Faith doesn’t require God to give me the outcome I want before I obey Him. In Daniel 3:17–18, we see that: We need to be reminded that God is able. God is good. And even if He doesn’t do what I want, He is still worthy. We also need to remember that Jesus did not…
“Take the helmet of salvation…” Ephesians 6:17 A helmet protects the head—the place of our thoughts, fears, doubts, and decisions. Paul reminds believers that salvation is not only about where we will spend eternity; it is also protection for our minds today. The primary battlefield is your thought life. Unchecked thoughts become beliefs, then habits,…
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians…
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” — John 15:8 Over the last several weeks, we’ve talked about being rooted — in Jesus, in prayer, in the Word, in community, and in obedience. But roots aren’t the goal. Fruit is. When I’m rooted in…
“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” — Psalm 8:1 Psalm 8 begins and ends with wonder. David looks up at the night sky—the moon, the stars, the vastness of creation—and is overwhelmed. In the face of such greatness, he asks an honest question: “What is mankind that you are…
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 At first glance, “submit” and “resist” seem like opposites. One sounds like giving up; the other sounds like fighting back. But James uses them together as two sides of the same spiritual coin. When we submit to God, we…
“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…
“Then Jesus told him (Thomas), ‘Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” John 20:29 Following His resurrection, while appearing to Thomas, Jesus spoke of a future group who were to one day believe in Him. We who are included in that group do…
In a season often marked by a frenzied busyness, Advent is an opportunity to set aside time to prepare our hearts. The term advent is a version of a Latin word that means “coming.” The four weeks before Christmas are set aside as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Jesus’…
Have you ever thought of failure as a success? When we usually think of failure, we think of missing the mark – not achieving our goal. I believe that failure can also be part of the journey that leads to the successful completion of that goal. In our garden, Margie and I haven’t always gotten…