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Trust and Believe God
In the Gospel of Mark, the ninth chapter gives us the record of a man that had brought his son to Jesus Christ to be healed. Jesus Christ and his disciples, Peter, James, and John had been on the Mountain of Transfiguration where a tremendous encounter with Heavenly Father had taken place. So, initially, Jesus…
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God’s Grace Is All You Need!
2Corinthians 12:9(NLT) “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” I was in my late twenties and was going through a very emotional time when this verse…
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The Kind of Love that Has Stickability
So many people in the world believe that love is an uncontrollable feeling and that we don’t have the ability to choose who we fall in love with. They believe that when you meet the right person, your heart will let you know. The reality is that God created us in His own image. He…
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Let Me Pray on It
Colossians 2:7(NLT) “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Eric had a reputation as a serial dater. An engineer, he’s good looking, smooth, and very confident. He’s always been…
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A Guaranteed Blocker
Psalm 4:3(ESV) says, “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.” To be Godly is to exhibit qualities that are in God’s nature. These are qualities like being loving, kind, generous, thoughtful, joyful, peaceful, full of faith, strong, consistent, and persevering. Heavenly Father…
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God Will Help Keep Our Marriages Strong
1Peter 2:9(NLT) proclaims, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” Heavenly Father tells us that we’re…
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Relationships Are Not Playthings
Years ago, I had a conversation with a Christian man that had been married for over 10 years, but then he and his wife divorced. He was thinking of starting to date again, but he and his ex-wife had struggled a lot with trying to hold the marriage together. We don’t always allow for the…
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Handling the Gift That’s on Its Way
“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NLT) I’ve heard from many single Christian women that tell me they don’t know how much longer they can wait on the Lord. It’s clear from their…
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God Is Merciful and His Grace is Amazing!
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for being so good to us. You are awesome and amazing, and being Your sons and daughters is a privilege too wonderful for words. You are holy and good all the time, and You have called us to be Your holy and set-apart people. You tell us in Ephesians 5:1…
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Roots Deep and Growing in Christ for Marriage
Colossians 2:7(NLT) “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Dear Heavenly Father, You are glorious in every way! We give You all the praise, Heavenly Father, for truly You…
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Why Did It Have to Be So Bad?
Years ago, when my childhood friend confronted her mother about the abuse that they both had endured from her father, it was like I left my body. Having just graduated from college, I was looking forward to spending time with them and enjoying their company and conversation. It had not occurred to me that my…
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You’re So Incredibly Close!
I should have been enjoying my summer trip home to North Carolina but instead, I was feeling sorry for myself. Sitting on the flight alone again with not even a prospect of a boyfriend or husband to introduce to my family. I couldn’t ever remember a time when I felt lonelier. No doubt there are…
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You Must Not Ever Look Back!
Galatians 5:22-23(NLT) states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Many of us learned about the fruit of the Spirit in Sunday School. There may have been cartoonish drawings of various fruits and lessons about them that were made very…
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Avoiding Sexual Sin
If we want to have a blatantly honest conversation about the subject, the truth is that marriage isn’t for everyone. It just isn’t. Our Heavenly Father is perfect. He never needs to do a do-over, He never makes a mistake, and He doesn’t do anything without it having a specific reason and function within His…
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We Will Harvest What We Plant
“If he can’t see my worth, I’m done with him.” Isn’t this one of the most self-affirming statements a woman can make? I heard a sister in Christ say this after she had been expecting her boyfriend of several years to pop the question, and he never did. It is absolutely true that whether a…
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God’s Goodness and Mercy Endure Forever!
Dear Heavenly Father, You are holy, good, and merciful to Your people. Thank You for loving and blessing us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Through him, You have blessed us with all spiritual blessings. You tell us in Colossians 2:10 that we are complete through our union with Christ, who is the head over all…
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Turn Your Weariness to Excitement!
Lately, my youngest daughter has been singing a familiar tune around the house. It’s new to her but not to me. It’s an oldie but goodie, and it encourages us not to worry about a thing, because everything is going to be alright. When I asked my daughter how she knew the song, she said…
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Let the Peace of Christ Rule
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for being so wonderful to all of us. Your Word declares that even when we are not faithful to You, You are forever faithful to us. You allow the sun to shine every day. You planted the moon and stars far above, and You send the rain when we need…
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An ‘Okay to Proceed’ from God
Genesis 1: 31; Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Just as a kitchen is the heart of a home, marriage is at the heart of God’s plan for unity and eternity. Marriage is God’s institution. He established the truth that when you have a strong…
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When Your Temperature Is Hot for God
Ephesians 6:18(NLT) tells us, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Some of you may be thinking the same as I did when I initially heard this verse. In my spiritual infancy, praying in the Spirit and on every…
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Don’t Pretend, Let God Give You Something Real
My heart was racing as I dialed a number that I had called hundreds of times before. It was 3:42pm, and I knew the moment I heard his voice that he was going to speak words that would paint the exact reality I didn’t want. In a manner that conveyed his tender heart as well…
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Not Bothered by the Heat or Worried About the Drought
A couple that met each other in the workplace recently announced their engagement. They’re both in their early 40’s and have been dating a little over a year. After hearing the news, Steven, a colleague and friend, said to me, “I would never get into a serious relationship with anyone I work with!” The firmness…
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Unclaimed Is Just Temporary
Deuteronomy 11:8-9(NLT) “8 Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter. 9 If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the LORD swore to give to your ancestors and…
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Waiting on the Man God Has for You
1 Corinthians 11:8(NLT) “For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man. 9; And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man.” “God, did I hear you say “Yes” to this relationship – Is he the one, Father?” If we’re being honest, many single believers…
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Ready to Push the ‘Start’ Button
Dear Heavenly Father, You are holy, holy, holy! Only You are deserving of praise, worship, honor and glory. It is such an awesome blessing to know that You have handpicked each of us as Your very own. And You’ve done this because of Your great love for us all. There is none like You, Heavenly…
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The Lord Sees It Differently
1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT) “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” There are varying opinions with biblical scholars over whether Jesse had…
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A Good Conscience
Dear Heavenly Father, You are holy, omnipotent, and all-knowing. There is none like You, Heavenly Father, and I am so thankful to be Your child. Please forgive me for anything that I have said, thought, felt, or done that was contrary to Your Word and Will. Please help me to be better in my attitude…
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A Couple’s Journey Together in Christ
Matthew 19:3-5 The Message(MSG) 3 One day the Pharisees were badgering him: “Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?” 4-6 He answered, “Haven’t you read in your Bible that the Creator originally made man and woman for each other, male and female? And because of this, a man leaves…
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The Bridge Not Easily Crossed
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12(NIV), “9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But…
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Choose Me, Please
“Men don’t notice me, and I don’t know what to do to change that.” When we’re frequently in the company of more than a few men that are believers, and none of them seem to notice us, it can really do a number on our self-esteem. You wonder if there’s something you’re doing that is…