The Bible tells us that we can find freedom in Jesus but have you ever wondered what that means and how it feels? 1. What does it really mean to have freedom in Jesus? The kind of freedom Jesus gives flows out of God’s love… This is how God loved the world: He gave His…
Do you know what it means to be righteous? The Urban Dictionary defines it as: The American Heritage Dictionary says it means: And finally, the Biblical defines righteousness as: Psalm 111 says… How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in Him should ponder them.Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty. His righteousness never…
Are you watching the sky? Are you listening for the heavenly trumpet? Do you know how to have flourishing faith until Jesus returns? Recently while reading 1 Corinthians, I came across these words… Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Paul was hoping to…
If you’re a frequent visitor here, you know the five words I use to describe faith (SEEK, KNOW, LOVE, TRUST, & OBEY). They are essential if growing stronger faith is our heart’s desire. David wrote… Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Psalm 37:4 And Isaiah wrote… Lord, we show our…
What is sin? We typically think of sin as not obeying God’s Commandments, but James added… Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17 It’s challenging when culture’s view of what we ought to do differs from what God’s Word tells us to do. I…
How good are you at living one day at a time? I love this quote… “One day at a time- this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and…
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up each morning? Some people say their first alert moments are spent talking with the Lord. I wish I could say that but my morning begins with puppy kisses from a furball who urgently needs to go outside. When I’m back inside, I start the coffee…
When was the last time your senses made you more aware of the goodness of God? God gave us senses to experience all that He created more fully. Hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch are all ways to take in the world around us. And it fascinates me how often my emotions are triggered by…
I want to be free and I’m guessing it’s something you want too. Jesus said… “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:31–32, 36 Based on…
I have a closet full of shoes that I avoid unless I’m leaving the house and shoes are required. I love cute shoes but love comfort more. If I have a choice, I will always choose comfort. Comfortable shoes. Comfortable clothes. And a comfortable life. Whenever possible … I choose to stay in my comfort zone….
How willing are you to wave the white flag of surrender and give yourself completely to God? We typically think of surrendering as admitting defeat and giving up the fight but let’s see what some dictionaries say… Proverbs 3:5–6 perfectly explains what it means to surrender our lives to God… Trust in the Lord with all your…
If I asked you to think of someone who has integrity, would it take a minute or two … or would a face and name come to mind immediately? Wikipedia defines integrity as… The quality of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. And study.com says… Someone who…
I’ve had several seasons of life when I worried and whined about what was lacking in my life … times when I believed that if God didn’t give me my heart’s desire, I would never be happy again. The Lord was so patient with me. Personally, I would have grown tired of watching and listening…
We love celebrating Jesus’ resurrection but there’s a part of us that wants to look away when it comes to the Lord’s suffering and death. We don’t want to see ourselves running away in fear with the disciples. We don’t want to see ourselves standing in the crowd shouting, “Crucify Him.” We don’t want to…
On Good Friday followers of Jesus focus their hearts and minds on Jesus’ suffering and death on a cross. In 1991, Pope John Paul II revised the 14 Stations of the Cross to align withevents as they were recorded in Scripture. So let’s pause today and… Walk the steps of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, through…
I’m a problem solver. I love finding solutions and fixing problems. I’m entertained by puzzles and creating ways to resolve dilemmas. Until I can’t. The truth is that many of life’s big problems can’t be fixed. There are times when our feeble human efforts simply aren’t enough. Times when our worlds are shaken by things…
Have you ever wondered what it really means to trust Jesus? One of the first verses almost everyone learns is John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” So, let’s start by looking…
I don’t like messy. But a lot of life is messy, isn’t it? Messy settings. Messy relationships. Messy circumstances. Life is messy. Jesus said… “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 And how did Jesus overcome the world . . ….
You and I were created for praise and worship. We will worship someone or something and that is never more clear than it is at Christmas time. Between gifts and gatherings, specials featuring celebrities, and celebratory indulging . . . we can be tempted to worship the creation more than we worship the Creator. But God’s Word…
There’s a new house being built in our neighborhood. They started by digging down through the pliable earth, set forms, and poured a concrete foundation. Every building needs a strong foundation if we want it to stand through the storms of life. So, let me ask you… What is your foundation for life? Your family…
Let’s talk about our Joy, Junk, & Jesus. I picked up my old Bible the other day. The one I used when our children were growing up. I’ve always kept it in a cute fabric case so the cover still looks clean and undamaged. But the pages are a different story. They’re covered with notes…
