In our younger years, we obsess greatly about who are the people we consider as our best friends, yet, we become more relationally isolated as we age. Many of us miss a key aspect of life by failing to make and keep deep friendships.

Whether or not we acknowledge it, many of our conflicts aren’t against physical powers but spiritual forces. As spiritual beings, we fight spiritual battles, but if we ignore the reality of them, we are probably losing ground all around us.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year (if you consider being stressed, busy, and broke as wonderful). While there are so many exciting moments to enjoy, our culture has structured this time of year to hinder our commitment to ministry.

Your hopeful plans for your life, job, or ministry may be immense, but they honestly may not be sized correctly. When we attempt something that God desires to be done, our grandest plans might potential.

We have more ministry programming for the next generation than ever before, but our kids aren’t staying connected to the church. We are expecting programs to do what God expects parents to do. It’s time to go the second mile in partnering with the home and the church for the sake of our children.

2024 SCBC Pastors Conference 1 Kings 22:1-18 - Pastors feel pressure from many sides to preach what others want them to say. If you're gonna speak, keep it to what the LORD wants them to hear.

The United States has survived another election day, but there are plenty of questions still to be answered in the days to come. As citizens of this country, we are called to live according to our heavenly citizenship regardless of the outcome.

In hostile political times, Christians can get sucked into the vitriol that is consuming the United States of America. Instead of reflecting the words, attitudes, and actions of the culture, the Scriptures provide another path.

With all the ethical battles being waged in our culture, many people remain in a state of political outrage and intense disagreement. While men may speak their minds on the issues, few discuss them biblically in the home.

As we navigate another contentious election season, Christians should be a voice of reason, sensibility, and hope. Instead of being sucked into the outraged culture, disciples of Jesus should prove themselves different.

Maybe you feel like you have too many responsibilities and not enough time to address everything you have to do. Before you start making fixes, you first need to identify the problems that you are experiencing. It’s time to go the second mile in fixing what you finally admit is broken.

All of us talk about how stressful our lives are as we seek to work through frantic schedules and numerous tasks. The fact is that nothing gets more orderly by accident, and we must be proactive to make the most of the time we have. It’s time to go the second mile in personal discipline.

We talk about laziness as if it is a character trait that some people just can’t help, but that doesn’t address the seriousness of the issue. If you lag around life, you miss out on the wonderful opportunities God has given you. It’s time to go the second mile and stop making excuses for laziness.

If you are a parent, you understand that the days are long, but the years are short as you seek to raise the children entrusted to you. Your availability is directly related to your capability as you set out to disciple your kids well. It’s time to go the second mile in parental availability.

You may not feel trained as a counselor to assist in crisis situations, but you probably can do more than you give yourself credit. Discover how you do these four simple things and help someone in desperate need better than you think you can. It’s time to go the second mile in counseling someone in crisis.…

Many people feel stuck in a marriage that they seek to improve, only to be met with resistance or complacency from a spouse. While a healthy marriage depends on two people putting in the effort, you might have to resort to an individual strategy. It’s time to go the second mile in working on your marriage.…

We are all prone to wander, but we are each prone to wander in different ways. We have to evaluate our habits to find victory against temptation. It’s time to go the second mile in fighting tempting situations.

Many people count teenagers out when proving themselves to be productive disciples of Jesus Christ. Instead of expecting less from these students, the church needs to raise the bar for their expectations and open the door for their opportunities. It’s time to go the second mile in equipping teenagers with radical discipleship.…

What’s the difference between a class and a group? One is where you listen to a teacher, but the other is a people to belong. We need more than just a class to attend and record our attendance. We need people to encourage our spiritual growth. It’s time to go the second mile in small groups.

Most Christians admit that we are supposed to share the good news with others, but fear often paralyzes us from doing just that. Instead of remaining in guilt, what if there was a way for you to unlock your potential for sharing the gospel?

People typically don’t spend their wedding day planning on how they can have an affair in the near future, but that doesn’t stop the unfortunate sin from transpiring. With affairs, common traits are typically present and must be avoided.

Having stuff isn’t sinful as long as it doesn’t have you, but we often feel like our worth is wrapped up in what we own. Instead of thinking about what we can give, we focus on what we can get and miss out on a better path. It’s time to go the second mile in learning biblical contentment.

Jesus spoke of His way being a narrow path that few find themselves upon, and our world is full of people who create their own paths of distorted Christianity. If the religious way is popular, it’s probably not the Jesus way.

Prayer is not an emergency hotline only to dial when we get in trouble; it is an ongoing connection with our Father so we can stay in step with His Son. If we want to learn how to pray well, we best go learn from Jesus.

Teenagers get a bad wrap in our society for being self-absorbed, technologically fixated, and unwillingly sacrificial. In our churches, we must not expect less from our students who desire to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.

If you listen to the way many Christians talk today, we sound so different from the way Jesus expected us to live and serve others. Instead of making it about Him and others, we make it all about becoming as comfortable as possible.

There are traps of sin that all of us can fall into because we are humans with desires of the flesh, but there are traps of sin that are very effective on you personally. If you want to follow Jesus in obedience, you must beware those traps.

Money is a gift from God, but if it is not kept in the right position, it will take the place of God in our lives. In our society that treasures the riches of this world in an unhealthy way, disciples of Jesus must refocus their values.

Being a disciple of Jesus is more than adherence to a set of beliefs or acceptance to a momentary call; following Christ in this world changes everything. To say “yes” to Him might mean saying “no” to other things that we love.

Our phones give us constant access to anyone or anything at any time, and they often distract us from the people around us. We are so prone to checking our phones throughout the day, but what if we treated the opportunity of prayer like that?

We all know the cringeworthy moments that can happen when a selfish person, who lacks self-awareness, says and does things that cause pain to others. It is difficult to know how to help them get their attention off of themselves, but we must try.

At some point, we will all realize that we have never graduated from the childish way of thinking, that we ought to have what we want and ought to have it right now. This quest for immediate gratification is not from Christ and must be combatted in our lives.

We live in a world that encourages you to be you; the phrase implies that you should just live however you want. In all honesty, I can’t think of a more dangerous set of instructions to incorporate as you try to succeed at what God has called you to do.

When we often think about the task of global missions, we can easily be overwhelmed by the great scope of work required. This worldwide task must begin much smaller with individual disciples taking personal responsibility for the work.

It’s great to have a personal desire to follow Jesus on the second mile but to do so successfully, you need some people around you heading down the same path. We need friendships that encourage our discipleship. It’s time to go the second mile in keeping reliable connections and directions.

Each of us lives with regrets from previous mistakes, but we can become dangerously apathetic and immobile afterward. Even if you recently messed up and are suffering from its consequences, do what you can while you can. It’s time to go the second mile and do the next right thing.

Many employees believe in a cause but get discouraged in the process when working with a directionless leader and misaligned coworkers. With a few adjustments, you can experience significant changes by coordinated efforts.

It may not sound encouraging to anticipate failure as we follow Jesus, but none of us will always get it right. We should not wonder if we will fail, but we should consider how Jesus desires us to respond when the unavoidable happens.

Stuff can’t save us, but that doesn’t stop us from thinking that the more that we have, the more contented we can become. The reality is that we must prioritize a settled disposition in our lifetime if we are going to survive materialistic traps. It’s time to go the second mile in reclaiming contentment.…

Even though prayer can be very challenging to stay consistent with focus and direction, we all know of its important for our lives. With some simple adjustments, you can create more effective times of prayer that will cause you to desire it more. It’s time to go the second mile in making better prayer times.…

Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a disciple quite like the expectation to share Christ with another person. We must learn to embrace our commitment to Jesus so much that it becomes an easy thing for us to talk about Jesus to others. It’s time to go the second mile in getting over the fear of evangelism.…

Our culture doesn’t expect much from teenagers, but that doesn’t mean that Jesus feels the same way. Throughout the pages of Scripture and over the course of history, God has repeatedly used young people in incredible ways. It’s time to go the second mile in rejecting teenage apathy.

We live in a society where we oftentimes revert to isolation rather than embracing community. Understanding that we are in need of deep relationships, we lack the prioritized time to see those connections thrive. It’s time to go the second mile in open homes and deep relationships.

Many singles feel like their lack of a romantic relationship reduces their status in life. While the desire to find someone and eventually be married isn’t a wrong thing, you must be careful not to settle. Wait for the right person and the right time. It’s time to go the second mile in wise singleness…

Jesus is not a neutral relationship to have. If you really follow Him, He will demand you to express clear allegiance. Your relationship with Him will also cause others to determine their interaction with you based on how connected you are to Him. It’s time to go the second mile in picking sides.

Whoever is nearest to you will have the greatest influence upon you. There’s no way around it. Our relationships determine how well we can follow Jesus. Without proper consideration, we can find ourselves in friendships that hinder our personal discipleship. It’s time to go the second mile in healthy friendships.…

Plenty of people struggle to keep a consistent Bible reading plan due to numerous distractions that consistently keep us from this necessary discipline. These four steps can help you stay faithful in a habit that can change your life for the better. It’s time to go the second mile in consistent Bible study.…

When someone receives the gospel, that individual starts the journey of discipleship. We often classify such new believers as spiritual infants. But what happens if those young in their faith never grow past their initial faith commitment? It’s time to go the second mile in growing up through the Word of God.…

Why can’t I do what I want to do? Mainly because I do stupid stuff. Each of us cannot be left to our personal wisdom to determine the decisions we ought to make. We require a truth that is more trustworthy than our fickle feelings and reactionary responses. It’s time to go the second mile in seeing our need for Scripture.…

You’ve heard people say that you need to read the Bible, but what if you can’t stand reading? It’s not just that book – it’s any book. If reading isn’t your favorite and the Bible is a big book, what are you to do? You’ve got to retrain your mind regarding the Bible. It’s time to go the second mile in being devoted to Scripture.…