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Marriage Built on the Foundation of Jesus Christ
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT) “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up,…
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Shhh, Learn How to Keep It Quiet
In Matthew 8:2(NLT), a leper came and worshiped Jesus Christ and said to him, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus told the man that he was willing and then he healed him. He then said to the man in Matthew 8:4(NLT), “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go…
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A Good Heart Reflects God’s Goodness
Psalm 51:10-11(KJV) “10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” Many years ago, for a while I didn’t know if I was coming or going. I had ended a relationship with…
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When Your Spouse Dismisses You
Allen and Tiffany had a very rocky engagement, and most of their friends felt they weren’t ready for marriage. They thought they were. After dating six months, they got engaged, and never really seemed to enjoy being a couple. They frequently argued and there was very little they’d agree on. Both accused each other of…
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A Seasoned Perspective
Proverbs 20:4 (ESV) “The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.” The fall season is a perfect time to prepare for winter months. Horticultural gurus tell us it’s also the perfect time to plant something new, but most of us are busy with fall clean-up and getting…
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All I Need is You
1John 3:16-17(The Message) “This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about…
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We Have an Enemy
1 Peter 5:8-9(NLT) “8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of…
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Fellowship with God While Single
1Corinthians 7:8(NLT) “So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am.” As a single woman, how many times have you said, “If I could just find someone that would love me for me.” You don’t want to have to meet someone’s unrealistic expectations for how…
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Corrected by God
Job 5:17(NLT) “But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin. For though he wounds, he also bandages. He strikes, but His hands also heal.” Like many four-year-old toddlers, my daughter wanted something that she couldn’t have. When I told her this, she cried…
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Sow into God’s Kingdom
Galatians 6:7-8(NLT) “7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” My…
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Stay Dressed for Action
Proverbs 12:25 (ESV) “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Whether it’s a relationship, situation, or other commitments and engagements, when their time in our lives is winding down, it’s a very challenging time for many of us. This is especially true when something very meaningful and…
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Stay Away from Fools
Proverbs 14:7(NLT), “Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.” We all know people that have not tamed their tongues. Some are gossipers, others will curse you out in a second and think nothing of it. They’ve never learned the discipline of guarding their hearts and being careful about their words.…
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The Favor of the Lord
Proverbs 18:22(NLT) “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.” I remember hearing a conversation when I took my nephew to the barber shop. One of the younger barbers was talking with a much older gentleman. The older man asked the young barber if he was married.…
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What Has God Called You to Do?
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:30(NLT), “And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.” This verse communicates the degree to which our Heavenly Father knows everything there is to know about us. He has all knowledge about all things, and all people; you’re included in that number. There’s no detail about your life…
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How Did I Get Here?
I know a dear sister that has been seeking ways to heal her heart. “I don’t know how I got here in my life! I just want to feel good about myself every day!” All of us have this desire for ourselves, and we can probably relate to her frustration. She knows that she’s carrying…
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A Restored Home
Proverbs 21:9(NIV) “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.” There’s a saying that many husbands have heard and repeated, “happy wife, happy life!” By this, they are conveying a submission to the will and happiness of their wives. They understand the value of having peace…
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The Winning Position
A dear friend called me up recently and was very excited to tell me about her news. A co-worker encouraged her to sign-up on a dating app, and after contemplating it for several weeks, she finally did it. Single for the last ten years, she figured she’d give it another shot. It wasn’t long before…
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Speak Life and Not Death
2Romans 10:9-10(NIV) “9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”…
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Your Life Means So Much to God
1Peter 4:10-12(NLT) “10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all…
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The Cost of Being A Believer
Luke 14:27(NLT) “And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.” There are believers all over the world that have chosen Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and love him with all their hearts. Many of them are facing very challenging times. Whether it’s relationships…
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Intentional Behavior towards God’s Blessings
Luke 16:10(NLT) “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Jesus Christ is teaching us about principles that apply to our attitude about money. He points out that if we don’t learn to properly…
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The Princess Treatment
Indulgences were once thought of as the practice of setting aside a sacred time to really pour on the love towards God, to make sacrifices that demonstrate our commitment to Him and our gratitude for His forgiveness. These days, indulgences are no longer about Christ, but about self. Back in the day, we’d splurge occasionally…
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Deepening Intimacy in Our Relationship with God
1Thessalonians 4:3-5(NLT) says, “3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor–5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.” When we read this verse,…
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God’s Good and Perfect Gift
James 1:17-18 (NLT) “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized…
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Be Familiar with Yourself
If you’re a single woman that has been praying to find the person that God has ordained to walk with you in life, it’s not uncommon that the wait is longer than you expected. There’s a distance that spans where you are at this very moment and the marriage you are praying to have. One…
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The Desire for Partnership Never Grows Old
Hebrews 11:1(NLT) “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” I was in the grocery store the other day and while checking out, I noticed a woman in her senior years next to me. A man approached her and questioned if she was indeed who…
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Blessed Are Those that Trust in God
Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Maxine, known to her friends and family as Max, has a life that most people envy. She has a 40-hour…
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The Unspoken Truth
Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” You probably never thought the day would come when you would feel that you’ve finally reached the finish line. You’ve…
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Buckle Up
Galatians 6:7-8(NLT) “7 Don’t be misled–you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” I…
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Heavenly Hellos from God
Psalm 16:2,5, 7-8 (NLT) “2 I said to the LORD, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.” 5 LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. 7 I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.…