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Have you ever looked at a familiar verse in an unfamiliar Bible translation? Most of us have a preferred version, but reading it in a different translation often sheds new light on its meaning. It may reveal nuances, clarify details, or otherwise point us towards a deeper understanding. As Christians, we view the Bible as the ultimate authority on life—but sometimes, a fresh way of wording it is like having a new translation, providing additional revelation. As you ponder these 10 powerful quotes (and related Bible references), let them change the way you live your faith.

If you live in a community with active duty military families but have never been a part of the military yourself it can be difficult to know how to support them. You may want to meet their unique needs but don’t know where to begin. The military family makes unique sacrifices to defend the freedoms that we all enjoy and a little bit of effort to encourage and support them goes further than you may ever know. So what can you do? Here are ten ways, among many, to show your support to military families: Jeremy Stalnecker is the Director of Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs. He served as a USMC Infantry Officer in Operation Iraqi Freedom and then became a pastor when he returned to civilian life. Through Mighty Oaks, Jeremy has brought together his ministry experience and military background to serve and minister to many hurting veterans, service members and their families. Jeremy, his wife Susanne and their four children live in Central California. www.mightyoaksprograms.org

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Strong family bonds make a lifelong difference. Members lean on one another, enjoy time together, and continue to build memories. According to a 50-year review in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Family Psychology, routines and rituals are associated with stronger family relationships. Family members’ connections last when they meet the individual’s needs of acceptance and belonging.The relationships are reinforced through shared memories that reflect time invested in one another, both the happy experiences and the struggles they overcame together. Investing in family is done by supporting one another, showing approval of the individuals, and making the home a safe haven.Evaluate your family bonds. List what you do together and what shared experiences and interests are part of the family conversations. Ask your children what they enjoy doing as a family and what activities they’d like to do again. Ask what new activities they want to try.When children can add their ideas, they feel more invested. Ask for their help in planning activities and carrying them out so they will be more involved and feel like an important part of the team. Communication is a key component of creating lasting bonds, so be sure to converse about activities and include everyone’s input. Listening to each individual helps each person feel valued and affirmed, especially when they see their ideas become realities.As you check out these 8 ways to develop lasting bonds note how your family is doing in each area and where you might work on strengthening bonds.Photo Credit: ©Pexels/August de Richelieu

Marriage is a sacred covenant created by God. He created men and women to be committed in their marriage until death do they part. This is not something to be taken lightly. We must be intentional daily to create a thriving marriage that glorifies God.Being a committed spouse means that we don't allow our hearts, minds, or bodies to venture outside of the covenant that we have made.The Bible says in Hebrews 13:4 that marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.Unfortunately, these laws are disregarded at every turn in our current culture. The world wants us to believe we can create our truth about marriage. But God created marriage laws to protect us. He desires for us to have thriving, committed marriages that reflect Him, which means fidelity and solid commitment to each other.Being in a committed marriage is becoming more and more difficult with the amount of pornography that is on display in multiple aspects. Billboards, movies, TV shows, magazines, and of course, the internet. The enemy is having a hay day with the number of inappropriate images infiltrating our minds.This can make it especially difficult to avoid the draw of pornography addiction. It is presented as normal and innocent when in reality, it is destroying lives and destroying families.Pornography addiction is an epidemic in our country. The damaging effects on marriages are devastating and harmful.Here are 4 ways that pornography damages a marriage:

No one gets married to see it dissolve. Two people are drawn to each other and make the decision to start a life together that they want to last forever; and yet, about 50% of those who walk down an aisle end up either divorced, separated, or having one mate gone forever. And sometimes domestic violence rears its ugly head.Domestic violence doesn't just appear one day; there are certain signs that a relationship is unhealthy. Here are 10 behaviors that may lead to domestic violence.Photo credit: ©Getty/Serghei-Turcanu

Dear Roger,I am so excited about going to heaven. I am ready for the rapture. I hope it comes right now! But I don’t know enough about heaven. Can you fill in some of the details for me?Sincerely,JulieDear Julie,There are ten common questions I hear all the time from people who are seeking to know more about heaven. I’ve collected them here, along with some biblical answers and practical application. I hope they’re helpful for you!Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/grakozy

I consider myself somewhat of a Bible resource nerd. I am always excited to dig into a new study or resource that will help propel me to a closer relationship with Jesus. I do need to be careful not to focus on resources and content above and beyond spending time reading God’s Word, but I strive to find biblically sound resources.I am the Women’s Ministry Leader at my church and am constantly trying new resources and searching for solid content to share with my ladies. There are many biblical resources for studying God’s word and talented people that God uses powerfully to bring His message of salvation to the lives of believers and those seeking God for the first time.One thing that I make sure of is that all the teachings line up with the truth of the Bible. It can be so easy for a writer or leader to get caught up in their opinions and accidentally share them as truth. No matter what we are studying or reading, we must set it up against the Bible. If it doesn’t line up, then we don’t want it.Before starting a new study or teaching, praying and asking God for discernment in all you are reading and learning is a good habit. God can speak to us through so many different avenues. I believe He uses people, their creativity, experiences, and talents to share truths with us.Here are some of my favorite Bible study resources:

Having teens is like having a built-in audience for our would-haves and should-haves. It’s like talking to our younger selves, except it seems as though they listen with half an ear and a couple of eye rolls.But even though it seems like our teens disregard our experience and wisdom, we still need to do our best to coach them into adulthood.Our teens need as much encouragement as we can give them. The microscopic world of social media isolates, the cancel culture rejects, and ghosting devastates.Living lives so connected to digital media means that the school room drama follows them home. In an instant a life can come under scrutiny and become the primary target for attack. Our teens juggle academics, extracurriculars, relationships, and social media. We need to help them remember that God is for them and able to help them with everything they face.The following are 10 wisdom nuggets that our teens need to hear from us.Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Kerkez

As Crosswalk contributor Mike Foust pointed out, dividing movies into either “faith-based” or “secular” can be useful but creates a problem: “It can prevent us from seeing the truth—and perhaps even the gospel – in secular films.”Because all truth is God’s truth, even movies made by mainstream studios can provide powerful glimpses of truth. They might even help us see biblical ideas in new ways. Here are 20 movies worth looking at for that purpose. They include everything from classic dramas to modern action movies.Foust’s list of 10 secular movies with Christian values contains many family-friendly films. This list includes some movies for kids and some movies where characters make messy choices as they reach for redemption. Like Christianity.com’s recent article “10 Great Easter Movies about the Life of Jesus,” each entry includes where to find a parental guide.Photo Credit: Erik Witsoe/Unsplash

Whether we like it or not, all Christians have the potential to be hypocrites. Thanks to original sin, we will never be perfect. Ironically, We proclaim the Gospel, preached by a man without sin. Then we strive to be everything that he was, while still finding that we sometimes fall short. When falling short, we have (maybe even unknowingly) learned bad habits and practiced them. We have intended to profess the Truth, but have not always given our Savior the credit that He’s deserved through less-than-holy words and actions. Sure, we know we won’t be perfect in this lifetime, but there are some habits that, if tackled, could make a big impact on our faith and the faith of others. What bad habits do you need help kicking? Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/fotyma

Moving out to Colorado at the age of 23, I was faced with a monumental task that I’ve never had to face before: church shopping on my own. My naïve, younger self thought it would be a breeze. I’d roll up to a new church, walk in and have a great first service, then maybe get connected with other young professionals and join a small group, before leaving to get lunch with my new best friend that I happened to sit next to. But man oh man, I was sorely mistaken. It took me over a year of intentional church shopping to find a church that both felt like home and challenged me spiritually, a church whose community I fit in, and one that I saw opportunities to serve within in the church and in the community. Through my many experiences as a guest, I’ve learned what some of the biggest turn-offs are for newcomers and now it’s my responsibility to share with you what the 10 worst experiences are for a guest. Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/Rawpixel

���And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days.” Job 30:16 (NLT) One of the hardest things to do is watch a loved one who is exhibiting signs of depression. You know something is wrong, but you don’t know what it is. You try to remember if they told you about any situations or relationships that may have caused the issue, but you can’t come up with anything. It’s hard to know what to do or what to say. You don’t want to say the wrong thing, but you don’t always know what the right thing is either. This is especially true if they either don’t acknowledge it or don’t want to talk about it. Sometimes our loved ones do acknowledge it and push us away. So, what are some good ways to respond to a person with depression? Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock

I log out of social media, certain that I have a large gray cloud of crackling lightning-bolt-anger hovering over my head. I take deep, cleansing breaths and shake my head. Then I consider taking a shower because I feel defiled by the ugly muck I just saw (and perhaps participated in). Im not sure what it is about the medium of the Internet that gives us the permission to bare the rudest, crudest versions of ourselves. Maybe we think that the screen separates us from the guilt of our speech. Maybe its because we cant see the pain we are causing to the person we direct the comments toward. Maybe weve always wanted to speak and act a certain way and the indirectness of social media gives us the freedom to finally spill out guts. Regardless, if left unchecked, the comments section on Facebook, Twitter and other social sites can quickly spiral into name calling and other hurtful, abusive language. As Christians, we have a higher calling, a moral obligation to love others as ourselves. To that end, here are 11 cautions all Christians should think through before they post online.

Dear friend, perhaps you just received some surprising news. It could be that your son just showed up at the front door and said, “I’m gay.” Perhaps your sister introduced you to her partner today. Or maybe the friend you’ve known for years tearfully revealed she’s struggling with same-sex attraction. It could be that someone you know is “transitioning,” going by another name and gradually changing their appearance to reflect the opposite gender.If any one of the scenarios above resembles yours today, you may be feeling despair, ashamed, frustrated, wounded, confused, guilty, betrayed . . . or even angry with God. But in the midst of your emotions and uncertainty, God’s Word offers hope-filled answers for you today.Here are seven truths to consider:

Write a book on “Why I’mFinished With the Church Forever,” and you will make money. Many of us who love the church and have devoted our lives in her service will probably want to hear what you have to say.Write a book on “Why I Love the Church,” and you end up with a garage full of your efforts. Those who already love the church will “amen” you and critics on the outside will mark you off as deluded.Whether we are a critic or a lover of the church–or for some of us, it’s a little of both–it’s important to be balanced.Let’s acknowledge that there are both good and bad churches in the world today. Strong and weak. Churches that ought to be cloned and some that should be euthanized.For a moment, let’s focus on the churches which are healthy and strong, faithful and loving, redemptive and grace-full.The good news is some churches in Scripture got it right. The incident in Acts 6:1-7 provides a wonderful illustration of a congregation that faced up to a crisis in a healthy, Christ-honoring way and bore great fruit as a result.Let’s use that Jerusalem church as an object lesson.Here are ten things healthy churches do well– particularly when it comes to dealing with problems.Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/FatCamera

We were running late Sunday morning when husband let me out in front of the sanctuary. I noticed a disheveled woman sitting on a bench near the fountain and heard that urging in my heart, "Go talk to her. Invite her to come inside with you." But my mind squirmed. We’re late. I had to find a seat so my husband could help with the offering, so I headed for the door. I exchanged pleasantries with the greeter and rushed inside. But the Spirit prodded, "You need to talk with this woman." Shushing the voice, I headed for the escalator, rehearsing all the reasons I couldn’t obey. The choir was already singing the first hymn. I glanced at my watch. How could we have been so late? Without meaning to, I listened to a lie of the world and put my needs above another’s. Here are 10 temptations we need to be aware of as Christians: Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/CasPhotography

When people think about mental health, they typically picture mood disorders like schizophrenia, OCD, or a bipolar episode. What many don’t realize is that common symptoms like stress, anxiety, and depression are also tied to mental health. Among Christians, it’s easy to dismiss these emotions as personal flaws in our moral character, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s been estimated that nearly 1 in 5 Americans experience some kind of mental health incident each year, and like any physical ailment, these shouldn’t go left untreated.For Christians, practicing emotional self-care can be extremely difficult. Things which benefit our mental health can often feel selfish or self-indulgent, so we avoid them out of guilt and misplaced shame. Yet our mental health affects how we think, feel and respond on a daily basis. It can even take a toll on our spiritual life if we’re not careful. It’s important to remember that God does not want his children to suffer unduly, and we cannot be faithful disciples if we’re avoiding our own problems. So if you find yourself overburdened with anxiety or worry, here are 10 ways you can invest in your own mental well-being.

Once a mom, always a mom. We may enter motherhood through different avenues, but whether we cradle our bundles of joy the first moment of their lives or hold them tightly to us later, our love only deepens from the day we first meet.I’ve been a mom for over twenty-four years. I’ll be a mom the rest of my life. It doesn’t matter how many birthdays my kids have, how far away they move, or how accomplished they become at taking care of themselves; they’re still the babies of my heart.As newcomers to motherhood, we might have heard it was a full-time, forever job. But did any of us really understand what 24/7 for a lifetime looked like? I didn’t. Yet, even if motherhood had come with a warning label, the day-to-day wouldn’t have sunken in until I tried to live it out. The reality is a lot less go-the-distance and a lot more treading-water-trying-not-to-drown.Remembering the following ten things helps me stay afloat: Courtesy: ©Getty Images /RyanJLane

There’s a battle over marriages today, and the enemy would love nothing more than to destroy yours, and to bring you down.

High School Graduation: a culmination of hard work, emotional investment, sweat and tears. And Im not even talking about the kids. Yes, the kids have done a lot of work to get to graduation, but we parents are clinging on by skin of our teeth getting through some of those years. A child graduating is as much of a parents success as a kiddos (insert teen eye roll, and parents head nod). That senior year goes by at warp speed. It is full of senior pictures, proms, and college visits. As parents, we are nostalgic about the whole experience. This is it, the last crescendo of raising our child. Oh, my heart. But just because our kids are becoming (gulp) adults and hopefully, productive citizens of the world doesnt mean we cant hold on to the last precious moments. There is still lots of fun to be had and many experiences to share. Ive got a daughter in college, and, yes, this year my middle son graduates high school. So, Ive got all the feels happening right now. I'm involved in every last ditch effort while we share the same address permanently. Its my Hail Mary pass. Here are 10 things every parent should do with their children before they graduate. Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/digitalskillet