In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. — 1 Peter 1:3-4 Prayers like anything place us in the midst of stories. These stories have an Author who writes…
The Difficult Stuff Is the Beginning of Joy
While I may have read in my Bible that we are in a spiritual war, that truth had not fully adjusted my expectations of this life. To accept that life is supposed to be hard is the beginning of joy. There is freedom in understanding that Heaven is coming and we are not there yet. We’re called to live, instead, aware…
What’s Keeping Us from Dreaming?
He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. – Ephesians 1:4 What could cause us to miss God’s plans? I think a lot of us are afraid. We’ve got hang-ups, and some of us have deep needs that we don’t even have words for.…
Anything for His Glory
Father, I want those you have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because you loved Me before the creation of the world. — John 17:24 What do I want most? For me, there are so many things. I want a few…
Restless: What Are You Passionate About?
William Wilberforce knew his passion. He resisted it, but this passion held him captive as a young man, nearly at the same time that he became completely captivated by Jesus. He met God and wanted nothing more than to begin vocational ministry; he was convinced this was the best way to serve God. But the…
Books for a Flourishing Faith
Editor’s note: Don’t you just love books that lift you up? Books that encourage your heart? Books that plant new seeds for your faith? Check out some of the latest new releases in Christian publishing — books that will strengthen your walk with Jesus, offer you strategies to get through hard seasons, and build your foundation…
Chasing After the Heart of God
What are you chasing? We’re all chasing after something, something that we think will make us happy—comfort, success, a bigger house, or someone’s approval. But if we are all honest, it feels like trying to catch the wind. A man after God’s own heart… As David’s life weaves throughout the pages of Scripture, we see…
You Were Made for This: Fight for It
Editor’s note: Who are we? Why are we here? What’s the purpose? What are we supposed to be doing? Those questions can haunt women and stall us from moving forward in joy and with passion using the gifts we have to affect the lives of others for the Kingdom of God. The following excerpt from…
Surrender Is Scary
I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. — John 12:24-25 ESV A seed comes from the…
Is Your Faith Stuck?
Watch the Trailer for Stuck by Jennie Allen This lesson in the study describes two ways to live. One way is to know God, to be His, to be filled with His Spirit and to enjoy life and peace. The other way is to be enslaved to our flesh, constantly pleasing it, and ultimately…