Purpose/God's Will | AGW MINISTRIES

Identity Vs. Roles

April 14, 2018July 2, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

difference between identity and roles bible — To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi . . . –Philippians 1:1

What’s your calling? Who are you? How would you define yourself? These are the questions we seek to answer about ourselves from a young age.

Private to Public Is Always God’s Order

June 27, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

God private public — “And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.” -Luke 1:80

Whatever you want to be in public, you need to start training for it in private.

When you start studying the lives of those God has used greatly and told us about in his word, you notice a similar theme in all of their journeys. The details are different but every one of those men and women who God has used in significant ways have always gone through a period of private training with the Lord before he used them publicly.

5 Biblical Ways to Find More Joy at Work

June 23, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

Unless you are a stay at home parent, which is a full-time job with its own unique challenges, a huge portion of your life will most likely be spent in the work place. No matter how much you love your job, there will always be challengers in this area of life trying to steal your joy.

Why Good Works Still Matter

October 11, 2024May 20, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.-1 Corinthians 15:9-10

In some evangelical circles, it can feel like you are saying a naughty word when you mention “good works.” I understand, however, why Christians start fidgeting whenever these two words combine. Because of legalism, poor teaching, and unbiblical emphasis on works in the equation of salvation, the alarm bells begin to go crazy inside of many Christians when they hear someone explain that our actions really do matter.

50 Easy Ways to Waste Your Life

March 21, 2018May 11, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

easy ways to waste your life bible — 1 Corinthians 10:31

When I was 19-years-old, a deep fear came over me that I might waste my life. I had just spent the last four years of high school goofing off, living wild, partying with friends, and basically ignoring God. In our senior class yearbook, I was voted with the best laugh. That was my legacy thus far. Thankfully, however, God was not laughing with me or ignoring me.

2 Reasons that Disprove Meaninglessness

March 23, 2018May 1, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

Acts 17:20-23

If you listened to the world, you’d come to the conclusion that the earth was made through a big, random explosions and through the course of time, organisms slowly evolved into all that we see before us. Random, dumb luck is the reason you and me are breathing oxygen this very moment. And if everything happened by luck, then there can’t really be any true meaning to life – only subjective meaning created in each individual rather than objective, global meaning applied to every human by a higher power.

4 Reasons Why God Does Not Answer Some Prayers

August 21, 2018April 22, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

why does God not answer my prayers — Mark 10:35-40

Prayer is an amazing act. It is literally a conversation with God where we can pour our hearts out to him, thank him, intercede for others, and listen to what God is saying to us through the impressions the Holy Spirit places on our hearts and minds.

Your Past Failures Can Become Your Future Ministry

January 29, 2018April 4, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

I met Michael while working at a Christian drug rehab center in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a coworker of mine, and he has one of those testimonies you’ll never forget. But there was one part of it that has especially stuck with me.

Atheism Is Too Simple

February 2, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

There is a common desire in people for a plot. Everyone seeks to find the rhythm to the pages their life is written upon. We all seek to understand the themes of life, whose who in the character list, and what part are we to play in the show unfolding before us.

Dying With Joy As A Witness To Christ

January 3, 2017 by Mark Ballenger

5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. – 2 Corinthians 5:1-10