These articles represent Christianity 101 and what you need to know to have saving faith in Jesus Christ. Copyright https://www.christianity.com 2025, Christianity.com Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:18:47 -0400 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/forgiving-when-you-dont-think-you-can.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/forgiving-when-you-dont-think-you-can.html Chad Roberts https://www.christianity.com/author/chad-roberts/ When forgiveness feels impossible, remember: it’s not about saying the pain didn’t matter—it’s about letting God’s grace free you from it. Wed, 09 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-the-difference-between-forgiving-forgetting-and-reconciling.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-the-difference-between-forgiving-forgetting-and-reconciling.html Sophia Bricker https://www.christianity.com/author/sophia-bricker/ What’s the real difference between forgiving someone, forgetting what they did, and fully reconciling the relationship? This powerful article breaks down what the Bible actually says—and doesn’t say—about forgiveness, grace, and boundaries. If you’ve ever struggled to know what’s required of you when someone hurts you, this will bring clarity, comfort, and freedom. Wed, 26 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/5-ways-prayer-transforms-you-and-7-real-stories-that-prove-it.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/5-ways-prayer-transforms-you-and-7-real-stories-that-prove-it.html Judy McEachran https://www.christianity.com/author/judy-mceachran/ “Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. This is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Why Is Prayer So Important to Prioritize?Scott Hubbard, managing editor of Desiring God, highlights the importance of prayer in his article, “Never Too Busy to Pray,” emphasizing Jesus as our example: “When Jesus’s priorities competed, prayer didn’t lose.” Too often, we treat prayer as a last resort rather than our first response. Yet prayer holds power---it bridges the seen and unseen, where faith moves mountains. It opens our spiritual ears, aligning our hearts with God as our fleshly desires give way to willing obedience.In quiet moments with our Creator, questions find answers as His divine guidance unfolds. At Jesus’ feet, perspectives shift, and hearts align with His will. Prayer leads us into genuine worship---worship that is “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Rooted in Scripture, prayer becomes a powerful weapon, quipping us for victory in spiritual battles. Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Jacob Wackerhausen Sat, 22 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/how-to-be-a-christian/what-does-it-mean-to-say-i-am-a-christian.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/how-to-be-a-christian/what-does-it-mean-to-say-i-am-a-christian.html Mike Leake https://www.christianity.com/author/mike-leake/ Being a Christian means that you trust in Jesus to save you. You trust fully in His completed work on the cross, placing all of your hope in His life, death, burial, and resurrection. That means that being a Christian isn’t about trying to be a good person. And it’s not about trying to earn your way to heaven through your good works. Wed, 19 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/what-does-it-mean-to-be-hospitible.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/what-does-it-mean-to-be-hospitible.html Britt Mooney https://www.christianity.com/author/britt-mooney/ Our culture has been losing the skill of hospitality. Over the decades, our Western homes have shifted from having a large front porch to a big back deck. My mom used to have dishes and even desserts ready for if and when “company” showed up, even without notice. Now we hardly ever use the front door, even less answer it when someone knocks. We engage more online and our phones than in person, creating more distance between us and others. Yet God designed us for connection, and the Bible details such personal relationship, even declaring being hospitable to be a spiritual, heavenly act. As we look through the Scripture, perhaps God is calling his people to be more hospitable in a culture growing more distant. Perhaps we better reveal heaven this way. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes Sun, 09 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0400 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/5-ways-to-give-up-worry-for-lent.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/5-ways-to-give-up-worry-for-lent.html Alicia Searl https://www.christianity.com/author/alicia-searl/ “You’re such a worrier,” she casually said over the phone after I completely poured out my heart per my usual vulnerable fashion. “You’re right,” I quickly resounded. But my thoughts held a different response, something quite on the contrary.  Sure, I was a natural worrier, but did this friend, that I trusted and highly admired, need to point that out to me?Yes! Yes, she did. That’s because my ever-evolving worry was starting to control me, and dare I say, had even become a comforting (and sinful) habit. My friend was just being honest by calling me out, holding me accountable, and reminding me that worry is not something God wants me to carry, much less tightly hold on to. Sweet friends really are the best (Proverbs 27:9), aren’t they?So, my sweet friend, is it okay that I call you that? I know we likely don’t know one another, but if you are a believer, then we are friends! That said, you obviously landed here for a reason. Maybe you are also a massive worrier. Well, here I am calling you out. Maybe you need to hear that today. Now, before your thoughts grow in frustration as mine did when my friend’s honesty rubbed me the wrong way (at first), let me clarify why it’s important that we pay attention to our worry. Worry, in and of itself, isn’t sinful. However, when it consumes our lives and continually takes over our thoughts, we give the enemy a foothold and are putting our faith on the line.Truth be told, we all worry at some point in our lives, especially when faced with unexpected seasons or challenging situations. But it’s all in how we respond that makes the difference! We can either trust God and lay out our concerns, fears, and anxious heart at His feet or we can bend towards those hasty feelings, allowing them to become an unhealthy habit, and quite possibly creating a sinful pattern.As we begin the season of Lent and usher in this beautiful and meaningful season, let’s set our hearts and minds on welcoming peace and embracing the richness of life that God has extended to us. Let’s let go of worry! Not sure how to do that? No worries, friend. I’ve got you! Below are five easy steps you can take each day to calm your mind, release the worry, and experience joy.Photo Credit: Danijela Froki/Unsplash Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:00:00 -0500 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/how-to-make-sure-your-faith-isnt-just-a-trendy-aesthetic.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/how-to-make-sure-your-faith-isnt-just-a-trendy-aesthetic.html James Spencer https://www.christianity.com/author/james-spencer/ Wearing a "Stay Salty" t-shirt is one thing—actually living as the salt of the earth is another. How do we move from catchy Christian slogans to a life of deep, committed discipleship? James Spencer explores the lifelong process of learning to live under Christ’s authority, embracing the "endless sharpening" of costly grace. Discover what it truly means to grow in faith, take small steps of obedience, and follow Christ wholeheartedly, even when the path is uncertain. Thu, 06 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0500 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/salvation/what-does-it-really-mean-to-be-a-christian.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/salvation/what-does-it-really-mean-to-be-a-christian.html Dr. Michael Youssef https://www.christianity.com/author/dr-michael-youssef/ Have you ever wondered what it really means to become a Christian? Maybe you feel like it’s too late for you, or that you’ve made too many mistakes—but the truth is, salvation is simpler than you think. Discover the life-changing power of faith, the first step toward Jesus, and how one simple prayer can transform your eternity. Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0500 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/10-verses-that-teach-us-how-to-love.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/slideshows/10-verses-that-teach-us-how-to-love.html Candice Lucey https://www.christianity.com/author/candice-lucey/ Alex Duke observes that “the sentence ‘Love is love’ is both meaningless and weightless, unable to accomplish anything or persuade anyone who doesn’t already agree with the assumptions of the speaker.” Love has to mean something and has to be definable by terms other than itself. The Christian’s understanding of love is shaped by what God has said about it, and “love is love” is not a Biblical saying or idea. So what has the Lord said? Here are ten verses about love in the Bible that help us to understand how God wants us to define it.1. Love God First“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.’ - Mark 12:30The first person we turn our attention to is Christ. He demands to be the primary object of our love, not our spouses, children, friends, or ourselves. As Duke explains, “The first and most important thing we must recognize about love is that it’s all about God. Love both originates in and is exhausted by our triune Maker—Father, Son, and Spirit.” He is its source, and we honor him by starting with him.How do we love the Lord first? We worship; we remember his sacrifice; we spend time in awe and wonder, enjoying him, reading His Word, and praying. We ask him, first, “What do you want my heart to look like today, Lord?” instead of asking ourselves, “What do I want?” The Westminster Shorter Catechism instructs that “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”2. He Loved Us First“We love because he first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19God wants to spend time with us. He loves us, and because of his love, we know how to love back. He gave examples of his love in many ways throughout the centuries, offering direction when we have struggled to know our way, fighting for us against our enemies, healing the sick, encouraging the discouraged, and restoring dignity to those who are ashamed, like the woman at the well. He loves those whom the world deems unloveable.He even died on the cross so we who believe would never have to face the agony of looking to the Father and seeing his face turned away. Christ loved the Father, so he obeyed him; he loved us, so he paid the penalty for sin on our behalf.Alexander MacLaren wrote, “He who knows that God loves him needs little more for blessedness; he who loves God back again offers more than all burnt offering and sacrifices.” The love of God is our greatest treasure, providing comfort, hope, and even discipline.Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Kharoll Mendoza Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0500 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/what-does-the-bible-say-about-keeping-our-physical-body-healthy.html https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/what-does-the-bible-say-about-keeping-our-physical-body-healthy.html Shawna Foster https://www.christianity.com/author/shawna-foster/ God designed your body with purpose, calling it a sacred temple meant to glorify Him. But are we truly honoring this incredible gift? From nourishing our bodies with God-given foods to embracing rest, movement, and self-discipline, Scripture offers clear guidance on how to care for our health in a way that strengthens our faith and equips us for His calling. Ready to align your physical well-being with your spiritual walk? Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:10:00 -0500 2025-04-16T07:18:47-04:00