Blog | Greater Formation

God Works In Your Wait

anxiety faith hope renewal strength worship Aug 30, 2025

Ordinary Waiting

As a child, my life felt defined by waiting.

I waited for my family to wake up in the mornings.
I waited for the TV channels to begin broadcasting—this was back when screens displayed a test pattern until the day’s programming began.
I waited by the window, ready early as my dad instructed, watching for whoever was giving me a ride so they wouldn't have to wait for me.
On beach vacations, I waited for the adults to put down their books and come with me into the ocean.

Waiting wasn’t easy then. And if I’m honest, it still doesn’t come naturally. But over time, I’ve come to see that waiting is not just a childhood frustration—it’s can be a deeply spiritual experience.

A Different Kind of Waiting

The Bible offers a surprising view of waiting. Isaiah 40:31 paints a picture of renewed strength and energy acquired through waiting.

“They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”

But the promis

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Beyond Ease: How Struggles Shape Our True Purpose

community expectations gratitude hardship hope humility purpose relationships Aug 23, 2025

The Lies We Believe: Why Life Isn't Meant to Be Easy

Most of us grow up believing that happiness, financial stability, good health, and an easy life are the things we should naturally expect. As Americans, these beliefs are deeply ingrained in us—they shape the culture we live in, the media we consume, and even the air we breathe. We may try to resist or question these ideas, but if we’re honest, we often buy into them.

But here’s the truth: These beliefs come with serious flaws.

The First Problem: These Expectations Are Simply Not True

The idea that life should be a smooth ride of comfort and success isn’t just unrealistic; it’s misleading. Everyone faces hardship. The truth is, unless Jesus returns first, we will all experience difficulties—some of them deeply painful.

If we hold on to the expectation that life is supposed to be easy, we’re setting ourselves up for disappointment. When trouble inevitably comes, we might feel confused, overwhelmed, or even hopeless.

But there’s ...

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How To Attend To Attenuated Faith

adventure creativity faith growth journey reflection renewal service Aug 09, 2025

How would you describe the quality of your faith? I am not talking about the content or the focus of your faith, but rather the condition or characteristics of your faith. Maybe you would use words like meaningful, or possibly central; or you might choose words like relational, personal or vibrant.

Unfortunately, too many people seem to have an “Attenuated Faith.” Their faith is stretched thin; it’s shallow and over-extended. This is a kind of stunted immature faith. It’s marked by a limited understanding of God, His Kingdom and His Word. It is expressed with a restricted spiritual vocabulary. Often the same prayer and/or language is repeated by rote, without much thought or creativity.

Though the circumstances and challenges of life change constantly, an attenuated faith is lazily inflexible – unable to keep up with the seasons and stages of our lives.

The fruit of an attenuated faith is a dry, lack-luster spiritual life. There is no sense of adventure, journey or pilgrimage. Such ...

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When Life Feels Too Complicated

demands focus honesty humility mercy priorities requirements rhythms Aug 03, 2025

Do you ever feel like your life is just too much—too many tasks, too many responsibilities, too many demands on your time and energy? Most of us go through seasons like that. Life piles up, and in the middle of the overload, even our faith can start to feel like one more thing we can’t quite manage.

In those moments, we might be tempted to step away from our usual spiritual rhythms—prayer, Scripture, worship—thinking they’ll only add to the pressure. But in reality, that’s when we need them most.

Because at its core, the Kingdom of God is not complicated. It is grounded in simplicity, focus, and peace.

The prophet Micah put it beautifully:
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

That’s it. That’s the heart of what God asks from us:

Do what is right. Not just for yourself, but for others—especially for those without power or voice. Justice isn’t a side project;
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What Happens After God Speaks

clarity doubt failure god's will growth joy obedience repentance risk waiting Jul 26, 2025

I often hear people say they want to hear from God—that they long to know what He wants them to do. I smile when I hear this because I understand the desire. We tend to assume that if we just knew God’s will, life would be easier. But the truth is, clarity rarely makes things simple.

We hope. We pray. We wait. We wonder if we’ll ever truly sense His leading. And then—eventually—God makes His will known. But when He does, it’s not uncommon to feel caught off guard. Despite all the waiting and preparing, we often feel completely unprepared. Not only that, we may face an unexpected crisis of faith. We start to doubt: Is this really from God? What if I’ve misunderstood? What if I fail?

That moment of hesitation isn’t always about lack of faith. Often, it’s fear of failure. Deep down, we want God’s will to come with guarantees—of success, of smooth roads, of minimal pain. But that’s not how it works.

Look at Scripture. The lives of those who followed God were filled with struggle: setbac...

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“Happy Dependence Day”

abide good works identity provision reliance strength wealth Jul 12, 2025

Celebrate Dependence: A Better Foundation for Life

Americans love to celebrate independence. It’s deeply woven into our cultural identity—we value blazing our own trails, defending our freedoms, and providing for ourselves. These ideals can be good and noble. But in the Kingdom of God, the foundation is radically different.

The Kingdom isn’t built on self-sufficiency, but on total reliance—on the grace, will, and power of God. We don’t earn our place in it. We inherit it, through the costly gift of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

This is why Scripture repeatedly invites us into dependence—not as weakness, but as wisdom.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5–6)

True wisdom means trusting God over ourselves. It means acknowledging His presence and power in every part of life.

Yes, we encourage people to work hard and provide for themselves—but even tha...

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Spiritual Focus in a Rapid-Fire World

decisions empower evil focus harvest holy spirit last days prayer purpose redemption reflection restoration revelation Jul 04, 2025

In playoff sports, when the clock winds down and the stakes rise, everything intensifies. The game seems to slow—yet every movement accelerates. Every pass, every play, every decision carries weight. The pressure is palpable, and nothing feels insignificant.

In a similar way, we are living in a high-stakes, high-intensity moment in God’s redemptive story.

Scripture reveals a sweep of progressive revelation from the promises of old, to the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. This launched what the Bible calls the “Last Days”—a period that has now stretched over two millennia.

These are days of revelation and power. Days where the Spirit is active. Days in which the Church is called to demonstrate God’s love to the world. Days of preparation—for the end of life as we know it and the beginning of eternal life to come.

Could it be that we are now in the final stretch of these Last Days?

You don’t have to be prophet...

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What is Your Struggle Saying To You?

character fruitfulness growth hardship listening maturity perseverance purpose struggle weakness wilderness Jul 04, 2025

Don’t Give Up: Let Hardship Speak Before You Respond

What makes you want to quit?
Is it a harsh word, a disapproving glance, a persistent struggle, or just plain exhaustion? Most of us can point to something—or someone—that drains our energy or chips away at our purpose.

You’re not alone. Every one of us encounters moments when continuing feels like too much.

In those moments, we often default to one of two responses: we collapse under the weight or try to push through with sheer force. But there’s a third way—one that invites us to pause and listen.

What if your hardship is speaking a message that needs interpretation?

Before you act—before you fight, flee, or fold—consider this: your struggle might be trying to tell you something. When we stop to interpret the meaning, we’re better able to respond with wisdom and faith.

Here are some questions to help you listen:

Where is this hardship coming from?
- Is it simply the difficulty of the task itself?
- Is it internal—em
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Impassioned Desire vs. Confident Trust

actions believe choices conviction desire faith hope obedience risk trust truth Jun 21, 2025

Faith means a lot of different things to different people. I’ve often heard questions like, “Do you have much faith?” or “Do you have enough faith?” On the surface, these sound like objective questions—but in practice, they’re often asked in vague and fuzzy ways.

Usually, people are talking about whether someone has enough faith to believe that something they hope for will happen:
“Do you have faith that you’ll get married?”
“Do you have faith that you’ll land that job?”
“Do you have faith that you’ll become successful?”

But biblical faith isn’t rooted in our personal desires or wishes for the future. Biblical faith is anchored in God—in who He is, in what He’s said, and in what He’s done.

Paul wrote that faith “comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). Faith is not something we drum up emotionally—it springs from the message of Christ. It's a response to God's revealed truth.

In 2 Corinthians 1:20, we’re reminded that a...

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The Danger of Assumptions and Presumptions

discernment evidence obedience plans prayer prejudice racism stereotypes Jun 14, 2025

We’ve all heard the saying: “Don’t make assumptions.” And for good reason. When we assume, we act as though we fully understand a situation—without actually taking the time to investigate or discern the truth. Assumptions are conclusions drawn without sufficient evidence, and they’re often wrong.

Wrong assumptions fuel prejudice, racism, and harmful stereotypes. They fracture marriages, disrupt neighborhoods, and create tension in workplaces. When we think we know something we haven’t taken the time to understand, we often alienate others and make poor decisions.

Even Jesus experienced rejection based on false assumptions. Many believed He was a threat simply because He didn’t meet their expectations of how the Messiah should act. They didn’t pause to truly understand His mission—or His heart.

But if assumptions are dangerous, presumptions can be even more damaging.

To presume means to take something for granted. It implies an even greater level of certainty—often without any more ...

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