Author: Joe MarquezWisdom vs. Cultural LiesMost of us have been told our entire lives to trust ourselves.From a young age, we hear things like:"Believe in yourself.""Follow your heart.""Do what feels right.""You know yourself better than anyone else."And honestly, that sounds empowering.Especially where we live.We've been taught to make a plan, work hard, think ahead, save wisely, gather informati...

Author: Joe MarquezTwo Paths, Two LivesProverbs 1:8-19; Proverbs 4:18-19One of the dangers of living in the suburbs is that it's possible to be headed in the wrong direction while everything around you looks successful.You can have the house, the career, the retirement account, the vacations, and the kids in activities—and still be slowly drifting from God.Because spiritual drift rarely looks dram...

Author: Joe MarquezWisdom: Learning to Live God's WayWe live in a time where we're overflowing with information but often starving for wisdom.We can learn almost anything in seconds. We know how to build careers, manage finances, optimize our schedules, and research whatever we want.Yet anxiety is rising, relationships are struggling, and many people feel more lost than ever.Because information an...

We Were Not Meant to Walk AloneFriendships matter more than we realize.The Bible says in Genesis 2:18“It is not good that the man should be alone.”Yes, that passage is speaking directly about marriage. But I don’t think it’s limited to marriage. It reveals something deeper about human design.We were not created to live alone.And yet, loneliness is quietly becoming one of the great struggles of our...

Jesus Trusted the FatherI’ve been fascinated lately with one particular aspect of the gospel of Jesus.It’s almost all I’ve been thinking about these past few weeks.It’s this idea that Jesus trusted the Father — even in wrath.That’s a wild thing to sit with.Jesus knew there was a price to be paid.He knew there had to be death in order for life to come.He knew there had to be suffering for hope to r...

Pain is interesting.It can push you forward…or keep you stuck.It can lead you toward healing…or quietly make things worse.It can bring you into reality…or tempt you to escape into fantasy.But one thing pain never does is allow you to do nothing.There is always a response to pain.Jesus came to rescue, redeem, and ultimately relieve us from the sting of death. And yet, we’re not in heaven yet. We li...