Opening our Bible to Acts Chapter 9, we read, The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.  In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” (Acts 9:11-12, NIV) Ananias was well aware of the danger. The Bible tells us that he had heard the reports, he knew what Paul had done to the believers in Jerusalem, and he knew that Saul was in Damascus for the sole purpose of persecuting followers of Christ. Regardless of how he felt and what fear he…

Last week we talked about a story from 2 Samuel Chapter 10, where David was rejected when he reached out to the Ammonites. Surprisingly, his simple act of kindness was the catalyst for war. Rejection is a curious thing. It’s something we all experience at one time or another, and some days it’s utterly painful. Even those with the best of intentions can find themselves at war. If you’ve ever apologized to a person after a disagreement, you might be familiar with that feeling of apprehension. That worrisome nagging inside you that says, “this might not go well,” or “you might be rejected.” In some cases, it doesn’t go well.…

Drawn from my archives I’ve come to learn over time that we don’t need a perfect life to live in abundance. The things that we’re most thankful for can’t be bought in a store or cashed in at the bank. The best gifts are the ones knit together in love–the family God gives us, our friends, and of course God Himself. I’m reminded of growing up in a family of 8. With a grade three education, my dad didn’t make all that much money. Yet somehow they made enough to feed us and clothe us and take care of our needs. I was too young to remember, but I’ve heard…

2 Samuel Chapter 10, starts out by telling us that after the king of the Ammonites died, David reached out to his son. “I’ll show him some kindness,” he said, “in the same way his father showed kindness to me.” And so, David sent his men to the land of the Ammonites to express his sympathy to the king. It didn’t go well. Suspicious of David’s intentions, the king responded with violence. We read, Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away. (2 Samuel 10:14, NIV) Humiliated, the messengers returned to David, who told them to stay in…

If you look at an object in the distance while you’re driving, you’ll notice that the closer you get to that object, the larger it is. Let’s say it’s a mountain. It might look like a hill from a distance or merely a bump in the road. In the same way, once you get past that object you’ll notice it decreases in size. There’s a simple reason for this. Our field of vision is shaped like a funnel that starts in the center of the eye and spreads out. The closer an object is to your eye the more space it takes up in that field of vision. Now, let’s…

Before we get into today’s devotional (below), I just wanted to give you a quick heads up to let you know that my daughter’s newest Bible Study for Kids is out and available at Amazon! “The Life of Jesus” (Part 1), takes kids on a journey through the New Testament. With a wide range of stories, questions, and fun activities, children are not only learning the Bible–they’re deeply engaged with God’s Word. Ever since Madison learned to pick up a pencil, she’s gone the extra mile to be detailed in her work. As you flip through the pages (take a peek inside on Amazon) you’ll see what I mean. She…

Ask Christians what the happiest book in the Bible is, and most of them will tell you it’s Philippians. One look at the book, and you start to notice the words “joy” and “rejoice” sprinkled throughout. Paul is optimistic about a difficult situation. He’s been beaten and imprisoned for sharing the gospel, but at the same time he’s excited to see the positive impact this has on the church. God was using his pain and his joy to embolden the church and spur them on to advance the gospel. He writes, “And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all…