Joy/Happiness | AGW MINISTRIES

Why Does God Value Us?

October 26, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Why does God value us so much? Where does our worth come from?

We are constantly trying to create worth in ourselves by our works. We often think God values and loves us because of what we bring to the table. It’s easy to think God chooses and elects us because he saw something special in us. But none of this is true. When God looks at people apart from the grace of Jesus Christ, he doesn’t see potential, he sees a problem.

God Values Us Because He Is Love

And yet he truly does love and value us immensely, more than we can ever fully know. The only reason God can love us even though we were his enemies is because his love is not based in us at all. He does not love us because of what we do. He loves us because of who he is, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

How to Get Through Pain as a Christian

June 13, 2018October 14, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Throughout Jesus’ time on earth, he promised that his people will, without question, experience much pain, turmoil, and persecution on this earth. What is often overlooked is that he also promised that the prize for enduring these things for the sake of Christ will be far greater than the pain. Mark 10:28-30 explains:

What Does the Bible Say About Being Balanced?

October 10, 2016October 2, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

“Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her.” – 2 Samuel 13:15

One common expression many Christians say is that we should all try to be balanced. But what does being balanced really mean? And what does the Bible say about being balanced?

In one sense this is not a hard question. As Christians, we should be “balanced” in such a way where we are level headed, not overly dogmatic, and respectful of other people’s beliefs even if we don’t hold them ourselves.

Christians should also be balanced in that we should not hone in on one doctrine, trying to make the Bible and the Christian faith all about this one point, for as John Stott said, “Every heresy is due to an overemphasis upon some truth, without allowing other truths to qualify and balance it.”

Why Does God Wait to Bless Us?

June 9, 2018September 19, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Why does God wait to bless us?

Is It Wrong to Want to Be Married?

February 15, 2018September 8, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Some Christians are called to singleness. These types of people are typically quite content with not being in a romantic relationship, they don’t struggle with sexual temptation, and their desire for singleness is rooted in their desire to serve God.

Most Christians who are single, however, don’t fall into this category. The vast majority of us have not been blessed with the gift of singleness. One lie churches often unintentionally teach Christian singles is that it’s not okay to be discontent with their singleness. Through well meant teachings and seminars on how Christian singles must find all their contentment in Christ, people often end up feeling guilty for being unhappy about their lack of marriage. Many people feel it is wrong to want to be married.

The Danger of “I Wish” Statements

August 23, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

“I wish it wasn’t raining.” “I wish I had a better job.” “I wish I didn’t sin in that way.” “I wish God would just listen to me on this one.”

The “I wish” statements that flow out of our mouths seem so innocent, but out of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

What Is the Glory of God According to the Bible?

January 4, 2022May 14, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

(Note: This is a condensed version of the article “What Is the Glory of God?” found on our Resource page.)

“What is the glory of God?” is certainly one of the most foundational questions to answer in all of Christianity because the glory of God is so central to the gospel, the Bible, and everything God does.

Humbly, however, we must first accept our answers will always be incomplete as our Infinite God can never fully be described by his finite creatures. With that said, the Bible uses the phrase “glory of God” in many different ways, which means we can create many different definitions in general. However, the Bible primarily uses the phrase “the glory of God” in a specific way, and therefore what follows is a specific definition.

Definition: The glory of God is the invisible qualities, character, or attributes of God displayed in a visible (or knowable) way.

What Does the Bible Say About Happiness?

February 13, 2018September 23, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Bible Verses: 1 Kings 21:17-19

Affluence and personal peace at any price as the controlling factors of life are as ugly as anything could be. – Francis Schaeffer, The Church at the End of the 20th Century

What does the Bible say about happiness?

The United States Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Christians and non-Christians do not disagree that happiness should be a human goal, but they should disagree with how this goal is best achieved. So what does the Bible say about finding happiness?