An animal lover asked me the other day, “Why would God require the slaughter of sweet innocent animals just to wash away people’s sins in the Old Testament?” And then another person said to me, “I find the Cross problematic. Why would God sacrifice His Son Jesus for my sin? I would never do that to my child!”

Holy Week is my favorite time of year. It is a sacred, powerful time to slow down and intentionally reflect on the final days of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Each day holds deep meaning, pointing us toward the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The cross not only offers us salvation, but the opportunity to live in the Kingdom of Heaven today. Jesus told His disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven,” (Matthew 6:10). What does it mean for the Father’s kingdom to come?

What brings God glory? For so long I have thought it was the gifts He gives us or the miracle stories we get to tell. Through this past season in my life, I have seen it is the choice of partnering with Him that lifts Him the highest.

I am fascinated by the words “I am”. It is probably the smallest statement in the bible. However, there is a lot of power in the simplicity of it.

It is not an easy walk through a fallow field. It is even more challenging when you are eight and following your father with much longer strides.

Every year I find myself falling more in love with Spring. It is truly amazing to see the heart of God that is interwoven in the changing of seasons.

When we believed the gospel and trusted Jesus to save us from sin and death, we were sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever sat down and questioned why God is so often referred to as a Shepherd and us His sheep? A scripture that is probably most familiar to us all is Psalm 23. David opens with the bold claim “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1).

The past few years, the Lord has led me on a journey of uncovering the treasures hidden in the name of Jesus, and it has been a glorious experience. It has been an honor not only to unveil the mystery behind this powerful name but also to witness its transformative power.

Just as we need food for survival in our physical bodies, so we need Jesus. We simply cannot live without Him. Any life found outside of that which is found in Christ is not life. Jesus came that we may partake of His body and never die. This is a miracle!  

As sons and daughters of the Most High, we have been given great authority, authority to rule over this earth. We see it from the beginning of creation, the Lord gives dominion of the earth to man (Genesis 1:26). When man sinned and creation fell, this dominion was forfeited. However, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus restored creation and reinstated man’s authority over the earth. 

Since when did obeying the Word of God - the words of Jesus become “radical” or “religious”?

When I am still, my heart becomes aware of Him. Stillness means I just get to be. There’s nothing to do, nothing to think about, and nothing to plan.

Seeking the knowledge of the Lord (the ways, truth, and life) and aligning with His will is our calling as Christians.  Reading, studying, partaking in the Word, hearing from fellow believers, dreams and visions, and personal encounters are all ways in which we can come to know the Lord.

The first time I read James 2:19, I felt very convicted. I believed that there was one God. I believed that Jesus Christ was (and is) Lord. I believed that one day, every knee would bow and every tongue would confess this reality to the glory of God the Father. This verse affected me greatly because it made me realize that I had been walking in spiritual immaturity. I realized that if I want to live out real, genuine faith, belief alone is/was not enough. It dawned on me that in addition to belief, God required real obedience of and from me.

So what if God himself had New Year’s resolutions? What is on his heart for 2025? What if instead of it being something new or fancy it was just the same ole thing: surrender. God waits for the moment that we will fully give ourselves to him. The moment when we allow him to fully lead us, fully love us, fully reveal himself to us. 

At this 2024 Christmas, almost ninety years after this story, are you needing encouragement to know that Jesus is here, and He knows exactly who you are and what you are facing

From the timing of Christ's birth spoken in Daniel 9:24, to the worship by kings and nations in Psalm 72:10-11, Jesus' birth fulfilled a promise God the Father had spoken about throughout the ages.

I am always moved and challenged each time I read her response after being frightened by the angel Gabriel who told she would carry and give birth to the Son of God,"I am the Lord’s servant, be it unto me according to your word," (Luke 1:38). Oh, to have a heart and mind like Mary’s. Total submission. No hesitation. No mental gymnastics. Isn’t that a perfect picture of "trust and obey"?