“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV). The words “loving yourself” and “self-care” are buzz words in the mental health field. Some people even go so far as to say that it is impossible to love others without loving ourselves first. But it’s often a struggle to know how to do this practically. Fro[...]
Our focus this month is on abiding, following, and practicing - all things we are to do, but why do we do them? An answer would be authority. Yes, you read that correctly, authority. When we abide in Christ, follow Christ's example, and practice spiritual disciplines to be more like Christ, ultimately, we surrender to His author[...]
"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:7. One of the things that I think causes followers of Jesus a great deal of concern and confusion is the consideration of their Spiritual gifting. Some folks seem blessed with ample clues of their strengths in this area. Meanwhile, others[...]
I remember when my wife and I decided to get some occasional help with house cleaning. We cleaned the whole day before the house cleaner showed up. I was thinking to myself, why am I doing this….? About a month ago, I had to go to the dentist. I had a strange desire to receive the dentist's approval. So, before I went, I brus[...]
Peter is an incredible follower of Jesus but isn't without sin. In Luke 22, Jesus shares a final meal with His disciples on His way to the cross. Jesus tells Peter to watch out because the enemy wants to sift him. Peter doesn't see himself how Jesus sees him. Peter chooses a different way to define hi[...]
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV). When I read this verse, I hear God's invitation to live a life free from fear, confident in who God is and who He made me to be. I also see a clear connection to living fearless and having a sound mind, meaning whe[...]
"For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us." 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 (NIV). My mind i[...]
I recognize that Jesus often spoke about the heart. He observed how our hearts can lead us astray. That the heart can be wicked and deceitful at times. But what about our minds? Actually, Scripture also often speaks about this. And it warns us about the importance of where we allow our minds to focus. "You keep him in perfec[...]
The Lord recently showed me a seed of joy during one of my morning devotional times. A seed deposited inside of us springs up and causes joy to grow in our hearts. He showed me that this seed of joy begins to grow when we understand who He is and accept that we are indeed His children, His creation. Our Creator/Father is the emb[...]
But the promise of travel came with a stipulation—everything my parents suggested we would do began with those two words: "Lord willing." They would announce an exciting adventure, but God had the final say about whether we did it or not. As a teenager, I found it oppressive. I blame James for this saying, which has become a[...]