The Igniting Hope Blog

What's God Doing Right Now? By Steve Backlund One of my favorite biblical descriptions of wise people is found in 1 Chronicles 12:32: "The sons of Issachar... had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." I love that verse because it reveals something God is empowering us to do today. He is raising up believers who don't merely understand biblical truth, but they also understand the season they are living in. They recognize His activity, discern His timing

I Did Not Expect That to Happen By Steve Backlund There are moments in life (both personally and in society) when we find ourselves saying, “I did not expect that to happen.” It could be a diagnosis that comes out of nowhere, a relationship shifts suddenly, a leader falls, a war breaks out, an election that surprises us, or an economy shakes. Unexpected events have a way of exposing what we truly believe about God, ourselves, and the future. The unexpected is not a sign that

Navigating Church Controversies with Hope & Strong Beliefs By Steve Backlund When controversy arises in the Body of Christ, it reveals more about how we believe than what we believe. Conversations around public leaders and ministries (like those recently involving Shawn Bolz and Bethel Church) can quickly become emotionally charged. Here are four ways I have learned that have helped me navigate moments like these with hope-filled thinking and strong, healthy beliefs. My goal

Avoiding Destructive Pendulum Swings in Our Lives By Steve Backlund “But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . .. self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). There are many areas in which we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to control and overcome negative impulses. One area we will see self-control manifesting is in helping us not to overreact to perceived doctrinal error or to negative information we hear about people. Here are two good verses on self-control. “All things are lawful fo