Tag: growing in Christ

  • Always Bearing Fruit

    Always Bearing Fruit

    “He’ll come when you aren’t looking.” If you’re in wait mode for the one God has ordained to walk with you through life, you’ve probably heard this phrase more times than you can count. Of course, it’s said by well-meaning people—those who know that this has been on our hearts and prayers for a while.…

  • Not Without God

    Not Without God

    1 Peter 3:12-13(NLT) “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers.  But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” The kind of knowledge and instruction that is found in 1 Peter is not the kind that is typically taught in grade…

  • Consistent and Unwavering

    Consistent and Unwavering

    Revelations 3:7-8 (NLT) “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open: ‘I know all the things you…

  • Overcoming Bitterness and Resentment

    Overcoming Bitterness and Resentment

    The Silent Weight of Bitterness Psalm 34:8-10(NLT) “8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! 9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who…

  • Did I Leave the Door Open?

    Did I Leave the Door Open?

    Proverbs 19:2-3 (NLT) “2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. 3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.” God commands us to renew our minds, and this is one of the most impactful and essential exercises for anyone committed to living a life of…

  • God Is Never Late

    God Is Never Late

    Hosea 6:3(NLT) “Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” As believers and followers of Christ, sometimes it is necessary for us to remind ourselves of the truths that…

  • Participating in Your Healing

    Participating in Your Healing

    Colossians 2:10 (NLT) “So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” When a relationship falls apart, the pain can really make us question who we are. It can be deeply challenging to remember that our worth isn’t tied to what someone else thinks of…

  • That Kind of Love

    That Kind of Love

    1 John 3:16-17 The Message (MSG) “This is how we have 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…

  • God Is Never Second Place

    God Is Never Second Place

    What happens when a couple wants to take their relationship to the next level of commitment but can’t seem to get past their lack of trust with one another? First things first—what does the Word of God say? It’s our guidebook for every circumstance we could ever experience. And in this case, it’s clear: before…

  • The Power that Saves Your Souls

    The Power that Saves Your Souls

    All of us get angry at some point in our lives. It’s part of being human, and nobody escapes it. Even our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, expressed anger at the Pharisees in Mark 3. He was deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts; they refused to have compassion and honor God’s healing power. He showed…

  • Steps Ordained from the Very Beginning

    Steps Ordained from the Very Beginning

    Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” This verse is a serious reality check. Our Heavenly Father has created us to fulfill His perfect plan for our lives. That includes the…

  • Will God Give Me What I Desire Most?

    Will God Give Me What I Desire Most?

    As the clock struck midnight, my phone started buzzing with a flood of “Happy New Year!” messages. Friends and family were eager to reach out—and I was no different. On New Year’s Day, I called everyone I knew to wish them a great year ahead, including my friend Evelyn. “Girl, this is the year. I…

  • Wait with Anticipation Not Anxiety

    Wait with Anticipation Not Anxiety

    If you’re waiting on a blessing to unfold, be excited! The Lord always comes through on His promises. Take the example of Abraham, who patiently waited to receive what God promised Him. He’s a tremendous example of faith, and as believers, we should all want to have faith in God as Abraham did, but the…

  • I Can’t Wait to Get Married!

    I Can’t Wait to Get Married!

    Many of God’s promises inspire hope and excitement in us, but there are two simply written and powerful scriptures that will help to build our faith in marriage. The first is John 10:10(NKJV). In this verse, Jesus Christ declared, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have…

  • Don’t Get Sidetracked

    Don’t Get Sidetracked

    Proverbs 4:25-27 (NLT) “25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” A dear friend has been on and off again with the man in her life…

  • Why Your Current Approach Isn’t Leading You to Marriage

    Why Your Current Approach Isn’t Leading You to Marriage

    As modern Christians, we’ve received more revelation about God’s Word than perhaps any other time in human history. We’ve become sophisticated in formulating our thoughts and expressing our opinions about some aspects of His truth. It’s important we know that this can potentially cause more damage than good. Many of us have refused to allow…

  • The Impact of Your Actions-You Harvest What You Plant

    The Impact of Your Actions-You Harvest What You Plant

    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.” God’s…

  • God Knows What’s Happening to You

    God Knows What’s Happening to You

    Jeremiah 15:15 (NLT) “Lord, you know what’s happening to me. Please step in and help me…” Most of us can relate to the words of Jeremiah. We are aware that God is watching our every move. We know that He sees everything we’re going through, and that He knows our pain. We’re asking Him to…

  • This Is Good and Pleases God

    This Is Good and Pleases God

    1 Timothy 2:1-6(NLT) “1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.…

  • Your Face Mirrors Your Heart

    Your Face Mirrors Your Heart

    Proverbs 27:19 (MSG) “Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart.” A while ago, I met up with two friends and both were having issues in their relationships. One was struggling with whether to remain in his marriage, and the other was frustrated because her significant other was reluctant to get…

  • Creating a Space for Change

    Creating a Space for Change

    Nothing in life stays the same, and most of us understand this, but when you’re single and haven’t seen movement in your desire for marriage, you might become a little concerned about the delay. You’ve been praying about a change in your status from single to married, and you’re wondering when the Lord is going…

  • Everybody Needs Somebody

    Everybody Needs Somebody

    John 13:34(NLT) “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”  Everybody will need somebody at some point. It’s a fact of life, and it is how God designed life to work. We need Him, that’s a truth that can’t be…

  • Are the Two of You a Good Fit?

    Are the Two of You a Good Fit?

    2Corinthians 6:14 (ESV) “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” Unbelievers are those that do not believe in God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our blessed Redeemer said in John 16:9(NLT), “The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe…

  • I Have to Make a Change

    I Have to Make a Change

    After a friend went MIA for a little over a month, she shared with me that she had decided to make some changes to her physical appearance. As women that have been praying a long time to meet the man that God will send, we often place ourselves under a lot of scrutiny. We might…

  • Where Are You with God?

    Where Are You with God?

    Matthew 6:8 (NLT) “For your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” Genesis 1:26-27 tells us that God created Adam in His own image, and He then took a rib from Adam’s body and made Eve, Adam’s wife. Our Heavenly Father gave them dominion to reign within the earth but the…

  • He’s Mine Forever

    He’s Mine Forever

    Psalm 73:25-26 (NLT) “25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. 26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” If you’ve been in a significant relationship for a few years, and then…

  • Children on the Right Path

    Children on the Right Path

    Proverbs 22:6 (NLT) “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” We live in a culture that embraces youth, but where would society be without the wisdom and grace that maturity yields. We earn our gray hairs, and mothers know this better than anyone else. Raising children…

  • The Vision of Your Destiny

    The Vision of Your Destiny

    Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Dating today isn’t what it was 50 years ago. The days when a couple decided to take their time and get to…

  • God is a Promise Keeper

    God is a Promise Keeper

    1 John 2:5 (NLT) “But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.” Christians sin, and so does everyone else. This is a fact that comes with life on earth. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God,…

  • Finding the Treasure in You

    Finding the Treasure in You

    After a friend said that Valentine’s Day was a complete disappointment for her, she is feeling defeated and sad. She doubts that God will ever bless her with a husband and wants to give up on this desire. She told me that she realizes her standards are very high and that she is very picky.…