The new year is knocking on our door and for many that is exciting; however, for some of us a new year is more daunting. When we are anxious about the unknown in our lives or dreading something we fear will happen, a new year isn’t so exciting. But God stands with us no matter what we face. The Book of Hebrews says, “So we say with confidence,“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” If for you, the new year is more daunting than it is ex

In the final days of this year, most of us are thinking about what we are going to change in the next year to achieve the things we want in our life. While this is a great endeavor, most of us take the wrong approach towards it. We focus more on what we can do at home, at work, or what habits to change. But the Bible doesn’t teach that good things come from these things alone — they come from the Lord. In James, it says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story about a man whose gesture this Christmas showed where his priorities lie. Doug Hayes of Oregon recently made a seemingly strange purchase: a school bus. His ten grandchildren all go to the same small Christian school, but there is not a bus that picks them up for it. He decided to change that by purchasing a school bus to take them to school that he has dubbed the “Grandfather Express.” His small gesture was so that he could s

Have you ever considered that to someone who knows nothing of Jesus, no preconceived notions, when they hear of Him — it is much like the shepherds in the fields? How glorious it must have been, out of nowhere, to learn that there is a savior! For most of us, though, we all know of Jesus and either believe in him, or due to preconceived notions, do not believe in him as the Christ. But the shepherds and those who know of Jesus but do not have faith in him have one important d

Merry Christmas! We all know the story of Jesus’ birth in a lowly manger because there was no room anywhere else, but have you ever considered just how sad and terrible that must have felt for Mary and Joseph? The Lord had not previously told them they would have to give birth covered in hay and surrounded by livestock, so the fact that they tried to find anywhere else to go except the where they ended up shows they were not thrilled about their birthing location. That moment

We all know that Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but it is also so much more than that. God promised to us a Savior through his prophets and Jesus’ birth was that promise coming true. How incredible is it that what our God promises us will, without a doubt, come true? Luke put it this way, “For no word from God will ever fail.” Thus, when we hear God speak into our lives, we should listen. Trust what God puts on your heart. Tod

The final days before Christmas are typically marked by commercials and ads about “last minute deals” to suggest (sometimes a little too forcefully!) that we all need to keep buying gifts for others up to the last minute before Christmas. We have all felt that pressure. Generosity is a wonderful thing, but buying for the sake of having something to give isn’t exactly what Jesus had in mind for the holiday celebrating his birth. Nor was it what the three wise men had in mind w

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of kindness that illustrates what it means to value others over ourselves. A Virgin Airlines passenger named Jack recently got to know an 88-year-old grandmother named Violet in the terminal before takeoff. Violet was flying on the same flight as Jack from New York to the UK after visiting her daughter. Her visit was long overdue as her knees had prevented her from the long flight. As they boarded, Jack offered his first class

The House voted to impeach the President yesterday after months of contentious debate and a level of partisanship that has never been seen before in this country. Whatever comes next for our nation will depend upon the hearts of each person in this country and the things those hearts produce. Jesus taught that people are not corrupted by external influences or things they put into their bodies; they are corrupted by letting loose what is already in their own hearts. We all ha

Our behavior is what signals to the world the most about us. Most people will never understand what goes on in our minds, our intentions, or hear our words. Our actions are what most people will remember about us. Thus, believing with our minds and professing with our mouths is not enough for the world to understand that we are a follower of Christ – our behaviors must demonstrate this fact for all to see. Often, our behaviors are the last, and hardest, thing to change in our