READ: LUKE 1:26-56; 2:1-35; 1 TIMOTHY 4:12 In Luke 1, when the angel Gabriel suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Mary was probably no more than sixteen. As if the angel wasn’t terrifying enough, he also brought distressing news: she—still a virgin and engaged to be married—would soon become pregnant with the Son of the Most [...]

READ: PSALM 42; ZEPHANIAH 3:17; HEBREWS 12:2; REVELATION 19:6-9 My twelfth-grade English teacher taught me to love Haiku, a form of poetry that originated in Japan. These short, three-line poems are traditionally drawn from nature, and they’re only seventeen syllables long. He described Haiku as transforming a visual image into a “word snapshot.” For example, [...]

READ: JOHN 1:18; ROMANS 12:19; REVELATION 21:3-4 Do you have a favorite place to think or pray? I do. Most mornings I grab my coffee and head to the back porch. There, I meet with God in prayer, asking to be led by His Spirit and asking for grace to face the day. This is one way [...]

READ: JOHN 16:33; ROMANS 8:17-39; 1 PETER 1:6-7 I once saw a bowling team that called themselves, "It’s All Good." Wouldn’t it be awesome if the saying "it’s all good" were true? Sadly, troubles abound on earth. But even as we acknowledge these troubles, let’s also explore a promise that offers real hope for truly good endings. In Romans [...]

READ: PSALMS 73:28; 119:67-71; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:4-7; HEBREWS 12:5-12 Let’s continue our study on suffering. Suffering exists because God’s good world has been broken by sin. Today, we’ll talk about how, for believers, suffering has significance—or meaning—for our lives, both in the present and for eternity. Scripture reveals this in a couple of ways. First, [...]

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:6-8, HEBREWS 4:14-16; 1 PETER 5:7 When I was thirteen, I attended my first church camp. I experienced life-changing things, like when I encountered 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” I’d never noticed this verse before, but that week 1 Peter 5:7 sank into [...]

READ: ISAIAH 53:2-6; ROMANS 8:17-39; REVELATION 21:3-4 At age seventeen, Joni Eareckson Tada awoke after a diving accident—paralyzed from the shoulders down. Thus began her new life—from a wheelchair. Over time, Joni became known for her contagious joy and her compassionate ministry to others. As a teen, Joni’s story made me think hard about suffering. Should [...]

When I became a mental health counselor, I had no idea what to expect. What unfolded was difficult to accept but forever changed the way I viewed others. I learned firsthand that some people who might appear “happy” in their everyday life are actually experiencing mistreatment from those they trust most. . From the outside, [...]

When I talk about my mom, it's easy to become emotional. After losing my mom in 2020, I wondered at the ways she mirrored God's grace. In moments when I stood guilty, I knew I was still loved by Mom. Growing up in my house, we saw this grace in action—and to be honest, sometimes [...]

Joseph is only seventeen when his story begins—and he is having serious problems! Joseph is the youngest of eleven brothers and his father's favorite. Even before their father has a colorful coat made just for Joseph, his brothers clearly hate him. Maybe the way Joseph talks about his “special” dreams is simply the last straw. [...]