• Devotional

    A Heart Guarded (Part I)

    October 27, 2023

    “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (ESV). It seems like everything we encounter vies for the attention of our hearts. After all, marketing is most effective when it touches on emotions, when it’s made personal. We’re asked: what do you want? We’re advised: follow your heart! We’re told that all answers and healing lie within us, if only we could become still enough, process our emotions more thoroughly, connect with who we truly are. There is a Biblical principle at work in this approach- but it’s not what it seems…

  • Devotional

    Committed to Grace

    October 25, 2023

    “And after I’d prayed, I picked up my burden again.” I found myself saying this, mentally picturing the time I spent in prayer, offering everything in my heart to the Lord. Then, I said “amen,” and meticulously picked up every single heavy stone I’d intended to leave there.   It makes sense, in the human sense, that we would want to keep an eye on those things that are precious to us. I think this is especially true when praying for our loved ones in the Lord. We wouldn’t be bringing these requests to his feet if they weren’t important…

  • Devotional

    A Daily Walk

    October 18, 2023

    “I don’t know how to walk through this, Lord.” How many times has my heart whispered these words in prayer? Too many to count. Has your own heart ever whispered these words? If you answered yes, I don’t think we are alone in this experience. Sooner or later, situations arise where we find ourselves out of our depth. It doesn’t matter how much experience we have or which seasons we’ve weathered. The question can come out of many circumstances- times of uncertainty, a season of stillness, or even a season of joy. Walking through the day-in/day-out routines of our lives,…

  • Devotional

    Prayers for a Loving Church (Part II)

    October 13, 2023

    “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered…

  • Devotional

    Prayers for a Loving Church

    October 11, 2023

    In Colossians 1, we get a glimpse into the prayer life of an apostle- namely, the apostle Paul. He’s writing to the church in Colossae and goes into great detail about the prayers he has prayed for them. What has the Holy Spirit laid upon his heart for these believers? It is an interesting account! “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord…” Colossians…

  • Devotional

    Forgiving Others and Forgiving Yourself

    October 7, 2023

    Unforgiveness is one of the most painful burdens a person can carry. It’s something God speaks often of in his word- his forgiveness of our sins and our forgiveness of others. Forgiveness shows up, perhaps most famously, in the Lord’s prayer (“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12, ESV). We see it echoed in the old testament and in the new testament: there is forgiveness from the Lord for those who repent and the expectation that the forgiven in turn forgive others. An apostle’s question and a parable. Why are Christians called to…

  • Devotional

    Imitation

    October 4, 2023

    There are a lot of templates for living out there. There are secular camps that promise better things and ways to “self-actualize.” There are Christian resources that promise spiritual change. Mixed in with wise counsel, there can be a lot of brokenness. I take comfort that this isn’t a new issue for believers- there has always been a struggle for truth and Godly examples. The apostle Paul speaks openly about this several times in his letters to the churches. “I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you…

  • Devotional

    Daniel and Arioch

    September 27, 2023

    In Daniel chapter 2, we find an interesting story surrounding the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar. The king had a dream that greatly distressed him- so much so, that in verse two he, “Commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned…” In an effort to make sure that none of the men were lying to him, the king made an impossible request: they must tell him the dream itself. The magicians and wise men were understandably upset! Not only did their summons come with an impossible task, but Nebuchadnezzar made it clear (in rather grisly terms) that…

  • Devotional

    Grief

    September 22, 2023

    I was sharing with a friend the other day about different times in my life where I remember vivid “carpet prayers” to the Lord. Do you know the prayers I’m talking about? The ones where you are face down on your living room floor before God- face pressed into the carpet. I’ve been there before, and I remember most of them vividly. I remember times where there were immediate answers, other times my faith was strengthened to wait for the provision, and still other times the answer was only the presence of God. As I walk through those memories, it…

  • Devotional

    How To Find Your Purpose

    September 20, 2023

    “What is my purpose- and how do I find it?” Pick up a dozen self-help magazines and you’ll get a dozen different answers to that question. I’d venture while some answers differ, there are probably multiple overlapping themes. One expert might encourage their reader to follow their joy or their passion. Others might suggest (or provide) a personality inventory. In almost every scenario, the reader is encouraged to ultimately listen to their heart, their experiences, and trust their gut instincts. As followers of Jesus, we take heed of the warning found in Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV): “The heart is deceitful above…