I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. 1 Corinthians 7:35 Have you ever felt like your relationship with God has been coasting along just fine and suddenly you realize you no longer feel the deep connection you previously had? This has happened to me, too! Distractions that pull you away from your faith can be hazardous. A distraction is anything causing our focus to shift from what is most important to something less important. The most dangerous distractions are the ones causing our faith to shift.…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 Big Announcement! I wrote a book. It is a 30-Day devotional called A Warrior of Hope. The devotional is based on Romans 5:13. Today we will look at how you are called to be a Warrior of Hope! Hope is real, but for some people, it feels unattainable. Someone who has lost hope feels alone and helpless. You can come alongside them and bring the message of hope, the good news of Jesus Christ and all it…

They sing too many worship songs. The sermons are boring. The pastor talks over my head. Nobody said hello to me when I walked in. The coffee is bad. I don’t feel like the leader’s minister to my needs. I don’t get included in the church activities. I am too busy; my kids have sports on Sunday mornings. This is the only day I have to sleep in. I go when I can. I got really hurt by some of the church members at my last church, I am not ready to risk that happing again. Does it matter to God if I go to church? Does it mean I…

When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him… “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”… and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. Genesis 37:4,20,24 This weekend I went to the movie “Overcomer”, it is an inspirational story of identity and redemption. If you haven’t seen the trailers, the film stars a teenage, asthmatic girl who wants to run cross country, a coach…

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3 Discouragement is a temptation, I don’t believe discouragement is a sin, but it sure can lead us down a path to sinful behavior. When…

“Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith...” 1 Peter 5:8-9 The 3 a.m. heebie-jeebies. That is what I call it. I don’t even have to look at the clock anymore; I know it will be 3 a.m. Perhaps you can relate? Ever since I turned 40, I have started this thing where I wake up at 3 a.m. I am startled out of my dreams and wake feeling unsettled and disturbed. Not necessarily afraid, just not quite right. It is like I am hyper-aware of the presence of darkness, both figuratively…

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. Psalm 130:5 (ESV) When I think about the woman I want to become, I picture an older woman sitting in a comfortable chair by a window where the light showcases the beauty of her years. Her Bible is open on her lap and she has a cup of coffee in her hands. Peace and contentment radiate from within her. I long to sit and listen to her. She is the woman my heart can bond with because I feel welcome and never judged in her presence. As the years have ticked by, my thoughts have shifted…

How do you define grace? If I were to give you a biblical definition of grace, it might be this: “Grace may be defined as the unmerited or undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation.” However, I believe for us to fully comprehend grace, we must experience grace. If you have not felt or recognized grace in your life yet, looking at other people’s stories, will give you the desire to search for God’s grace in your story. Today, we are going to look at three stories of grace from the Old Testament. The Story of Adam and Eve as Seen with the Eyes of Grace Adam…