'faith' Tagged Posts (Page 12)

Technology is ever-evolving. My iPhone 8 Plus 3 years later is now considered “old” amongst the latest iPhone 12. And it’s also not functional anymore. The SIM card is failing every 5 minutes. It starts working again when I turn it off and on again, but it only lasts for another 5 minutes until I reboot it. Is this done purposely by the phone companies? I don’t know, but I can say this, the phone companies are eager to give…

Toxicity can be found anywhere. You will find toxic people at work, school, or even church. No place is safe from people who will try to bring you down. God gives us discernment to let us know who is for us and who is not. Good people are with you through thick and then and expect nothing in return. Sadly in our culture, people who give without expectation are rare. “The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults.…

It’s okay to mourn. The Bible says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4 NIV). It also says, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalm 16:5 NIV). These are promises in Scripture that we can bank on. It doesn’t say we won’t cry tears, but it does say we will overcome and even have “songs of joy.” I know this life is filled with unfair things. People who to jail…

Life isn’t a straight line. It certainly hasn’t been for me, at least. I have already been talking about how I have moved from house to house in a two-year period. I’m starting to see that God is using my setback, to set me up for my big breakthrough. I have been back in North Carolina for over two weeks, and I have already been making ten times the money I was making in Florida as a freelancer, and I’ve…

I had a significant rock-bottom moment recently, and it really was an emotional time for me. I got evicted last month, and it was heart-breaking, not so much of me getting evicted but having to leave Jacksonville once again after going through so much trouble trying to settle down there. It sucked not being able to move in with one of my friends, but the good news is that I get to live with my cousin rent-free while establishing myself…

Politics have been such a hot-button issue in the church in the past year. Many Christians vote Republican because it aligns more with their Christian values, but many Black Christians vote Democrat because they feel the Democrat party better represents their race. As Christians, we should be good citizens (Romans 13:1-7), but we shouldn’t idolize any political party or politician. Flawed and sinful men and women run both parties, and our true Leader is King Jesus Christ.

Jesus had the heart for the innocent, those who didn’t have the social power nor evil motives. Jesus came as the oppressed because he wanted to show people that you don’t need money to prove how Holy you are. You just need an open heart. “At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said,…

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’, and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove…

I have been blessed with some incredible friends in the past few years. The biggest reason why I enjoyed living in Jacksonville so much was the great friends I made there.  If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have enjoyed living in Jacksonville so much.  My friends have encouraged me and helped me get through tough times even though they didn’t always have the money to do so. I’ve grown so much spiritually since moving to Florida, and it stinks…

It is human nature to have relationships with people and engage in conversations. As Christians, we know that our guidance about human relationships is provided in the Bible. But what about the everyday activity of talking? It seems simple, yet the Bible includes a wealth of verses about talking. We are warned that if we leave our mouths open, we will come to ruin, but if we guard what we say, we can preserve our lives (Proverbs 13:3). In Ephesians,…

“Tell me, who can stand before us when we call on that great name? Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus – we have the victory.” This congregational praise song has lifted many hearts and spirits; however, it conveys a singular truth that’s worth a short exploration. We have the victory, or at the very least, the one that ultimately counts. Too often, we are bombarded with our failures, whether they be of the past, present or potential future, to consider this thing…

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1 [NLT] Lately, I have been talking about staying encouraged because I experienced firsthand how discouragement can ruin your peace. Satan’s loves when we feel discouraged because he knows…

God never had any favorites in the Bible. He loved and chastised His people throughout scripture, and even today, God will give us our comeuppance if we step out of bounds. God is a God of equality. He may not give us all the same thing. But He loves us equally. “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone…

I’ve been hearing many Christian YouTubers criticize Christian movies and Christian music for being too cheesy and subpar to what the world is offering. Admittedly, I share often share this sentiment. Christian music has grown over the past 50 years, to the point where you now have a “Christian” flavor of every genre of music. Christian rock at one point was played moderately on MTV and other secular rock platforms. Christian movies seem to be a dime a dozen where…

God always has His ultimate purpose, but God knows we’re going to get off course but He still going to lead us to our purpose in the context of our circumstances. God still allowed me to have a place of my own despite coming from a toxic family environment my first few months in Jacksonville. I think God is going to bless me here in North Carolina despite the financial mistakes I made back in Florida. I still think there’s…

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” – 1 Corinthians 6:12 I was reading a post from a friend of mine earlier, and the post was about a video of Christian woman wearing bikinis. I knew it was going to get controversial, but it straight up got ugly real fast. I personally didn’t have an issue with the…

Dating is a huge part of modern society. It’s the slow transition between friendship and marriage. Most people date for companionship, but as Christians, we should look a dating differently than how the world views it. Dating should be a stepping stone to marriage and not just a way of saying “hey, I have a boyfriend or a girlfriend.” The Bible has nothing to say about dating per se since the idea of courtship wasn’t a cultural concept during Biblical…

God loves “little old me.” I am using a metaphor for myself. I am neither short nor elderly. But I can feel “little,” meaning I feel insignificant because of my past mistakes compared to the Great I Am. When you fly on an airplane, you really see how “little” each human being is. God wanted a relationship with me, even though I am much smaller than Him. John 15:5, says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in…

Everyone wants to be a leader, but no one wants to carry the burden of a leader. As someone called into entrepreneurship, I know how tough it is to fight the pushback of playing small or playing it safe. Being an entrepreneur is cool now, but most people won’t last a month owning a business. Being a leader requires taking risks and making tough decisions that may not go well with the majority. It takes a level of strength and…

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. – Matthew 6:24 [NKJV] The Bible does not say we “should not” or “must not,” but we cannot serve God and mammon. You will always end up loving one and despising the other. It must be God or mammon. Mammon means “gain.” Including money…