There are a million different definitions of what love is.
Some say love is what makes you happy. Others say love is finding your soul mate. Still others say love is finding someone to make your life complete.
But that’s not quite what the Bible says…
We’re told in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
That means that love isn’t about being served…it’s about serving someone else! It’s about putting them first. Love is showing patience and selflessness and perseverance to your spouse.
So don’t look to your spouse to fulfill all of your needs. That’s what God is there for! Instead, love them well by looking for new ways to serve them and care for them each and every day.
Posted on: August 31, 2023
It’s all too easy to find our identity in our work.
We work all day every day, putting our heart and soul and sweat and tears into it. And soon, our meetings and deadlines and schedules take over our lives.
Now, there’s nothing innately wrong with work. In fact, God created work to be a good thing. But when we allow work to define who we are, disaster is sure to follow. Why? Because failure is inevitable. As humans, we’re bound to make mistakes. And all of a sudden, a missed deadline and a reprimand from our boss leave us feeling inadequate.
Instead, God wants us to find our identity in Him. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…” In other words, we are the apple of God’s eye! And there is nothing we could do to ever change that.
So go out and work with excellence this week…but don’t allow your failures (or your successes!) change how you view and value yourself!
Posted on: August 29, 2023
Oftentimes, we fall into the trap of thinking courage is meant for just superheroes.
We believe courage belongs to the risk takers, the adventurers, and those who are bold enough to escape the ordinary.
But the truth is that we all need courage. You and me. Every day of our lives.
We need courage to face our kids’ teachers when we’re called in for a conference. We need courage to step into the doctor’s office and hear our aging parent’s diagnosis. We need courage to simply get up and face another day at work with an unfair boss.
But where do we get courage? In Deuteronomy 31:6, we’re told, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” In other words, our courage comes from the knowledge that God is always with us!
So be courageous as you finish up this week, knowing that God is with you no matter what.
Posted on: August 08, 2023
We could all use a little more in encouragement in our lives.
We’re constantly facing disappointments, failures, and letdowns. So when a word of encouragement comes along, it can go a lonnng way.
For those of you who are married, a huge part of your role as a spouse is encouraging your partner. You’re responsible for pouring love and affirmation into their life. So what are some simple ways to do this?
By reminding them of who they are in Christ. By writing them a quick note of encouragement. And by being their biggest fan in life!
1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, for love covers over a multitude of sins.” So we want to challenge you to love your spouse deeply this week by encouraging them as they go out into the world!
Posted on: August 08, 2023
Each and every day, we face decisions. We face small decisions like what to eat, what to wear, and what movies to watch. But then there are big decisions: decisions like where to send our kids to school, how to handle marital conflicts, and what church to join.
So how do we make wise choices when it comes to big issues in our lives?
Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”
In other words, God never meant for us to make decisions on our own. First and foremost, He wants us to turn to Him for insight. He wants us to pray through our decisions in order to align our hearts with His will.
Secondly, God wants us to seek counsel from people around us. We all need Christian fellowship–men and women who will speak truth into our lives. So this week, we want to encourage you to take some time and think through who those 2 or 3 people are in your life. Maybe it’s your spouse or your small group leader or your boss. Whoever it may be, always be sure to pray and then seek their counsel to make your big decisions your best decisions.
Posted on: August 03, 2023
Let’s admit it: we all tell the occasional little white lie.
It can happen all too easily when we aren’t in the mood to help out. Or when we aren’t quite done with a project, but are close enough. Or when we know our spouse wants something said, but don’t really mean it. Or when we’re trying to teach our kids to live up to a higher standard than we do.
And we justify those little white lies so easily. We can’t imagine them ever becoming a real issue. But this is when we’re in the most danger: when we refuse to recognize the gravity of these lies. Because it’s not long before our little white lies begin to build and build and build into big lies.
Exodus 20:16 says “Thou shall not lie.” That’s it. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Never does God condone lying, even when the circumstances are tough.
So this week, we want to encourage you to stop justifying your lies and rationalizing your way around the truth. Simply be honest with each and every word you say!
Posted on: August 01, 2023
Each morning you wake up, you have a decision to make. You can put your desires above your spouse’s desires, you can be impatient with their flaws, and you can build up bitterness against them. OR you can choose to serve your spouse well, to affirm their worth, and to love them with your whole heart.
We all know marriage is a sacred, special thing. And the best part of a husband and wife’s relationship is how it can be a picture of Jesus’ love for us.
In Isaiah 43:2, God shares His vows with us…
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
We want to challenge you to love your spouse with this same fierceness and faithfulness! Stick by them through the good and the bad, and be sure to encourage them through it all.
There are so many things in this world that want to define you. Your boss’ approval, your ability to parent well, your spouse’s happiness. With all of this floating over our heads and in our hearts, many of us are left in an identity crisis! We wonder who we really are and if we’ll ever be content.
So today, we’re giving you a cure for your identity crisis. No matter how you may be feeling, we have a specific scripture that we hope will remind you of your true identity!
- Feeling insecure? “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14
- Feeling worthless? “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31
- Feeling lonely? “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” Isaiah 41:10
- Feeling lost? “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.” Matthew 18:12-13
- Feeling unloveable? “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3
We hope you found some encouragement with these bible verses! Let us know by commenting below.
You’re given one life.
One chance to live. One chance to love. One chance to make a difference.
And yet, so many of us live as if we’re promised tomorrow. We put our dreams on the back burner, we hold in the words we wish we could say, and we sit still instead of taking the first step.
Why do we do this? Because we lack courage. We allow fear to rule our lives, instead of trusting God and following His path for us. We’ve become so content with our mundane routines, that adventures are simply slipping through our fingers.
1 Timothy 6:12 says, “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.”
In other words, God never meant for you to sit on the sidelines of life, passing time away. He wants you to fight the fight and take hold of life!
What are some ways you can step up and make the most of your time this week? We’d love to hear your ideas in a comment below.
Let’s face it: sometimes life throws us curve balls.
Things will be going great when suddenly, we lose our job or our child gets into trouble with the law or our spouse gets sick. And we’re left broken with no idea what to do or how to recover.
That’s where God’s Word comes in.
Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”
In order to find the path to recovery, we must dwell on what is true and noble and right. That means focusing on God’s faithfulness, God’s goodness, and God’s compassion. Because He is mighty to save!
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