If you’re anything like me, when you think about memorizing something your mind might go straight back to your days in school when teachers forced you to memorize all sorts of stuff you had no desire to actually remember. Memorization seems like a chore – not something you would actually choose to do as an …
Continue reading “SCRIPTURE MEMORY – DON’T I HAVE ENOUGH STUFF TO REMEMBER?”
Can you think back to the last time you were sitting with a group of friends who know Jesus personally? Perhaps some were sharing about hardships, while others were rejoicing in answered prayers. Some may have been offering words of encouragement, while others listened intently, with prayer emerging within conversations. That was fellowship. What …
Continue reading “FELLOWSHIP – IS IT REALLY WORTH THE EFFORT?”
I’ve heard it said, “prayer is powerful,” but if I’m honest, that hasn’t always been my experience. For years, I was consistent in prayer throughout my day, but I rarely saw answers. At times, I wondered if my prayers were making any difference. I unconsciously blamed the lack of results on God, and my prayers …
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” Genesis 1:1 It’s often hard to imagine in our fallen world that there was a time when everything was perfect. The curse of sin had not yet brought about death and destruction, chaos and unrest. Instead, God’s creation was in perfect order in the …
Continue reading “THE SPIRITUAL RHYTHMS OF GOD – FINDING OUR WAY BACK TO THE GARDEN”
This past weekend your church may have celebrated the Christian holy day of Pentecost – the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Jewish believers in Christ, 50 days after His crucifixion, just as He had promised. Many would say that Pentecost marks the birth of the Church, the Body of Christ. …
Continue reading “FIRE – A CONSUMING POWER THAT TRANSFORMS US INTO THE HOLY PEOPLE OF GOD”
Our fast-paced world is rampant with compulsive activity. Many of us compulsively pick up our phones when there’s a dull moment. Or we use coping methods we may not even realize, like shopping, eating, working, escaping, or controlling. These things may seem harmless, but if we are acting out of compulsion, we are essentially slaves …
Continue reading “FREEDOM – What If Christians Actually Lived Like They Were Free?”
Just earlier this week my four-year-old daughter, Eleanor, sinned against her twin sister, Maggie. Okay, well, she just ate her french fry, but still, to a four-year-old that’s almost unforgivable. Naturally, Maggie got upset and immediately Eleanor apologized, followed by an “it’s okay, I forgive you” from her sister. Directly after this exchange, Eleanor cowered …
Despair, anxiety, lack of rest. Maybe it’s just me, or do you feel it too? Do you feel enslaved to your life? The to-do lists, carpool, sports commitments – not to mention the comparison that the world tells us to answer to. Does your discouragement worsen when you turn on the news? Locally, there have …
Continue reading “TRUST- Surrendering Our Will To God’s Sovereign Plan”
As a believer, when I hear the word “sacrifice” my thoughts jump to what I believe is the ultimate sacrifice…the most important sacrifice that has ever occurred…the sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross to pay for our sins. Romans 3:23-25 (NLT version) says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious …
Continue reading “SACRIFICE – Living lives that bring others closer to God”
The word “faithful/faithfulness” in Hebrew is the word emunah which is used throughout Scripture to communicate firmness, steadfastness, and fidelity. It comes from the root word aman which means to confirm, support, or believe (this is where we get our word Amen). The first time we encounter this word emunah is in the account of …
Continue reading “FAITHFULNESS – Steadfast trust in God displayed through obedience”
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