[This is adapted from the September 13, 2024 GiveHim15 post.*] May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV) Encouragement is an important subject. PaulContinue Reading
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10 NKJV) Recently I had a conversation with a new friend who told the story of the severe circumstances that ledContinue Reading
Choose for each of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning, and reputable to be your leaders.(Deuteronomy 1:13 NRSV) I heard two statistics recently that have been bugging me: One, that 50% of Christians nationwide vote in elections, and, two, that only 8% of our state’s Christians voted in theContinue Reading
The character of God is a tower of strength, for the lovers of God delight to run into his heartand be exalted on high.(Proverbs 18:10 TPT) Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus.Continue Reading
Let us rejoice and exalt him and give him glory,because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come. And his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, shining bright and clear,has been given to her to wear,and the fine linen representsthe righteous deeds of his holy believers. Then the angel said to me,Continue Reading
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV) I was doing an exercise video in which the trainer wasContinue Reading
May God himself, the heavenly Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, release grace over you and impart total well-being into your lives. (Ephesians 1:2 TPT) I’ve been “in” the first chapters of Ephesians recently. Unlike other books where the Apostle Paul is explaining deep theology or reprimanding believers for untrue doctrineContinue Reading
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:2 NIV) Water in the Bible holds great significance, and God has beenContinue Reading
When she couldn’t hide him any longer, she took a basket made of papyrus plants and coated it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in it and set it among the papyrus plants near the bank of the Nile River. (Exodus 2:3 GW) Direct your children onto the rightContinue Reading
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. (Psalm 127:1 NIV) Last weekend our local church celebrated a milestone anniversary: 40 years of ministry. This body of Christ that was planted in the fall of 1984 has since weathered forty years of ups,Continue Reading