New posts will be posted every Tuesday. Pastor Ryan also blogs at his personal site, Look at Christ, at www.lookatchrist.com.
May 7, 2020 by Steve Braun | Tags: prayer, God, faith
People often view prayer in simplistic terms: Prayer is about telling God what you want and waiting for Him to give it to you. Sure, you thank Him when He does what you want, and you give Him praise to make sure He’s listening, but prayer is a magic formula to make your life better and satisfy your desires. This popular conception runs into problems when your prayers are...
Keep ReadingMarch 19, 2020 by Steve Braun | Tags: Idolatry, faith, hope
Our nation and our world are in a state of panic right now. The COVID-19 virus has had long-reaching and devastating effects not only on the health of people but on the economic well-being of billions. People are uncertain about their future, frightened of a potentially deadly disease, and seeking any answers they can find to the question of what their future holds. In our...
Keep ReadingMarch 16, 2020 | Tags: church, God, faith, Christian living, hope, love, Fear
Coronavirus is spreading fast. Schools are being shut down. Events have been cancelled. And governments all over the globe are buckling down in an attempt to halt the pandemic. How are we as Christians to respond? While God’s world seems to be in panic, how are God’s people to act?...
Keep ReadingMarch 16, 2020 | Tags: God, faith, hope, love, Fear
Coronavirus is spreading fast. Schools are being shut down. Events have been cancelled. And governments all over the globe are buckling down in an attempt to halt the pandemic. How are we as Christians to respond? While God’s world seems to be in panic, how are God’s people to act?...
Keep ReadingMay 7, 2019 | Tags: hope, faith, identity, Christ
Being “in Christ.” Unified “with Christ.” It is one of the most important ideas in the New Testament...What I’ve noticed, however, is that we can hear this terminology often, especially in gospel-centered circles, but not clearly know what it means. We hear that our “identity is in Jesus,” that we're "united to him," that "it's all about Jesus," but what does...
Keep ReadingMay 1, 2019 | Tags: Jesus, obedience, faith
Christians know the daily grind: We live in a world which is vying for our affections and actions, wrestling us and trying to make us forget God and live for self. It's governed by the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), influenced by those who "do not honor God as God nor give a to him" (Romans 1:21), and filled with people living for money, sex, and power. ...
Keep ReadingMarch 17, 2017 by Steve Braun | Tags: Malachi, giving, tithing, faith
Where is our faith when it comes to giving to the Lord?...
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