The Spirit Empowers Us to Serve

Kelsey Pfendler showed tremendous tenacity in her solo row from California to Hawaii. In a 132-square-foot boat, alone for 43 days, Kelsey persevered. As if finishing wasn’t reward enough, Kelsey became the first American woman to solo row the mid-Pacific ocean. She beat the records of the fastest man (52 days) and woman (86 days). … Read more

Bold Faith

God definitely interacts with the faithful and the bold. I wonder if the bold choose to be bold in big moments or if they are bold because they are faithful. I’ll set the context. I am reading through the Old Testament book of Daniel currently. In chapter 3, you remember that three buddies were minding … Read more

Give Your Heart a Tune-Up

God is so gracious to have equipped His followers for life on this planet. Not just for existence, but the ability to live in a way that glorifies Him. His Word informs us that He has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness by the power of Christ (2 Peter 1:3). We have the … Read more

The Joy of Jesus

I experienced the joy of the Lord at four years old. I was unaware of Scripture like “rejoice always” (1 Thess 5:16) and “the joy of the Lord is my strength” (Neh 8:10). I did not know that joy is a distinguishing characteristic of the kingdom of God (Rom 14:17). I did know that I … Read more

God’s Gift of Curiosity

I have this theory that God gifted creative people with curiosity. Curiosity appears to energize creativity. If I am doodling, I want to see if I can come close to drawing an object that looks somewhat accurate. I may need to add or delete elements but I might eventually stumble into something that resembles reality. … Read more

Pour Out Your Heart in Prayer

King David knew a secret that many of us forget. He was stressed and feeling like a fence about to fall over after hurricane winds. So he talked to himself. David reminded himself of certain truths. In the midst of enemies attempting to dethrone him, he reaffirmed to his entire being who God is. He … Read more

Dwell Together in Unity

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” are words attributed to Irish novelist, Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, in her novel Molly Bawn. “Beautiful!” That word captures our response to a number of different experiences. There are times when that word might pass through our lips as we view a stunning visual like a sunset or … Read more

Take Shelter Near to Jesus

When I am aware of my emotion and am able to express it, my prayers take on greater impact. I have found the writers of the Psalms to be helpful in expressing my feelings to God. They give me permission. I might even say that they evoke my emotions through the artistic elements of poetry. … Read more

Doxology

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!Amen. The Doxology erupts from my lips this morning as I reflect on our time together as a church family over the weekend. The Spirit moved in our hearts and minds as we gathered … Read more