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Never Put Anyone or Anything Before God
In Luke 14:25-35, our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, teaches us about the cost of being his disciple. During the time in which this passage took place, there was a weeding process going on—a thinning out process if you will. Lots of folks followed Jesus Christ for the wrong reasons. He was terrifically charismatic…
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Forgetting the Things of the Past
We should never judge a book by its cover. This is one of those golden rules, and it truly is one to live by. Judging something solely on the basis of what appears externally can be a costly mistake, and many single women can testify to this. A person can be pleasing to the eye,…
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We Must Be Led!
Dear Heavenly Father, I heard a word this week that I absolutely fell in love with. It was inspiring to hear because I see this a lot with people who have a candy store mentality when it comes to Your blessings and empowerment. They neglect the empowerment of Your Word, and only want the rewards…
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It’s Time to Get Off This Bumpy Ride
2Thessalonians 3:15(NLT) gives us a tremendous jewel of comfort. It says “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.” This verse is so comforting that we might forget to absorb the wisdom of…
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Choosing Your Destiny Partner
The person that we choose as a partner is not necessarily who God would choose for us. We typically have no idea how monumentally consequential this statement is. We do the pickings, and then we ask God to cosign, and that’s not how that thing works. I think some of us take this approach not…
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God Will Never Forget About You
The other day, I spoke with a Christian man that many perceive as a strong man of God. He’s been very active in the community and in his church; and for some, he’s looked upon as very dependable and a pillar of both. However, he told me that he’s reverting to those old ways, what…
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Let Go of Mistakes and Sorrows of the Past
Dear Heavenly Father, In the Old Testament, You told Your people in Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV), “18 Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in…
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God Is Close Beside Us
Psalm 23:4-6(NLT) Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows…
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You Will Have It All Again
There is little in life that is more emotionally painful than going through divorce. For many people, it’s a tremendous loss. God tells us a little bit about how He deals with our losses in the encouragement of Joel 2:25-26(NLT). In this passage He said, “25 I will give…
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How Bad is Bad? Really Bad!
From the Book of Job in the Old Testament, we can learn tremendous principles and great divine truths. The drama of Job’s record begins in Chapter 1, and there we learn that Job lived in the land of Uz. God’s Word also tells us that Job was perfect, a man of solid integrity. Job had…
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Showing Our Love for You
Dear Heavenly Father, Many people say they love You, Heavenly Father, but they do not show it in their actions. We are all guilty of having attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors that don’t please You, but instead of repenting of these in humbled submission, we say things like, “God knows my heart.” This is true, but…
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The Truth Is the Same Every Time
There’s a famous quote that says, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to worry about keeping a lie straight.” There’s also another golden gem that most all of us have heard, “Honesty is the best policy.” Unequivocally, honesty is always the best policy, practice, and pursuit; but sometimes in life, we are faced…
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What Are You Waiting For?
The wisdom of 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…
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Why Are You So Sad?
There are only two books in the bible named after women, Ruth and Esther, in the Old Testament. I personally love them both, but the Book of Ruth is the one from which I draw the most relatable encouragement. I marvel continually at Ruth’s devotion to her mother in law, Naomi. I’m also deeply in…
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Keep On Believing, Praying, and Speaking Life!
Brian’s wife was diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, not long after they were married. Before they got married, they talked about how they couldn’t wait to retire and start traveling to the places they had both longed to see. Neither of them could’ve imagined that instead of spending the…
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The New Creation that is YOU!
Dear Heavenly Father, You tell us in Romans 12:2 (NLT), “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” You are telling us…
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The Treasure You’re Looking for Is Close
The notion of a ‘Critical Question’ is something we talk quite a bit about in our teachings. The word ‘critical’ in this context is not referring to an unfavorable or harsh judgment. It is related to something that is desperately urgent. A critical question is one for which the answer is so monumentally significant to…
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Out of Darkness and into The Light
Jesus Christ said in Mark 4:22(NIV), “For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.” In this verse, our blessed Lord and Savior is teaching about the Kingdom of God, because he wants us to know what the…
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Let Jesus Christ Lead Your Quest
It’s hard to hear, but the truth about us human beings is that some of us believe negative things that injure our ability to build faith. It’s these wrong things that continue to run a program of doubt in our hearts even though our mouths say something completely different.…
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Want What God Has for You!
Edna woke up and got ready for work, just as she does every day. She made her regular stop to grab a cup of coffee, but for some reason the drive-thru was extraordinarily long. She didn’t want to be late for work and decided she’d make out better by going inside to purchase her coffee.…
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No Weapon!!!
There are some people who don’t like surprises of any kind. They don’t want surprise ingredients in their foods, don’t want surprise birthday parties, spontaneous trips, or surprise gifts. The idea of being presented with anything unexpectedly is a no-go for them, and they are not amused. The irony is that in life, some surprises…
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God Doesn’t Accept Leftovers
Dear Heavenly Father, As I think about what I’ve witnessed in my significant relationships, as well as those of some of my friends, we often make assumptions that ultimately cause us heartbreak. We don’t give ourselves time to find out if the person we’re attracted to is someone You’ve presented as a destiny partner. Instead,…
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Courageous in the Face of Dissatisfaction
Dear Heavenly Father, So many people that I know personally are sad because they are not satisfied with their lives. Some of them have tried to accomplish goals but have failed. Others feel very alone, and they are down on themselves because they don’t have a significant person in their lives who has their backs.…
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Press Forward
Jesus Christ gave a strong, but short and to-the-point warning in Luke 17:32(NLT). He said, “Remember Lot’s wife.” For this warning to hit our hearts and minds as impactful as it must, we need to know a little bit more about Lot’s predicament. He was Abraham’s nephew, and when Abraham left his own father’s land…
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Hold Tight to God’s Love
There are periods within every trial and tribulation that weigh more heavily on us than other times. It can feel as though we’re trapped with nowhere to turn. This is a period that can really cause us to suffer emotionally and mentally, and the solution for times like this will always be to take our…
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The Promise of Victory
1Corinthians 15:57 tells us to give thanks to God, for He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. This isn’t a victory that takes us to the half-way mark and drops us off. It’s overwhelming victory that applies to every aspect of your existence. It’s a huge arena, because the victory we have in…
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Craving You
Dear Heavenly Father, You have delivered many of us from a multitude of dark and negative issues, and we still carry idols with us into our deliverance. I personally know individuals that have moved to a different area, job, relationship, or place of worship; and remnants of the same issues will pop up in their…
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Every Day Belongs to God
When I was younger, I struggled with anxiety. I would bite my nails when it was time to take an exam or whenever I encountered a stressful situation. If it looked as though my parents were going to find out I had done something I knew they wouldn’t approve of, forget about it; I’d be…
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Sometimes Our Desires and Dreams Need to be Tweaked
John 10:10 is a verse of scripture that is probably on every believer’s list of ‘scripture favs’. In this verse, our Master Jesus speaks so plainly about who the devil is and what the devil came to do; and most importantly, Jesus Christ tells us very poignantly why he, himself, came to the earth as…
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True Worship and the Blessing of Marriage
I’ve endeavored to provide Godly counsel and advice to countless of God’s beautiful daughters throughout the years. Many of them are single, and I have witnessed that some have allowed their relationships with men to completely consume their lives. The wants and needs of the man take center-stage, and all other priorities fall beneath his…