Being outspoken for Christ is not always well received by the world, but Christians have faced such resistance since the days Jesus walked the earth. Jesus never said standing for him would be easy. At times, we can all feel like we need more than our quiet time with the Lord each day when we feel like we’re under attack from the enemy. Paul told the Ephesians, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.“ God protects us whe

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of a teen in Tennessee who is going the distance when it comes to helping his community. East Tennessee 14-year-old William Cabaniss loves baking, and he remembers vividly watching the long lines at local food banks on the news as he was baking some brownies. He was struck by those images, and in his hand at the time was vanilla extract. He had a great idea then: he would raise funds for local food banks by making and selling

We are all at times looking for a hand up in life, or at least some sort of help. The help we desire comes from the Lord, whether directly or through His people. We know this, but sometimes we still look elsewhere for that help. It comes from time to time, but will never exceed our expectations – that sort of help, the kind that is exceedingly and abundantly above what we could have imagined – comes only from God. When we live both by and for the Lord, we know this help when

Our God is a big God who does big things, however He is also God of the small, too. Sometimes we forget that God cares about the details of our lives, instead just thinking He cares more about the big decisions and paths we walk along. God cares about the small things in our lives, too – the days, hours, even minutes as well as the small and mundane decisions we make each day. Jesus said, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Wh

Picking up from yesterday’s post, we know that consulting the Lord before making decisions will lead to the Lord making our paths straight. However, just because a path is straight does not mean it is easy. Nothing great in life comes easy, but in our struggles, God not only sees our faith in action but prepares us to help others struggling behind us. We’ve all heard the old adage, “In your pain, you will find your purpose.” This is true, but especially when we faithfully end

We all are forced to make decisions in life, some big and some small. But each one takes us to the next step in our lives. That is why it is so important to seek the Lord before any decision, big or small. Proverbs says, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” When we want something too much or chase something without consulting the Lord first, we end up venturing down paths He did not create for us. Today, if you have a decision before you,

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of truly good news about our nation as a whole. A recent survey by Lending Tree has found that not only has charitable giving remained a major part of most people’s lives during the pandemic, it has actually increased in some cases. With nearly unprecedented unemployment and economic pain, most would think that charitable giving would have dried up considerably. However, that was not the case. Even more incredibly, giving inc

God is always with us and when we live for Him and with Him everyday, our normally selfish and earthly desires melt away. The closer we are to God, the more our gut reactions to things we disagree with or do not like will reflect His will. Jesus famously said in Matthew, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Today, lay down your desires for revenge or victory over you

We are typically not led astray by falsehoods or bold-faced lies. Most of us can pick up on something that is not the case pretty quickly and change course if we are letting it lead us. What often trips us up is relative, or partial, truths – ideas or claims that are partially true or have some root of truth to them, but do not apply unilaterally. These partial truths always have some supporting evidence, but also have exceptions or flaws. In these exceptions and flaws, there

The world is not a black and white place where it is obvious to all what is evil and what is good. The enemy works in the lives of all kinds of people, not just those on one side of or the other of the political aisle. In big election years, it is easy to count yourself as a member of one side of the political aisle instead of the other, emphasizing the good of that side and ignoring the bad. Though we all will need to make a binary decision in November, that doesn't mean tha