Have you ever asked God to give you stronger faith . . . deeper roots? It’s kind of like asking God for patience. As a young mom, I used to ask God to give me more patience until I realized that He didn’t miraculously instill patience in us . . . He allows opportunities for…
There’s a Twitter user who seems to take pleasure in challenging followers of Jesus and the Bible. This individual often replies to faith posts with comments like… “Faith is believing something without sufficient evidence. Faith is pretending to know things you don’t know.” Is that right? Is faith belief without evidence? This is how the…
One thing is certain in life . . . things change. Some love it and others find it terrifying. I think most of us get excited about positive changes but just the thought of unpleasant changes can make us anxious. If the season is difficult, hearing the words “this too shall pass” may be encouraging…
I often hear from readers who are walking through heartbreaking circumstances. They share that although they have prayed and prayed, God hasn’t moved and it seems as though He may allow the heart-wrenching circumstances they feared. You may have been there or maybe you’re there now. You can’t find a job and your savings is down…
Do you trust easily? For many, it all depends on the extent to which they’ve been disappointed and betrayed in the past. Trust is defined as confident reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, and promise of a person or thing. Trust relies on consistent reliability! Many of you shared Proverbs 3:5–6 as your favorite verses….
What is sin? Sin is defined as anything that is contrary to the law or will of God. It includes doing what is wrong and failing to do what is right. The Hebrew word for sin used in the Old Testament is בלי (hhattah). The Greek word used in the New Testament is ἁμαρτία (hamartia)….
You’ve heard it said that God wants to change your life. You may have heard it said that… God loves you just the way you are but He loves you too much to leave you that way. That’s why He sent Jesus. He knew our hearts were broken by sin . . . we needed…
Have you ever heard someone blame Adam and Eve for the pain and problems of this sinful world? It’s what we do, isn’t it? We blame. Eve blamed the “serpent” and Adam blamed “the woman [God] gave [him].” (Genesis 3:12–13) We’re always tempted to play the blame game saying, “I’m not guilty. I’m a victim….
Every time I sit down to write, I feel overwhelmed because I want everyone who visits this space to know how God can change their lives the way He’s changed mine. No matter how you are feeling . . . on top of the world or in the pits of despair, I want you to…
Has your life changed because of Jesus? I wonder if we sometimes resist growing closer to Jesus because we don’t like the idea of change. I bought our dog, Sadie, new dog dishes the other day because I was told that the ones that are elevated off the floor are healthier and better for their…
Jesus and His inner circle had just descended from the mountain of Transfiguration. And talk about a mountain top experience! Can you imagine witnessing Jesus in His GLORY standing and talking with Moses and Elijah? It’s hard to envision, isn’t it? The next verses are easier to for me to get my brain around as…
How is it possible for a group of people to attend the very same event or hear the very same message and share completely different accounts of what they saw or heard? How can something be the truth one day but the exact opposite be cited as truth the next? I have absolutely no patience…
The American Worldview Inventory 2020 (AWVI) is an annual survey that estimates how many adults have a biblical worldview. (AWVI 2020 was undertaken in January 2020 among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults.) In the latest findings from the American Worldview Inventory 2020 is that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian…
It seems that so many of the people I talk with lately are overwhelmed with feelings of frustration and discouragement. They feel like they’ve been praying for months or longer and their waiting never seems to end. And that’s just addressing the current year’s problems. Many of us have things we’ve prayed about for years…
It’s hard to believe we’re about to start the last quarter of the year. And it’s been a crazy one for many of us. I never have been very good at setting goals and consistently planning my days to work toward those goals. I can have good intentions but I fall short when it comes…
What do you do when you feel like God is the One who is allowing your pain and suffering? You’ve prayed to get well, to be free of pain, for a healed relationship . . . for the desire of your heart. The Bible says, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” Psalm 37:4…
“Be afraid. Be very afraid.” (The Movie – The Fly, 1986) Those words have been repeated again and again. And even if the actual quote isn’t being reiterated . . . it can seem like there is an intentional effort by the enemy to overwhelm us all with anxiety and fear. If you’re a frequent…
Although it happened many years ago, I can still remember it like it took place yesterday. I was involved in a rather intense Bible Study group discussion about God’s characteristics and qualities. And I was passionate about the information and faith that inspired my side of the conversation. I remember saying, “my God is…” And…
The first week in August is Simplify Your Life Week. Simplify Your Life Week is observed during [the first week of] August each year. This holiday encourages those who need to refocus their lives and declutter – that doesn’t just mean objects. The idea is to eliminate anything that causes stress or anxiety. Most of us…
I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. Jeremiah 32:40 It sounds perfect, doesn’t it? David Jeremiah wrote the following about worship… “Since the days of our first parents in…
How humble are you? It sounds like a trick question doesn’t it? The truth is … the measure of our humility will always be in direct proportion to what we believe to be the truths about God. Simply put – greater God equals lesser me and that translates into humility. So, to inspire myself toward…
