Here’s a question worth sitting with for a little while: What are you full of? We are all full of something. We can be full of worry, fear, frustration, disappointment, our own opinions, or the voices of everyone around us. Or we can become so full of the Word, the Spirit, and the love of God that what He has placed inside of us begins to shape the way we respond to everything around us. This week’s devotional digs into a truth that we can easily know without fully living: God Himself has made us His dwelling place. 1 John 4:4 says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Think about what that actually means. So often we approach God asking Him to give us what we feel like we're missing. But what changes when we begin to understand what He has already placed within us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit? There is a big difference between constantly looking for God to do something for us and learning to allow Him to work through us. As you read THIS DEVOTIONAL, don't rush through the Scriptures. There are a lot of them for a reason. Take your time with them. Let the Word challenge what you've believed about yourself, what you carry, and what is available to you in Christ. And when you're finished, come back to this question: What is one area of your life where you need to start living from what God has already placed inside of you? Share it below if you'd like. Let's help each other move beyond simply knowing these truths and begin living like Christ in us really is the hope of glory.

This video asks a question that goes deeper than it may first appear: Why do we follow Jesus? God is good, and His Word is filled with promises. We know Him as our protector, our provider, our strength, and the One who brings true freedom. We should believe Him for everything He has promised. But what happens when the promise isn’t what keeps us close to Him? Israel experienced things most of us could hardly imagine. They watched God part the Red Sea. They ate miraculous provision in the wilderness. They saw His glory. Yet when circumstances became difficult, many of them were ready to return to Egypt. Joshua was different. While others were fascinated by what God could do, Joshua had learned to love His presence. When Moses left the tent of meeting, Scripture tells us that Joshua stayed. That speaks loudly. There is a place in our relationship with God where we stop seeking Him primarily because of what He can give us and discover that He Himself is what we want. That kind of love will keep us steady when circumstances change. It will keep us faithful when an answer takes longer than expected. It will keep our hearts from being drawn toward something else that promises an easier road. Esther unpacks this beautifully in THIS VIDEO. Before you watch, answer this question for yourself: Why do I follow Jesus? Then watch the teaching all the way through and come back to that question afterward. See if your answer has changed. More than anything God can place in our hands, may we become a people who simply want Him. ❤️

We’ve had some time to look back on everything God did during the Great Awakening Tent Revival in Van Wert, and there was such a clear progression throughout the week: Foundation. Purification. Activation. We spent much of the week teaching through the foundational truths found in Hebrews 6. As the Word went forth night after night, we watched people begin to soften. Some who seemed guarded at the beginning of the week began responding to Jesus. Multiple people came forward for salvation or rededication, several received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and we watched a fresh hunger for God begin to grow. One of the nights was centered on the baptism of fire and allowing God to refine the areas of our lives that need to change. Around 15 to 20 people responded that night, asking Jesus to remove anything that did not belong. Then it was time to put everything into action. On the final night, we taught very practically about worship, knowing the Word, speaking to our mountains, believing when we pray, acting on what we believe, and continuing to give thanks to Jesus. We never want people to leave our meetings dependent upon us. We want them to know how to stand on the Word of God and live by faith for themselves. We also saw several people healed throughout the week. One man had to be driven to the tent because of the physical difficulties he was having. After receiving prayer, he came back the next night riding his bicycle and telling us how great he felt! We love that! Then on Sunday morning, around 10 people were baptized in water. It was such a beautiful way to see what God had been doing throughout the week continue into Sunday. When we look back on Van Wert, we don’t just see a collection of great services. We see God building something in people. Foundation. Purification. Activation. That is what we want for every one of us. To know the truth. To allow Jesus to remove what doesn’t belong. And then to actually live what we believe. Some of these revival services are now available HERE inside ITC. Take some time this month to go back through them, especially if you weren’t able to be with us in Van Wert. And when you watch, don’t just watch what God was doing in the tent. Ask Him what He wants to continue doing in you.

Studying the return of Jesus should never be reduced to trying to figure out a timeline. Prophecy is meant to affect how we live. This video takes a deeper look at the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the biblical pattern of God rescuing His people before judgment. There are sincere believers who have heard very different teachings about these subjects, which makes it important that what we believe comes from Scripture rather than simply repeating what we have always been taught. But underneath all of those questions is a much more personal one. Are we ready for Jesus? We can know the terminology, have an opinion about the timing of the Rapture, and understand portions of Revelation while allowing the reality of His return to have very little effect on our everyday lives. That shouldn’t be true of us. The expectation of Jesus’ return should produce something in His people. It should make eternity more real, give urgency to sharing the Gospel, and cause us to examine whether we’re living completely surrendered to Him. Watch THIS VIDEO when you have time to really sit with your Bible. As the Scriptures are shared, pause the video when necessary and look them up for yourself. Don’t begin by asking whether you agree. Begin by asking, “What does the Word actually say?” Then come back here and tell the family one Scripture from the teaching that stood out to you most and why. Keep looking up. Jesus is coming. ❤️

One of the enemy’s favorite strategies is isolation. He knows that people who disconnect from other believers become discouraged more easily, carry heavier burdens, and often lose perspective. God never designed His family that way. The Church is much more than a weekly service. It’s where we worship together, encourage one another, grow together, and help each other stay faithful through every season of life. None of us has arrived. Every one of us still needs people who will pray with us, challenge us, celebrate with us, and remind us of God’s promises when life becomes difficult. Thank you for being part of this community. Each person here strengthens someone else’s journey more than they probably realize. As you continue to work through THIS LESSON of Am I a Christian?, think about one way you can encourage someone else this week. Sometimes one simple message or conversation becomes exactly what another believer needed.