I attended a writing workshop this summer where best-selling author Angela Hunt spoke. She used lots of movie examples in discussing the numerous items necessary for good fiction and she mentioned a movie with Ryan Gosling called Lars and the Real Girl. Just a heads up. Lars and the Real Girl will be one of the strangest…

Do you have a birthday verse? A friend turned me on to this idea as she explained the concept of a birthday verse.  First, take the number of the month and day of your birthday. For me, that’s three (March) and sixteen. Second, check the chapter and verse for each book of Scripture that corresponds…

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV Powerless. An apt description of the Israelites in exile. During the events in…

Maintenance leads to decline.  I’ve been a runner since my senior year of high school when the new tennis coach took conditioning to another level. Since then, I’ve run five marathons, numerous 5Ks, and a few half marathons.  Years have passed since my last marathon. I’ve been in maintenance mode. My times have slowed. My…

A name in a program. A bronze plaque by the door. A shout-out at the monthly meeting. Credit. It dangles like a carrot in front of us. The acknowledgment of good deeds, hard work, or generous donations. The pat on the back feels good. It speaks of approval, respect, and value. The question becomes, would…

“There is much need for prayer and much cause to praise. Suffering should elicit prayer. Sufficiency should elicit praise.” (Blue, The Bible Knowledge Commentary) The fast pace of life can cause prayer to be a last resort. And praise? It’s often reserved for church. God intended both to be part of our normal day. Though Todd…

You belong.  Yes, you.  No membership fees. No sorority rush. No skills needed. You’re in. Often I forget the community of the worldwide Church in the pursuit of personal discipleship. While throughout Scripture, the Jews have always had a national mindset, Peter extends that thinking to his Gentile brothers and sisters.  But you are a…

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 1…

The Great Commission reads, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19 NIV).” Note the absence of the verb “save.” Salvation has always been God’s job. Our task? To go and make disciples. But how does our…

Weight. Not something we generally like to discuss. Psalm 62:9 (NIV) reads, “Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.” The NASB puts it this way, “Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances…