READ: MARK 16:5-7; LUKE 24:1-53 You might have grown up hearing the “Easter story” and the gospel message over and over again. Maybe you understand that Jesus died, that He rose…that He was dead and then alive again. What was it like, though, for those who experienced all of this firsthand? For the people who [...]

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 15 One day, unless Jesus returns first, I will die. And honestly, that’s a scary thought for me. I’ve known Jesus as my Savior for as long as I can remember, and I trust that He will hold me even in death. But sometimes I think I use the promise of the [...]

READ: GENESIS 3:14-21; JOHN 19:1-22 As an author, I love being able to write full circle endings—when all the loose ends are tied up and the reader is satisfied by the end. There are a lot of full circle moments in the Bible that are so easily skipped over because we don’t always understand their [...]

READ: PSALM 23:4; MATTHEW 26:69-75; JOHN 21:15-19 Do you know what it feels like to be betrayed? Maybe you’ve had a family member or a friend violate your trust or turn their back on you when you really needed them. Jesus knows exactly how you feel. He knows the pain of being rejected by someone [...]

READ: ISAIAH 43:1; 49:13-16; 53:5-6; JOHN 20:24-27 Have you ever had something with your name on it—like a keychain, a necklace, a bag, or a jersey? Do you have a hard time finding things with your name on it? Do people sometimes forget your name or pronounce or spell it wrong? Our names are important [...]

READ: 1 PETER 1:1-5, 18-23; ROMANS 3:25-26; REVELATION 1:4-6 Even though I’m in my twenties now, my family still dyes eggs every Easter. It’s a tradition we’ve kept since I was little. In fact, I can’t remember not dying eggs on Easter. And this is just one of the many fun, color-filled traditions I associate [...]

READ: GENESIS 37:18-28; 50:19-21; ROMANS 8:28 When Joseph was seventeen years old, his brothers wanted to kill him. So they threw him into a pit, then sat down and ate lunch. After lunch, they pulled him out of the pit and sold him into slavery instead. Then, later, the wife of Joseph’s new Egyptian slave [...]

READ: MATTHEW 21:1-11; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11 The governor was coming into town. Moriah had been waiting weeks to catch even a glimpse of the man. He was supposed to stay for the festival week and bring his entourage of soldiers and even a jester. Moriah had even heard the governor’s war horse would be the biggest [...]

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:18; 1 PETER 1:3-8 "AH-CHOO!” That sound is not usually good news. It could mean someone is coming down with a cold. Sneezes and other symptoms show us the effects of germs on our bodies. Even though we can’t see germs without the help of a microscope, they have a significant impact [...]

READ: PSALM 42; JOHN 14:25-27 I am prone to forgetting. I’m not talking about the usual things like my cell phone, car keys, or sunglasses—wait, they’re on my head. I’m referring to the more profound things. When I am downcast and my soul is disturbed, sometimes I forget to put my hope in God. Sometimes [...]