I am a contributing writer for The Inspired Woman, a ministry based in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. It is a group of women in ministry who share personal, practical, and ministry-related ideas, devotionals, and more. One of our contributors, Kim Dillingham, shared her thoughts on Halloween and I loved how she answered this question: Is it Ghoulish or Godly? Kim said: ...
When Jesus marvels at anything, we should sit up and pay attention. In the story of the centurion who wanted Jesus to heal his servant, the Bible says Jesus heard his request and marveled at his understanding of authority (Matthew 8:5-10). More specifically, Jesus marveled because at His simple and sincere reply that He would come heal this man’s servant, ...
“Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24:14). Isn’t that the truth?! Kenneth Copeland said, “When somebody hurts us, our natural human reaction is to strike back… to ask God to clobber them. But that’s not God’s way.” And ...
“For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). This may be one of the most questioned scriptures of all time. In fact, at a particular event I speak at regularly, a question about this passage was asked during Q&A more than any other. What did Jesus mean? Let’s start by looking at the words individually, and then the ...
When I hear the word stray, I think of a lost dog– one who doesn’t have a home, a wanderer looking for its next meal. And then I think about people and the spiritual falling away that happens oh-so-slowly over time. I’ve been guilty of this myself. It’s not something we plan or even want to do. It just happens. ...
Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who would betray Him. “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted ...
What amazes me about this story most is what Paul said first. When permitted to speak, he stepped forward and declared, "I think myself happy, King Agrippa..." (Acts 26:2). ...
Purpose, destiny, whatever you want to call it, we all have one. But what most people don’t realize is that we play a bigger role in that than we realize. Psalm 119:109 says, “My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law.” Other translations read: “I always take my life into my own hands, but I ...
If you live in West Texas, you’ve been invaded by moths at least once in your life. Thankfully, I’m not one who is freaked out by their fluttering, dusty selves– but they can be irritating. One morning, as I sat down in my favorite chair for some quiet time with God, I was distracted by a moth banging around in ...
When I think back to my teenage years, I cringe a little at how silly my teenage problems felt at the time. I was 16 my sophomore year of high school and hadn’t yet had my first real boyfriend but I had a lot of “guy” friends in my group. And most of my “girl” friends were girlfriends to someone. ...
You’ve got to love the Apostle Paul. He walked in divine humility and confidence–at the same time. In his letter to the Galatians, he opened with this greeting: “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from their present evil age, according to the ...
Throughout God’s Word, we find natural examples to help us understand spiritual principles. One such example is found in Hebrews, Chapter Six. The Bible says if the earth drinks in the rain and then produces a good crop or healthy plants or trees, then it is blessed. But if the earth drinks in the rain and produces weeds, thorns, and thistles, ...
As a parent, I’ve told my children it’s not always what you say, but what you do. Anyone can say the right thing, but what are they doing or thinking? For example, when I was growing up, my brother and I lived with our grandparents for a short while. Being older and from a different generation, they didn’t always understand us as ...
I hate it when I feel like I need to defend myself, don’t you? No matter who it is, if there’s been a misunderstanding or judgment error, it’s natural to want to defend yourself, but I still greatly dislike how it feels. Like an ugly boomerang that won’t stop making circles, defense mechanisms can be destructive. I was thinking about ...