“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned I whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound…I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).    Perhaps you have decided that you will celebrate others, and you will strive to be content in every season, taking every thought into captivity to serve the Lord well, ...  Read More

“Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).   There’s a fine science behind how geese fly in their V-formation. We’ve all seen geese sore across the sky, and nearly the whole time, they are talking to one another. They make those strange honking sounds, and you might wonder what it is they’re saying.  They’re encouraging one another.  What does that mean? Geese trave...  Read More

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned I whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound…I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).    We’ve all looked at someone and wished we had what they have. We’ve all wanted to look like they do or live how they live—speak the way they speak and lead the way they...  Read More

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned I whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound…I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).    When you’re really hoping for your circumstances to change, it’s so hard to strive for contentment. When God gives the blessing that you’ve prayed for to someone else, ...  Read More

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).    Have you ever found it difficult to rejoice with those who rejoice? Sometimes one of the most difficult things to do is celebrate when someone else received what you wanted. We hate to admit that, but it’s the truth—being joyful with someone when they get something you’ve prayed for is hard.  Some of the toughest molding...  Read More

“Indeed, all who desire to live a goldy life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).   We’ve all asked the question, “Why do bad things happen?” We especially wonder about this when terrible things happen to good people. When persecution comes, it seems like a horrible punishment because it hurts so bad. Perhaps you’ve been persecuted for the sake of Jesus, or perhaps you wonder why ...  Read More

“You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-4).   Sometimes, the one who pushes you away with the most force is the one who needs you the most. When we’re dealing with people who despise us for loving Jesus, it’s hard to imagine that the Lord wants anything to do with such peopl...  Read More

“You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-4).   A man by the name of Michael Sattler, a devoted Anabaptist in the 16th century, was captured by the Roman Catholic authorities and martyred for his faith in Christ Jesus. He told his friends that while he was being burned at the ...  Read More

“For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12).   America was the shining land across the sea. That’s how many people who came over from the “old world” thought of the nation. It was a shining beacon of hope—a lighthouse in a dim world. ...  Read More

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them” (Romans 12:14).   Can you imagine your parent, your friend, your spouse, anyone, leading you into the woods and leaving you there just as the sound of howling wolves echoes through the trees? They bring you into the forest and leave you alone while a pack of wolves is on the hunt.  This is often what it feels like when we think of facing...  Read More

“According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of one’s faith; if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:6-8).   What do you love to do? What is it that gets you excited about life? God has gifted you with ...  Read More

“Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:4-5).   Can you imagine what it would’ve looked like to see Jesus walking from town to town with His disciples? A fisherman, a tax collector, shepherds, and misfits—they must have been quite the crew to s...  Read More