“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 We live in a world that rarely stops. Our days are filled with noise – emails, traffic, conversations, endless to-do lists. Even our “quiet moments” are often filled with screens and scrolling. But in the middle of all of this “noise,” God invites us into…
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 How do you usually handle stress or worry? Worry and stress are like background noise in our lives—always there, always trying to keep us distracted. But Paul, writing from prison, gives us a…
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 Let’s be honest—trusting God sounds a lot easier when life is going smoothly. It’s not so hard to have faith when the bills are…
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Philippians 2:1-2 Who is someone you know who models humility well? I have crossed paths…
Have you ever seen God bring good out of a hard situation? Yesterday, we saw how Paul’s imprisonment actually advanced the Gospel. In Philippians 1:27-30, Paul calls all believers to stand firm together. In persecution, in need, in dark times, we need each other for help and support. This is a great time for the…
When I was younger (many moons ago), there were only a few special days on the calendar. Days like Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, etc… But now it seems that every day is a “special” day. Did you know that the 1st Friday in June is National Donut Day? Or that April 2nd is National…
Margie and I just spent a week in Key West with our granddaughters. And while being away from the stress of our everyday lives, I found myself creating different kinds of stress many times on our “vacation.” What to do? Where to eat? Why are the girls crying? In a beautiful setting, I was missing…
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10 At some point, every one of us asks the question: “Why am I here?” The world offers countless answers: success, happiness, comfort, and influence. But those answers leave us empty…
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13–14 Think about someone you’ve known who was strong and steady. Not the loudest. Not necessarily the most successful. But someone whose faith stood the test of time. Maybe it was a grandparent who read their…
What’s something in your life you once resisted letting go of—but now you’re thankful it’s gone? In the moment, there may have been some pain and loss, but looking back, it was necessary to be pruned to make us stronger, better, and more Christ-like. Pruning may feel painful in the moment, but God uses it…