I trust the plants will get watered… when I see it raining outside. I trust that I’ll have plenty to pay the bills… when the checking account balance is hefty. I trust that I won’t go hungry… when the fridge and pantry are stocked.But when there are no gray clouds? When the account balance is barely above water? When I can clearly see the back of the fridge and pantry? Trust doesn’t come so easily during those times. How foolish of us, though, to presume that what we see with our eyes is more reliable than what God promises in his Word: he will provide. Always.Series: What Makes Christians Different?

What do you consider your life’s top priorities? Many people start with family and friends. Financial security and health follow closely. Reputation and recreation make the cut. How about faith? Is it the top priority? What if other priorities must be sacrificed to keep faith the top priority?The Bible helps Christians keep worldly wealth in perspective. It can buy the things of this world, things that rust and decay, but there is something more valuable. True riches are spiritual riches. Those can be found only in God and his eternal blessings for us in Christ. And that kind of wealth will have a far greater impact in our lives than any worldly wealth ever could.Series: What Makes Christians Different?

Believer or not, it’s pretty well understood that idolatry isn’t a good thing. And, believer or not, it’s pretty natural to assume that idolatry is something that applies to others, not me. But when God defines idolatry, his definition refuses to allow the cushion of wiggle room we’d like to think we have. We are to love him first and best. Certainly not “after” anything or anyone else. But also, not “in addition to.” And, not “alongside.” Unless we love him first and best, we are idolaters. Rejoice, then, that it’s his love for us that is first and best, and upon which the certainty of our salvation rests.Series: What Makes Christians Different?

Planting seed by hand can be extraordinary. In your hand, the seed looks lifeless and insignificant. You put the seed into the soil, and suddenly, all by itself, the seed germinates and sprouts and reaches to the sun. Except when it doesn’t! Plant multiple seeds, and often only some will grow.The Bible describes Christians as planted by the Word. Why do some people grow in faith, and not others? What makes Christians different? The Bible describes the supernatural process by which God calls people to faith through the gospel. He promises that his Word always accomplishes his purpose. One of those purposes is for those who have been planted by the Word to participate in the continuation of planting the seed of God’s Word so that he might grow faith in others, too.Series: What Makes Christians Different?

We need rest. Without rest, we suffer. Studies show that with too little rest, people experience fatigue and physical imbalances that result in decreased attention, poor decisions, and even speech impairment. People who take no breaks during the workday have lower productivity than those who take periodic breaks.Christians know they need more than sleep or breaks, more than physical rest. We need spiritual rest. The only place to find that type of rest is Jesus. Jesus provides more than a pause in work or enjoyable recreation. Jesus provides the removal of our sins, the cleansing of our guilty consciences, and a gentle new yoke of discipleship in the freedom of the gospel. In Jesus, Christians find rest from burdens and battles right now, and eventually eternal rest in heaven.Series: What Makes Christians Different?

Believers in God and their ministers have always been persecuted. Religious leaders in Jerusalem tried to muzzle the truth, but they only succeeded in sending people to preach the Word throughout the land. The Roman Empire persecuted Christians with stakes and lions, but God’s Church exploded with growth. In Martin Luther’s day, both pope and emperor tried to limit the gospel movement that was spreading from Germany, but God led many people to speak his truth. God wants his people to preach the Word and fight for the faith in the face of opposition.

They never forgot their past. Moses never forgot how he killed a man in a fit of anger. Paul never forgot how he had savaged the Church of God. Matthew never forgot how, as a tax collector for the Roman Empire, he was considered a traitor to his people. But God forgot their past. He forgave all their sins and called them to proclaim his mercy. Christians are sinners whom God has mercifully forgiven and called. Only grace can explain why Jesus calls us to faith and promises us salvation. Only grace can explain why Jesus calls his disciples to remember their roots as they serve out his mission of making more disciples of all nations.

God has revealed himself as triune - one God in three persons. While we should not be surprised that God would reveal himself to us in a way that leaves us in awe of his mystery, neither has he revealed himself to us in this way to leave us confused. No, God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - is clear not only in the mission he calls us to, but also in how the Holy Trinity uniquely equips us to carry it out.

Thirsty? No one has to tell you what to do when you’re thirsty - you go get a drink to quench your thirst. It’s so automatic that you hardly have to think about it. If only the same were true with our spiritual thirst! But we forget where to turn when we need to satisfy our thirsty spirit, and we so easily look in all the wrong places. Instead, turn to THE Spirit, who promises to quench our thirst. Cling to him, and you’ll never go thirsty.

The Church doesn’t exist merely as a social club. She has been redeemed and set aside for a purpose. She has a mission to carry out: to draw every soul closer to Jesus in faith. How important is that mission? Important enough that God promises to provide the necessary workers to equip his Church to carry it out.