NEWS, ARTICLES, DEVOTIONS AND MORE FROM BttB...

Spiritual Fitness Coach Jon Winkelman reminds us that living life with others is like holding an egg -- it requires gentleness and self-control! Discover how to exercise these two key characteristics of a Christ Follower! When we feel our control slipping, when we feel an ungentle response rising, we can choose to take a deep breath, and ask Jesus to help us respond with gentleness.

Win today with a spiritual lifeline that will hold your head and heart above the tough waters of discouragement. Coach Kate Dreesen shares words of wisdom to help you remember God will take care of you every day! Kate picked a favorite old hymn “God Will Take Care of You” to help remind her of the Lord’s promises in tough times. Do you have an encouraging song or hymn to remember? Keep it in mind to help you remember that God will always be with you!

In today’s spiritual fitness workout, Coach Caleb White explains the biblical plan for how to grow in the fruit of the Spirit with a look at grapes and the goodness of God! To grow in goodness, remain connected to Jesus. Perhaps that includes confessing some sin that is holding you back. Trust His promise that you will produce much fruit and grow in goodness when you abide with Him!

Imagine being a teenage girl, engaged, and pregnant – with the Son of God! Through this difficult situation, Mary demonstrated a very important part of spiritual fitness – perseverance. Sherri Kreps talks about the importance and the blessings of humbly and continually pursuing God in all things! Today, give up control and trust God instead. Continue to persevere by believing in His promises, giving thanks, and praying for your needs, with thanksgiving!

Today, Coach Ricky Kennedy introduces you to “quick, slow, slow” – an important spiritual fitness principle that sets the pace for patience and understanding rather than anger! Today, memorize James 1:19 and start being quick to listen to God in His word and slow to speak.

We’re used to fast food, one-minute rice, and same-day shipping. We’re NOT used to waiting. Coach Caleb White shows us the importance of patience and the role it plays in our spiritual maturity. If you’re feeling impatient, admit this to God and invite Him to help you trust and wait patiently for Him to act. Ask another person to pray for you in this matter as well.

Have you ever been spiritually stuck; feeling like you’re going through the motions without getting anywhere? Coach Lydia Robertson addresses this common problem with an exercise to help you look behind, around, and ahead at God’s faithfulness in your life. Identify what God has done in your life, what He is doing in your life, and what you know He will do in your life. Write these things down or share them with a friend. Then, be prayerfully expectant of His faithfulness!

Are you honest with yourself? With God? With others? Today Mark Geist shares a personal story of how Scripture helped him break free from the lies that controlled how he lived. Today’s honesty challenge: 1) Be honest with yourself. Is there some part of your life that you have been lying to others about to the point that even you believe it? 2) Be honest with God. Ask for His forgiveness and guidance to free yourself from the snare of deceit. 3) Be honest with other people. I

Self-control is a valuable gift, so don’t let it sit around gathering dust! Coach Kate Dreesen shares real-life examples and wise words from the Bible to give you plenty of reasons and ways to live a life of self-control. As you encounter problems and sudden unexpected changes to plans, remember 1 Timothy 1:7: 7 God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Self-control is a gift from God, and you can use it today!

What are you saying about yourself when you criticize others? Today Spiritual Fitness Coach Jon Winkelman looks at what often hides inside a critical heart, and what Jesus said was the cure. This is the cure for a critical heart: Stop looking at everyone else and follow Jesus!  How will you follow Jesus today?

Where does your anger come from? Spiritual Fitness Coach Sherri Kreps shares her personal story of discovering the source of her anger and how the Lord helped her. The next time you feel your anger rising, stop and take a close look at your thoughts. What's prompting these feelings? Do they rise from a problem you can solve? Seek a way to calmly address that issue. Is it because of something you have no control over? Then don't let it control you either!

You weren’t made to be alone. Or lonely. So, what can you do about loneliness? What do you need to know about it? Who do you need to reach out to? In today’s episode, John Comstock invites you to be known and accepted into a deep fellowship with Jesus. For yourself, use John’s questions to consider how Jesus truly loves you. For someone else, ask God to point out someone you can take notice of and rejoice in knowing that this can become an invitation for them to experience th

How do you get past your past? How do you forgive yourself? Spiritual Fitness Coach Seth Walker leads today’s training session on one of the mainstays of spiritual health – receiving God’s forgiveness. Go to the Lord. Confess your sin. Receive His forgiveness. And remember: You are forgiven. You ARE forgiven!

No one is immune to discouragement. In fact, discouragement existed in the lives of many biblical heroes! Join Donna Amidon for a look at how God led Elijah through deep discouragement and back into a life of hope and service. He’ll do the same for you! If you’ve been going at a fast pace and your heart is discouraged, take time to refresh your soul. Maybe that means reaching out for help, committing to less at work, taking more time to rest, or spending time with friends who

Sometimes we confuse criticizing others with being truthful. And the line between the two can get pretty grey. So what are we to do? Caleb helps us understand. Think of a person in your life you recently criticized. Confess that to the Lord and to that person. It will probably feel uncomfortable, but what an opportunity to share what Jesus has done in your life. It might even lead to an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus for their life!

The thought of sharing our faith can make you feel pressure to say all the right things, to have every answer. But sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do for that person in our life who doesn’t know Jesus… is simply listen.

Today, fitness coach Mark Geist trains you in the practice of kindness. Learn how to be ready so when you’re tempted to be cruel, you’re strong enough to be kind instead! Memorize a portion of God’s Word today and pray for the physical and spiritual strength to live your life as a true disciple of Christ!

When “if only” takes over your thoughts, it’s time to remember God’s goodness in Christ! Lydia Robertson calls on us to find contentment by identifying what we have because of Jesus. Share with someone around you - a friend, family member, co-worker, or even a stranger - about the continual goodness of God in your life.

Do you hide your grief? Your loss? What if you opened the door to these emotions and told God exactly how you feel? Jon Winkelman coaches you through what it means to pour out your heart to God and others. Open the door of grief and pour out your pain to God. He can take it. He will bear it. He will bring comfort.

You go on the trip of a lifetime but come back wanting more. You finally finish remodeling, but it’s still not enough. Looking for something that lasts? Kate Dreesen reveals the perfect, complete, forever joy of the Lord! Write down 20 reasons God has given you to be joyful. (Ok, make it 5!) Does this shift your perspective to joy in the faithfulness of the Lord? Let us know!

Shoes are not something we put on once and never worry about again. Forgiveness is similar. It’s a daily decision. A choice that Jon Winkelman explains is patterned for us by Christ! Who do you need to forgive? Make the choice to forgive them today. Get an accountability partner to pray with you and support you in this.

A lazy mind leaves you open to deception. That’s why knowing the truth keeps you spiritually fit and prepared for the surprises that come with life. Sherri Kreps shares some spiritual coaching tips to help you win today over the traps that lurk within lazy thinking. Get a Bible in a translation that you can understand. Commit to reading it daily. Examine the Scriptures. Dig into the details and see how God is speaking to you through what you are reading.

Jesus knew our worries and promised a peace that would overcome them. Not any kind of peace, but a personal peace directly from Him to you! Spiritual Fitness Coach, Alejandro explains this amazing gift. Meditate on Jesus’ words to you. John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

If the thought of praying seems complicated right now or you just don’t know where to start, today’s episode will give you a jump start! Spiritual Fitness Coach Donna Amidon shares a powerful story that will help you put your worry in God’s hands. Find a quiet place and lay your burden before the Lord. Speak it, type it, journal it -- however you want to lay out your concerns. Then, ASK Him for what you need, and find comfort in the fact that He truly cares for you!