‘Be perfect like your Heavenly Father is perfect’ says Jesus in the very last verse of Matthew 5. This is an important hinge in the chapters we call The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus’ kind of perfect was so very different from the ‘perfect’ defined by the world. Jesus not only described it, he modeled it for us.
Read MoreJust as I want to help my child and see him succeed, God wants the same for you. As much as I love my child, God loves His children more. Motherhood has shown me how much you can love your child and has given me a new understanding for how God loves us, his children.
Read More‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want’ took on new meaning for me. I am amazed at the dots which the Lord connects, just to provide for us. He loves us as if we were the only one on the planet! Look back at your own life and make a list of all the Lord has provided for you. Some of God's miracles are small, let us not forget them. Jehovah Jireh - The Lord will provide.
Read MoreThe circumstances in our life that we are confronted with on a daily basis has a tendency to define us; but when we daily roll the losses we encounter onto the shoulders of a God who loves us fiercely and intimately, we learn to walk in His strength and not our own.
Read MoreI suppose there are many of us who, at times in our lives, have questioned whether or not we took the right path. The varying degrees of this thought pattern are multifaceted and can range from “I wish I would have done such and such a thing” to “Where would I be if I had made this choice?” We treat our life as if it’s a cosmic “Choose Your Own Adventure,” forgetting about the variables that surrounded us at that time, variables that most certainly swayed us one way or another.
Read MoreThere is an abundance of self-help resources because we live in a fallen world. Yet, as believers, we can know and rely on God for help and share his Word with others who are hurting.
Read MoreGod is not carrying around a big stick to hit or prod us with, to get us ‘back on track’ so that we can be ‘doing everything right’. He is leading us with gentleness.
Read MoreWhen circumstances thin down our security, we need to be reminded that we are hemmed in by God, and our security is found in Him.
Read MoreWe can experience true rest when we spend time in God's presence praying or reflecting on his Word. God wants to give us rest; he wants us to have peace in his presence.
Read MoreSpring and summer are nearly here, although where I live, the last few days have felt like winter is gone for good. With the change of seasons, it reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
Read MoreI love that the Bible has so many verses on joy and rejoicing. St Paul who wrote to the Philippians from prison says ‘Rejoice, again I say rejoice.’ When Jesus prays for himself, his disciples, and for us his children, he prays that we will enjoy the joy he enjoyed. Doesn’t that sound beautiful?
Read MoreIt was the beginning of February; Alana turned the calendar to the new month and felt a tug in her heart. She had started January with lofty goals that she would not join gossip sessions at work, and she had already failed.
Read MoreAs I previously mentioned, I truly enjoyed working as a labor and delivery nurse. It was a true joy to come to work everyday. Through the adrenaline rushes, slow moments, sweet moments, and stories that are engraved in my memory for a lifetime, it was a great job.
Read MoreLately, God has been guiding me to out of my comfort zone. And although I haven't actually taken any physical action to leave my comfort zone, God seems to be preparing my mind and my soul for some kind of big life change. And that both excites me and scares me.
Read MoreIn today's world, living a Christian life has become a very gray area - each church and even each individual finds his/her own way to interpret the Bible - from one verse, you can get hundreds of different religions and personal beliefs. So, how do you know which one is right? How do you know if something is a sin? For example, is TV a sin? Movies? Sports? Some say there are, others scoff and say Jesus really doesn't have an opinion on the topic.
Read MoreA devastating passage, for those who do not have an anchor. Is it any wonder so many are without hope? Our culture builds security on seemingly everything and anything but God: a nicer home, our talents, our careers, our notoriety, our name, our ego, the good opinion of others, our identity built around these things.
Read MoreGod created all the seasons, and he is good no matter what season we are in. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:” -Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV. I’m single and you know what, God is still good. He can’t deny His character. God is good all the time. Period. End of story.
This is a WORD STUDY. You will need a journal and pen to complete it. You can do a little a day, through the week as it has been marked out. You can do it on your own or with a group of friends. The word we are going to study this week is sing. You may want to highlight the word in all the verses you read this week!
Read MoreMy church family went to watch the movie Jesus Revolution last week and man, it did not disappoint. My husband and I love the show Frasier, so we were excited when we saw Kelsey Grammer would be starring in it. How can a movie go wrong when it has Jesus, hippies, and Frasier?
Read MoreLooking back, I have struggled with anxiety for much of my life. I can remember as a little girl, saying my prayers, “… If I should die before I wake…” and feeling so scared to go to bed. This fear of death and worry about things out of my control continued as I entered my teen years.
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