My pastor likes to say that the Bible wasn’t written to us, it was written for us. The author of Hebrews writes to remind persecuted believers to think back on the days when they first learned about Christ and how they remained faithful—even though their profession of faith led to terrible suffering. These believers had…
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Today’s Bible verses promise that God has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and enabled us to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. While this week’s declaration reminds us to press forward with hope rather than fall backward in despair. You and I can’t help but…
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The news continually gives evidence to the shaking going on in the world. From the people in Cuba protesting against the oppressive communist regime to the polarization of the United States citizens with differing ideologies, to the effects of the COVID-19 virus that refuses to go away, these dreadful circumstances can easily make us feel…
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Maybe you’ve heard or said “I love you to the moon and back.” That’s a lot of love! But God’s love for you is even greater. God loves you PAST the moon. What’s more, God loves you PAST the stars. Psalm 103:11 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great…
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I wrote in my blog a few weeks back about a wonderful devotional by Charles Stanley. His book is called Every Day in His Presence and it inspired this week’s episode of my podcast much like it inspired my blog. The headline for the daily reading assigned for the very day I planned to write…
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Do you believe that you are blessed? Today, I want to encourage you with a blessing that God wants spoken over his children. God instructed Moses to have the priests speak this blessing over the Israelites because He truly wants his children to be blessed. I am going to speak the blessing over you and…
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live in Central California and we’ve been having quite a heat wave. I love the thought of God standing beside me as my protective shade. Yes, Almighty God is my shield, my fortress, my deliverer and defender, but he is also my protective shade. I would never limit God to the role of a parasol…
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I’m following the journey of a teenager who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Her mother posts regular updates and prayer requests to Facebook along with pictures that absolutely capture my heart. I pray and pray for this precious family, asking for healing, hoping for good news, believing God is all-sufficient. Some prayers are answered. Others…
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The book of Romans doesn’t teach us that we will never sin again. Declaring that sin has lost its power over me is different from saying sin will never again happen in me. If (and when) I do mess up, I won’t have to pay with my life because Jesus already paid the wages for…
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I’m glad you’ve joined me as we continue our four-week series from Romans 8:1-19. This is part two of our series, which remains focused on the transformed nature of those of us who live by the Spirit. I remember overhearing a group of twenty-somethings reacting to the news that one of their friends had unexpectedly…
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