READ: ISAIAH 61:1-3; LAMENTATIONS 3:22-26; LUKE 4:14-21 Picture this. You’re standing barefoot on the shores of a beautiful ocean. As you walk along the water’s edge, breathing in the salty air and feeling the cool spray of the sea, you stop. You’ve seen something that catches your eye: a little orange starfish just offshore. You [...]

READ: MATTHEW 22:35-40; JOHN 6:27-29; 1 JOHN 4:7-19 There’s so much pressure on me…I can’t do everything my parents want me to do. I can’t please all of my teachers. I can’t be someone others look up to. I can’t do it all. What does God require of me? How am I going to do [...]

READ: MARK 13:11; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-9; 1 PETER 2:12; 3:13-18 Have you ever eaten sprouts—like bean sprouts with rice noodles or broccoli sprouts with salad? They’re crunchy, delicious, and nutrient-dense. And they’re pretty easy to grow! Recently, I started growing my own sprouts. I took a seed mix, sprinkled it onto a sprouting tray, put [...]

READ: PSALM 23; ISAIAH 49:16; 2 TIMOTHY 3:16 As far as I can remember, the first Bible verse I learned was Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” I was probably about ten years old. [...]

READ: JOHN 11:28-36, HEBREWS 4:14-16 Composed of just two little words, John 11:35 is recognized as the shortest verse in the entire Bible; John simply wrote, “Jesus wept.” Because of how short it is, this verse is quite well known among Christians, but have you ever given much thought to its implications? The verses surrounding [...]

READ: GENESIS 1:1-3; JOHN 1:1-18; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20; HEBREWS 1:8-12 Have you ever dreamed of being a paleontologist? There’s something awe-inspiring about fossils, whether you find a rock with an imprint of a leaf or a marine creature on it, or go to a museum where entire skeletons are constructed. It’s amazing what we can discover [...]

READ: PSALM 95:1-6 The ocean…the powerful water coming up to the beach and splashing against it. The beautiful color. The sparkling. The place for people to gather on the sand and spend hours swimming and just enjoying life. Who owns all of that? Who made it? I love the ocean and everything to do with [...]

READ: PSALM 91; JOHN 15:1-5; ACTS 16:22-25; COLOSSIANS 3:15-17 Today, while I was getting the hose and sprinkler sorted, I stood in the sunshine. It was nice, for a bit. But eventually the blaring sun was just too much. So, I moved my operation into the shade. Wow, was that better! Standing in the shadow [...]

READ: PSALMS 23; 46; MATTHEW 10:29-31; EPHESIANS 1:3 Though I walk through darkest valleysIn the shadows of my fearI can hold my head up highbecause I know You’re hereThe sparrows do not worryThey’re not afraid, they do not stressBecause the Lord cares for themSo, His children are certainly blessedWhen mountains fall and earth gives wayWe [...]

READ: PSALM 119:105; PROVERBS 3:5-6; ROMANS 12:1-21 Umar and Krish waited in anticipation. Today was the day they would go through the Maze, an important final test in their training. After this, they and all the others in their year would disperse to their various apprenticeships. As they gathered at the entrance to the Maze, [...]