Tag: growing in the Holy Spirit

  • Faith Is Our Access

    Faith Is Our Access

    2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 is a simple verse, but it is packed to the brim and running over with wisdom, strategy, and guidance for a successful Christian life. To walk by faith is to live by faith. It’s to believe and trust God for…

  • When We Ask for More, More Is Required

    When We Ask for More, More Is Required

    Jesus Christ said in Luke 12:48 (NLT), “But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” Our Lord and Master is teaching us…

  • They Left Hungry

    They Left Hungry

    Psalm 37:4(NLT) “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus Christ teaches us about our readiness for his coming through a parable regarding 10 bridesmaids and their bridegroom. It is of course spiritually significant to all of us, but we should also pick up on the…

  • When the Lord Is for You

    When the Lord Is for You

    Genesis 2:18 (NLT) “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Whether out of necessity or choice, women today are driven to do it all themselves. They don’t feel they need the help of a man and…

  • If We Don’t Give Up

    If We Don’t Give Up

    Isaiah 10:27(NLT) “In that day the LORD will end the bondage of his people. He will break the yoke of slavery and lift it from their shoulders.” A revolving door goes around repeatedly, allowing people to both go in and go out. A revolving door relationship is one that is constantly ending and starting up…

  • Determining the Course of Life

    Determining the Course of Life

    Malachi 3:8 (NLT) “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.” When we were at our worst, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to save us,…

  • Walking Together Is Not Hard

    Walking Together Is Not Hard

    1Thessalonians 4:6 (NLT) “Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before.” As two people begin dating and spending more time getting to know each other, it can be a very special time. If things progress…

  • Be Careful Not to Fall

    Be Careful Not to Fall

    1Corinthians 10:12(NLT) “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” The world is full of things to entertain and keep our minds occupied, and many of us enjoy some of those things. We become so used to them in fact that the thought of giving some of them up is a…

  • Don’t Team Up with Unbelievers

    Don’t Team Up with Unbelievers

    Romans 16:17(NLT) “And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.” When my youngest daughter was in elementary school, one day she came home and said she…

  • Build Unity Through the Words You Speak

    Build Unity Through the Words You Speak

    Proverbs 13:3(NLT) “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.” Words have power, and they can change the course of our lives. Words can also change the course of our relationships as well. Through our words, we can choose to build unity and harmony in them, or…

  • Good Wives Are Becoming Scarce

    Good Wives Are Becoming Scarce

    Ecclesiastes 7:28 (NLT) “Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman!” When asked what it is about us women that might cause a man to be attracted to us, many of us will say that it’s…

  • “It’s Up to the Woman I Marry”

    “It’s Up to the Woman I Marry”

    What does a born-again man that has never been married and doesn’t have children look for in a woman? You’ll have to ask someone like this. I did, and to my surprise, his answer was quite simple. “I don’t need much, and many of the decisions I make in the future will be up to…

  • Limits and Boundaries Keep You from Stumbling

    Limits and Boundaries Keep You from Stumbling

    In His matchless Word, our Heavenly Father has set limits and boundaries for our actions, attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts because He wants us to prosper and have a successful life. He requires us, His children, to be disciplined in our conduct and living because this is the way His love operates. 2Timothy 1:7(NLT) tells us,…

  • God Has Made Provisions

    God Has Made Provisions

    Galatians 5:6 (NLT) “For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” Most of us understand how it feels to be discontent with our lives. We recognize the hunger in our hearts for love, and we…

  • A Woman’s Unteachable Mind

    A Woman’s Unteachable Mind

    1Corinthians 7:16 (NLT) “Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?” My grandmother would sometimes say that you can’t teach anything to a person that’s set in their ways. There’s Bible precedent for that saying. Many…

  • Moving Out of My Own Way

    Moving Out of My Own Way

    After years of back-to-back dateless holiday gatherings, Teresa, will be bringing someone new with her to her family’s Thanksgiving dinner. The last time she brought a man to dinner was over five years ago. Back then, her family all had their opinions about her new guy, and let’s just say they didn’t see a future…

  • Beginning A New Relationship

    Beginning A New Relationship

    I watched a discussion surrounding a question about what it means to love yourself and to love the significant person in your life. A panel of about 10 people had varying answers, and none of them mentioned the love of God in Christ. As sad as this was to see, it’s common place in the…

  • The Man Is Gone, What Now?

    The Man Is Gone, What Now?

    1 Peter 5:6 (NLT) “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” Kevin is everything that Desi wanted in a man. Like so many of us, she prayed a long while to meet someone special. When Kevin came into her life, oddly…

  • Let Your Words Bless Others

    Let Your Words Bless Others

    James 3:10-12 (NLT) “10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you…

  • Specifically for You

    Specifically for You

    Mark 10:6-9 (NLT) “But God made them male and female from the beginning of creation. This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.  Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” From…

  • Secret Riches and Hidden Treasures

    Secret Riches and Hidden Treasures

    Isaiah 45:3 (NLT) “And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.” Isaiah 45:3 is one of my favorite verses because it informs us that there are treasures right here…

  • Heaven Rejoices

    Heaven Rejoices

    Romans 13:10 (NLT) “Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirement of God’s law.” It’s the same no matter who you are or where you are in this world, love will always bring people together. This is no ordinary love we’re talking about. It’s the love of God that was in the…

  • Wait for God’s Help

    Wait for God’s Help

    Some years ago, I wrote a promise to the Lord – a covenant. I tucked it away and completely forgot where I put it. I also forgot to keep the covenant I made as well. I wrote it during some of the most challenging times of being a single woman. My heart was very full…

  • Is He Husband Material?

    Is He Husband Material?

    When we’re dating someone new, we hear this question all the time, “Is he marriage material?” Although this might not be the most considerate question to ask, if you’ve been praying to God to be a wife, analyzing whether a man is even comfortable with the idea of marriage is not a bad idea. As…

  • Get Clear About What You Want

    Get Clear About What You Want

    When you’ve been trying to be both mother and father for your kids, and you’re the go-to person for everything, life can feel like one burden after the other. You want peace. You want to take a breath, but it feels like a break never comes. Work-life balance seems to be something only for those…

  • Don’t Let Anyone Dim Your Light

    Don’t Let Anyone Dim Your Light

    Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT) “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good…

  • God Will Guide You to the Best Path

    God Will Guide You to the Best Path

    Psalm 32:8-11(NLT) “8 The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” 10 Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing…

  • Shhh, Learn How to Keep It Quiet

    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…

  • Can You Handle the Blessing?

    Can You Handle the Blessing?

    In many of our past relationships, there was a lot of overpromising and underdelivering by the man and by us as well. When things started to go sour, the ship was sinking so fast that we felt helpless to save it. We learned that significant relationships have the potential to take us to the highest…

  • A Good Heart Reflects God’s Goodness

    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…