for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. - Philippians 2:13 (NIV). We were all created for a purpose. God gave each and every one of us certain talents and skills to fulfill His will for our lives. Some of us use those talents and skills to fulfill God's purpose, while some of us don't. Some of us walk in our calling, while some of us run from it. Some of us knew what our purpose was at an early age, while others had to be recre

Since we are now joined to Christ, we have been given the treasures of redemption by his blood - the total cancellation of our sins - all because of the cascading riches of his grace. - Ephesians 1:7 (TPT). What does it mean to be redeemed? For some, being redeemed means to trade in a winning lottery ticket or mailing in a "proof of purchase" to receive a rebate. For others, redemption means a comeback story. An underdog who beats the favorite against all odds. But for the f

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. - Psalm 51:17 (NLT). Nothing says 'I'm sorry' more than a change in our actions. We can apologize a thousand times, but an apology is just words until it's met with a genuine change in the way we act and treat others. Personally, I've apologized more times than I can count. Sometimes the person accepts my apology, and other times they don't. But most of the time they've hear

I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. - 2 Timothy 1:5 (NLT). Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, moms, and mamas out there! You deserve all the praise, honor, and love we can give you for all of the hard work you've put in that no one will ever truly know or understand. For the late nights when we were sick, the sacrifices that go unnoticed

Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. - 2 Timothy 4:2 (NLT). Preach the word of God. Be prepared... The bound, bruised, and broken are all around us. In the workplace, at the grocery store, and sometimes, they're our loved ones at home. We may not all be called to be preachers, but we are all called to be evangelists. An "evangelist" is defined as a person who seeks

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; - Isaiah 54:2 (KJV). Let's imagine for a minute that our verse of the week isn't talking about a dwelling place. What if we applied this verse to our spiritual walk with the Lord? What if we started stretching our faith past the point of our normal routine and began "sparing not" in what we believe the Lord is capable of? It's

9 So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor. 10 But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men. - 1 Samuel 30:9,10 (NLT). We all get tired. It's an unfortunate part of life. Our bodies have real, physical limitations that let us know we're only human. Limitations that cause anxiety, fear, loneliness, and exhaustion. The physical limitations we are all bound by have a way of influencing other pa

but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31 (KJV). When is enough, enough? Life has a way of piling up. Financial strains, family drama, friendly foes, and long days at work can be bearable when faced one at a time, but what do we do when they all seem to pile up at once? Stress goes up. Blood pressure skyrockets. Tempers flare. Pati

Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” - Matthew 21:9 (NLT). A lot can change in a short time. Take Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem for example. In just a few short days, the crowds went from cheering His praises to calling for Him to be crucified. As painful as it is to think about, it was necessary.

"If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” - Esther 4:14 (NLT). Everywhere you look there are people suffering. From personal problems to world issues, the people we see every day are struggling in some form or another. If Jesus is Lord of your life, then you are getting by better than the ones who don

8 “ The gardener answered , ‘ Sir , give it one more chance . Leave it another year , and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer . 9 If we get figs next year , fine . If not , then you can cut it down .’” - Luke 13:8-9 (NLT). It's not that I wanted to die, I just couldn't stand the idea of living that way anymore. I had finally given up on myself and decided that I was never going to change. I was out of excuses, and I was out of ideas on how to fix myself

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. - 1 John 3:20 (KJV). I hated myself. What kind of parent would intentionally go over a year without seeing their kids? What kind of dad would choose drugs over his own children? Would I ever get to be a part of their lives again? Did they even want me to be? I would lie awake at night with these questions running through my head. I couldn't escape; I was a prisoner in my own mind. I replayed

11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” - Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NLT). I didn't

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. - James 4:8 (NKJV). Love is in the air! With Valentine's Day less than a week away, how does your relationship status read? Single? Married? In A Relationship? It's Complicated? We scan our social media apps to see whose relationship status might have changed, and no relationship has ever really started until it goes "Facebook Official." Our rel

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. - Jonah 1:3 (NLT). One of the heaviest weights we can ever carry is the weight of knowing we have went in the opposite direction God wants us to go. It happens when we ignore the convicting power of the Holy Spirit in certain ar

Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.” - Exodus 2:10 (NLT). We all have a story to tell. Some good, some bad. Our stories make up our testimonies, and our testimonies are made from the battles we've faced and overcame in our lives. For some of us, the battles we overcame have led others to the One who lifted us out of ou

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. - Romans 10:17 (NLT). One of the staples of most recovery programs like AA or NA is the necessity to have faith in a "higher power." It's about believing in something greater than yourself that can restore some semblance of sanity back into your life. Before I go any further, I agree with putting your faith in something other than yourself, because the answer lies outside of you. What I don't agree wit

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: - Philippians 1:6 (KJV). Hello 2026! Here's to new year's resolutions, fresh starts, and new beginnings! And hopefully it's a goodbye to last year's let downs, disappointments, and failures. The new year always feels like a clean slate, but what about those of us who have lingering problems that didn't go away when the clock struck midnight? Just bec

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! - Psalm 34:8 (NLT). Goodbye 2025! As Shevon and I wrap up our 3rd consecutive calendar of being sober and living for God, I guess it really is true what they say: living for God only gets better and better with each passing year. It's one of those things that until you experience it firsthand, you just don't know for sure. No, it hasn't always been easy, and yes, there have been many ups and