We live together, work together, study together, play together, and worship together. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all get along easily? If people were always pleasant, helpful, and encouraging, appreciative, forgiving, and fun. Sounds like heaven! However, relationships are complicated, and even the people we love the most can drive us crazy at…
Living with the right attitudes is essential for anyone wanting to enjoy a peaceful life. How often do you get to the end of the day, realizing that it would have gone much better if only you or your children, spouse, boss, friend, neighbor, or parent had not been so grumpy, ungrateful, angry, or annoying?…
How would you describe your faith? Would you describe yourself as having really big faith? Recently, I thought about my faith and the content of my prayers. My prayers tend to be short-sighted and focused on my temporary needs. Here are some of Rev’s thoughts… God Wants Us to Have Really Big Faith Our wants…
Are you a heart hoarder? Heart hoarders aren’t focused on faith, hope, and love as they count their blessings. Their hearts are stacked high with things they should have gotten rid of long ago. Things like hurt feelings, failures, frustrations, anxiety, bitterness, impatience, and shame. It’s easy to accumulate clutter that gets in the way…
Have you ever wondered if you’re really living life to the fullest? Rev and I were accused, more than once, of not living life fully. I know you’re dying to know why, aren’t you? Because we were content with what is often considered a very simple life. We were not party-ers. We didn’t have to…
What do you do when you need to pray but you can’t find the words? When your circumstances are so upsetting, and you’re so worried, that, as much as you want to pray … it feels impossible. I remember a time when I was overwhelmed and exhausted, already feeling pushed beyond what I could handle,…
What are you wearing? You know it’s one of the most important things about you. No, I’m not talking about your fashion choices. I’m talking about the attitudes you wear. And I’m pausing to check mine, too. Paul wrote… Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with…
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! No statement in the world holds more truth or importance. You and I deserved punishment. Christ Jesus endured it. The Spirit inspired Paul to write… The wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23a And the Life Application Bible Notes say it like this—”the currency of sin is eternal…
Baskets filled with candy and tiny treasures. Head-to-toe new outfits. And the fragrance of flowers and festive music fills our church sanctuaries. We love to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, but it’s hard to look at all He endured before… He used His servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid…
How would you respond to someone who asked you why you believe the Bible? Years ago, someone asked me on social media… “I’m curious how you discovered God wants us to ask things?” I responded by saying that Jesus invited people to ask questions, a response that sparked a discussion about why I believe the…
Have you ever believed you had all the answers, only to realize you don’t even have all the questions? I think that’s the main thing I’ve learned through my daily Bible Study. I don’t know that I ever believed I had all the answers, but I know that faithfully studying God’s Word has made me…
Toby Mac once said… “I’ll never be a non-stumbler. I’ll be a forgiven stumbler, but never a non-stumbler.” Picture this… You’ve had one of those days when you stumbled so badly that you collapsed into bed, relieved it was over. You want a “do over” because you said things you regret, wasted time you can’t…
What does it mean that you and I have freedom in Christ? What is the connection between Faith and the Fruit of the Spirit? Here’s another one of Rev’s sermon messages, based on a portion of Paul’s letter to the Galatians… So Christ has truly set us free. Galatians 5:1a Rev shared… I could barely…
We want our relationships to be blessed, but too often we wonder… what in the world we could have been thinking. The relationship ended, and we wonder how we could have been so foolish. The signs were there all along. How did we miss them? You and I were created to be close to God and…
Yesterday, Rev and I would have celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary. Over the decades we spent together, we learned that… Having a love story that lasts takes intentional effort; it doesn’t happen by accident. Years ago, I asked him to help me compile a list of things that we believed would bless every marriage, and…
They say if you want to know what people treasure most, look at their calendar and their checkbook or credit card statement. I imagine it’s because we invest most in the things that are most important to us. We spend most of our resources on things we believe necessary to enjoy a life of peace…
Guilt. Everyone has to deal with it and handle it one way or another because we all have something, maybe multiple somethings, that makes us cringe and want to hide in shame. I thought about adding a list of examples, but then decided it would only be a distraction. You have your list, and I…
Are you a worrier? You may not be a chronic worrier, but sometimes in the middle of an overwhelming trial, you can’t stop worrying about the list of “what ifs” that are weighing you down. Although everything seems fine at the moment, you’re still feeling anxious and unsettled. When I look back on my childhood, I…
Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a pit of despair? Times when you’re living in a dark dank place with your feet stuck in the muck? Times when it feels like you’ve fallen so far, you wonder if you’ll ever find your way out? If so, pause with me to take a…
Do you ever watch the news and ask if God is in control? Scripture warns us of the enemy’s influence on people, who affect what happens in this sinful world, but it also assures us that God is Almighty and All-powerful. Isaiah wrote… I am the One who made the earthand created people to live…
For generations, people have turned to one or more of the thousands of books written about prayer. Yet, when you and I want to know how to pray, there’s nothing better than to model Jesus’ words in Scripture. When His followers asked Him to teach them to pray, He gave them the Lord’s Prayer. But…
