If you didn’t tell people you’re a Christian, would they know that you’re a follower of Jesus, being transformed by God through the character qualities they see in you? Jesus said… “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17(NASB) And Paul, who experienced the Spirit’s transforming power, wrote… All of us who…
What is God’s goodness? Goodness is listed among the Fruit of the Spirit… The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22–23a The Spirit is a member of the one true God we call “good!” But what exactly do we mean…
Too often, we think of peace as a tranquil feeling that flits in for a moment but quickly disappears. It’s not the lasting, meaningful peace you want or need! I am not a thrill-seeking adventurer. I crave real peace in my relationships, my surroundings, and in my heart and mind. But even as you and…
How are worship, obedience, and God’s love related? What would you say if someone asked you, “Why do you worship God? Why do you believe it’s important to trust and obey Jesus?” Take a moment or two to really think about it. Do you worship God because… Although those are all understandable responses, there is…
Relationships are a necessary, messy part of life that can be both a blessing and a challenge. That said, God has given us helpful truths that will bless every relationship we have. God created us to live connected to Him and to one another. Two people are better off than one, for they can help…
Looking back on your childhood, do you have a long list of positive memories? What about your children’s childhood? Your marriage? They say it takes 5 positive comments or interactions to offset 1 negative one. So today, I want us to think about the memories we’re making. I don’t mean big event memories or the…
What do you do when you need hope to weather one of life’s storms? Before we know what to do, we need to know what hope isn’t and what it is… Hope is not optimism. It is not a Pollyanna denial of life’s challenges. And it does not require a Susie Sunshine attitude 100% of…
You know you should pray for your family, but… how often do you actually do it? I’m not talking about your spouse and children. I mean your parents, grandparents, in-laws, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It’s a long list, isn’t it? Did you know people have severed ties with family members over religious…
We’ve had lots of storms in our area this year. My phone seems to buzz at least once a week to alert me of a potentially dangerous storm approaching our community. As I thought about this post, I wondered how it would feel to have a warning system that alerted us to incoming life storms….
I’ve been thinking about “open door surrender.” It all began with a dream. You see, I don’t typically remember my dreams. Occasionally, I can recall bits and pieces, but most of the time I can’t put enough of those glimpses together to learn from them. It’s one reason why I’ve been surprised whenever the Lord…
We all want real peace. Peace we can count on. Peace that’s true, deep, and lasting. But I’ve been learning that the only way to experience real peace is to live fully right now. You and I can’t enjoy inner peace when our thoughts are filled with regret, resentment, and worry. If we’re carrying yesterday’s…
It feels like being critical has become a popular pastime, especially on social media… people seem to love ridiculing the flaws they see in others. Criticism comes in many forms; today we’re going to focus on two: Random criticism that doesn’t care about an individual’s feelings is always destructive. It is intended to make the…
Are you a peacekeeper or a peacemaker? I’m not talking about military or law enforcement peacekeepers. I’m talking about our personal relationships. I’m asking as someone who hates conflict, so for much of my life, I was a peacekeeper. I did whatever I could to avoid controversy and contention. Although it took longer than it…
They told us “never forget”… I’ve always remembered dates. Most of them are good: anniversaries of special events, new beginnings, celebrations, and moments of Joy. Some are not so good, and others are downright terrible. Days we’d like to forget, but sadly, are imprinted on our lives through powerful mental images. Like a scrapbook of…
People everywhere are looking for ways to experience more peace in their lives. But there’s a battle going on inside each of us; a battle for our peace of mind. Sure, the enemy incessantly works to keep people from knowing and loving Jesus and rob them of their eternal futures, but if he can’t succeed…
It’s a hard truth to accept, but I believed the enemy’s lie. Like Eve, I failed to walk away. I stood at the tree and listened as he hissed… “God’s holding out on you.” For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like…
When life feels overwhelming, do you wonder if God knows the details of your struggle? A couple of sparrows built a nest on my daughter’s front porch last year. Although they were rather messy little things, it was fun watching momma sit on her eggs, faithfully feed her little ones, and eventually see them fly…
Wouldn’t you love to have a great day, every day? Me too. But if you’re like me, you’re inconsistent about doing the things that help to make today great. Too often, I wake up focused on the list of things I don’t want to do. Then I do a little mental complaining about my stiff…
Are you a hypocrite? You might be a hypocrite if: ♥ If you’re human! The truth is, everyone occasionally gives in to hypocritical thinking. Jesus said… “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why…
In this sinful and broken world, God pours out His goodness. He invites us to bring our pain, fear, failures, and confusion to Him, and by His grace through Jesus and the power of the Spirit, He pours patience, mercy, kindness, and love into us. Then He uses us to pour His goodness into the…
It’s not easy to understand or explain how grieving hearts truly feel. It’s been two-and-a-half years since Rev went home to the Lord. My daughter and I were talking recently about dealing with the fact that some days it feels like it’s been five minutes, and others like it’s been five or more years. The…
