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The apostles of Christ were common men. That’s God’s modus operandi (way of doing things). “God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful” (1 Corinthians 1:27, NLT). Here, as Jesus sends them out, we can see five stages for any of us who live to do God’s work. I. Mission (v. 7) II. Provision (vv. 9-10) III. Proclamation (vv. 10, 12) IV. Opposition (v. 11) V. Completion (vv. 12-13) Learn Your Bible: Search for instances of God using unexpected, common people to accomplish His will throughout the Bible. Love Your Neighbor: Look for a small way to serve someone practically this week. Live in Freedom: Meditate on 1 Corinthians 1:27 and surrender your need to prove yourself useful to the kingdom of God.

Scripture is the permanent expression of God’s heart to our heart in writing and as we spend time in His Word, it draws us near to Him, renews our mind, and prepares us for the day ahead. In this message, Pastor Skip Heitzig reminds us of the importance of a personal, daily devotional life. I. What It Is II. What It Does III. How to Do It

Unbelief is different than doubt. Doubts come and go. They are normal and a natural part of the human experience. But unbelief is a conclusion reached by a hardened heart. It is the decision to live life apart from God. Faith and doubt can coexist in a heart, but faith and unbelief cannot. I. Unbelief Respects His Wisdom (vv. 1-2) II. Unbelief Recognizes His Work (v. 2) III. Unbelief Reduces His Wonder (v. 3) IV. Unbelief Robs of Well-Being (vv. 4-6) Learn Your Bible: Using your favorite Bible dictionary or concordance, dive deeper into the differences between doubt and unbelief in Scripture. Love Your Neighbor: This week, dedicate yourself to interceding for someone in your life who’s embraced unbelief. Live in Freedom: Have an honest conversation with the Lord about the doubts or questions you’ve been working through lately.

Job wrestled with one of life’s hardest questions: Why does God seem indifferent to suffering? In this message, Pastor Skip Heitzig explains how Job found comfort in knowing that God’s judgment may not come immediately but is always inevitable. Job discovered that true wisdom is found only in the fear of the Lord—a reverential awe which produces humble submission to a loving God.

Two miraculous healings are sandwiched together in this text. But one of these miracles brought a delay. It seemed like Jesus waited too long. But when circumstances say, “It’s over,” Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; only believe” (v. 36). Delays aren’t necessarily denials; sometimes they’re upgrades. I. A Desperate Father (vv. 21-24) II. A Determined Sufferer (vv. 25-34) III. A Delayed Answer (vv. 35-36) IV. A Different Procedure (vv. 37-43) Learn Your Bible: What voices in your life are currently telling you to be afraid, give up, or stop believing? Spend time in the Word and focus on giving greater weight to Jesus’ words than to fear, doubt, or despair. Love Your Neighbor: Is there someone in your community who may feel unseen, interrupted, or forgotten? Find one practical way you can treat them with dignity and compassion this week. Live in Freedom: What fear, disappointment, or “late” situation are you tempted to believe is beyond Jesus’ reach? Ask the Lord to help you surrender those things to Him.

In this message from Pastor Skip Heitzig, we encounter the false theology that suffering is always the result of sin through Job’s friends’ accusations. Job countered this ideology by pointing to this simple truth: Health and wealth are not a measure of one’s standing with God. God's invisibility doesn't make Him unavailable. In your hiding, sorrow, and pain, God sees you.

You can’t see the electromagnetic radio waves and microwaves that provide signal for your internet or cell phone, but they exist and they are very powerful. Likewise, there is an invisible world which affects life in the visible world. In this section of Scripture, those two worlds come to the forefront. We will consider four desires that are true simultaneously as seen in this story. I. Satan’s Desire to Ruin (vv. 1-7) II. Jesus’ Desire to Rescue (vv. 8-13) III. People’s Desire to Resist (vv. 14-17) IV. Heaven’s Desire to Reach Out (vv. 18-20) Learn Your Bible: How should these truths shape the way you prepare for spiritual warfare? Love Your Neighbor: This week, create a habit of covering your friends and family in prayer, interceding for them through every difficult circumstance and temptation. Live in Freedom: Ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit and equip you to face the battles that come your way in this season.

In these chapters, we see Job at his lowest point. But God turned his greatest misery into his greatest ministry: A declaration that God, his Redeemer, lives. In this message from Pastor Skip Heitzig, we’re reminded that Jesus is the Redeemer who intercedes and provides assurance of our salvation because He lives.

No one looks for difficulties in life; they just come. And storms come in many forms—some are physical, others are emotional, many are spiritual. This well-known story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee holds several helpful guidelines for those of us navigating problems. I. Accept the Regularity (v. 35a) II. Look for the Promises (v. 35b) III. Invite Jesus Into Your Boat (vv. 36-37) IV. Take Your Cues From Him (v. 38) V. Swap Fear for Faith (vv. 39-40) VI. Find the Purpose (v. 41) Learn Your Bible: Meditate on Isaiah 41:9-10 this week and rest in the knowledge that, no matter what storms you’re walking through, Jesus is walking with you. Love Your Neighbor: Ask a friend or loved one who’s going through a storm of their own how you can help strengthen and encourage them. Live in Freedom: Ask the Lord to reveal areas of your life in which you’re allowing fear to overshadow your faith and obstruct your obedience to Him.

Job affirmed God's absolute sovereignty and intricate design of human life yet honestly shared his confusion and pain. In this message, Pastor Skip Heitzig reminds us that, though Job had questions about death and the afterlife, we now have the answers in Jesus. If you don't know Christ, your best days are behind you; if you do, your best days are ahead, no matter the suffering this life may bring.

Jesus had been speaking about different ways to hear truth by comparing them to different soils on a farm. Some reject it immediately; others respond only temporarily, while others fade gradually. A few are faithful and fruitful hearers. They grow deep roots and harvest rich fruit. Let’s see how. I. Fruit Bearing Is Noticeable (vv. 21-23) II. Fruit Bearing Is Consequential (vv. 24-25) III. Fruit Bearing Is Eventual (vv. 26-29) IV. Fruit Bearing Is Exponential (vv. 30-34) Learn Your Bible: Using today’s passage, reflect on your own walk—how have you grown recently? Are you actively seeking ways to grow? Love Your Neighbor: Ask a friend to pray over a specific area in which you want to see growth, and ask them how you can do the same for them. Live in Freedom: As you intentionally reflect on your growth, ask the Lord to reveal the pruning He wants to do in your heart in this season, and surrender those areas to Him.

Job’s friends held the simplistic belief that good people are always blessed, and suffering is always a result of sin. In this message from Pastor Skip, we see the contrast between human attempts to achieve righteousness and the biblical truth that no one is righteous apart from God's grace.

Selective listening is a communication barrier where a person chooses to hear only parts of a message that fit their interests, biases, or expectations. People who hear the gospel will have various responses. Some will hear and respond favorably. For others, a favorable response will only be temporary. And some will flat out reject it. Let’s unpack the parable that describes this process. I. The Sower (vv. 13-14) II. The Seed (v. 14b) III. The Soils (vv. 15-20) Learn Your Bible: As you spend time in the Word this week, ask the Lord to soften any hardness in your heart and deepen your roots so you’re ready to “stand fast in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13). Love Your Neighbor: Some receive the Word with joy but fall away when challenges arise. How can you help a new believer in your life develop deeper roots before hardship causes their faith to wither? Live in Freedom: Which thorn is most likely to choke spiritual fruitfulness in your life right now: the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, or desires for other things?

Satan accused Job of serving God only because of the Lord’s blessing, and God permitted Satan to test him. Job went from great wealth and blessing to losing everything—his livestock, children, and health—but chose to continue in faith. In this message from Skip Heitzig, we’re encouraged to live by faith, seeking God’s presence rather than seeking explanations for suffering.