1Corinthians 9:24(NIV) says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” All good athletes are disciplined when it comes to their training. One of the defining characteristics about an athleteRead More →
“Would you be with someone that believes and worships other gods?” This question came up in a conversation I had with friends. We were talking about ‘deal breakers’ in relationships. Some individuals that were believers didn’t consider this a deal breaker. The rationale centered mostly around the fact that theyRead More →
Regarding His Word, God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8(NLT), “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Joshua received a three-fold commandment in God’sRead More →
In Genesis 12:1-3(NLT), God said to Abraham, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing toRead More →
There was a time in my life when I celebrated the blessing of a new year with a long list of resolutions. Why did I put all that pressure on myself? I missed so much of the joy of newness by overwhelming my efforts with unreasonable expectations. Things like gettingRead More →
The holiday season is notoriously one of great expectations. It’s gift-giving time, and many men that have dated a special lady during the year will sometimes make it official on the Christmas or New Year’s holiday. Christmas, in particular, should be about celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior,Read More →
Dear Heavenly Father, There are many people that are hurting and struggling during this season, and some of them feel they don’t have any hope. They may feel as though they don’t even have the strength to lift their heads above their circumstances. They can’t even think about having hopeRead More →
The Old Testament Book of Job is known because of the tribulations that Job experienced. Many people have speculated about why he endured such troubles, but it is Job, himself, who gives us our most revealing detail. Regarding all that he experienced during the tribulation period of his life, JobRead More →
One of my dear friends is 70 years old and admittedly, she’s stubborn, skeptical and cynical; in her mind, all for good reason. She says she loves God, but she’s never considered the reality of getting close to Him. Most of her faith practices are based on what she wasRead More →
The process of going from single to engaged, and then married, will require a kind of preparation that many will not undertake. There are the practical things like learning to share your time and learning to do those things that your future hubby may not be able to do. AndRead More →
I don’t know if any of you have ever had a conversation with someone that is truly disappointed with life, but I have. I know a person that has lost everything in life that was important. This woman became jobless, then homeless and car-less, then her children were taken away.Read More →
Believers are being pulled a thousand different ways these days. We’re told that we should get on certain bandwagons and that God won’t be pleased if we don’t. But something about this isn’t settling right, and many believers are not exactly sure how to feel about everything that is goingRead More →
Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us in Galatian 5:16(NLT), “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Thank You for giving us the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is our Comforter, Teacher, and Guide, andRead More →
Dear Heavenly Father, Someone asked me, “Why do you believe in God? How do you know He’s real?” Some Christians get offended by this question from those that are a little arrogant in their attitude and don’t know You through Christ, but I think it provides an opening for usRead More →
“Why do grown folks always have to spoil everything?!!!” As a teenager dating my high school sweetheart, this is what I thought to myself every time my mother commented on my future plans for marrying him. I was absolutely sure of our feelings for one another, and you couldn’t tellRead More →
A long-time friend is a single man that has never been married, and we converse quite often. He is very handsome, financially stable, and over forty. He’s kindhearted, and He prays often for others. I’m impressed with his level of compassion and humility towards God, but I remain perplexed aboutRead More →
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14(NLT), “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize forRead More →
Dear Heavenly Father, Sometimes we forget that we are not supposed to lean on our own understanding to figure things out. The world is a very confusing place. This is one of the reasons that You tell us in Proverbs 3:5 to lean on You, because You direct our pathsRead More →
Years ago, as I was just beginning to learn the principles of faith from God’s Word, I was struck by the number of sisters in Christ that I knew who were complaining about being single. They wanted to be married and felt they had been single long enough. They wereRead More →
Try as we might, none of us will ever get away from the reality that ultimately how we feel about God will translate to how we feel about ourselves. You and I can only do good to the extent that we believe we have been empowered by God to accomplishRead More →
Why do two people decide to get married? I will venture to say that most of us will choose to utter those profound two little words, “I Do!”, because we believe we’ve met someone we don’t want to live without. Our wise mothers and grandmothers will school us on thisRead More →
Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us Philippians 4:4-6 that we should not be anxious about anything, but instead, we should pray about everything. You desire a conversation with us about what we need, and in this conversation, we are to thank You for all You’ve done. Our thankfulness conveysRead More →
Proverbs 21:9(NLT) says, “It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.” It’s amazing to think that this was written thousands of years ago, yet it is so relevant that it could have been written today. The wisdom ofRead More →
Talk to any faithful believer that has gone through a storm and just about all of them will tell you that it’s a sure sign a promotion and elevation is on its way. When you’re really going through it, you’re probably not thinking about what’s on the other side ofRead More →
How many couples do you know that say they met their husband or wife at a time in their lives when they weren’t expecting it? I’ve heard it said many times. Some would argue that it doesn’t matter if a person is looking for love or not. What matters isRead More →
Dear Heavenly Father, You tell us in Romans 12:12(NLT), “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” This is such a powerful verse! It’s food for our spirits. There are times that I’m so saddened when I look around and see so many bad things happening. This sadness cloudsRead More →
Luke 13:24-27(NLT) 24“Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. 25 When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’Read More →
Hebrews 2:1(NLT) “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.” After hearing her mother’s lighthearted but firm warning, a twenty-three-year-old daughter chuckled and told her over the phone, “You’re going to ruin my first date before it starts.” HerRead More →
Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 6:33(NKJV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Most believers know this verse very well, and it is a bedrock to the kind of relationship God desires with every person. When MatthewRead More →
Dear Heavenly Father, In the earlier biblical church, confusion and chaos crept in because the people were being disorderly in their worship. They thought they could worship You any way that they wanted, without heeding to the standard of Your Word. Some were extremely emotional and lacked uniformity, and othersRead More →