When you read this verse, did you say, “Huh?” or did you ask what the heck it means? Yeah, me too! That’s when I went digging and the Amplified translation opened the door for me: “For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ […]

Baptism is a beautiful thing. In doing it, we follow in Jesus’ footsteps – he went to the river to be baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist (that’s not Southern, Missionary, or Independent… that’s John the BaptizER.) When we experience baptism like Jesus, walking into the water and being laid under it then brought […]

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have all sorts of good things that are now yours; did you know that? The greatest of these good things is the Holy Spirit living in you. See, before Jesus’ sacrifice, the Spirit only dwelled in the Temple, that massive building in Jerusalem, and in the portable tabernacle […]

Did you know you’d enlisted in the army? You did so when you decided to be a follower of Jesus. Many of us like to think that this becoming a Christian brings a life of peace and ease, and there IS peace, but the ease is a different matter. See, there’s an enemy who prowls […]

Hope. It’s what makes life easier to navigate.  When children we hope for that toy or trip we want. We hope for our friends to be able to play. We hope for that favorite supper.  As teens we hope for that grade, that date, those friends, entrance to that team. We hope for acceptance. We […]

Abraham was headed up the mountain to sacrifice his son as God had told him to do. This had to be weird and hard to fathom. God had given him Isaac, a son of promise. Huge promise. Through him, the world would be changed, God had said. But now, he was supposed to give this […]

Have you ever noticed that many of the psalms in the Bible talk about God’s attributes and accomplishments? The psalmists wrote the words either as a prayer to God or a song about God. Everything from God being a strong tower, knowing us in the womb, and protecting Israel to today’s focus verse. Nothing is […]

“You must be holy,” God told the people of Israel, “because I, the Lord, am holy.” That’s a pretty tall order: being holy. In this chapter of Leviticus, God was laying out His rules for what to eat, how to behave, and the punishment for choosing wrongly. These words were added in, I believe, to […]

We humans are odd creatures. We see schemes and plans designed to take down God’s plans and we fret, fume, and worry. Why? Do we not realize the power of Almighty God? Do we forget that He knows everything – including the plans against Him? Do we ignore the truth that He is present everywhere […]

What an amazing thing! God knew mankind could never meet His standards. Never. We can never be good enough on our own to attain His expectations for righteousness. It is utterly impossible. HOWEVER (this is the same as “But God…”) God Himself, Christ, came to Earth and walked around in a human body, feeling all […]

“They knew it was the Lord.” Peter and crew had seen Him die. They knew his body had been laid in a tomb. It was over. Maybe Jesus wasn’t the Messiah like they thought. He certainly wasn’t the Messiah they expected. They went back to what they knew. Seven of the apostles climbed into the […]

“Even when…” David wrote. Not “if I” or “I might.” He said WHEN. We will walk through valleys so dark they feel heavy. Valleys so deep they seem a vast, unscaleable pit. Valleys so silent they seem as a grave. We will. Because humanity is failed and flawed. Mankind is, on its own, horrible. BUT […]