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The Battle Before the Blessing

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12 Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which is 90 miles away from where Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth. While it would only take an hour and a half by car today, back then, it was at least a weeklong trip over rugged terrain. On top of that, it was wintertime, so it was very cold and rainy. Though we know that the Lord had to be born in the City of David so that prophecy could be fulfilled, it’s interesting how much this young couple had to endure before the arrival of the world’s Great Redeemer. Just like Mary and Joseph had to travel a rough road to arrive at the place where the Savior would

December 11, 2022 1 Comment

Live With Open Hands

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 One of the most revolutionary shifts we can have in our thinking is to understand that when the Lord leads us away from something, it’s because He always has something better prepared. If we’ve invested a lot of time and energy somewhere or with someone — whether a relationship, business, ministry, or job — it’s easy to hold on to it with clenched fists. However, because God’s ways are much higher than ours, He often uses unexpected circumstances to make us uncomfortable so He can guide us to better things. He sees more than we do, and He understands the duration of each season of our lives. While He wants to use us where we’re at, it’s imperative that we don’t try

August 3, 2021 No Comments

You Are Not Your Mistakes

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1 Often, when we struggle with things like addiction or long-standing sin, we grow discouraged because we feel like we will never beat it. We make progress, but then we backslide, and the devil whispers in our ear that we’re just too broken and messed up to change. In fact, this is how he gains a foothold in our lives. When we listen to his constant fatalistic commentary, he convinces us to give up on ourselves, and that’s when we get in trouble. Once we’re running with the ball of self-defeat, we’re tempted to believe that our Heavenly Father feels as negatively about us as we do, and our view

July 2, 2021 No Comments

Turning Back Isn’t God’s Best

“By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah — from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities — and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” – Genesis 19:23-26 Has God ever guided you someplace, but then you looked back and second-guessed your course? If so, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, this is what happened to Lot’s wife in the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and her choice cost her her life. Having listened patiently to the painful cries of injustice rising to Him from these cities that embraced perversion and shamelessly killed women and children, God finally had enough. He went so far as to

June 26, 2021 2 Comments

He Makes the Broken Brave

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” – Psalm 23:6 Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” Along these lines, when we think about courage, we tend to imagine that it means taking a big leap of faith or a giant step in the right direction, but when we’re working hard for something, progress happens gradually and sometimes imperceptibly. Though we may feel like we’re “spinning our wheels” and find ourselves tempted to give up before we get there, we’re usually closer to the finish line than we realize. In fact, when we persist in doing the hard things, there are great rewards for staying the course. Take Mandy Pursley, for example. Mandy was an interview guest on Hour

April 7, 2021 No Comments

As Long as It Is Called Today

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” – Hebrews 3:13 Happy New Year! And congratulations, you made it to 2021. I think many of us are breathing a sigh of relief today, but the truth is that we are much stronger, wiser, and all-around better people than we were this time last year. Walking through the fire and enduring the difficulties of 2020 offered us a precious gift, and I pray that we won’t lose sight of it in the days ahead. As we look forward to resuming life as normal (whenever and whatever it is), let’s not forget how precious it was to be reminded of what’s most important. As we’ve brought our focus closer to home in the past ten months, God has used a trying time to align our hearts with

January 1, 2021 2 Comments

The Battle Before the Blessing

Live With Open Hands

You Are Not Your Mistakes

Turning Back Isn’t God’s Best

He Makes the Broken Brave

As Long as It Is Called Today

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