Paul wrote the letter to tell the Galatians that there were two paths they could pursue: they could choose the path of freedom by trusting Jesus to make them right with God (justify them), or they could choose the path of religion — trusting themselves to live up to a code (the Jewish law), hoping that they could do enough of the right things to be justified to God.

While technology has helped us to be more connected than ever before, it has not led to a greater sense of community or relationship. We know what everyone else is doing (or at least what they want to share) but we don’t know them. And they don’t know us.

What have you set as your foundation? Is it “rock solid”?

Maybe you’ve made a “prayer bet” with God. Maybe you’ve prayed one of those “God, if you get me out of this I promise I will…” prayers in your life. Honestly, most of us have at some point in our lives.

But what about when prayers go unanswered? Especially the prayers that seem way more serious than making it through a thunderstorm?

Why is it that we pray for healing, but our loved ones still suffer?

Why is it that we pray for restoration in relationships, but parents still split up?

Why is it that we pray for deliverance from tough situations, but we end up going through them anyway?

When we pray serious -- I really need this -- type prayers but don’t get the answers we are looking for, it can shake our faith and lead to doubt:

Is God really able to do anything about my situation?

Does God even care?

How should we think about unanswered prayers?

There were some people who were convinced that no one could be resurrected, including Jesus, and they were out there, casting doubt on Jesus’ resurrection. So Paul, way before “alt history” became a thing, writes a little of his own in 1 Corinthians 15:13-19.

The good news for all of us is that God is not afraid of our doubts and questions. They don’t have to be a barrier to us looking closely at the claims of Christ. This Easter season, don’t let your doubts keep you from taking a look into the empty tomb.

While there is something inside us that believes it is important to do, and something we would like to do, most of us find it hard to do. Why? We’re worried it might damage our relationship with that person. We don’t know the answers to all the questions they might ask. We don’t want to be laughed at or looked down upon. Or maybe we’re not even sure where to start.

What’s the purpose of fasting? Why is it something that Christians participate in?

The right way to pray is your way. The right words to use are your words. God just wants to hear from you. It’s that simple. And that profound.

We all know that reading and studying the Bible is important to a Christian and anyone else who wants to find out what the Christian faith is all about. But the Bible can be a challenge to understand. The good news is that there are a lot of resources out there that can help you with the challenges of understanding and applying the Bible.

All of us, it seems, are motivated by potential or prevention. People who are motivated by potential are focused on maximizing gains and avoiding missed opportunities. Those people are driven by progress. People who are motivated by prevention, focus on minimizing losses, and keeping things working as they are. They are motivated by security. These mindsets greatly impact how we experience the world.

When we think about what God did in sending Jesus into this world, and what Christ did through his suffering on the cross, we sometimes miss the point. We talk about salvation like Jesus came to turn bad people into good people. But that’s not what the Bible teaches us. Jesus didn’t come to turn us from bad to good. He came to change us from dead to alive.