As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna t
Have you ever read the stories of the great men and women in the Bible and thought, “Wouldn’t it be awesome to live a life of faith like they did?” The good news is that you can!!! God has a big leap of faith for you, too.
The other night I was scrolling through social media when I saw an article posted by a friend. Although the title was positive enough, the content was not. Instead, it laid out a worst-case scenario for both our country and the American church. Needless to say, this article upset me. It left me feeling hopeless. If their doomsday prediction came true, what was the point of even trying to move forward? For several hours, the article spun around in my head. I just couldn’t shake it. (I feel bad for Jamie and the friend I contacted to ask an opinion.) There was just something about it that bothered me on a deep level. It wasn’t until I went to bed and started reading the Bible that I
The other day I saw a meme that said "14 Days of Quarantine: That's alot of dinners I have to cook!" It made me laugh but it also reminded me that I have to plan dinners every day! For many people this is a new challenge. In our busy world, many people eat out more than they cook at home and cooking is a new adventure. Even those of us who cook on a regular basis may be getting to the point where we are tired of the same old meals and dread the question, "What's for dinner?" So I made a Facebook post that said: "Hey Foodie Friends, let’s help out all of our friends who aren’t used to cooking every day. Share your easiest, favorite recipe." I was amazed at the response. So here is a c
Looking for encouragement? Here's an encouraging word for how we can live a life worthy of our calling and do whatever it takes to follow Jesus even in the middle of our "new normal".
One of the first Bible stories that I remember hearing as a little girl was the story of the Good Samaritan. It’s a parable Jesus told in Luke 10:30-37: "A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude” Psalms 46:1-3 NLT Fear. Panic. It seems to be everywhere. On tv. At the grocery store. It’s driving the stock market. Turn on the news for just a moment and you can feel your blood pressure rise as the newscasters make you feel like simply stepping outside for a breath of fresh air will cause you to fall prey to the virus. No doubt this is a difficult time. Many of us under fifty have never seen anything like it in our lifetime with mass
So I am a natural-born worrier. Even though I know it’s not right—-this is one of my biggest struggles in life. Naturally, with the constant barrage of news and panic about the coronavirus, worry and fear have been a battle for me. This morning, when I was talking to Jesus and saying, “I just don’t want to live the next few weeks afraid”, I remembered a few lines from the movie Apollo 13. In this movie in the middle of the crisis, the NASA Director says, “This could be the worst problem that NASA has ever faced.” That’s when Gene Krantz replies, “WIth all due respect, sir, I believe this is going to be our finest hour.” These words caused something to stir inside of my spi
Even after you have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, you still have a responsibility to stir up the gift God has given you. It isn’t just for special occasions—-it’s meant to empower us in our daily lives.
