READ: PSALM 103:12; MATTHEW 18:21-33; COLOSSIANS 3:12-17 In Matthew 18, Jesus said to forgive people “seventy times seven” times (verse 22). Have you ever read this and thought, “I’m sure I’ve forgiven _______ that many times already! I’m done!” You might already know this, but this verse doesn’t mean we should literally forgive someone seven [...]

READ: GENESIS 50:15-20; ROMANS 15:23-24; EPHESIANS 1:1-2; 6:19-20 Life as he knew it was over. His most precious possession was out of reach. Impossible to retrieve. He lay on the floor, nose touching the ground, limbs outspread in utter dejection. He was eighteen months old, and his red ball had rolled behind the sofa. She [...]

READ: PSALM 139; MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 3:17; 16:7-14 I work in the office of our local fire department, and unfortunately sometimes part of the fire department’s job is locating the bodies of people who have drowned. This is a valuable service that can help bring some peace to the victim’s family. However, it can be [...]

READ: ROMANS 2:9-16; 3:21-31; TITUS 3:3-8 It was a sweltering Sunday. We were a few days into the mission trip, and I decided this must be the usual climate in Costa Rica. The small church was filled with people. There was no air conditioning. We were on the third hymn when my vision began blurring. [...]

READ: JOHN 1:1-15; 8:12-18; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6 Vacation time for my family when I was a kid usually involved tents and sleeping bags. We enjoyed the outdoors, and camping helped us stay close to nature—while also saving on hotel costs. As a little kid, I took notice of signs where we camped warning us of [...]

READ: DEUTERONOMY 7:7-8; PSALM 34; ROMANS 8 I twirled the marble beads on my bracelet, cool against my skin. Grey, grey, bright blue. The turquoise color had intricate swirls of sky blue, the result making the bead look like an ever-moving sky. These bracelets reminded us of the love of Ahavah, the love He daily [...]

READ: PSALM 23; PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13; HEBREWS 13:5 Growing up, I participated in a program at my church where I learned Bible stories and memorized Scripture. I remember memorizing Psalm 23 when I was in second grade. However, the words of this psalm didn’t mean nearly as much to me as a seven-year-old as they do [...]

READ: GENESIS 32:24-32; HOSEA 12:3-5; EPHESIANS 4:22-24 When I was an RA (resident assistant) in college, I had this resident who used to tell me she and God had been “wrestling” about something. She would spend entire days with the Lord, crying and repenting, and wrestling with Him about different behaviors and attitudes in her [...]

READ: PROVERBS 25:15; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-8; 1 PETER 3:15-16 Have you ever heard of ginseng? It’s a valuable plant used in a lot of health foods. And those who grow ginseng need to have a lot of patience. While many seeds will sprout within a week or two, when you plant ginseng seeds, they can [...]

READ: EXODUS 14:14; 33:22; ISAIAH 42:13; ZEPHANIAH 3:17 "Go to the boulder!” He did not yell over the noise of the battle, but Rhyn heard, and without even having to look for the rock he had sent her to, she knew exactly where to go. So Rhyn ran to it. It wasn’t a very big [...]