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Saving when we want to spend. Exercising when we want the bag of chips instead. Having tough conversations with our kids or coworkers. Why do we do hard things? Because, in the end, they’re worth it. God calls us to do a lot of difficult things in life. Things that require self-denial. Pain. Even crosses….

When we focus on ourselves all the time, we’re constantly seeing our insufficiencies. All the ways we’re not what we want to be. What we should be. It’s exhausting and so frustrating to keep seeing and thinking about ourselves because we’re just constantly reminded of the things we don’t like about ourselves. Yes? Think about…

A vacation. A good night’s sleep. Pouring ourselves in to a hobby. There are good ways to get rest. But our hearts are often still anxious, and our souls unsettled. So where can we find real, lasting, soul-satisfying rest? Better than a vacation. Better than a hobby. A person: Jesus. He’s the one who can…

The big boat. The massive world-wide flood. The guy named Noah and his family in the ark. All real. God says so. Evil is real. Judgment is real. God cleanses and starts over. And he saves. A real family that loved God. He saved them during the flood. We’re real people, too, just like Noah….

Did you have a special place when you were a kid? Somewhere to go and hide from the world for a bit? Your quiet spot? Do you wish you still had that kind of thing today? Your own grownup hiding place? You can. In the presence of God. Quiet time. Alone time. Just with him….

Jesus might not always fit the expectations we have of him. He’s full of surprises and sometimes challenges us in big ways. But it’s worth it. Because Jesus gives us what no one else can give. He does for us what no one else can do. He loves us like no one else will. No…