It’s hard to say what a proper response to God is, meaning, it’s difficult to define because it has to be authentic. For sure, I think it’s safe to say those who approach God must have faith. “For without faith, it is impossible to please Him…” (Hebrews 11:6). This is definitely a necessary ingredient no matter what posture we take ...
Fear, in all its forms, has sadly become the great enemy of our generation. I’ve personally dealt with it, seen it first-hand at home with one of my children, and in the many lives of people God brings across my path. And honestly, it angers me because the devil is behind all of it. Fear can be a debilitating disease– ...
God hears us when we pray. We don’t need to beg Him to do something His Word clearly says is already His desire. But– it’s important to understand prayer is sometimes simply a defense weapon against all the fiery darts of the enemy. On August 11, 2021, I took my mom to the emergency room thinking she was dehydrated from ...
I love family gatherings. My motto is: The more, the merrier! And when I had teenagers in my house, I learned to be quickly adaptable to three more boys for dinner without notice. But it wasn’t a problem… we simply made room. What would be a problem is if I took that same thinking and gave the devil a place in ...
Before you tune me out or call me sappy, let me explain the today’s title— My heart was rescued from despair the day I got saved. And then, like a perfect gentleman, God kept wooing me, showing up at the door of my heart with sweet flowers and invitations to walk with Him. You know the feeling… there isn’t a ...
While traveling recently, I found a random Christian radio station in my car. Between songs, the host commented that Jesus did not come to bring us happiness “as some preach hoping to bring others into the kingdom.” He went on to give his reason for making such a statement and I didn’t disagree, but at the same time, something didn’t ...
For me, turning on Christmas music before Thanksgiving isn’t about the season as much as what it produces. My husband teasingly rolls his eyes, but I literally smile from ear to ear listening to the melodies of old and new songs of the season. So much so, that I recently put in my earphones and did my entire two hours ...
10,000 Reasons is the title of a song by Matt Redman. And I love it because in a world full of 10 million excuses, it’s good to be reminded that we have more than 10,000 reasons to praise and thank God. The Psalmist said: Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, ...
“Righteousness exalts a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The definition of righteousness in this passage describes blameless conduct and integrity. It insinuates that the justice, right actions, and right attitudes that God has and desires would be in His people also. God is our divine Creator and we are called to imitate Him in ...
When I say the word dimensions, what do you think of? Without looking it up, my first thought was a memory of my grandmother measuring out a pattern for a new sewing project. And then I thought about needing a new podcast desk in my office and how I had to measure the space to make sure I bought one ...
This article first appeared on The Christian Broadcasting Network One thing that makes Jesus so endearing is His mercy. I know it’s what drew me to Him and captivated my heart. As undeserving as I felt, I needed the mercy He offered. I was lost for a long time, and then Jesus found me— just like the man at the ...
I think you would agree the Bible has some pretty big words, but if we’ll look deeper, they are BIG in context too. One of those words is justification. The dictionary gives three basic definitions. One is simply the act of justifying; meaning an explanation that defends you or a circumstance. A second definition is found in the world of ...
We once had to remove some trees on our property. One in particular was on our back porch, and although it was beautiful in its own right, it dropped no less than a million acorns, leaves, and bird-droppings year-round. It made it difficult for us to enjoy that space so my husband decided to remove the circle of bricks and ...
We used to live in a house that had a cranky screen door. The spring was loose so every time you’d attempt to close it, the door would creak and slam startling everyone in the house. After awhile, we got a new screen door with full glass and a self-adjusting spring. It was much nicer and very quiet to close. ...
God sends a lot of people across my path and one thing I hear myself saying repeatedly is: “Despite what your head is telling you, listen to your heart. God will always lead you in peace.” Finding peace is the key to finding your way through a noisy world. There are thousands of voices you could follow, but there’s only One ...
My greatest desire is to help people grow spiritually– to find the same freedoms I have found in Christ. But the hardest thing I’ve ever learned in ministry is, I can’t make people believe. And I get it. I had a hard time believing too. I couldn’t understand how God could forgive me or love me– especially realizing He knew ...
When my Grandma passed away, I read the verse in 2 Peter which says, “Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Peter 3:8). As I meditated on this verse, I thought to myself, “I could live one hundred more years and walk ...
When I was in my early twenties, and recently saved, I was bombarded with negative thoughts and emotions. And being a new Christian, I didn’t realize for some time that God had actually equipped me to resist the onslaught of the enemy whose only goal was to keep me ignorant and weak. But over time, I gained knowledge of the ...