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Remain Faithful to God’s Promises
Exodus 16:16-18 (NLT) “16 These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.”17 So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. 18 But when they measured it out, everyone had…
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The Truth of Salvation
God’s grace is indeed amazing. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) reminds us, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Eternity is not…
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God’s Plans Are Not Altered by Our Emotions
Psalm 13:1-2 (NLT) “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?” There are moments in our life that may seem…
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The Result of Believing that God Hears Your Prayer
Matthew 16:19(NLT) “Jesus Christ said ‘And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.’” Sometimes, when it seems that a situation is just hopeless, it’s not always the easiest thing to…
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Where Would I Be Without God?
Galatians 5:16 (NLT) “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” The other day, a coworker asked me what I’d be doing if I wasn’t in the career that I’m in now. Whenever someone asks me a question like this, my mind always…
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Expectation and the End Result
Ecclesiastes 11:4-5(NLT) tells us, “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. 5 Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.”…
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The Sweetness of Godly Conversation
Proverbs 16:24 ( NLT) “Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” There’s something truly special about a conversation that centers on God’s love, His grace, and the truths of His Word. Those sweet exchanges are like honey, bringing comfort and encouragement that satisfy our souls. Trust me, we…
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Words Reveal What’s in Your Heart
Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT) “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will…
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God Has a Better Plan
In 2 Samuel 11:3 (NLT), we learn, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Like many of us, Bathsheba likely had her own vision for how her life would unfold. Like her, all of us probably have a picture in our minds of how we want our lives…
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Unfinished Business of Being a Hater
Proverbs 10:12(NLT) “Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.” Some women seem to thrive on confrontation, and they always want to be right. Whether in restaurants, work, or anywhere really, they give off the vibe that they’re just waiting for an opportunity to crash out on someone. The wrong words, a…
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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.…
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Men Deserve A Happy Ending Too
Recently, I heard a man say, “Men aren’t scared of marriage; they’re scared of divorce.” That statement stuck with me because there’s truth to it. Many men aren’t hesitant about committing—they’re hesitant about what happens if that commitment falls apart. Statistics show that the majority of divorces are initiated by women. It can’t be lost…
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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…
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Christians in A Bubble
The other day, a little boy I know, Mason, came to me crying. When I asked him what was wrong, he shared that he felt left out, watching all his friends play during recess while he had to finish a class assignment. Watching tears stream down his face, his simple words cut deep into my…
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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…
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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…
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What Is Your Cross?
Matthew 10:38 (NLT) “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.” In this verse, Jesus challenges us with a powerful statement that cuts right down to the meat of the matter. By its very nature, life is dynamic, ever-changing, and very tough sometimes. It can…
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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…
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Recognizing What’s Good
Luke 6:45(NLT) “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” The other day, while picking up a cup of tea from my…
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God’s Protection and Provision
Psalm 34:8 (NLT) tells us, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!” Let’s take a moment to digest this beautiful verse. Tasting and seeing are senses that help us engage and interact with the environment and people around us. They allow us to truly…
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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…
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God Won’t Let You Slip
Do you know anyone who is working relentlessly to elevate themselves in life? Whether it’s striving for a new job, advancing their career, improving or gaining a relationship, or deepening their spiritual growth, they’ve likely found themselves stuck at a certain level for longer than they’d hoped. They’ve pushed their current situation to its limits…
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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…
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Thinking of Others as Better Than Yourself
Humility is a characteristic that God both loves and requires from us. It’s foundational to our relationship with Him. In fact, arrogance was the very first sin ever committed. From God’s Word, we learn that satan was once a beautiful and powerful archangel of light, but he became arrogant and wanted to be greater than…
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I Don’t Feel Like Changing
Psalm 139:23-24(NLT) “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” A woman in her fifties said recently about the man she’s been dating for a while, “He’s too set…
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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…
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Love the Christ in You
As I began maturing spiritually, I found myself questioning something that had always bothered me: why is self-condemnation considered a sin? Why is it wrong to feel bad about ourselves or our mistakes? God’s Word teaches us that self-condemnation goes against the truth of God’s love, grace, and forgiveness. Romans 8:1 (NLT) says, “So now…
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Protecting Your Family from Contention
Proverbs 21:9 (NLT) “It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.” It’s no secret that single mothers have a lot to juggle, and they’re on the grind every single day. The pressures of life can sometimes seem overwhelming, and the thought of having…
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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…
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Confusion and A Lack of Faith
I’ve noticed something interesting in conversations with people who haven’t accepted Jesus Christ. Many of them, like a friend I spoke to recently, claim that they don’t have faith in God because they “just don’t get it.” They say they’re confused by all the different things they’ve heard about Him, with some people saying He’s…