While we don't merit salvation by our works, Christianity is a religion. To be sure, it's more than a religion but it's not less. We are held accountable to obey God, because Christ bought us at the price of His blood. We are not our own.
Read More
I was reminded that Jesus is merciful and compassionate because He didn’t leave me in my darkness and encouraged me in my day of distress. Friend, no matter how dark the darkness seems around you, always remember that Jesus still saves and has “overcome the world” (New Living Translation - John 16:33). When life gets messy and you don’t know what to do or what to say, always start with God’s Word.
Read More
This scripture is saying that the way we live should always honor and please the Lord. If we do that, we produce fruit while we are also growing to know God better. Growing in Christ takes effort.
Read More
Studying the Bible through God's lens - not our desires
Read More
It’s not in your best interest to skirt around God and His commands. It is so genuinely terrifying to me in today’s Christian culture how obsessed the masses are with this idea of “do whatever makes you feel good!” or “if what you presume God is telling you to do doesn’t match up with the way things are typically done, then by all means, go your own way.”
Read More
Trusting in God will increase your confidence in approaching Him. God has always been faithful. This verse follows the reassurance that if you believe what God says is true and you put your trust in Jesus, you have eternal life. That promise is where our confidence and trust come from.
Read More
Follow your heart. Be true to yourself. Believe in yourself. Live your truth. All that matters is that you are happy. Manifest that. We have all heard at least one of these mantras. If you have social media especially, you have seen one of these posted. Our society speaks these phrases daily. I have seen them on Instagram, seen them in cute script as a tattoo, heard them in casual conversations, and had them quoted by different trainers I exercise with online. They are lies. While they have a nice ring and look pretty when we write them in an aesthetically pleasing font for a post, they are lies. They are not biblical or words Jesus spoke.
Read More
There are many things in life we can exalt. After all, to exalt means to elevate or glorify. We may choose to exalt the opinions of others, our self-worth, consequences, our possessions or wealth, or even our blessings. Yet, only God deserves to be glorified, not because of what he gives us, but because of who he is, the only God whose very name deserves our adoration!
Read More
God wants us to surrender our all to him. He wants us to put up a white flag and give him everything.
Read More
Spring 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 More
As I sit in the hospital cafeteria typing this, amid the hustle and bustle of the lunch crowd, I feel God’s presence. With the rays of sunshine through the window, I feel God’s presence. As I watch my newborn son on the webcam in his NICU room, I feel God’s presence. When I see my husband hold our son, I feel God’s presence.
Read More
What a beautiful and morbid depiction of Christ! The image of a disfigured body being sprinkled across the world does not exactly fill you with delight. But isn’t that exactly how God works? He takes the broken and makes it beautiful. Isaiah’s Old Testament depiction describes exactly that.
Read More
In Hallmark’s Christmas movies there is always much eager anticipation as people countdown on their picture-perfect handcrafted advent calendars to the day when Jesus' birth is celebrated. Do you have your own traditions for counting down to this wonderful day on our calendar? Do you remember what it was like as a child, when Christmas seemed so far away?
Read More
I wonder if Mary ever felt claustrophobic in the midst of her circumstances–an unwed pregnant teen, looking for a way out of a tight spot. No elbow room or give in the taut and tense corner of expected norms in the corner of her culture. No invitation to “Come” over for a meal to to hang out.
Read More
Those who love and seek the Lord have a heavy burden in this world. We are called to be the “weird” ones who don’t fit in, and don’t subscribe to the ways of the world.
Read More
To be named. To be known. Isn’t that what lies at the crux of every human being? To have ties, roots, and traditions to keep us anchored. Herein lies the premise of adoption—an orphan, who has no earthly ties, taking on a new surname. It is such a compelling metaphor.
Read More
Jeremiah is speaking hope to the people of Jerusalem in this passage. The Northern Kingdom of Isreal has already been destroyed and scattered by Assyria some years back, and at this point in history, Jerusalem continues in their idolatrous sin without realizing that their days are numbered. Babylon is coming soon.
Read More
This meditation took me down an awesome but unexpected path. (Isn’t that just His way?) Like many, I get sentimental around the holidays and enjoy all the feels of Christmas music, twinkling lights, and the Nativity scene. I am, however, realizing that I have been equating Advent with Lenten season, a preparing of the heart. That’s not wrong; it’s just that I think it is easy to hyper-focus on Advent with its connection to the Nativity or Mary’s perspective.
Read More
For Advent this year, we chose to discuss the foretellings (prophecies) of the Old Testament. These were Scriptures that foretold Christ & His coming. They prophesied over a future Messiah. I was assigned to Numbers 24:
Read More
What a beautiful example of love and trust. Abraham loved and trusted God, and in turn, his son, Isaac, loved and trusted him. Abraham loved God enough to sacrifice his one and only son, but assured his son that God would provide. Isaac did not question this answer, even when no lamb was being taken up the mountain as the sacrifice.
Read More