Do you long for real growth in your Christian walk and more clear evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in your life? We get impatient in line, angry with our kids, anxious about our circumstances. We long to find peace and contentment in Christ. We believe God’s word, but we struggle to daily cling... Read More
Psalms 77 & 78: Songs for cataloging God’s works
“A missionary’s life is in many ways a catalog of answers to prayer.” I read this sentence recently in an article written by Alan Patterson, a family member and a life-long mission worker. Its truth struck a chord, and I thought over the many, many ways that God provided for our family the 15 years... Read More
Psalm 23: We do not lack anything
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” Another way to say this is He provides everything I need. This week, I heard a sermon that explains Psalm 23 from the perspective of God’s provision for our deepest needs. It was such a good meditation on the psalm, and it corresponded to the theme... Read More
How can I pray for my country? (A scripture-focused prayer for government)
With Canadian elections coming soon, and American elections later this year, I was very thankful to hear this prayer for government, prayed recently by my friend Holly Williams. I asked her if it could be posted here in order for all of us to benefit from this pattern. When we are unsure how to pray... Read More
Proverbs 24: What do we learn from the field of the slothful?
When you see clear evidence of laziness, what goes through your mind? I love the response of wisdom in Proverbs 24—“I looked and received instruction.” These verses are so rich in their description of the process of laziness, its effects, and how we ought to respond. They are worth meditating on, especially at the beginning... Read More
Nurturing others in the faith: Love in action
Love for other people—Jesus commands this and tells us that it is the hallmark of our identity as his disciples (John 13:35). There are many words that the Bible uses for the ways we ought to demonstrate this love for others: edification, discipleship, teaching, service, ministry, giving. In a previous article, I wrote about how... Read More
More fantastic Christian fiction: The Hammer of God
This post is by my husband, Dave, who loves reading and sharing book recommendations. He also loves the Derby Series which I wrote about earlier, but this is probably his favorite Christian novel. The Hammer of God, by Bo Giertz This novel, translated from the original Swedish (in which language it was published more than... Read More
Proverbs 11: Invest in what has eternal significance
Have you ever woken up to a text message that had the potential to ruin your entire day before it even started? That’s what happened to me this morning. I got some bad news from a previous employer, telling me that the work I did for them back in September, which I still haven’t been... Read More
Looking for your next good read? Here’s my vote for best current Christian fiction
I love to review books on this blog, but my “must-read books” list usually highlights non-fiction Christian topical books. Today, though, I want to recommend what I truly believe are the best works of contemporary Christian fiction out there. If you are looking for a book for yourself or for a friend, these are perfect.... Read More
Cultivating virtue: A biblical pattern for real change
Words are powerful. They can change the world, one heart at a time. God has designed it this way as He created us and sent His Word into the world to rescue us. We use words to change the people in our lives, to communicate our love and our hopes and dreams for them. Public... Read More