Are you giving from the heart, or are you expecting something in return? 🙏In today's daily devotion, we're diving into 2 Corinthians 9:7 to explore what the Bible teaches us about generosity, giving with the right intentions, and helping others without expecting anything in return.God cares about more than what we give. He cares about the heart behind our giving. Join me as I reflect on what it means to develop a generous heart, serve others, and become more Christ-centered in our everyday lives.

Is business a distraction from what God has for you? On Day 4 of this series, we look at how to reclaim what matters most.
We often let the daily grind dictate our priorities, losing sight of the work God actually called us to complete. When we allow constant activity to fill every moment, we aren't just losing time—we are losing our sense of purpose. This session focuses on identifying where your energy is being drained and how to shift your focus back to your true mission.
It is easy to equate being busy with being productive, but those are rarely the same thing. If you feel overwhelmed by your schedule, you are not alone. Let's look at how to stop viewing your daily tasks as obstacles and start seeing them as opportunities to align your life with your faith. This is about practical Bible study and intentional living.
Still Learning. Still Growing. Still Following Christ.
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What if some of the things filling your schedule aren't actually things God has asked you to carry?

In Day 3 of Business Is a Distraction, we take a deeper look at expectations and how easily they can shape our lives. We often feel pressure to meet the expectations of our jobs, families, churches, friends, and even ourselves. But somewhere in the middle of trying to be everything to everyone, we can lose sight of our actual calling.

Paul's words in Acts 20:24 challenge us to focus on finishing the race God has placed before us. And in Philippians 3:13-16, Paul reminds us to forget what is behind and press forward toward the goal.

Being busy isn't automatically bad.

But being busy with the wrong things can keep us from the right things.

This episode is an honest reflection on purpose, expectations, priorities, and what it means to ask:

"God, what are You actually asking of me?"

📖 Acts 20:24
📖 Philippians 3:13-16

Still Learning Podcast: A faith journey in REAL time.

What we value is revealed by what we consistently give our time, attention, and energy to.

It’s easy to say that God is important while our schedules tell a different story. Work, money, fitness, relationships, success, comfort, and even good responsibilities can slowly fill every available space until there’s little room left for God.

In 1 Timothy 4:6–14, Paul challenges Timothy to train himself in godliness and make his life an example worth following. And Psalm 78:72 points to something deeper about leadership: a heart that is devoted to God and a life shaped by integrity.

So maybe the question isn't simply, “Why am I so busy?”

Maybe it's:

“What am I busy pursuing?”

Because what we value tends to determine what gets our time.

This is Day 2 of Busyness Is a Distraction, a series about slowing down, examining our priorities, and asking whether the way we're living actually reflects what we say we believe.

Scripture:
📖 1 Timothy 4:6–14
📖 Psalm 78:72

Still Learning. Still Growing. Still Following Christ.

What if being busy isn't the same thing as being productive?In Luke 10:38-42, Martha was busy serving Jesus, but Mary chose to simply sit at His feet and listen. Jesus didn't condemn Martha for serving. He challenged her because she had become distracted by many things.We can do the same thing.Our careers, responsibilities, relationships, goals, phones, finances, fitness, and constant pursuit of productivity can fill our lives so completely that we leave little room for God.In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus reminds us not to be consumed by worry about tomorrow, but to seek God's kingdom first.This is Day 1 of Busyness Is a Distraction, a 4-day journey about slowing down, examining what has our attention, and reclaiming what actually matters.Sometimes we don't need to do more. We need to remember what matters most.📖 Scripture:Luke 10:38-42Matthew 6:25-34🎙️ Still Learning PodcastA faith journey in REAL time.0:00 The Trap of Constant Busyness1:46 Busyness as a Badge of Honor2:54 Mary and Martha: A Lesson in Focus6:36 Reflecting on the Biblical Account8:01 Learning from the Birds of the Air#Christianity #BibleStudy #StillLearning

How do you calculate something that has no end?In this episode of Still Learning, I try to wrap my mind around something I don't think any of us can fully comprehend: eternity.We can measure 80 years.We can imagine 1,000 years.We can write down 1 million, 1 billion, even numbers so massive they become meaningless to us.But eventually, the math breaks down.Because eternity isn't just a really long time.There is no end.And that got me thinking about something even deeper: if I can't comprehend the length of eternity, can I comprehend the depth of God's grace?In Ephesians 2:3–7, Paul reminds us of where we were, what we deserved, and what God did for us anyway. We were “dead” in our trespasses, but God, because of His great love and mercy, made us alive with Christ.And then comes one of the most powerful statements:“By grace you have been saved.”This episode isn't about pretending I have eternity figured out. I don't.It's about wrestling with the reality that our time here is temporary, eternity is beyond our comprehension, and God's grace is greater than we often realize.Maybe I can't calculate eternity.Maybe I can't calculate God's graceThank you Pastor Rob for your Series of Forgiveness @rivervalleymn ​

“Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” — Luke 17:33

Would you trade eternity for 20 years of temporary pleasure?

That question hit me while reading Luke 17.

Today's episode is about rejection, sin, temporary pleasure, and the uncomfortable question Jesus puts in front of us:

Are you willing to lose this life to gain the next?

The world tells us to maximize the life we have now. Jesus challenges us to think eternally.

Because eventually, every one of us has to decide what is worth holding onto and what we're willing to surrender.

This one isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking the question honestly.

What does it actually mean to be a strong man?The world tells us strength comes from muscles, money, success, control, independence, and achievement. Scripture points us somewhere deeper.This episode explores the difference between worldly strength and biblical strength, and why true strength isn't about never being weak. It's about knowing where to turn when you are.Worldly strength says, “I can do this myself.”Biblical strength says, “Christ is my strength.”Philippians 4:13 reminds us that Christ gives us strength not simply to win, but to endure every season faithfully.Final day. Same mission. Deeper foundation.