It is common for people to think of hospitality as a form of entertaining people. This usually evokes visions of a perfectly put together home that is expertly decorated with a lot of space for a group of people to mingle. While this is a beautiful way to think of hospitality it does not really encompass the whole picture. Hospitality is not entertaining. Hospitality is loving people well. I have been invited into several homes over my life that have shown great hospitality to me and to many others. Some of these homes are large and beautiful, much like the home described above. But I have also entered small, quaint homes which have also shown me great hospitality. It’s not the size of the home or event, it’s the heart that goes into it.

Jesus told his disciples at the last supper, “I give a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are to love one another.” -John 13:34. As Christ followers we are called to show others love, just like Christ loved us. The most important thing to remember when opening up your home is that you want people to feel loved. It is not about the food, the decorations, or even how clean your home is, it’s all about the love and care for the people you are going to serve.

If you are wanting to start this new year by showing more hospitality to the community that is around you, here are a few things that might help.
-Pray for the people who are going to enter your home. This is the very best way to show love for a person.
-Make a simple meal or just snacks. We’ve had small groups and couples come to our home for years now. Keeping the food simple will help you and make your guests feel more at home.
-Your home does not have to be perfectly clean or decorated.
-Listen to people intently. I think this is so important. Too often we try to turn a conversation back to ourselves, but people like to feel like they are being heard. Give people the opportunity to share.

I hope this is all encouraging and feels like anyone can be hospitable. Remember that it’s about our love for others because Christ loved us first.

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name…” Psalm 29:2

                  Responses must be proportionate. Let me explain. In the TV show The West Wing, President Bartlet must decide on the proper proportional response to a crisis. In his anger, he wanted a disproportionate response. President Bartlet wanted something that was beyond ethical and even legal.
 
                  Proportionate response is the idea that force is met with force, limited by reason and morality. Thomas Aquinas deals with this by saying, “The belligerents should have a rightful intention, so that they intend the advancement of good, or the avoidance of evil.” Aquinas goes on to say, “It is unlawful to use more force than necessary.” In his thought, there is a right response to an action.
 
                  This concept is important in the life of a believer. If an act of aggression deserves contemplation, then surely we should be considering how we respond to absolute truth, beauty, and majesty.
 
                  Now, let’s take that concept and apply it to worship. If there is a proper and proportionate response, what would that be in the light of the nature of a transcendent, holy God? Do we have an obligation to rightly respond to the glory, weight, and reality of the King of kings? If we do have a response, what would that response be?
 
                  How can you measure a proportionate response to the eternal God? Here in the passage, the psalmist gives us what response we are called to give. We are called to ascribe to God.
 
                  In your prayer time, do you ascribe worth to God? How do you respond to the reality of God? James Hastings addresses this by saying, “The true beginning of prayer is adoration. Until we have learned to adore, the other elements of prayer—confession, petition, intercession—will lack depth and power.” Here is the uncomfortable truth, when we are not ascribing worth to God, we are focused on God to respond to our desires. The Christian is primarily focused on God’s desires, submitting their desires to God’s.
 
            Proportionate responses are critical to your life in Christ. To have a prayer life without adoration, without ascribing worth, leads one to be selfish and distant from God, His purposes, and His person. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name!

John 15:4  “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me….9-11 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.   If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” - Jesus
 
Remain, abide, dwell, be present, be held and kept.  There are many different seasons that we go through in our lives.  We are children, we are teens, and we become young adults.  Some of us become married adults.   Some stay as single adults.  Some become parents.  Sometimes, unfortunate events occur, and marriages fall apart.  Sometimes, children leave us either by death, moving away, or straying into the world.  However, through all these ups and downs of life, there is one thing that should always remain constant for the believer. Abiding in Christ.

No matter what comes our way, we should be abiding steadfastly in Christ.  This does not come naturally.  This past year, the song our worship team sang, “Abide,” has become an anthem for me.  To learn to abide, we must do as the song says and allow the Spirit to “draw me close and teach me to abide.” Abiding in Christ is the only thing that will sustain us in this life.  We depend on him for our “waking breath” and our “daily bread.” Many days, He is all that gets me through.

When I think of a biblical example of abiding, Mary the sister of Martha comes to mind.  While Jesus is visiting their home, Martha is busying herself preparing and making everything as perfect as possible.  Meanwhile, Mary is sitting and taking in Jesus’ every word and enjoying being in the savior’s presence.  Though Martha was attending to things that were good, Mary had chosen the better thing and was abiding in the Lord. (Luke 10:42)

I challenge you in 2026 to abide in the one true vine that will sustain you and provide all your needs.  Let Christ be the one you depend on and allow the Spirit to teach you to abide through worship, reading of the Word, and trusting in Jesus for all your needs. Sit in his presence and absorb his holiness.

“But for me it is good to be near God…” Psalm 73:28

Prayer not only changes things, but it changes me. Asaph writes Psalm 73 from frustration. He sees the wicked prospering. Their sin does not burden them; their consciences are seared. Yet, Asaph is going through affliction and doesn’t understand why. But time spent in prayer led him to say, “But for me it is good to be near to God.”

How did he know it was good? Good in Hebrew means “that which is truly beneficial.” Not comfortable, not easy, or prosperous, but rather beneficial.

You see, Asaph finds it beneficial, not in circumstances but in being near to God, and that is really good. Good circumstances can be very unbeneficial, even detrimental. We must understand that nearness to God is imperative to the believer, because it’s in these moments that God is doing the most incredible work in my soul. It is when we are near that we encounter God and know His personhood.

The opposite of near is far. Impressive, I know. Seriously, think about it. If I’m not drawing near to God, then I am far from God. When I’m not drawing near, and I’m far, then how can I possibly see how this trial is beneficial to my soul? How can I experience His comfort, His refinement, His mercy, if I’m distant from Him and totally enthralled in my circumstance?

Being near God is beneficial, and unfortunately, being far is detrimental. Let us press on to be near to the Lord.

“But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” 2 Samuel 24:24

                  Commitment is a funny word that means a lot of different things to different people. Our culture struggles with commitment; I struggle with commitment. Some things I’m really committed to, and some things I commit-ish. For example, I commit to going to the gym only if I don’t keep committing to staying in bed. I commit to giving my life entirely to the Lord, only if I don’t get distracted – squirrel.
 
                  David’s commitment to the Lord was so pure that if he were going to sacrifice, it would truly cost him something. These are years of learning about commitment, failing to commit, and then recommitting. David’s commitment to sacrifice at cost is really something. Think about it, how many times have we “sacrificed,” and it cost us nothing? David had the opportunity to worship without cost, and David rejected that type of worship. David’s commitment to truly living for God was so great that it wasn’t primarily in front of Araunah; it was before God.
 
                  Let us seek God to teach us a form of commitment. We need commitment that runs deep in the soul and in the very nature of our being. Commitment to seek God! Commitment to live for God. Commitment to love believers. Commitment to love the lost. The question we may want to ask is not if we are committed, but what we are committed to.

Human beings live in a fallen and broken world, craving for peace from the madness. We struggle with sin, heartbreak, and injustices on a daily basis. Many in our cultures call for and idealize “world peace,” which seems to be a warm, but out-of-reach plateau. However, what does having true peace mean for the Christ follower?

From the perspective of a Christian, we must remember the source. It simply can’t be obtained without Christ. Jesus is crystal clear when He makes this statement in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

The source of true, everlasting peace is Jesus and Him alone. Christ is the embodiment of peace. Nothing worldly can or will ever satisfy that longing for peace, as everything this side of eternity is temporary. How can we, as Christians, get the peace that comes from Christ then? It comes by submitting to His Lordship. As we continue to draw near to Him, we can therefore experience His peace.  

It’s vital to surrender to Christ and allow Him to work in and through us via daily communing with Him through prayer and through His Word. Paul effectively communicates this by saying, “…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:13)

Circumstances will change and suffering will still come and go. The storms of life will always pass through. The more we place our faith in Christ and allow Him to transform us, the more we’ll see His peace carry us through those trials.  

As you spend time with the Lord today, ask Him these things that will carry you on the path to peace:

• Lord Jesus, please help me to remember that true peace is only found in You and to continue to daily pursue my walk with You. 
• Lord, let the peace I find in You extend to my relationships with all those around me. 

 
 
 

 Most of us have several acquaintances, but having someone we can trust is a rarer relationship. Trust is the foundation on which any true relationship is built. Without trust, our relationships have no depth, no intimacy, only questions and doubt. Trust is what separates the hundreds of shallow relationships you have and the few that you hold so dear. Think about it, how many people can you actually confide in with your deep dark secrets, your faults or your failures? How many people are you letting your young children stay alone with? How many people can you be completely vulnerable with and instead of judgement or blame you receive encouragement and love? But as rare as it is to find a genuine, trustworthy friend, the disappointing fact remains that as finite, flaw filled beings, that friend who we consider trustworthy has the ability to disappoint you, lie to you, and ultimately betray you. All this is because their character is flawed by default based on the fact they are human and given time and opportunity they will not live up to the standards that which we try to hold them to.

Understanding the limitations of man's characteristics and how we should be careful not to hold each other to standards we cannot meet comes with maturing spiritually. But even though the characteristics of men are flawed, inconsistent and untrustworthy, God’s character does not, and cannot change. While man’s characteristics may change with our circumstances, God’s character, in His sovereignty, does not. Although man and God may share some characteristics, as in their common name, they are nothing to be compared. Let's break this down.

When the Bible says,

• He is good (Psalm 34:8), He is good because He defines what is good and can be nothing else.
• He is just (Psalm 89:14), He is just because He alone sits on the throne.
• He is gracious (Exo 34:6), because He alone can prevent the punishment we deserve.
• He is merciful (Lamentations 3:22-23), because He alone can give the unmerited gift of eternal life.

So, man may be good, just, gracious or merciful, but it is measured by man’s standards, not to the standards of a Holy God. We spend our lives building, mending and even ending relationships with imperfect beings and wonder why it's so hard, but we fail to see the stability and value in a relationship with a God who cannot fail or disappoint us.

Even if we currently have a relationship with God, it might be shallow, just like many of our earthly relationships. We say we have faith, but we oftentimes don’t believe His promises. We say we trust Him, but we find ourselves relying on people and things other than our Creator. Man is built for community, that is why the local church is so important, but our first and most important relationship, even above our spouse, should be with a God who longs to fellowship with us. Our heavenly Father fills the gap that is too often left by those around us. He is a father to the fatherless. He will listen when no one else cares. He will forgive when everyone else convicts. He will love unconditionally. He cannot fail us. His Word is true and faithful, and He cannot lie. His character will not change, so your relationship with Him is as strong as you desire it to be. Read, and allow His Word to mold you, and trust that the God who created you can also sustain you.

Spiritual growth is a term that is used frequently in Christian circles. Such a common term can often mean something very different to each individual hearing it in any given audience. It is a mistake to assume that everyone has the same definition, and that this definition is Biblically sound. First, lets determine what it isn’t; it isn’t being nicer, avoiding the “big” sins, attending church regularly, it isn’t our emotional highs, or any other metric of this type. All these things can be good, but they cannot define proper Christian maturity. They can be fruit of maturity but should never be mistaken for the thing itself. So, lets establish a working definition based upon God’s Word and amplified by church history and the writings of great theologians spanning the length of Christendom. Spiritual growth is our growing in understanding of the richest meat of Scripture, its deepest doctrines, and our increasing practice of obedience to these doctrines. All of this is predicated upon our union with Christ as a regenerate believer, and the working of the Holy Spirit within us. The end of this process, the goal, is the transforming of our mind and character so that we increasingly resemble our Lord and King! This equips us for the  work which He has commanded us in the Great Commission.

Paul speaks thus concerning maturity; that we are “coming to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:13). Both “unity of faith” and “knowledge of the Son of God” show the central element in this process is God’s Law/Word. There is no way around this salient truth. The Great Commission, the very last set of instructions given by Christ before His ascension to enthronement, says this as plainly as it can be said. Teaching doctrine is the core mechanism of the discipler. Learning that doctrine is to be the focus of the one being discipled, both individuals and nations! Together, the discipler and the discipled strive mightily to grow in the ever-deepening understanding of God’s doctrines, and the ever-growing obedience of these same doctrines. 2 Timothy 3:16 highlights the key role of doctrine as the metric for the entire Christian life. The Word is profitable for doctrine and every aspect of instruction and the Christian walk. We should not treat doctrine like a buffet-style assortment of religious terms,  cliches and maxims meant for our comfort, or as an optional reading plan apart from “the gospel”. It is negligence and sin to avoid doctrine in favor of some type of modular arrangement of verses that comfort us, or provide an evangelistic framework for witnessing. This leads to a shallow understanding of God’s Word, with shallow roots that are hard-pressed to survive the storms of life. We are also then at the mercy of the wolf, the ignorant and the false teacher. Hence we are then “swept to and fro by every wind of doctrine”.  

The early church fathers like Augustine, and the Puritans of early American history, saw spiritual growth and maturity impossible apart from a rich, systematic and constant doctrinal instruction. To these men, maturity in Christ was no vague collection of Christian-like euphemisms, but the pouring of God’s Word into the Christian soul. The Holy Spirit then takes this doctrine and does His divine work in our heart and mind. So, doctrinal instruction and obedience are not mere background scenery to the maturing Christian, but are the very engine of growth for the Christian! By the way, “heart” in the tradition of Christian thought is not our emotions, nor our center of sincere expressions. For the Regenerate believer, made new in Christ and set free from slavery to sin, it is the joining of our MIND and our WILL, the very center of what we think and what we desire to do! I have seen many Christians, including myself, stumble over this concept in their daily walk. You hear things like “if you aren’t 100% sincere, don’t waste God’s time going through the motions”. While this is meant well, it is entirely wrong and destructive. It reinforces our subjugation to our emotions and mood, rather than our God-given understanding and our free will as those in Christ. Think for a moment, if you have a child and you give them every instruction needed for life, do you really then tell them “Now don’t you dare obey me unless you are 100% sincere”? That would be ludicrous! Yet this same ridiculous concept is often foisted upon believers.  You don’t need to “feel led” to obey. The time to obey is as soon as the Word of God and The Spirit teach you Truth, or call it to your remembrance. If you are His, redeemed by His blood, you are set free unto obedience. You don’t need to wait for spiritual puppet strings to descend from heaven and take control, moving signs and wonders and filling your heart with sincere emotions. Learn the Doctrines of His Word and choose to obey what He has commanded! The feelings can come later, just obey what He commands and trust Him for the results.
It makes no difference if your I.Q. is 70 or 140, you are commanded to FILL UP your intellect with sound doctrine to the fullest capacity that God has given you, and then to submit to Christ in obedience, imploring the help of the Holy Spirit. This is the path to maturity in Christ. We are without excuse. If you struggle with any aspect of the spiritual disciplines required to study, there are a plethora of tools available online that will help fill in any gap or lack. There are also brothers and sisters at Vertical, who would be glad to assist you in any way.  For most of us, the lack is typically one of misunderstanding and/or slackness in obedience. The Living God would not command us to reach our fullest levels of maturity in this life if it were not possible. It isn’t just for the select few gatekeepers, or some elite. It is the NORM God expects from His sons and daughters in this life. The late RC Sproul often said that every man and woman is a theologian whether they like it or not. The only difference being “are they a good, or a bad one”? We are to know God “with all our knowing”, know His ways and His heart. This is impossible outside the systematic and committed study of the deepest layers of His Word. I wasted far too many years in ignorance and lazy rebellion. God saw fit to show me mercy as He called me to repent and obey. As a result, I have grown more in SCRIPTURAL breadth and depth in four years than the previous 30 years combined! I stopped doing it my way and submitted to Him. If we commit to real spiritual growth, we must do it His way and we must strive! We must seek His face! That must primarily happen as we plunge into the depths of His Word, and know His perfect doctrines.  Make the choice to obey without reservation. Be determined to stay the course and watch what the Holy Spirit will do with a mind and heart (remember the heart definition above) making the choice to pursue Biblical spiritual growth.

Vertical Church Gallipolis exists for this very purpose; to present believers fully matured. No man or woman is expected to go it alone in this process. The very nature of discipling itself demands that we enter into this, as fellow believers, in community, upholding one another as we pursue obedience in spiritual growth. This requires believers of all levels to submit to God and one another as is appropriate according to His Word. Augustine wrote that spiritual growth is the Holy Spirit using doctrinal instruction to move us from a set of “disordered loves”, into a set of loves properly ordered according to Christ. This leads us, as we are taught by God and one another, from error to truth, and from self-rule to submission to the Law/ Word of God. He called this the “Ordo Amoris”, the rightly ordered loves. God has designed spiritual growth through discipleship, to be a thing that binds men and nations together, and together in Christ. As a community of believers at Vertical Church Gallipolis, let us hold nothing back in our pursuit of spiritual maturity and obedience to His Commands. Sola Scriptura! Sola Christus!

As Christians, we know that God’s Word transforms our minds and helps us to know His will as individuals, churches and nations (Romans 12:2). Being a committed student of Scripture is essential for our obedience and our usefulness to Him in this life. In 1 Peter 2:2, He commands us concerning His Word:

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (ESV).

The 1599 Geneva Bible, the Bible of the Reformation, puts it this way: “As new borne babes, desire the milke of the Worde, that ye may growe thereby”. Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the words used here, let’s look at the context and tone of this passage. In the first verse, Peter is commanding his Christian readers to repent of any lingering sins that they freely practice. They are now in Christ and should pursue a course of life that seeks to conform, or match, the example given us by the Lord Jesus himself as He walked the earth. He is drawing their attention to the fact that the Word of God is absolutely THE essential element in their growth as believers in Christ. It is as essential as breastmilk for a newborn infant. In the Greek language, this passage assumes the attitude of an imperative. It is a COMMAND, not a mere suggestion or friendly advice. So now, as we look at the meaning of this verse, we need to firmly focus on the fact that this is a command straight from God Himself, through Peter, to all Christians for all time to come. That means us!

            The key word used here, found in the very title of this blog post, is “desire’. The modern ESV uses the term “long for” but they mean the very same thing. What they meant to a 1st Century Christian and a 21st Century Christian can be very different however, due to changing cultural shifts in grammatical practice, morals and traditions. To many in 21st Century America, these terms typically speak to our sincerity, our emotions and our affections. To desire is to want, to feel compelled to have, feel being the operative word. While some of this is certainly present in the original Greek, there are subtle, yet very important aspects of context and intent that can make a big difference to the modern reader. The traditions of the last century or so in American Christian doctrine and practice have often emphasized the emotional experience of the individual believer, and minimized the longstanding traditions of Christian thought, practice and historical theology. “Long for” or “desire” here are not primarily speaking to our emotions or our innate sincerity of wanting. This is not speaking of a passive emotion or want, but of an orientation of our will! This will is to be expressed in our pursuit, our choices made in obedient response to God’s command. While our innate, or “natural” emotions and wants are not excluded here, they are certainly not in the driver’s seat, so to speak.

            This type of imperative is used in places like Phil. 4:4, where we are commanded to rejoice, 1 Peter 2:17 in the command to “fear God”, and John 13:34 “love one another”. In each of these, our emotions and natural wants are to be put aside. What mechanism puts them aside? It is our free will and active choice as regenerate believers! You see, the tone here is not “if I happen to sincerely feel like it”, but rather “I set myself to this longing”. It speaks to our posture, our readiness, orientation and actions rather than any emotional state. This speaks to a set of decisive actions, our established attitude in obedience to His command. Verse one does exactly the same thing when it tells us to “put off” the sins listed there. It does not say “wait until you magically don’t want to do these things”. It is vital that we understand that our mindset here must not be passive! We must choose to take actions that are obedient to the Lord Jesus. When He redeemed us, He set us free from slavery to sin. This is not just alluding to our eventual passage to heaven upon dying. We are set free here as well. We can choose to obey. We are not without sin, but we no longer are compelled to serve sin since we are new creations in Christ.

            So, you see, this longing and desire are not driven by what we experience, our feelings and emotions, but by our choices to obey our God. This is true freedom! I do not say that our emotions and desires are somehow shut off or ignored. This would be destructive to attempt and would lead to utter failure in short order. God built us with wants, needs and longings, but they must be subject to our will as we obey Him. We choose to set our mind and heart, our will, unto obedience in the proper study of God’s Law/Word. We seek to bend everything in us to that priority. He has already promised us a helper and teacher in the indwelling Holy Spirit. So He has equipped us for the success He desires to see in us! But make no mistake, the “doing” is on us. We must choose to set our minds to this task soberly and with effort that honors our Lord and King. Reading and studying are sometimes difficult for everyone. Some can struggle as they are not given to a natural love of reading. Some struggle with structural deficits that sincerely make the task harder. This is one reason that Paul referred to the obedient Christian walk in terms of military service or training for an athletic event. It is SUPPOSED to be hard! We must quit assuming it should be easy! The Living God commanded us to SEEK Him! That is not a casual word. That doesn’t mean as I sit on my couch, resting, as I await God to reveal Himself to me. He made it to require effort and to cost you and I something to properly seek Him. Some of the words associated with this are “dig”, “run”, “fight”. Liking to read or not, liking to read has absolutely nothing to do with it. We must stop our excuses. Recent studies have shown how reading and note taking allow a far greater level of retention and understanding than listening alone. If you aren’t a strong reader, then act to remedy that in obedience to your Lord. I have known two grown men who were functionally illiterate upon coming to faith in Christ. They expended great efforts to learn to read so that they could know their Lord more fully. In my past, I have been shamefully lazy about this. God gifted me with a love of reading and study, yet still I was slack in obedience. He brought me very low to secure my repentance. I can tell you that it took a while before my “desire” feeling began to match my “desire” posture. But it did change and I began to Love Him and His perfect Law in ways I’d never even knew were possible.  He is worthy of all our adoration.

            So don’t wait until you “feel sincere” in this desire. Set your mind and heart to the task and watch what the Living God will do! Just obey and trust Him to do His part, for He never fails. If you are unsure how to get started and plan for the long haul, I would be glad to offer help in any way I can. So would anyone at Vertical Church. Don’t sit back and remain passive. Seek out brothers and sisters in Christ who can assist you and hold you accountable, for this is the very crux of discipleship. You will only know Him to the extent you know His Law/Word. Take the milk, if that’s what you need now. Keep after it with dogged determination until you can chew the meat of sound doctrine! Then, resolve to clamp your jaws shut on His Word like a pit bull on a tomahawk steak! Whatever you do, don’t wait. Move now! Take action now! Set your will in obedient motion and anticipate the visible workings of God to transform your Christian walk. Just like 1 Peter 2:2 says, His Word, his doctrines, are absolutely required for our maturity. We cannot grow without it.  He is faithful, so step out in faith today. Sola Scriptura!

Destroying Idols for the Modern Day

The New Year should be a time for personal reflection, renewal and resolutions and this parallels ancient religious reform. In 2 Kings 23, we see King Josiah rediscovering the book of the Law. He reads it before the people and it entices him to destroy all the idols that have held his people back, which has seemed like forever. He destroys the high places, the Asherah poles and Pagan altars all throughout Judah and Israel. He wants to re-emphasize the people of God’s total commitment to have purity in their worship, and he also restores the covenant with the living God. Just as Josiah destroyed all of these physical idols to usher in a revival, a spiritual renewal, us as individuals, as children of God can do the same thing to bring in the New Year well. We can be like king Josiah, destroying the idols of the day like materialism, or being addicted to doom scrolling for hours on our social media feeds, or being completely obsessed with our career that bring grave destruction to our sought-after values or the most important our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Modern idols are absolutely anything that takes over our love of God or our love for the people of God. Anything that takes over our relationships or our spiritual life needs to be destroyed. They can be the pursuit of wealth or fame, or technology or any unhealthy habit. Josiah defiled the high places, he broke down the pillars, and he sacrificed the idolatrous priest on their own altars. He showed us to have an uncompromising destruction of any in all idols in our lives. So, what can we do as the people of God to destroy these idols? A practical step here is to audit our daily routine routines. Do you have a rhythm that keeps you from pursuing the idols in your life? Take time to think deeply on where your schedule is out of tune with being with Jesus, to slowly over time become like him and do what he did. Ask yourself: Is this bringing life or death?  Set boundaries for yourself, set time limits on social media or eliminate it altogether. Because I’m one to say it is a waste of time. It does not free you to become more like Jesus, more than likely if you’re like me, you become more like the world and bitter or maybe anxious and full of fear after a long doom scroll session with social media. One other practice, write down some meaningful pursuits that you can go after this year. Such as more time in the word, more time in prayer or more time pursuing godly relationships. In this New Year, these actions you are taking should be set as resolutions and there should be some measure of accountability so they can foster lasting change rather than temporary fixes. So, might I suggest doing this with a friend or husband and wives with your spouse.

There was a great outcome of Josiah’s reforms in 2 King 23 that led to a national revival and a delayed judgment by God. This tells us that if we destroy the modern idols, it can bring personal freedom and clarity in a renewed purpose in this New Year. I just want to encourage you to emulate Josiah’s resolve by starting small, but acting very decisively and do this through reflection, prayer and journaling to track your progress. And when you fail, because you will, bring your failure to the Lord, bring your failure to the one who is holding you accountable and receive the forgiveness of God and start again anew. The destruction of idols in your life should bring transformation in this New Year that mirrors, biblical purification, and it will lead to a more authentic and fulfilling life that is free from the bondage of idols that keeps us from a full pursuit of the living God.

Humility
           
Oxford Dictionary states that Humility is  the quality of having a modest view of one's value or importance. The word humility is a noun, and is a quality you possess, while the word humble is an adjective, that is, used to describe someone. When we think of someone who will admit their own mistakes, who is willing to serve others, who is teachable, we might label them as being humble. Typically, one doesn’t, or shouldn’t, describe themselves as humble. By definition, it’s kind of not even allowed. If you think you are humble, there’s a good chance you are not. A healthy mindset would be to not only be able to point out someone else’s lack of humility, but be self aware of your own potentially prideful behavior.

I believe that the root cause of most of our sin and disobedience in life is our pride and arrogance. We don’t seek the Lord when we are in need because we think we are in control, not Him. We constantly want more things because we think we deserve them. We argue and fight with friends and loved ones because we can’t stand the thought of being wrong. We consistently boast of our own accomplishments and seldom give credit to anyone else, even to our God. These are terrible traits that only lead to destruction, as Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” If not kept in check, our pride and/or arrogance can consume our hearts and personalities, and unfortunately this can happen without us being aware of it. That is why we should always be self reflecting and be sensitive to the pride within ourselves.

The truth is, we have no reason to be proud or arrogant, and all the reasons to show humility. The comparison culture that we live in creates an endless competition of who is the greatest, and in reality, none of us are. We are not good, we are not successful, we have and can do nothing, we cannot even take our next breath without the intervention of our God. He is the vine, we are the branches, the branch is nothing without the vine (John 15:5). The world says that being humble is a sign of weakness, but time and time again throughout the New Testament we see that lowering ourselves is in fact the way we will be lifted up. Both Peter (1 Peter 5:6) and James (James 4:10) tell us to humble ourselves and then the Lord will exalt us. Whatever the scenario is, we are called to serve others, not to seek fame and recognition for ourselves. The world doesn’t understand it, but tearing ourselves down, will help build the church.

 
Three ways to pray for God to use your marriage for His glory and our good.

Ephesians 5:31-33 ESV
"31 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."

Pray that your marriage will help you to deny yourself

"The two shall become one flesh." When you and your spouse got married, you went from being two individual people with individual lives, individual goals, and individual dreams to one flesh weaved together for the ultimate goal of bringing God glory. This reality can at times create tension. It is never easy to put aside the things you want, the comforts that make your life more manageable, for someone you have to share a bathroom with. But biblically speaking, in a marriage there isn't room for two but only one. And that one is called to reflect the character and attitude of Christ. I have found that the most fruitful seasons in Taylor Shea's and my marriage have immediately followed our pleading with the Lord to reveal areas where we can deny ourselves more, God revealing those areas, and us surrendering them at the feet of Jesus.

Pray that your marriage will point you to Christ

"Refers to Christ and the church." The relationship brought about by marriage was never meant to be what ultimately "fulfills" us; our spouse doesn't "complete" us. Rather, marriage was designed to point us to the only relationship that can actually fulfill and satisfy our souls. That is our relationship with Jesus. Revelation 19:7 paints a beautiful picture of this:
"Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready."

Both the good and the bad in our marriages, if we are walking in obedience, will point us to Christ and our future union with Him. The good will give us a taste of how great our union with Christ will be in heaven, which even the best of marriages are nothing more than a glimpse of what it will be like with Jesus, who will never hurt us, fail us, nor forsake us. The bad will remind us that although our spouse here on earth will fail us, Christ never will. God uses all the arguments, all the pain, and all the shortcomings of our spouse to help us look past our spouse as our source of fulfillment and to look to Jesus. So, pray that God will use the good in your marriage to point you to Christ, and pray that God will use the bad in your marriage to point you to Christ.

Pray that God's design will flourish in your marriage

"Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." God has designed marriage to be a picture of union between Jesus and the church, and that plays itself out between the husband and the wife in a complementary way. The very act of a husband loving his wife like Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25) brings glory to God. When a man loves his wife so much that he takes responsibility for ensuring she is cared for spiritually, mentally, and physically, even at his own detriment, that points to Christ and the self-denial he displayed for us when he gave himself up for our wellbeing (2 Corinthians 5:21).

When a wife seeks to respect and honor her husband, which is best displayed in submission (Ephesians 5:22), this paints a beautiful picture of the church as it follows and enjoys Christ. Nothing points to Jesus being our ultimate prize more than seeking to love someone who will not always perfectly respect you or to respect someone who isn't always loving towards you. It seems as if God, in His infinite wisdom, gave roles for both men and women that would require them to constantly deny themselves and surrender their own desires as they carry out their respective roles.

 What an awesome God we serve that even our marriage is used to grow us and make us more like Christ and help us to cherish Jesus more. All glory be to Christ.

Perseverance

Perseverance in layman’s terms is continuing a task that is hard, but with faith it’s far
greater than that. Faithful perseverance is having a great joy for suffering and hardship because you know that everything is in God’s hands and he has a far greater plan for you than you could ever have for yourself. We see multiple examples of this in the Bible, for instance, Noah who spent many years constructing the ark; Job whom lived so faithfully that God allowed Satan to take everything from him and for a time, he still did not sin; and especially, the greatest test of perseverance there is, the perseverance of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who faced the worst suffering and betrayal of all for our salvation. 2 Corinthians 4:10 says, “Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies” (ESV), meaning that when persevering through suffering, we must honor and glorify God, being a light to those around us, so that we can grow closer to Him.


God’s word tells us many times that our naturally tendencies are to please the flesh and follow the ways of the world, and we as followers of God should be transformed and follow the Lord. When suffering, those of the world and those who idolize their flesh will often drown their sorrows in harmful acts. Most will try to cope using food, social media, video games, drugs, alcohol, lust, laziness, or even overworking. They may even try to persevere through their suffering by trying to take control of it all, but God is who’s in control. They will drift further and further away from God during these times until their only choice is to turn to Him.

However, those who are actively following and seeking the Lord have a different outlook on suffering and persevering through it. We know that God is in control and we know that he will never steer us wrong, so through crisis, we need to turn to prayer and trusting in Him. God knows the desires of each one of us, He knows our needs, our shortcomings, and our hearts. He will put us through suffering to challenge and strengthen our faith in Him, to teach us that all things are possible through Him (Matthew 19:26), and that He will never leave us nor forsaken us (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus died on the cross for us and our sins knowing that we will fall short, especially through hardships and difficulty, but God is guiding us through and loving us anyways.

So, all of this is to say, we will fall short, we will sin, we will go through suffering and
crisis, but if we persevere and trust in God, pray and study His word, and silent the noise to listen for His still small voice, He will get us through with a stronger faith and love for Him.

The Beauty of Generosity in the Household of Faith

In an age where self-interest is praised as wisdom, the Scriptures call Christians to a higher
and holier way—the way of generosity. Not merely the giving of material goods, but a giving of heart, affection, time, and sacrificial love. The Puritans often wrote that true charity begins in the household of God. For in loving Christ’s people, we honor Christ Himself.

Generosity is not an optional virtue for the believer; it is a mark of genuine grace. As Thomas Watson said, “Mercy and liberality are the silken strings that adorn the heart renewed by Christ.” The Bible repeatedly calls the saints to meet the needs of fellow believers with open hands and joyful spirits, reflecting the generosity God has shown to us.

Generosity Reflects the Heart of God

God is the supreme Giver. Every act of generosity we perform is but a faint echo of His lavish mercy.

For the Puritans, generosity was an act of worship. When the believer gives, he confesses
that all he has is from God, and that God’s kingdom is worth more than earthly possessions.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” — James 1:17

John Owen wrote that “the soul that rests in Christ sees its wealth not in gold, but in grace.”

Generosity Begins Within the Church

While Scripture calls us to show kindness to all, it places a particular emphasis on generosity toward fellow believers.

The Puritans believed the church is a spiritual family, and therefore our care for one another
should resemble the tenderness and sacrifice of a household.

“Do good to everyone, and especially to those of the household of faith.” — Galatians 6:10

Richard Sibbes said, “Saints should be the sweetest companions, for they carry the image of Christ.”

Generosity Proves the Reality of Our Love

The Scriptures leave no room for a faith that refuses to open its hands. True love moves. True compassion acts. A generous heart is a heart softened by the gospel.

“If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart… how
does God’s love abide in him?” — 1 John 3:17

Thomas Brooks wrote, “A sealed heart and a clenched hand are seldom far apart.”

Generosity Extends to How We Conduct Business With Fellow Believers

The Puritans believed that economic dealings are also spiritual dealings, and that Christians
should conduct business with one another in ways marked by honesty, fairness,
encouragement, and mutual strengthening.

This did not mean excluding unbelievers, but recognizing the spiritual value of supporting and strengthening the household of faith.

“A just balance and scales are the Lord’s.” — Proverbs 16:11

William Gouge wrote, “To deal kindly and justly in trade with the brethren is a form of mercy,
and a pillar of Christian love.”

Generosity Imitates the Fellowship of the Early Church

When grace came in power at Pentecost, generosity bloomed among the believers.
This was joyful, voluntary, Christ-centered generosity—the kind of sacrificial sharing the
Puritans identified as a hallmark of the Spirit’s presence.

“They were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing to all, as any had need.”
— Acts 2:45

Generosity Is Rewarded by God

God does not overlook acts of mercy done for His people. Though rewards are not the motive, God in His kindness promises them.

“One who waters will himself be watered.” — Proverbs 11:25

“God loves a cheerful giver.” — 2 Corinthians 9:7

Generosity Flows From the Cross

All Christian giving finds its fountain in the greatest gift ever given. The heart touched by Calvary becomes a generous heart.

“Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor.” — 2 Corinthians 8:9

Stephen Charnock wrote, “He gave Himself, and shall we withhold our trifles?”

Conclusion: Open-Handed Christianity

Biblical generosity is not measured by the size of the gift but by the openness of the heart.
Let us walk in the old Puritan path: Scripture-filled, Christ-centered, and joyfully
generous—toward one another in giving, serving, and daily dealings.

Seven Practical and Biblical Ways to Be Generous Toward Fellow Believers:

1. Meet material needs sacrificially (1 John 3:17; Acts 2:45).
2. Practice generosity in daily encouragement (Hebrews 3:13).
3. Be generous with your time (Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2).
4. Support fellow believers in their work and business (Proverbs 3:27; Romans 12:10).
5. Practice hospitality with warmth (1 Peter 4:9; Romans 12:13).
6. Pray diligently for one another (James 5:16; Ephesians 6:18).
7. Gently restore and strengthen the weak (Galatians 6:1–2).

Let us love the brethren well, give with open hands, and honor Christ in all our dealings.

Dedication

1 Corinthians 16:9
“for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

                  Effectiveness brings adversaries just as motion makes friction. The church is engaged in a battle that is contrary to the philosophies, lifestyles, and truths this world lives by. The church’s message is that Jesus is the only savior, not idols nor desires of the heart.
 
                  I have noticed a pattern of strife and friction over the last few years during seasons of fruitfulness. I must admit, at first, I was taken aback by the trials. I didn’t understand why I was so hurt and surprised by opposition. In fact, the lack of adversaries should be a bigger indication of something wrong than many adversaries and trials.

Truthfully, I was injured by the opposition. This first happened when I began in youth ministry as a volunteer, and then again when I was a youth pastor, especially when I brought up issues of sin with leaders in our church; those issues led to the disqualification of those leaders and their removal from the work of ministry.

Opposition has been a consistent pattern in Vertical's work. As we grow, we have opposition from those hardened by sin. Think about it, it’s natural. The message of the cross confronts the sinner at the deepest part of their being, calling out motives, desires, and affections. The gospel radically imposes its will on the life of the hearer and requires subjection or rejection of its message.

Criticism peeks into the life of the believer during opposition, seeing what anchor holds in those moments of suffering and strife, revealing the idols or hopes in which a person has. A believer needs to dedicate themselves totally to the Lord. Dedication holds in times of fruitfulness, frustrations, and everything in between.

Take time and evaluate what you hold on to, and if you are willing to go through suffering for the sake of the gospel.

Heart for the Lost

Matthew 9:36-38
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
 
                  Pray earnestly. That’s the command Jesus gives to the believer regarding the work of evangelism. Prayer needs to go before execution, planning, and communication. Too often, we appeal to the lost for their souls without appealing to the Lord of the Harvest. This is putting the cart before the horse.
                  Praying for workers to be sent first focuses our attention on our need for the Lord. Evangelism is supernatural. God must be in the midst. Evangelism isn’t a sales pitch, nor is it randomly yelling at people facts and truth; evangelism is God grabbing the soul of the lost through His messenger. Prayer ignites our passion for the Lord’s presence in the work, believing that without Christ, souls are damned for eternity.
                  Secondly, prayer sets the worker off into the harvest. Not all fields are ripe at the same time; therefore, we need the Lord to direct us to his harvest. The Holy Spirit moved Philip to ripe grounds, and the Holy Spirit also stopped Paul from ministering in fields not ripe, to fields that were. The believer needs to be exceptionally sensitive to the move of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men.
                  Prayer also understands that evangelism is a partnership with God. As we pray, as we share the gospel, as we love those who are against the message of the cross, we are partnering in the work that Jesus did and the Holy Spirit is doing now. Praying says God, I’m with you and for you, and follow you in this work.
                  Make a list of the lost to pray for. Ask God to send church planters into areas that are desperately needing the gospel. Ask the Lord to give the church boldness with the message of the cross and resurrection.