It's difficult in this life to be 100 percent faith-filled all the time. Almost impossible. In the book of James, Jesus rescued the apostles from the storm, and He can also rescue us from the storms of life.

He promises us in the Bible if we are a child of God and have surrendered our life to Christ, He will never leave us alone.

It's one thing to stay calm when calamity strikes, but are we able to keep calm as the storm rages on? We can if we have faith.

If you're like me you long for peace and you don't like adversity. Why not take some precautions so that when the storms do come (notice I said when, not if), you will be prepared for the worst.

How do you prepare? Read the Bible. Get to know His word and apply it to your life.

James 1:12 – "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

It seems that the world longs for wisdom.  We want everything from marriage advice, parenting, personal growth and every DIY you can think of.

If you're not wise in your decision making, things could go wrong quickly.  Wisdom is only words if not applied.  A wise person speaks from the heart, and this is hard for some people.

The wisest decision you can make is to surrender your life to Christ and begin a relationship with Him today.  Outside of that, there is no hope in this world. 

If you pursue anything in this life, I pray you desire wisdom.

If you lack wisdom, like is says in James 1:5, "ask God."

James 1:5 – "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

I love to travel and although I haven't traveled out of the country that much, one thing I know for sure is that you MUST have an updated passport when you leave the United States. 

But, the passport that I'm referring to today is your passage into eternity.  Without surrendering your life to Christ and living for Him, the Bible says that you'll not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Life on earth is temporary and for those Christians who don't think this way, they are denying Christ. This doesn't mean that we can't enjoy living on this earth, knowing that our eternity, the place where we'll call home some day is in heaven with our Creator.

If you're a Christian and have given your life to Christ, your passport to eternity is already stamped with the blood of Jesus. 

Now, it's up to us to tell others about getting their ticket to eternity!

Philippians 3:20 – "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,"

You know the song, "I can only imagine."  It talks about imaging what it's going to be like to walk beside our Creator.  It talks about being surrounded by His glory and finding yourself standing in front of the Son of God.

These are wonderful thoughts, but I think our feeble minds just scratch the surface of imagining living with Christ.

The deeper your relationship and daily walk with God, the closer you become to God.  God is everlasting. He is the beginning and the end.  Maintaining that close relationship with God allows us to imagine what it would be like forever in eternity.

It's good to imagine these things, but are we really living with a view of eternity?  Are we living as though Christ could come today?

And since Christ suffered and gave his life for us, we must also be willing to suffer for Him.

Imagine an eternity with Jesus today!

Titus 3:5-7 – " He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Trusting in God is what we do because of our faith, which is God's gift to us.  Trusting in God means believing in the promises of God in EVERYTHING.  Even when things seem out of control and the future looks bleak, trust God.

God's word (Bible) can be trusted.  Your faith may be knocked or you may stumble in your walk with God or fall into sin, but a follower and believer of Christ will never fall, for God upholds him with His hands.

That's what 'trust without borders' means.  When all the odds are against me, I release all control to God and step into His sovereignty. 

Keep the faith.  Keep trusting in God.  It will all be worth it when we're living in eternity with our Creator.

Proverbs 3:5 – "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

There's a popular song out now by Casting Crowns called "Only Jesus."

When I first heard it, I immediately thought about the mission field.  I'm leaving in 2 weeks to go back to Peru to a remote village in southern Peru.  Our mission individually and as a team is to tell others about Jesus, and just like the song says, "I don't want to leave a legacy, I don't care if they remember me, only Jesus."

When we are serving the people of Peru, I hope they see Jesus in our walk, in our talk, in our character.  I want them to see the love that we have for them, just as Jesus does.

I want our mission to be about Jesus and only Jesus. 

God can use each one of us to bring Him glory and honor.  This doesn't have to be on the mission fields.  It can be in our own neighborhoods.

Tell others of Jesus today.  Finish the race.  Leave a legacy that counts.

2 Timothy 4:7 – "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

We all need grace. But, do we really expect to receive grace?

You may have met someone in your life who dabbles in sin and tries to rationalize their actions. In the book of James, he tells us that friendship with the world isn’t an option for a follower of Christ. This is where grace from God steps in.

God gives grace to the humble. For those who acknowledge their sin and ask God for forgiveness, God shows up. Even when we don’t deserve it, God gives the humble favor.

God detests arrogance, and pride always leads to destruction.

Stay in peace with others, submit to God and receive His amazing grace!

James 4:6 - “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Have you ever found yourself anxious about a situation where you became physically ill?  Or, you’re anxious and worried about something that might happen?

I know I have, and have felt the stress of worry and anxiety.  But, I have found, through my walk with God, that I don’t have to feel this way.  I can give all of this worry and these anxious feelings to God to handle.  I can trust that God knows how to handle this situation far better than I do.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25 to “not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,”…..  He goes on to tell us to “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reep nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?”

When your thoughts go astray and you’re feeling down or upset, give your anxieties to God. 

Most of our stress and worry is unnecessary.  After all, does worry add one more day to your life?  Does the stress of a situation resolve anything?

Give it to God.  Putting God first in your thoughts and in your life is a cure for anxiety.

1 Peter 5:7 - “casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”