I saw a quote from a pastor on Facebook the other day that really resonated with me. It said: "A Godly work ethic begins with remembering that your work is not just a task, it's an offering" (Costi Hinn). I feel like a theology of hard work has been lost on our generation and younger. It's not necessarily that we are lazy, but I don't think we've been taught a good theology about why work is good, valuable and how it brings glory to God. I did some studying this morning and found some key scriptures about work I wanted to share. 1. Work is God’s good design. It wasn’t a result of the Fall — it was part of God’s original plan for us. Genesis 2:15 – “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” 2. Diligence and hard work brings results. Proverbs 10:4– “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Proverbs 14:23 – “All hard work brings a profit…” 3. Laziness has consequences. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 – “If anyone is unwilling to work, let him not eat.”Proverbs 6:6 – “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” 4. Work like we're working for the Lord Himself. This one can shift everything and that's really been on my mind lately. No matter what our job is, we're ultimately serving Christ. We don't need to be on a platform to be living a life that is pleasing to God. Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…” 5. Do everything for God’s glory. 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (And Proverbs 16:3 reminds us to commit our work to Him.) 6 & 7. Find joy, rest, and reward. Psalm 90:17 – “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us…” God calls us to enjoy the toil He gives as a gift, honor the Sabbath, and remember that our labor in the Lord is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). (Side note: I don't believe the Sabbath is still enforced on New Testament believers, but I do believe in following the principle of rest Scripture ascribes)

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Yesterday, I came across a FB post from an old buddy I used to go to church with. We were never that tight, but we worked together on a couple of projects for construction. He made a post thinking he’d made a breakthrough in theology about the divinity of Christ because he’s been trying to read directly out of the Greek (even though to my knowledge he does not know Greek). He claimed that Jesus is the Son of God, but is not God Himself. His views aligned closely with Arianism of the 3rd century. I wanted to post my response to Him here in case it helps anyone understand why as Christians we believe that Jesus is the same God and of the substance of the Father and the Holy Spirit. 3 persons, 1 God. 3 persons, 1 substance. 3 roles, 1 God. Let me know what you think or if you’d add any other thoughts. Here’s my response: “I agree the concept of the Trinity is hard to understand. But then if we could understand everything about God, would He really be God? Ha. I do think some Scripture seems to contradict some or your current view. Not at all trying to come at you, but this is a pretty important aspect of our faith so I figured I’d chime in with what I believe is true. Let me share a compilation of Scripture that I think supports the divinity of Christ and shows why most of church history has affirmed it and why the Council of Nicea addressed Arianism head on (a similar view to yours). Take a look at these and let me know what you think. Happy to take the convo offline in PM’s or whatever. “Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭ Jesus is bothered because Philip asks Jesus to “show us the Father” because He says seeing knowing Him is just like knowing the Father. He says if someone has seen Him, they’ve seen the Father. The Father is “in” Jesus and Jesus is “in” the Father.

I’ve been reflecting on what the Bible actually says about peacemaking, and I wanted to share a few key passages that have helped me see it more clearly. A lot of people think being a Christian means being a peace-KEEPER. The Bible seems to affirm something different: PeaceMAKING. Jesus begins the Beatitudes with: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). PeaceMAKING is an active part of reflecting God’s character. God Himself is a peace-maker. Psalm 34:14 says, “Seek peace and pursue it”. Seek peace...that means it's not something that just happens passively — we have to intentionally go after it. Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” We can’t control how others respond, but we are responsible for our own efforts toward peace. Ephesians 4:1-3, says be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Peace is the glue that holds relationships together only when the Spirit is involved. We are called to unity in the Spirit, not unity in another spirit. James 3:18 adds that “a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” This is interesting because it says a harvest of righteousness follows peace sown by those who MAKE peace. Peacemaking brings greater righteousness in our lives. Once again, it's emphasizing peace is to be MADE, not necessarily KEPT. At the center of all this is Christ Himself. Colossians 1:19-20 tells us that through the blood of His cross, Jesus made peace and reconciled all things to God. Ephesians 2:14 says, “He himself is our peace,” who broke down the dividing walls of hostility. Jesus made peace with us between us and Himself through his death and resurrection. If God was about peace-keeping, He would not have dealt with sin. Because He's about peace-making, he MADE peace through a major sacrifice of love. Peace-making is active. Peace-keeping is passive. I’d love to hear your thoughts: Which of these passages stands out to you most when you think about peacemaking?

I just put together a quick 8-slide TikTok breakdown on the resurrection of Jesus — and I focused it specifically for skeptics. Instead of starting with "the Bible says," I stuck to the minimal facts that the majority of New Testament scholars (including atheists like Bart Ehrman) actually accept: - Jesus really died by crucifixion - His tomb was found empty shortly after - The disciples believed they saw the risen Jesus (in groups, not just alone) - This belief started extremely early — within 1-5 years - Skeptics like Paul and James (Jesus’ brother) suddenly became believers, and the original cowards turned into bold martyrs The big question the slides asks is: What’s the best explanation for all of these facts together? Most natural theories (stolen body, wrong tomb, mass hallucination, etc.) struggle to cover everything at once. The resurrection seems to fit the data surprisingly well. Would love your thoughts: What’s the strongest counter-explanation you’ve heard? Or which of the five facts do you find most surprising? Drop your take below 👇 Let’s discuss respectfully — believers, skeptics, and everyone in between welcome.