jesus

Roots by the River

Scripture Focus: “For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:8 I…
The Sound of a Praying Father

Scripture Focus: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” — James 5:16 When I think of my father, many memories come to mind, but one rises above most of the others. The sound of him praying. While my dad was still living, I didn’t always fully appreciate what I was hearing. It…
The View from a Grateful Heart

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about just how much I have to be thankful for. The more I think about it, the more I realize how many blessings I’ve simply grown accustomed to. Like Israel gathering manna each morning, it’s easy to become so familiar with God’s gifts that we stop…
The First Concern

A few days ago, I witnessed a scene in a grocery store that has stayed with me. A young mother was standing in the checkout line with three small children. The youngest, perhaps four years old, was helping place items on the conveyor belt. It made me smile. I thought to myself, Boy, you don’t…
The Illusion of Independence

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17:28) We spend much of our lives making plans, solving problems, and managing responsibilities. It’s easy to begin thinking we’re carrying more of life than we actually are.…
The Blessing We Didn’t Expect

Inspired by: Matthew 5:1-12 Jesus began His greatest sermon in the strangest way. He didn’t start with strength, success, or victory. He started with emptiness. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I’ve often wondered what the crowd expected to hear that day. Many were looking for a Messiah…
The Velcro and the Teflon

Have you ever noticed that burdens seem to stick to us like Velcro, while blessings slide off like they’re coated in Teflon? One unkind comment can camp out in our minds for three weeks, unpack its suitcase, rearrange the furniture, and invite relatives. Meanwhile, ten encouraging words stop by, wave politely, and leave before we’ve…
Small Things Matter

There are certain moments in nature that almost feel too gentle for this world. A leaf drifting slowly from a tree. Snow falling in complete silence. Tiny drops of rain gathering along the edge of a windowpane before finally slipping downward. Small things. Quiet things. The kind of moments most people pass without a second…
Some Fires Do Not Need More Wood

We live in a world that practically runs on outrage now. Everybody is offended, reacting, posting, correcting, arguing, tweeting and sub-tweeting, unfriending, reposting screenshots, and occasionally writing entire emotional dissertations over a sentence somebody probably typed while half-awake and looking for coffee. Somewhere along the line, many people started treating self-control like weakness and emotional…
Tenderness Beneath the Turbulence

Scripture Focus: “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the…