Some days it can be very difficult to feel compassion for those we disagree with or who are different from us. Try as we might, our own thoughts and prejudices hold us back from truly connecting with others. God wants so much more for us than for us to just live life with people just like us. He sent his Son to show us how to break free from such an existence. In 1 Samuel, God says, “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on

As Thanksgiving is approaching, we all are prompted to remember our blessings and give thanks for them. But whom should we be thanking? Giving thanks to the people who have blessed us is important but giving thanks to God is the most important. It is only by His hand that any of us can live, breath, work, and love. The Bible says, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Give thanks because God’s love for us endures forever. Today, give thanks beca

While the political news these days surrounds controversy over the election, it is important to remember that we are not locked into the binary decision of “for” or “against” that others may expound. In Romans, it says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” God is present in all things, but His ultimate will for us may not always be

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

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of a young man who has found a unique way to provide for his community using resources most would overlook. This past August, a derecho hit an area of Iowa, whose 140 mph winds wreaked havoc on the area. 12-year-old Tommy Rhomberg’s house was spared but driving around his town, he saw the huge number of downed trees and destruction others faced. He wanted to help and had an idea to repurpose branches of fallen trees into baseb

Confused could be an apt word to describe all of us at times this year. With such big things happening in 2020, discerning God's will in all of it is confusing, too. The Bible says, "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." How can this be when we are confused to what His plan is for all of us? It is the truth because in Jesus, no matter what the world is doing, telling us, or showing us, we can have peace. We are loved, cared for, and will never be forsaken -- this w

With the nation seeing spikes in COVID again, how we deal with them is very passionately discussed in the media these days. There are a lot of opinions but not a single one is without consequences. In those potential consequences there is a lot of fear and anxiety. Paul wrote to the Romans about what living for Jesus meant, as well as the practical implications of living that way. On this he wrote, “There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed

The world is always in full force trying to convince each of us of something. But should we be surprised? The world is always striving to sell us an idea, a vision, or a mentality that is not from God. The way we know it is not from God is that the product of that mentality is anger, bitterness, and the desire to judge others. God created the world but made the best things in life impossible to see – faith, hope, and love. Hebrews says, “Now faith is the assurance of things h

As we begin a new week, many of carry the stresses of last week into today. As much as we strive to keep positive, there are always things in our lives that we wish were different, we wish would be blessed, or that we wish we did not have to endure. However, life is about continual growth. God does not allow his faithful to remain in the same place forever because if we are not continuing to grow, we are not able to reach others for God. It is in our growth and learning that

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of one man whose idea and efforts are helping people connect during these tough times. Performance artist Brandon Woolf, in New York City, recently had the idea to revive letter-writing as a meaningful form of connection. We all remember the letters we received from loved ones in life, and typically, have kept them and reread them often – something we do not do with texts and emails. In the last month, Brandon spent several da