For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV) Last weekend at the family reunion I heard aContinue Reading
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14 NIV) It is a popular thing to encourage someone to “follow their heart.” In theory, this sounds great: be true to yourself, make yourself happy, etc. But in practice, following our heartContinue Reading
As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. (Psalm 18:30 NASB) Your word is a lamp to my feetAnd a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105 NASB) Imagine taking a tree leaf and examining it with a magnifying glass –Continue Reading
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15 NKJV) I spent this past weekend at my mom’s mother’s family reunion at a state park near St. Louis, Missouri. My grandmother was the second of six children born to a poor farm family in East-Central Illinois in the veryContinue Reading
I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy templeAnd give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;For You have magnified Your word together with Your name. (Psalm 138:2 AMP) I recently reread the story of Jonah. As a kid, I only knew the basics: Jonah wasContinue Reading
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT) Have you ever thought aboutContinue Reading
And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13 NLT) One of the pastors I deeply respect is Dutch Sheets, the founder and host of GiveContinue Reading
One day, after it grew dark, Jesus said to his disciples, “Come with me across the lake.” Jesus knew where he was going and who he wanted to go with him. He had a purpose and destination in mind. They were going across the lake. Leaving the crowd behind, the disciplesContinue Reading
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV) “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.” – Chinese proverb Do you have anything in your life that you regret? MaybeContinue Reading
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 NIV) The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” (1 John 3:8 NIV) I received an unexpected phone call from aContinue Reading