I recently got a new tool box, one where I could organize my tools and quickly find any tool for the task.
As a Christian, you will find that without your spiritual toolbox, you may get caught off-guard, or find yourself searching for the right words to comfort or encourage someone.
Read MoreIn order to plant and reap healthy flowers, you need the right soil, the right amount of water and sun. The substances needed for healthy flowers.
As a Christian, we are to grow, and in order to grow we need God’s word, which is our daily guide. We need the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts and we need to trust in the one who created the seed.
Read MoreI was reading instructions for a wood bee trap and a thought hit me. Are we, as Christians, giving our life to Christ and then setting it aside, or forgetting it?
Is living for Christ as passive as setting a trap? I hope not.
Read MoreWe don’t have to know where God’s leading us. We just have to trust that no matter where our journey is heading, trust Him, each and every day.
Every turn in the road, keep pressing on, knowing that His plans and His destinations are for our good.
God may not be able to prevent what happened to you, but He will lead you to something better.
Read MoreAny of these come to mind when things get tough?
All of the above choices tell God that you don’t need Him. You’re saying you’ve got this. Really?
God always gives us a better way out of difficult situations. But, it may cost you a little discomfort.
Yes, it’s hard and it may be a little scary, but God will never leave you alone. He will always be there to walk through the challenging times of life.
Read MoreJesus promises to give us everything we need, but He’s not a slot machine.
He knows your heart. You can’t pretend you need that new car for work, but deep down inside, you want to show off to your friends.
Read MoreDo you crash under pressure? Are you giving up too soon? We’ve all done it at some point in our lives.
Don’t let the devil get a foothold on your life. Give Satan a run for his money. Satan hates it when we look to God in times of trouble.
Read MoreThose who have met me today would probably never guess that I was a rebellious teenager.
Hindsight reveals to me that without respecting authority, I was headed to destruction.
Read MoreWhen I was 15 years old, I saw my first high dive. Not knowing any better, instead of jumping in like a normal person would do, I dove in.
It’s only by the grace of God I didn’t break my neck on that dive. What seemed like a harmless leap could have been a lot worse.
How about you? Are you ready for a change? Would you be willing to dive into a relationship with Jesus?
Whether you jump or dive, Jesus is ready to catch you when you fall.
Psalm 37:23-24 - “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”
Read MoreAs easy as it is to book a flight, you can schedule your destiny.
Unlike booking a flight, changing your current destiny doesn’t require money or your current available resources.
Give up your old life of sin and struggles and let God design your eternity.
Ephesians 1:11 - “In him we were also chosen, having been predestinedaccording to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,”
Read MoreI see each day as a clean slate, giving God the pen to write the story.
I love a good plan and there’s nothing wrong with goals.
But, I’ve found that if I start the day by talking to God, giving Him my desires, but asking for His guidance, my days go so much smoother.
Ask God for a new opportunity to serve Him today. Be ready to take on the new assignment.
Ephesians 5:16 - “making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
Read MoreAre you so consumed with fear and doubt that you feel stuck?
You want peace but your own selfish control is holding you back.
True freedom and peace will only come when you give up control and give it to God.
James 4:7 - “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Read MoreAre you trying to pay your sin debts as they come? It doesn’t work that way.
Our spiritual speeding ticket has already been paid.
Jesus was mocked, tortured and hung on a cross for my and your sins.
Let go of the wheel. You were never in control.
Philippians 3:13-14 - “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Read MoreWhat do you do when your plans go awry?
Most of us have a prioritized to-do list.
But when calamity arrives, those priorities get pushed away, or sometimes dismissed.
As a Christian, it is vital to be ready for anything, but flexible enough to change course.
God tells us to be ready.
Are you going to let your dilemma crush you, or will you be ready to change your plans?
2 Timothy 4:2 - “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”
Read MoreGod took me across the U.S. several years ago to a small town in Oklahoma. At the time, I thought it was just to get me away from my past and to start new. But, God had other things in mind.
Just when you think you’ve got life figured out, God steps in to remind you that He’s in control and His plans are always good.
I spent years running from my past and thank God He never gave up on me.
Stop running away and run to God whose plans are so much better than anything we could ever imagine.
Psalm 37:4-5 “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.”
Read MoreI may be dating myself, but in the old days, when you bought something on credit, you were basically telling the store owner that you will pay the account in the future.
Things are a little different these days, but the principle still applies, not only to creditors but to our lives.
Jesus has already paid our sin debt in full, for our past, current and future sins.
Are you ready to put your life into His Hands?
Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Read MoreAdmit it. You’ve looked at another person and said, “I’m glad I’m not like them.”
God has called us to be peacemakers, not finger pointers.
God is the Judge. Not me. Not you.
Before you go looking at someone else’s sin, look at your own heart.
Matthew 7:1 - “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
Read MoreAre you giving God lip service? Are you talking to Him about one thing, but doing something else?
God knows your heart. There’s nothing hidden from our creator.
God wants us to rely on Him.
It’s your choice, though. God’s not going to force Himself on you.
Make the right choice today.
Matthew 6:24 - “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Read MoreControl is a strong word, but without God in your life, it’s useless.
Just when you think you’re in control and you’re calling all the shots, God steps in.
He’s the beginning, the end and everything in between.
Stop trying to be God.
Let go of the wheel.
Proverbs 16:32 - “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.”
Read MoreHow many times have you taken things into your own hands, because you just couldn’t wait on God any longer?
Hold fast to your confidence in God’s plans for you. Don’t grow weary in the meantime.
Faith produces perseverance. Patience in the waiting is God’s grace.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 - “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”
Read More