Are you surprised when tough times come your way? When life gets difficult, and trouble comes your way, do you find it strange?

Trials and difficulties are a part of living life in a broken and fallen world. We should not be surprised by trials, but we are often caught off guard when life is going well and suddenly hard times come our way.

The Apostle Peter exhorted the early church, saying, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13, ESV).

Have you ever experienced a closeness—an intimacy—so striking that you did not want it to come to an end?

God is present among us, and we can encounter his intimate presence in such a way that we will never want it to end.

The Prophet Jeremiah proclaimed, “You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not leave us.” (Jeremiah 14:9, ESV).

Jeremiah experienced God’s presence in the midst of his people. He experienced belonging to God and being called by God’s name. Jeremiah did not want God’s presence to end—he did not want God to ever leave his people.

What is the work that God has called you to? What are the ways you are called to steadily and steadfastly serve the Lord in his work?

As followers of Jesus, we are all called to do the work of the Lord. We are to always be about doing God’s kingdom work in the world. Our productivity should be abundant—recognizing our work is meaningful and is of eternal consequence.

The Apostle Paul wrote the church in Corinth, saying, “My beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV).

How does God see his little children? How should God’s children be viewed and considered? How should we revere God’s children and care for and protect them?

Children are not only beloved of God, they are the example for each of us to emulate.

We are to be as dependent and as humble as little children. We are to reflect the trust and innocence of little children. Jesus said we are to become like little children.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus, called to him a child, and put him in the midst of the people and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4, ESV).

What is faithful living? How do we live by faith? How do we daily step out in faith? How do we make wise decisions of faith?

At some point in our journey, we all wonder how we can live faithful and faith—filled lives.

Each of us must wisely discern and consider which steps are the best to take. And many times in life we have to walk by faith.

Sometimes we need to take a “giant leap of faith”. We have to trust God with the unknown and to make the next best decision in a string of decisions and steps into the future.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV).

Have you ever felt distant or disconnected from God? Have you ever experienced feeling like you were alone—even when you were not?

We can experience loneliness, even when God is nearer to us than we can imagine.

The Psalmist writes, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” (Psalm 73:28, ESV).

It is good to be close to God and to take comfort in the refuge and presence of God.

What captures your attention and your imagination more than anything or anyone else? What do you desire above all else?

Each of us have desires. We desire relationships and we desire material things. Desires are good. God has given us so many good gifts to desire.

Above all else, God has given us the gift of himself and longs for us to desire him above everything and everyone else.

The Psalmist writes, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.” (Psalm 73:25, ESV).

Is the church a place you go to, or is it a people you belong to? Is the church an organization or institution, or is it an organism or a movement of God’s people?

Jesus’ church transcends a building and a steeple. The church is about God’s chosen people. The church is the body of Jesus Christ living kingdom lives and doing God’s kingdom work in the world.

As the Apostle Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9, NIV).

When was the last time you played in the streets? What does it mean to have the privilege and blessing to play in the streets?

There is safety and security in a neighborhood where you can play in the streets. There is a peace and a soundness of mind when we feel we can allow our children to play in the streets.

In the days when God’s people, the Israelites, were threatened by the Babylonians and exiled to a hostile land, God promised salvation and restoration for his people.

God promised he would allow the Israelites the safety, the security, and the peace they needed to live a full and worry-free life, where they could harmoniously grow old and sit and watch the children play in the streets.

When was the last time you talked honestly with God about your struggles and misdeeds?

Honest confession to God leads to the abundant grace and forgiveness of God.

The Apostle John wrote, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9, ESV).

How close is God to you? Where does God dwell in relationship to you? Do you experience God’s daily presence with you?

God has made his dwelling place with his people. God is near to each of us and has made his home with his children. We are never alone and we are never without God.

God spoke to his people through the Prophet Zechariah, saying, “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.” (Zechariah 2:10-11, ESV).

What does God’s peace look like? Where do we need God’s peace? To what extent does the world need God’s peace?

God offers perfect peace for each of us and he offers perfect peace for the world. Our God is a God of peace.

As the Apostle Paul said to the church in Corinth, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” (1 Corinthians 14:33, NIV).

This fallen world is filled with discord and disorder, which is not in congruence with the attributes of our God of peace.

This is why Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, saying, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9, NIV).

What role does your thinking play in your life? How do you think? How does your thinking shape your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well being?

How we think matters. How we think shapes our well being and our health. Most importantly, how we think effects our relationship with God and with others.

The wisdom of the Proverbs says, “As a man thinks, so he is.” (Proverbs 23:7).

Our thinking shapes who we are, and our thinking shapes what we do. Our inner and outer lives are cultivated through our thinking.

Where do we go when we die? What do we do when we die? What happens when we die?

The questions surrounding death are not prefaced with “if” but “when”. We will all die—it is just a matter of how and when. And when we die, what happens then?

The Author of Hebrews writes, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27, ESV).

Each of us are facing death and judgement. We will be resurrected to eternal life. There, we join all the saints who have died before us and who have finished their course.

What does creation say to us about our glorious creator—God? When we consider the majesty and the power of creation—how much greater is our God who made it all?

God’s creation speaks of the glory of God. All of creation bears witness to the creativity, grandeur, power, and splendor of God.

The Psalmist writes, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2, ESV).

All of creation comes from God who preexisted it and who brought everything into being before the beginning of time.

Why is loving God and loving our neighbor the greatest commandment? How well are we doing with loving God and one another?

Loving God is essential to loving our neighbor well. And we cannot love God without also loving our neighbor. God’s greatest commandment is love. God is love.

When asked by the religious leaders which commandment is the greatest, Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31, ESV).

How do we understand how to apply the Bible to our lives? Is the Bible history to be read, or instructions to be adhered to?

In Sunday School settings, and in some Christian circles, the acrostic B.I.B.L.E. is used to explain the Bible as “basic instructions before leaving earth.”

This is an oversimplified and partially true definition of what the Bible is, and this definition distorts the complexity of God’s word and overgeneralizes the Bible—neglecting to take into consideration the diversity of the literary genres within the Bible’s covers.

The truth is, there are many literary genres found in the Bible, including: law, history, wisdom, poetry, narrative, epistles, prophecy and apocalyptic literature.

How do you move forward without knowing for sure what the outcome might be? How do you make decisions with so many unknowns?

We take leaps of faith into the unknown all the time, sometimes knowingly, and other times unknowingly. Life is filled with the unknown.

Making decisions without a sure—or full understanding of what lays ahead, and taking steps forward when we are uncertain of the outcome—this is acting in faith.

The author of Hebrews defines faith this way, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV).

How present is Jesus with you? How near is Jesus with you when you speak to him?

The name “Immanuel”, means God is with us. Jesus is with us, and draws near to us, when we draw near to him. Jesus is present with us.

The Psalmist writes, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18, ESV).

God spoke through the Prophet Jeremiah of his presence, saying, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV).

What kind of fruit does a good person produce? Are you producing good fruit?

Followers of Jesus are to serve God and his church in fruitful ways. We are to bear good fruit for the kingdom of God in this world.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus rebukes the religious leaders for producing the wrong kinds of outcomes. Jesus said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33, ESV).

Followers of Jesus should be discernible in how they live their lives, and in how they serve God and others. We should distinguish ourselves as God’s servants through the fruit we produce and we should stand out as “good trees” in a forest of unfruitfulness.