Copyright https://www.christianity.com 2025, Christianity.com Mon, 27 Jan 2025 02:18:23 -0500 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/giving-god-our-obedience-11596374.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/giving-god-our-obedience-11596374.html Kay Arthur What will you give God this Christmas? Tue, 21 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/10-valentines-day-quotes-to-point-you-to-gods-definition-of-love.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/10-valentines-day-quotes-to-point-you-to-gods-definition-of-love.html Valerie Fentress https://www.christianity.com/author/valerie-fentress/ Do you find Valentine’s Day a manufactured holiday, a Saint’s Day, or another reason to gush over the one you love? No matter what your opinion of this holiday, or if you are going into February with or without a Valentine, this holiday is hard to ignore. And so are all the Valentine’s quotes and sayings that fill the Valentine’s season. There are good Valentine’s Day quotes and mushy, roll-your-eyes quotes too. But, as Christians, what if we turned our eyes to some quotes about love from pastors and church leaders that remind us of what love is really all about? Take some time to review these 10 Valentine’s Day quotes that remind us of the One who loves us the most: God.Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Nodar Chernishev Tue, 21 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/12-encouraging-verses-to-memorize-in-2025.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/12-encouraging-verses-to-memorize-in-2025.html Jessica Brodie https://www.christianity.com/author/jessica-brodie/ We’re all familiar with New Year’s resolutions, and perhaps you’re also familiar with the newer trend, the “word for the year,” where you identify a key growth word that helps focus your attention on big-picture challenges. Stores are stocked with calendars and other planning tools to help us kick off the new year right, while fitness gear is front and center.It’s natural to do this—the start of a fresh new year often prompts us to look within and explore measures to stay disciplined or achieve important personal goals.But instead of personal goals and resolutions, what if we took a different approach to the new year? Instead of focusing on self-oriented strivings, what if we turned our attention to the tool God provided for us long ago—his holy word, the Bible—and trusted that to lead us in the right direction? What if instead of remembering our resolutions, we remember the words of 12 Bible verses, one for every month, that we memorize for 2025?The Bible is chock-full of important, practical, useful, and immensely helpful material. Not only is it God’s love letter to us, his children, but it also contains sensible, realistic, and sound advice from our heavenly parent on how to live right in a fallen world.While reading the Bible is a great way to know the Lord and familiarize ourselves with his directives (and directions), there’s also something to be said about memorizing Bible verses.Maybe memorizing Bible verses is something you’re already accustomed to, and you understand the value of committing God’s word to your heart. Perhaps a Sunday school teacher or a parent required you to memorize scripture, and the habit took hold and never let go.Or maybe you’re like me, never previously required or personally compelled to memorize Bible verses, and perhaps you don’t fully understand the value of such an exercise ... yet.But there are wonderful reasons why we should strive to memorize scripture, and not just because we “have to.”   Sometimes, we don’t have a Bible on hand, and we need a verse for our own comfort or for sharing with another person. Other times, scripture memorization helps us resist temptation or stand strong in times of difficulty. As the psalmist writes in Psalm 119:11, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (ESV)And still other times, scripture memorization helps us draw closer to the Lord as we meditate on his words and his love to us through the carefully crafted words of his heart.Here, then, are 12 encouraging verses to memorize in 2025.Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Sven Vee Tue, 14 Jan 2025 10:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/is-epiphany-three-kings-day-a-biblical-holiday.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/is-epiphany-three-kings-day-a-biblical-holiday.html Jessica Van Roekel https://www.christianity.com/author/jessica-van-roekel/ Epiphany is a time of revelation. Jesus revealed himself to the Israelites and the Gentiles as represented by the Wise Men. God doesn’t play favorites but receives all whose hearts long for him. Mon, 06 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/what-does-it-take-to-truly-flourish-this-year.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/what-does-it-take-to-truly-flourish-this-year.html Cynthia Garrett https://www.christianity.com/author/cynthia-garrett/ Are you ready to embrace a life of true abundance in the new year? Discover what it means to flourish spiritually, emotionally, and relationally by aligning your life with God’s purpose and power. This article will inspire and equip you to break free from survival mode and step boldly into the thriving life God has prepared for you! Fri, 03 Jan 2025 10:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/5-bible-journaling-ideas-for-the-new-year.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/5-bible-journaling-ideas-for-the-new-year.html Candice Lucey https://www.christianity.com/author/candice-lucey/ Bible journaling is focused on what God’s Word is saying to the individual heart and mind. Bible journaling is an invitation to honestly and creatively respond to the Lord. Here are five Bible journaling ideas for the New Year. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 11:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/7-ways-to-have-a-healthy-year.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/7-ways-to-have-a-healthy-year.html Michelle S. Lazurek https://www.christianity.com/author/michelle-lazurek/ As Christmas closes and the new year approaches, we set our sights on creating New Year's resolutions for self-improvement in various areas of our lives. One of the most popular New Year's resolutions is for better health. The most common way people try to seek better health is to lose weight. However, the biggest health victories sometimes come when we step off the scale.Although there are many health assessments online, companies require an e-mail address, which permits the company to continue to e-mail you with ads and other promotional materials. The best way to analyze your health is to ask the Holy Spirit. It is easy for us to deny and think we are doing better than we are. Additionally, tests like online assessments can be manipulated to give ourselves the desired result. When we use denial and other self-deprecating behaviors, we don't allow the Holy Spirit to help us see areas in our lives in which we can grow.Additionally, the enemy loves it when we stop growing. When we stop identifying the areas where we need to take steps to improve ourselves, the enemy wins. He loves keeping us stuck right where we are. The Holy Spirit wants to show us areas of our physical, emotional, and spiritual health where we need the most help.To have a healthy 2024, we must protect our physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. However, we must take an honest health analysis to see how healthy we are in each area. Here are five ways to have a healthy 2024:Photo credit: ©GettyImages/jacoblund Wed, 01 Jan 2025 10:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/ways-new-years-resolutions-may-be-harmful.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/ways-new-years-resolutions-may-be-harmful.html Jaime Jo Wright https://www.christianity.com/author/jaime-jo-wright/ Here's the quick and fast conclusion: resolutions may be harmful because some experts say that over 80% of resolutions fail, which can lead to depression, an increase in use/practice of the bad habit you're attempting to overcome, and a sense of guilt or incompetence which can lead to worsened mental health.  Wed, 01 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/bible-reading-goals-for-the-new-year.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/bible-reading-goals-for-the-new-year.html Sarah Frazer https://www.christianity.com/author/sarah-frazer/ Try taking one or all of these into the New Year and see how God will speak and move your heart to a deeper intimacy with Him! Tue, 31 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/how-to-start-the-new-year-with-a-heart-full-of-unity-and-joy.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/how-to-start-the-new-year-with-a-heart-full-of-unity-and-joy.html Christina Stanton https://www.christianity.com/author/christina-stanton/ This Christmas and New Year, let’s rediscover the joy of true Christian unity. In a world divided by politics and opinions, God calls us to love one another and embrace our shared identity in Christ. Discover how to let go of division, choose unity, and experience the peace and joy we were meant to share as His family. Tue, 31 Dec 2024 10:00:00 -0500 2025-01-27T02:18:23-05:00