Have you ever heard someone say, “It takes a village”? This saying usually refers to raising children and means that it takes many people—parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, teachers, and pastors—to help children grow up and learn. It’s a picture of the power of community. It may surprise you to think of the insects…
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:37 Being the youngest of seven kids was pure sibling chaos. Once, when I was jumping on the…
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (NIV) Club31Women is honored to showcase the winning pieces from the COMPEL Writers Training competition,…
Theology: “The ‘science of God.’ Among the Greek Fathers it comes to have two specific references: it can denote either the doctrine of the Trinity, or it can mean prayer. Later it came to mean the science of the Divinely revealed religious truths. Its theme is the Being and Nature of God and His creatures…
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:3 NIV From Nearness to Extravagant Worship At the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry, Mary and Martha invited Jesus…
When You said, “Seek My face [in prayer, require My presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I will seek [on the authority of Your word].” Psalm 27:8 AMP Could it be that our restlessness and lack of satisfaction in life is a result of our disobedience to…
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 NKJV I’ve struggled with being so distracted during my quiet times with God lately. There has been so much going on in the…
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Galatians 3:14 NIV A deeply close relationship with God, one in which you enjoy His withness and are sustained by His strength, is something the enemy…
When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. Psalm 32:3–4 MSG Don’t Grow Cold I was in a counseling session with my long-trusted therapist. Some might call it an emergency therapy session. I’d emailed her a desperate message after something…
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18 NKJV Her life on earth was ending. Despite our multiple attempts to gently correct the legalistic, merit-driven faith of her childhood, this woman we loved rejected the idea that salvation was found by grace alone. Instead, she clung to the idea that she needed to earn her way to heaven….
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. John 20:1, NIV The First to See Mary blinks away tears as they approach the garden. She cannot see anything besides the image of her…
What was holy week like for Jesus? I wonder. We celebrate Holy Week—decorations, party dresses, family reunions, plans for a special egg hunt or Easter play. We might observe the seriousness of Maundy Thursday or Good Friday, but overall, this is a week of joy culminating in Easter services. How Did He Feel? But how…
“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) Have you ever felt like you’ve lost your footing? Fear and doubt whisper louder than faith, your confidence fades,…
Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28, NIV Have you ever missed a moment with God because you were expecting Him to show up one way but He came in another? Maybe you were listening for a big,…
The topic of forgiveness kept my mind occupied a good bit last year. On the genealogical chart of my family of origin reside several names of people who refused to forgive. These people sat in church every week from childhood through adulthood with a breach unrepaired. Sadly, a few in succeeding generations have made similar…
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