“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20   Joseph was in a true dilemma. He must have felt hurt and betrayed to discover Mary was pregnant. You can feel[...]

“every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2   Pruning is the most crucial thing that happens in a vineyard. Healthy grapes cannot grow without it. In fact, a lack of sufficient pruning can cause a vineyard to fail completely. The pruning process is no[...]

“And you grumbled in your tents and said, ‘Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites and to destroy us.’” Deuteronomy 1:27   As followers of Christ, we can point to times when God’s[...]

“See, the Lord your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 1:21   Christians agree that God’s Word is important. Yet, many believers fall short of the[...]

“Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 1 Kings 19:7   We often hear, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” That’s not true. God never gives us more than He can handle. Life can seem overwhelming when we look at our circumstances without taking[...]

“Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Colossians 3:13   Some people and some offenses are hard to forgive. Has a person in your life been untruthful, unfaithful, or proven to be untrustworthy?[...]

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” Malachi 1:2   There’s a common misconception about God’s love. Many people think that if God truly loves them He’ll remove their troubles and say, “Yes” to every prayer. Thinking that way can cause us to doubt[...]

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9   Athletes never want to be described as soft. It means they lack the physical toughness or mental tenacity their sport demands, which leads to folding[...]

During my first mission trip, I witnessed gratitude in a way I’d never seen before. You see, gratitude is a way of life for the Christians in Bolotnoye, Russia. I think I benefitted more from the believers in this small rural town than they did from me. They are living[...]