Posts tagged “Encouragement”
Jesus sticks close
I was preparing to teach a message about choosing friends wisely when I had a scary thought—Would Jesus want to be friends with me?…
Using your time even better
Pastor Mike’s latest sermon series may challenge you a bit. It changed my perspective. Maybe you, like me, tend to justify the way you…
Assigned reading
It feels like a grueling reading assignment. Ever had one of those? You have to finish the book. Not by your choice. No, your…
You are what you look at
“The eye is the lamp of the body.” This strange image comes from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7, specifically 6:22). He…
Hope will not be canceled
2020 was the year of the cancellation. Vacations were canceled. Sports seasons were canceled. Conferences were canceled. The coronavirus meant that nearly everything was…
Helping each other up
I was running on a treadmill across the gym from a weight-lifting club. (I used voice-to-text to get my devotional thoughts down on my…
Bringing light to the world
Last year at a Little League championship game, 12-year-old Kaiden Shelton threw a pitch that hit Isaiah Jarvis in the head. Isaiah fell to…
Being persistent, not stubborn
Today I want to talk to all the dreamers out there. I don’t mean the nighttime dreamers; I mean the other kind. If you…
You’re not alone in life’s storms
In my young adult years, unshakable faith came easy. But recently—maybe because of an awareness of so many seemingly impossible situations or maybe because…
Learning to let go
When my son was born, he caught a cold in the hospital just before coming home. His little nostrils were plugged, and his breathing…
Thorns are good?
“Why did this happen to me? Why is life always such a struggle? I’m tired of the battles with myself and with everyone else….
The moment I almost lost my faith
The religious rug was pulled out from under my feet. In the middle of my studies to become a pastor, I somehow stumbled onto…