — on social media living the life we want for ourselves. Whether it be someone buying a house, having a baby, taking a vacation, or losing weight, there is always something we want for ourselves that we see someone else obtaining. We look at our own lives and see our own cracks and blemishes but are unable to see the same in other

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of sacrifice in order to relieve a real burden on others. The congregation of the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA has fasted certain things from their lives each January for several years. These have included social media, junk food, alcohol, or other items. However this year, the church asked its congregation to fast from spending money on non-essential items so that they then could give that money to an import

In recent years, bullying on social media has ramped up dramatically; however, the majority of the bullying stems not from people taking perverse pleasure in making others feel bad, but instead from people taking perverse pleasure in making themselves feel superior to others. We’ve all made mistakes in life or said things we regret later. We’ve all also held opinions that were unpopular or different than the mainstream. None of that makes us bad people. We all will face God o

Patience is a virtue that is in small quantities these days. With entire generations growing up only knowing instantaneous gratification through the ease of technology and other societal advancements, the idea of waiting for something is becoming more and more a relic of past generations. But God beckons us to live patiently throughout the Bible because He knows both what is coming in your life and what you need right now to get through the day – and He provides both. In Isai

There is always some sort of “scandal” going on in the news – whether it be from a government official, celebrity, or even regular person caught up in the limelight. Scandals give way for countless people to give their opinions, which in turn muddies the waters of truth. In this life, we are not always going to know the truth when it comes to the affairs of other men and women. But life becomes easier, freer, and more enjoyable when we decide that the pursuit of what other pe

As we begin a new week, the burdens of work and our other responsibilities set in again. Depending on the week, these can vary tremendously both in what we face and the degree of difficulty. After all, life isn’t supposed to be easy. When it comes to burdens, there has never been a bigger burden shouldered than that by Jesus for us. But even though Jesus already carried the ultimate burden for us, He still loves us enough to help us with the smaller burdens we face each week.

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of a man who, despite challenges he was born with, has innovated a way to help himself and now is focused on helping others using the same solution. David Aguilar was born without a right forearm due to a rare genetic condition. Despite this challenge, David always loved playing with LEGOs as a child. He became so talented at building with them that at only the age of 9 he built his first prosthetic arm out of the toy bricks.