Faith. Family. Finance. Fitness. Finding Balance In What Matters Most

Pastor once shared as we were talking over items for the internship, that when he counsels couples who are preparing for marriage, he consistently covers three key areas: faith, family, and finances. These aren’t just important for marriage—they’re essential for every life. And when we step back and look at Scripture, it becomes clear that God also cares deeply about another area: fitness and health.

So Faith, Family, Finance, and Fitness (health)

Why would these topics be important?

The Bible teaches balance and moderation in all things. We’re called to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), not by withdrawing from everyday life, but by keeping an ongoing conversation with God throughout our day. Worship isn’t limited to songs or moments—it becomes a lifestyle (Romans 12:1).

That lifestyle shows up in how we live out our faith, how we treat our family, how we manage our finances, and how we care for our bodies. None of these are about perfection—each is about faithful stewardship, one step at a time.

Think about fitness and health for a moment. I know it’s not a topic we always enjoy thinking about.. so I apologize in advance.

I’m not going to lie—I absolutely love chocolate cake with ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry on top (I’ve even clapped for a waiter when the dessert arrived!). But if I ate that every day, problems would arise. On the other hand, while exercise and discipline are good gifts, spending every waking hour in the gym would create issues too. Either extreme leads to imbalance.

Scripture reminds us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, bought with a price and meant to honor God (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Because of that, our physical health matters—but it is never a measure of our worth. The apostle Paul compares our walk with God to athletic training, explaining that he disciplines his body like an athlete so it remains aligned with God’s purpose (1 Corinthians 9:24–27). At the same time, Paul offers grace-filled clarity: while physical training is good, it is not supreme—training in godliness holds eternal value (1 Timothy 4:8).

The same principle applies across every area of life. Scripture tells us to leave our parents and cleave to our spouse (Genesis 2:24), while still honoring our father and mother (Exodus 20:12). We are called to bless our children, yet also discipline them in love. We’re encouraged to give generously and plan wisely, trusting God through seasons of abundance and seasons of lack (Philippians 4:11–13). And when life feels uncertain, Jesus reminds us that if God cares for the sparrows, how much more will He care for us (Matthew 6:26).

Faith in Jesus is what brings balance to it all.

Prayer helps us discern when to press forward and when to rest. Worship keeps our hearts aligned with God’s heart. Faith grounds every decision, reminding us that everything we have—our time, strength, family, finances, and health—belongs to Him.

If you find yourself struggling in any of these areas, know this: God’s invitation is not condemnation, but companionship. He walks with us as we grow.

When we surrender our plans and exchange our will for His, we don’t just find balance—we find peace.

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Lord, help me live a life of balance that honors You. Teach me to steward my faith, family, finances, and health with wisdom and grace. Where I feel weak, meet me with Your strength. Let prayer guide my decisions, worship shape my lifestyle, and faith anchor my heart. I surrender my plans to You and trust You to lead me into true peace. Amen.

‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.” Zechariah 4:6

Are you facing something that is just too heavy to carry? Beyond your ability to fix? If you feel overwhelmed, God is close. And He is able.

“‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.” Zechariah 4:6

It is like God is saying, “I know you can’t do this on your own. You don’t need to exhaust yourself striving and worrying. I’m here. Trust me to do what only I can do.”

You may be at the end of your rope. But God isn’t.

Giants fall when His Spirit moves.

Waters part when His Spirit speaks.

Peace comes when His Spirit is near.

You will stand today, not by might. Not by power. But by His Spirit working in and through your life. - Sandi @ Joy FM 99.1

We need Jesus most of all, yes, and we need one another.

Church, of course, is the people – the ekklesia – the people of God in Christ. But for the purpose of this post, when I say “attend church,” I mean the Sunday morning gathering.

To be propelled into our ultimate purpose, we must never give up meeting together. You need church more than you might realize.

Why?

Because Jesus.

The gospel – that is, the life, fulfillment, teachings, death, resurrection, and ascension of King Jesus – wasn’t so you could be propelled into an exceptionally individual life, but the gospel propels into life together, as a holy people.

And when we gather together, we share that common commitment and confession: God is love; Jesus is alive; Jesus is King; the Spirit of God has been poured out for all!

When we gather, we are making a countercultural declaration of the counter-cultural values of the kingdom of God – that is, Jesus is Lord; Caesar is not. We are declaring that in a world of death, decay, destruction, pain, and violence that the shalom of God is bursting forth.

When we gather, we are declaring and professing in the God who makes all things new – that is:

The God who brings dead bones to life.

The God who turns decay into resurrection.

The God who takes a marriage in shambles and brings healing and life.

The God who reconciles all races.

The God who declares victory for the marginalized.

The God who sets the captives free.

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, it’s a tough world out there. Even as you are propelled into your purpose, life can tear you down. We need a place where we can reorient our minds and be reminded of what actually matters. We need a place where others can hold us accountable to living into the purposes of God. Without church I am absolutely convinced that we cannot stay faithful to the purposes of God. We need Jesus above all else, yes, and we need one another to be pushed and propelled closer to our King.

By Tara Beth Leach,

Propel Cohorts Co-Founder

Sometimes we dismiss what we possess as too ordinary for God to use. We look at our knowledge or interests and think, "Surely these are too commonplace to matter." Those framed certificates? Just dust collectors. Our hard-won life lessons? Basic life hacks everyone knows.

But here's a truth that changed everything for me: the Holy Spirit doesn't waste anything.

I don't know what subjects you've studied or stories you've lived. I haven't seen the geography you've traversed or met the people you've gathered along your journey. I'm not familiar with the skills you've been honing since childhood or those you've cultivated in recent years.

But I know this with absolute certainty: all of it matters.

Remember Daniel and his friends? They had education, dietary knowledge, and cultural awareness that seemed ordinary to them. Yet the Spirit leveraged these "basic" elements for extraordinary purposes that changed the course of nations.

The Spirit works like a master chef, rummaging through the pantry of your life, pulling out everything you've experienced and learned. Those ingredients—some sweet, some salty, some that seemed insignificant when you acquired them—get mixed into a divine dish that nourishes the world in ways you could never have imagined.

What seems ordinary to you might be exactly what someone else desperately needs. What feels commonplace in your hands becomes remarkable when surrendered to the Spirit's creative work.

Because the Spirit of the one, true God wastes nothing. Not your knowledge. Not your experiences. Not your unique perspective.

Not one bit of who you are.

By Margaret Feinberg,

Author of The God You Need to Know

The Voice vs The Noise

This morning Tim was getting ready for work, the laundry was going, I was washing my hands, and he was trying to talk to me. I couldn’t hear him clearly until I turned the water off and turned around to look at him face to face.

After I heard what he had to say I was thinking about all the noises that had been distracting me. (Trying to analyze if I need to get my ears checked cause I am old) I could hear the dryer, the hum of the motor in the fridge, and then of course the water that had been running as I washed my hands. I thought if I can even hear the hum of the fridge then obviously the problem is not my hearing but what my ears were focused on. The noise vs the voice.

This led me to reflect and wonder how many times God is trying to tell us something and we can hear the sound of his voice but our ears are so focused on the noise that we can’t truly hear the words that he wants to speak. And until we drop what we are doing, look at him face to face, and focus on his voice instead of the noise we won’t be able to hear him clearly.

If you are facing something and you hear the sound of his voice and know he is speaking but you can’t clearly hear what he is saying then I encourage you to find a place to meet him face to face, away from all the noise, and just focus on what he is truly wanting to say.

There is Nothing wrong with sitting quietly in his presence and listening for his voice. Giving him your full attention so that he can clearly speak to you and to your situation.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 7:24

Written by Amanda Wilson

Virtual or reality?

Last year around this time I sat at Urban Air in Springfield watching my boys play a battle game with VR Headsets. As I sat there, I thought it was a bit comical that they were standing in the middle of a clear area with weapons in hand shooting all around them at what seemed to be invisible. Which lead me to think a bit deeper, about how only the boys could see clearly the enemy that they were fighting because they had on their VR headsets.
With everything that has been going on in our world over the past year and a half it is easy to aim our weapons at the targets we can see in the physical realm.
However, I can’t help but think that we need to be more like the boys with their VR Headsets. We might look a bit funny to those around us but we need to clearly see WHAT it is that we are fighting and use the weapons and armor given to fight EFFECTIVELY.

Ephesians 6:10-18

Author Amanda Wilson

Losing to win (Amanda Wilson)

2 verses came to my mind today.

“I must decrease so that HE can increase”

John 3:30

&

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. ... A thorn in your eyes is a thorn in the flesh.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

What the 1st verse speaks to me.

1. Our human will and desires must be put aside so that God can use our lives in the way he desires.

2. Don’t try to solve problems with human methods, instead pray and allow God room to move.

What the 2nd verse means to me.

1. There are situations that God allows to be used in our lives to show us our weak areas. We can’t fix something if we are unaware that it is an issue.

2.We will not obtain perfection in this life time. We can only pray to become better each day.

3. We will ALWAYS need God and his grace.

4. We don’t want to ever think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We do not want Pride to overtake us.

I started thinking about Pride and decided to do a search “Biblical Symptoms of Pride”

As I studied, I again felt my heart being checked. I can recall various times in my life that I have displayed some of these symptoms.

My prayer today is - Help me to push past human Pride so that your purpose can truly be fulfilled in my life.

I am sharing the main points below for you to also look over. You might also be surprised to find yourself there. But if you do.. don’t worry Gods grace abounds and prayer works.

The below Article credits go to - Seven Subtle Symptoms of Pride.

1. Fault-Finding

While pride causes us to filter out the evil we see in ourselves, it also causes us to filter out God’s goodness in others. We sift them, letting only their faults fall into our perception of them.

When I’m sitting in a sermon or studying a passage, it’s pride that prompts the terrible temptation to skip the Spirit’s surgery on my own heart and instead draft a mental blog post or plan a potential conversation for the people who “really need to hear this”

2. A Harsh Spirit

Those who have the sickness of pride in their hearts speak of others’ sins with contempt, irritation, frustration, or judgment. Pride is crouching inside our belittling of the struggles of others. It’s cowering in our jokes about the ‘craziness’ of our spouse. It may even be lurking in the prayers we throw upward for our friends that are — subtly or not — tainted with exasperated irritations

3. Superficiality

When pride lives in our hearts, we’re far more concerned with others’ perceptions of us than the reality of our hearts. We fight the sins that have an impact on how others view us, and make peace with the ones that no one sees. We have great success in the areas of holiness that have highly visible accountability, but little concern for the disciplines that happen in secret.

4. Defensiveness

Those who stand in the strength of Christ’s righteousness alone find a confident hiding place from the attacks of men and Satan alike. True humility is not knocked off balance and thrown into a defensive posture by challenge or rebuke, but instead continues in doing good, entrusting the soul to our Creator.

5. Presumption Before God

Humility approaches God with humble assurance in Christ Jesus. If either the “humble” or the “assurance” are missing in that equation, our hearts very well might be infected with pride. Some of us have no shortage of boldness before God, but if we’re not careful, we can forget that he is God.

Others of us feel no confidence before God. Which sounds like humility, but in reality it’s another symptom of pride. In those moments, we’re testifying that we believe our sins are greater than his grace. We doubt the power of Christ’s blood and we’re stuck staring at ourselves instead of Christ.

6. Desperation for Attention

Pride is hungry for attention, respect, and worship in all its forms.

Maybe it sounds like shameless boasting about ourselves. Maybe it’s being unable to say “no” to anyone because we need to be needed. Maybe it looks like obsessively thirsting for marriage — or fantasizing about a better marriage — because you’re hungry to be adored. Maybe it looks like being haunted by your desire for the right car or the right house or the right title at work: all because you seek the glory that comes from men, not God.

7. Neglecting Others

Pride prefers some people over others. It honors those who the world deems worthy of honor, giving more weight to their words, their wants, and their needs. There’s a thrill that goes through me when people with “power” acknowledge me. We consciously or unconsciously pass over the weak, the inconvenient, and the unattractive, because they don’t seem to offer us much.

Maybe more of us struggle with pride than we thought.

There’s good news for the prideful. Confession of pride signals the beginning of the end for pride. It indicates the war is already being waged. For only when the Spirit of God is moving, already humbling us, can we remove the lenses of pride from our eyes and see ourselves clearly, identifying the sickness and seeking the cure.

By God’s grace, we can turn once again to the glorious gospel in which we stand and make much of him even through identifying our pride in all its hiding places inside of us. Just as my concealed pride once moved me toward death, so the acknowledgement of my own pride moves me toward life by causing me to cling more fiercely to the righteousness of Christ.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24)

Author: Amanda Wilson

What is your purpose?

What is your calling, purpose, or ministry?

Today I am thinking about Jesus’ ministry when he was on Earth. I find it very interesting that the majority of it was not done in a temple or synagog.

I know that he went to both the temple and the synagog. He also ministered in those places. This shows that he did value places of worship and prayer. However, he did not think ministry only be done there. He did not dedicate the majority of his time doing work in those places.

He did his work through his daily interactions. He ministered to the various people he came in contact with regardless of the person, situation, timing, or venue.

As I reflected over my day I recalled coming in contact with at least 4 people that shared needs with me. I told them I would pray for them and I did.

But as I prayed for them I was “pricked” in my heart.. why would I tell them I would pray for them later? Why would I not just pray with them at that very place and time? What if they needed to feel their faith build through the prayer?

Now my prayer becomes “Tomorrow is a new day, by your grace God, I am going to be more aware of the need to be what you need me to be IN THE MOMENT.”

#WWJD

author: Amanda Wilson

OBEDIENT TO THE CALL

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

READ EZRA 3:1 THROUGH 5:17

Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices (Ezra 3:3).

Peer pressure can be a powerful force—even for adults. 

Today’s passage says the time had come for the Israelites to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Scripture indicates that they knew this would anger people who did not follow God. 

They started the job anyway, not knowing what the outcome would be. This must have been frightening, considering they had been captives before. But they continued the task, doing what they knew was right. 

Like the Israelites, Christians sometimes receive calls or tasks from God that bother unbelieving observers. Sometimes simply living out the precepts of God’s Word angers others. You may face intimidation, disdain, and even persecution. 

You can back down or, like the Israelites, you can be faithful to God.

Thought for Today: Doing what’s right is not always popular, but it is worthwhile.

Quicklook: Ezra 3:1–6

Author: AOG general