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God has given us the wonderful gift of faith that allows us to posess a belief in God that leads to salvation. Faith in God saves us, but we should not take this gift for granted. God calls us to add to our faith in order to grow deeper with Him and to also find assurance that we have truly been saved. In 2 peter 1:3-11, Peter encourages us to supplement our faith in God with many good virtues. They are: Goodnes, Knowledge, Self-Control, Perseverance, Godliness, Brotherly Kindness, and Love. How would you rate yourself on these virtues (on a scale from 1-10). It's good to evaluate ourselves and see how we are doing in a certain area. Allowing God to search our hearts and find any sinful way in us is great because it deepens our relationship with Him and it also gives us assurance that we have been saved. We know that it is by faith we have been saved and the prescence of these virtues, when flowing from a faith in God, help give our conscience an assurance that God has saved us and changed us to be more like him. PETE

What if you weren't given a name at birth, but given a name at the age of 5 - after your friends and family could observe your character and give you a name that fit your personality. This would make for some pretty interesting names! When Christ called his first disciples he told them that they would be "fishers of men" - describing what they would become if they followed him. Christ elaborates on this idea in Matthew 5:13-16 when he tells that they are "The salt of the earth & the light of the world". These titles were not a command to them, but it was a description of what we all will become if we follow Christ. We are to be salt to the earth, making others thirsty for a relationship with God by how we interact with people around us. We should season every conversation and make it pleasing to God. We are the light of the world. We set our faith up for all to see when every person interacts with us, they will see a light of love, goodness, graciousness, and gentleness flow out from us...rooted in a deep relationship with God. This passage should stir in us a question and a desire. The question is: "Am I acting as salt and light, and how can I make the most of every opportunity to do so"? The desire is: "God...I want to be salt and light and live in such a way that brings honor and praise to who you are". I hope both come from a heart of gladness today. PETE