Staying in the Word When You Feel Stuck
Staying in the Word can be especially difficult when you feel stuck. Even if we have a tried and true daily Bible reading plan, we can feel like we’re in a rut at times. Maybe we’re facing greater stress in our lives, the loss of a loved one or a heftier daily schedule. This feeling…
The False Word of Faith Gospel Versus the Gospel of Christ
This week I wanted to share about a prominent false gospel being fed to many in this time. You may know someone who needs to know the truth about this subject, or perhaps you yourself will come to know the truth as you read if you happen to be caught up in this unawares. In…
The True Meaning of Ezekiel 37’s Valley of Dry Bones (Verse Study Series)
For this week’s Verse Study Series, we’ll look at Ezekiel 37:1-6. I couldn’t isolate only one verse from the passage, so we’ll be looking at verses 1-14 to discover the full meaning of the text. Just a disclaimer though: This is only a small bit of what there is to find about this text. This…
Bible Study Tips: Verse-by-Verse Note Taking
My husband and I recently listened to a sermon in a series on the book of Matthew. I appreciated the preacher’s verse-by-verse teaching from the book. This enabled me to take organized notes as I listened. For this week’s Bible study tip, I thought I’d talk about this kind of organized study: verse-by-verse note-taking. Verse-by-verse…
Delighting in God Transforms Our Dreams and Desires (Verse Study Series)
Delight. Each of us experiences delight when the dreams and desires of our hearts are realized. Though these desires vary depending on the person, the desires of our hearts are precious to us nonetheless. We want to see our dreams realized. In Psalm 37:4, David writes, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the…
Bible Study Tips: Why You Need a Scripture Reading Plan
When we spend time with God, sometimes it seems so easy to get distracted. Other times, we feel like we just don’t know where to start. That’s where this next Bible study tip will help—if you apply it of course! 🙂 This week’s Bible study tip is about why we should choose a Bible reading…
Secret Strength: The True Meaning of Philippians 4:13 (Verse Study Series)
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”Philippians 4:13 (ESV) Philippians 4:13 is a beloved verse for many believers. We see this Scripture on T-shirts and faith-related decor. We see it on framed art, bookmarks and Bible covers. However, though this verse may be well known and often quoted, it is often pulled…
Using Evernote to Supercharge Your Bible Study Time (Bible Study Tips)
Have you ever heard of the app Evernote? Evernote is an app for capturing notes and ideas in print, voice and pictures, while keeping them organized and searchable. Evernote is an app that can supercharge your Bible study time! I’ve used Evernote for several years–ever since purchasing my own laptop in my college days. Back…
What Does It Mean to Walk Worthy of the Lord? (Verse Study Series)
This is the first post in the Verse Study Series. Today we’re going to look at Ephesians 4:1-3. The letter to the Ephesians is a favorite of many believers. Written in approximately 60 A.D., Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus while imprisoned for the Gospel in Rome. His aim was to strengthen them and…
What To Do When You’re Experiencing Burnout
Last Updated: September 21, 2020 Burnout. Have you ever experienced it? I have. I’ve actually been in such a season recently. If you’re in that season or concerned you are, keep reading for some helpful advice about preventing and overcoming burnout. None of us are immune to experiencing burnout. It can catch us off guard,…
Faith Not Feelings: Letting God’s Word Define Us
Like me, have you ever struggled with putting feeling over faith, over simply choosing to trust God and obey? Do you ever find yourself forgetting the truth of God’s Word in those moments, especially when times are hard or God seems absent? It isn’t easy, balancing our feelings along with our faith. God certainly made…
Beware of Distractions: Simple Devotion to Christ
Last Updated: August 3, 2020 In these last few months, as a pandemic ravages the people in every nation, we must beware of distractions that harm our relationship with God, keeping us from the simplicity of devotion to Christ. Many things abound in this world to steal our attention away from what truly matters. Fears…
Discerning True from False in the Messages Influencing Us
It’s important to know God’s Word and the messages we allow to influence us. Even when someone seems genuine or convincing in what they preach or share, their message may not be in agreement with God and the Gospel. As we take in numerous messages daily, what are they leading us toward–self or Christ? It’s…
The Search for a Godly Definition of Success
Last Updated: July 5, 2020 The world’s ideas of success swirl around us. Drawn into its hurricane winds, we find ourselves wondering what success should look like in our seeming mundane lives. We wrestle with the pressure of others around us and their definitions of what success is to look like in our lives. I…
In Times of Testing, Jesus Is Worth It
Have you ever felt as if everything was going opposite the Lord’s promises? Have you felt like throwing in the towel, wondering if you’ve missed it because nothing worthwhile seems to be happening anymore? These are the times when our true motives and resolve are tested. What is truly in our hearts is brought to…
True Success in God: Don’t Underestimate Your Impact
As believers in Christ, we should define success differently than those in the world. Yet in Christianity, success is often seen in very much the same way as the world. It should not be so, but we find ourselves feeling that our impact has to be big. We must have these big, measurable successes for…
Searching Out the Motives of Our Hearts
How often do we ask the Lord to search our hearts, to reveal the motives behind what we do? How often do we ourselves seek to know the motives driving us? It’s important for us to ask the Lord show us these things. Even when it’s difficult to ask Him to shine the Light of…
Results and Relationship: It’s Time to Abide in Christ
Recently I have embarked on another level of spiritual growth on the issue of being versus doing. God has shown me how often I was grading my relationship with Him based on how I feel or what I accomplish. Likewise, I have realized the Body of Christ as a whole tends to struggle with this…
Renewing Your Mind in God’s Word
Have you ever wondered how we are supposed to renew our minds in God’s Word, as the Bible says to? Read on to find out how to do your part in this process. First, we must know that the journey of renewing our minds is a process. It doesn’t occur in a moment or two.…
Choosing to Remain Steadfast in the Waiting
God has made many beautiful promises to the ministry I am a part of. However, for a while now, things in the natural have looked very different from what He has said will come to pass. Regardless of what it looks like, we continue to press into His heart and stand firm because we know…
Roses Have Thorns: Allowing God to Refine Us
Sometimes our journey of friendship with God isn’t all roses. Roses are beautiful and lovely in appearance and fragrance. They are given to show love, that we are held dear to the heart of the Giver. But roses also have thorns. When we pick up a rose, we are careful to avoid grabbing the stem…
Dependency on God: Your Greatest Strength
In today’s world, we see much about humanity’s strength. We hear about the power of humanity, the inventions of man, the wisdom of man and more. We live in a world that values self-sufficiency and independence. Nonetheless, God’s kingdom is must different. Strength is found in weakness. The weak things shame the strong; those who…
Three Simple Ways to Grow in Passion for Jesus
We want to grow in love and passion for God as we pursue a relationship with Him. Do you know how to grow in passion for Jesus? If you want to know more about this topic, read on. I pray that each of us will increase in passion for Jesus, who Himself loves us so…
Living with Eternity in Mind
As believers, our journey on earth is a journey into eternity. Because of this, we are called to live with eternity in mind. It is a journey into knowing the heart of Jesus. It is an adventure, discovering what it means to live as if we will never die, to love as if we will…
How to Have a Consecrated Heart, Part 3: Walking It Out
In Part 1, I spoke of what having a consecrated heart means. In Part 2, we covered how Jesus sympathizes with us in weaknesses and trials. In Part 3, I want to share some keys walking all this out. Key #1: It’s a Choice and Desire Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brethren,…
How to Have a Consecrated Heart, Part 2: Weak Flesh, Willing Spirit
Part 2 of The Consecrated Heart. At times we may struggle with living lives of consecration before the Lord. Our emotions or flesh may want to take us in other directions, or our own desires may not be aligned with God’s Word. Nonetheless, as our hearts grow in love for God, we will continue to…
How to Have a Consecrated Heart, Part 1: What Does That Mean?
Today I want to explain what it means to have a consecrated heart for the Lord. “Consecration is the total abandonment of our will to God’s.” – Unknown The above quote perfectly defines consecration. Living a life that is consecrated before the Lord means we have no agenda but God’s will. It means that we…
Dying to Ourselves: See the Beauty in the Process
The fall season is a wonderful metaphor that I believe God has given us to teach us about the beauty of living a life crucified to Christ. Look at the leaves. In the spring they are green and bright, but after summer, the season of autumn comes and the leaves begin to die. They are…
Live from the Right Perspective
How do we live from the right perspective as believers in this world? First, we must be reading, studying and applying God’s Word. This is a daily endeavor. We must think on the things that please Him. We must aim to turn our focus away from that which is worthless, instead focusing on that which…
The Root of All Our Longing and Wanting
Chai latte in hand, I strolled through our local bookstore, browsing the titles and beauty of books, journals and stationary. I recalled the former days when I was drawn to the bookstore like a moth to a lighted lamp nearby. I would longingly look at the books, not realizing that the longing I felt would…
Being Prepared for Christ’s Return
“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit… “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them… if the head of…
Faith Is Not Feeling
Read an updated version of this post here. Like me, do you ever find yourself searching for feelings and experiences of God, at times forgetting the truth of God’s Word in the moment? I know I have been there, wanting to feel something when God wants me to simply trust, believe and obey. Of course…
Worship and God’s Worth
The greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27.) How does this relate to worshiping through singing? Do you love the Lord when you sing to or about Him? Do you give God…
Taking God at His Word
God has been teaching me how to ‘take Him at His Word’ no matter how I’m feeling. I am learning to remind myself that even when I’m feeling one way or another, it doesn’t mean that these emotions line up with reality. I recently finished a book that a friend gave to me as a…
Inspiring Passion for Jesus Christ 