The things in my world, my house, land, and possessions, are so temporal.  None of them will be my companion on the final ship out of here.  Nothing I own can comfort my heart, fill me with peace, or rescue me in times of trouble.  So, what am I afraid of? Sometimes, challenges come to reveal the true treasures of our heart and help us understand what’s truly important.  God’s ability to prioritize is unique and revelatory. He sees both the intentions of our heart and the priorities.

The enemy had placed a stronghold over me, feeding me lies that kept me from doing the things I wanted to do; namely, share my faith without fear. I was deceived into believing that to be an effective witness, I needed a masterful, eloquent, memorized speech comprised of every answer a nonbeliever could ask. I felt deficient in scriptural knowledge and worried I might turn people away from Jesus should I engage in those conversations. The enemy told me I was unworthy to be an effective witness. What a liar!

When Jesus cried "Tetelestai" from the cross, the world was forever transformed. This single Greek word—stamped on paid receipts and announced in court when sentences were completed—was His declaration that our sin debt was finally settled.  Jesus’ shout from the cross offers the promise of forgiveness, suggesting that every wrong we have ever committed is nailed to that wood and cancelled. Yet, have you ever felt the weight of a mistake so burdensome that it seemed impossible to let go? Even with reassurance, it can be hard to completely trust in redemption, leaving us caught between doubt and hope.

All throughout the Bible we are told stories of personal surrender to the Lord’s will.  For some, surrender came easily and others had resistance out of fear, stubbornness, unconvinced they were hearing correctly, unworthiness, not the right time, sin and the list goes on.  The Word of God shows how most of those called to some sort of surrender eventually ended up surrendering to what the Lord was asking them to do, but it was a process.

To be content means to be at rest with God, with yourself and with others. To deeply trust and know that God knows every single one of the concerns in my heart, and He is working it all out for my good. I may not see the reason right this second, but I can trust and know that one day there will be fruit from this season because I have put my trust in Him.

When was the last time you confessed your love to Jesus—not just through your good works, but with words that reflect the true condition of your heart? Does Jesus have all your affection and devotion? Maybe He once did, but now you’re more familiar with the idea of loving Jesus than with the daily rhythm of receiving and returning His love like breathing in and out. 

When did Christianity become so complicated? When did we add all the ‘stuff’ to it? When did we grow bored with Jesus, and in turn create Christian ‘hype’ and ‘trends’ around things that have nothing to do with Him? When did we add an agenda to drawing near to God? When did we start coming to God, saying what can You offer me, rather than what can I offer You? 

It is undoubtedly as important to the Lord that we forgive ourselves as it is that we forgive others, because if we are not forgiving ourselves, then there’s no way we can love ourselves. And the Lord said very clearly in verse 39 of Matthew 22 that we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Throughout history, God has consistently chosen the devoted few over the comfortable many. One of the most powerful examples of this truth is found in the story of Gideon in Judges 6–7.

What if the most Spirit-filled thing you did this week wasn’t loud, public, or miraculous? What if it looked more like showing up—quietly, faithfully—for someone who needs the love of Christ in a long, steady way?

Can I stay anchored to Jesus and not be in His Word? Well, the Bible answers that question straight up in John 1 by telling us that we can’t separate Jesus from His Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (John 1:1,14).

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).