Tag: encouragement
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Jesus Could Have Thrown the Stone
“And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her’” (John 8:7). The crowd that sought to condemn could only walk away. But there stood one person in the crowd who could have thrown…
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God Might Not Change My Circumstances, but He changes ME.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’” — 2 Corinthians 12:8–10 I understand Paul more than I used to. I spent years asking God to change my circumstances—to calm…
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From Him, and For Him.
“And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship.” — Exodus 35:31 Everything we know,every skill we carry,every creative and “crafty” inclination—it’s all a gift from God. And its purpose?To be given right back to Him in faithful service. Not because we’re trying to…
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Faithful With Much or With Little
“‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master‘” (Matthew 25:23. It’s easy to compare the gifts you’ve been given to what others have. To think helping is inferior to leading; listening less valuable than speaking.To think your…
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Wherever You Are, Whatever You Do…
“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus…” (Colossians 3:17). Wherever you are… Whatever your gifts… God is inviting you into His story. Your work matters. Your voice matters. Your obedience matters. Not because of how big it looks to others—but because of Who it is for.…
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Grace Upon Grace
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). I failed this week. I failed in my job. I failed in my relationships. I failed in my faith. Anyone else? Does anyone else need the reminder today that failure may be part of our story, but it is not our identity?…
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Carried by God
“I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will bear and rescue you” (Isaiah 46:4; CSB). When the path feels heavy and your steps grow weary, remember this: The God who created the universe…
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The Reason We Run
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). This week my gifts felt more like burdens I needed to squeeze into a hectic life and less like opportunities to walk next to God. It made my feet feel heavy and…
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Liabilities? … Or Gifts in Disguise?
“God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful” (1 Corinthians 1:27, Good News Translation). Too sensitive. Too quiet. Too caught up in your imagination. The world loves to take who we are and say it…
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In Your House and Beyond Your Gates
“You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:9). Sometimes we wonder … my life is a normal life, simple and unremarkable, so where can I serve God? In our homes. To friends and guests when we meet them where they are and provide a safe haven to…