The Art of Casting our Burdens on the Lord 1.Read Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (ESV) 2.Study Psalm 55:22 If you are an avid fisherman, then you know there is an art to […]
extending forgiving love to others does not let them off the hook for their cruel actions. We can love generously because it lets us off the hook..
Lesson Focus: God Is With You; You are Not Alone 1.Read Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV) 2.Studying Joshua 1:9 There are many other […]
Lesson Focus: What we Leave Behind 1.Read Proverbs 13:22 Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly. (NLT) 2.Study Proverbs 13:22 The word legacy is often associated with money or property. But, in its broader use it applies to anything that is […]
Lesson Focus: Jesus Opens Our Heart and Mind to Understand the Scriptures 1.Read Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understands the Scriptures (ESV). 2.Study Luke 24:45 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is […]
Lesson Focus: Instant Vs. Delayed Gratification 1.Read: Psalm 27:14Wait for the LORD; be strong. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. (Ps 27:14, NLT) 2.Studying Psalm 27:14Some live only for now. If it makes them happy today, fills a void now, satisfies now, brings joy, peace, or […]
Lesson Focus: God Anticipates Your Needs and Answers Pryer 1.Read: Isaiah 65:24I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! 2.Studying Isaiah 65:24The Spirit searches all things, the deep things of God and […]
Lesson Focus: Good and Godly Parenting 1.Read Colossians 3:21, Amplified BibleFathers, do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive, nor by favoritism or indifference, treat them tenderly with loving-kindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged […]
Lesson Focus: Cultivating Maternal Instincts Read Genesis 3:20, ESV The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Studying Genesis 3:20 Not every woman has maternal instincts, nor should we assume that every woman who is a mother has maternal instincts. In fact, […]
Lesson Focus: Cultivating a Spirit of Unity 1.Read Ephesians 4:1-2As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 2.Studying Ehpesians 4:1-2Paul invites believers to look […]
Lesson Focus: The Importance of Humans in God’s Great Plan 1.Read Psalm 144:3 LORD, what are mortals, that you notice them; mere mortals, that you pay attention to us? (Psalm 144:3-4, GNT) 2.Studying Psalm 144:3 Whether the Bible translation you are familiar with or using, uses the words “man, mortals, […]
Lesson Focus: God Helps Us Win Battles 1.Read 2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours, but […]
1.Read Psalm 144:1-2 Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for war, he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. 2.Studying Psalm […]
Lesson Focus: Experiencing God’s Rest 1.Read: Exodus 33:14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 2.Study Exodus 33:14 As we read our Bible, we can see how God has been with his creation since the beginning; how he lives in the heavens […]
Let us Bless the LORD 1.Read: Psalm 16:7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 2.Study Psalm 16:7 Have you ever awakened and found you must have been praying in your sleep or God must have been instructing you as you […]
Lesson Focus: Lost and Found 1.Read Luke 15:8-10 Or what woman. Having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, […]
Don’t Get Anxious and Get Ahead of God Read: Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds […]
Sage Words from a Loving and Wise Parent 1.Read Proverbs 4:23-27 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of our life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight […]
God Gives Us the Right Size Portion 1.Read Psalm 16:5-6 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 2.Study Psalm 16:5-6 My newest favorite thing to make are homemade mug […]
Good Things Take Time to Build Read Matthew 16:13-16,18 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of […]
Beginning next week, I will use a new format. Each day’s focus will be broken down into three main sections: Read, Study, and Meditate. 1.A portion or passage of Scripture to read. 2.A brief study through devotional format of that same passage or verse(s). 3.Invitation to meditate upon some part, […]
A Lesson in Humility Read Also: Matthew 14:1-21 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on […]
New (Unknown) Vs. Familiar Read Genesis 12:1-9 Now the Lord said[a] to Abram, “Go from your country[b] and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will […]
Read Psalm 63:1-11 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. (63:1-2, […]
Read Genesis 18:1-15 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the […]
Read John 20:24-29 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” […]
In today’s Take-5 Study we will look at the power of a holy conversation.Key Verse:That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they […]
In today’s 5-minute study we consider how resting can help strengthen us after lossKey Verse:It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared […]
In today’s 5-minute study we look at how much God loves us. Key Passage: In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. (I John 4:9, ESV) Optional Read I John 4: 7-12 […]
In today’s 5- Minute study we explore offering words that bring healing to others Key Passage: 1Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his […]
Today in our brief study we will look at “things to do while you wait for release.” If you are able read Jeremiah 29:1-9 Key Verse: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, […]
In today’s 5-minute study we explore the topic of: Experiencing power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. If you are able, read Acts 1:1-11 Key Verse: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. (Acts 1:8, ESV) For Understanding: Before Jesus ascended into heaven, […]
Introduction: Not every problem or trouble we face in life has its roots in something spiritual. Some things happen or arise simply because we live in a world where many things are natural and part of the human experience. But for every problem, trouble or troubling situation God has an […]
Study focus: Jesus Show us how to Settle Disputes… If you are able read Luke 12: 13-21 Key Verse: Then one from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or arbitrator […]
Study Focus: Mastering Sin (If you are able read Genesis 4:1-8) Key Verse: And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at your door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. (Gen. 4:7, ESV) To Understand: The story of Cain and Able is one […]
Study Focus: Grieving the News We Hear and Learn (If you are able read Nehemiah 1:1-11) Key Verse: As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:4, ESV) For […]
5 Minute Study on Rebuilding Our Reputation *If you are able Read Acts 9:26-31 Key Verse: And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him […]
One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much. (Luke 16:10, ESV) Is dependability one of your strong suits and characteristics? On a scale of 1-10, in the area of dependability, how would you rate yourself? Of course, no one except Jesus could get a perfect […]
Will it make a difference today knowing God promises to be the “Shade on your right hand?” The LORD is your shade on your right hand. (Psalm 121:5, ESV) While taking walks or bicycling with my husband over the years there is one habit he’s always had, he has always […]
Regarding Identity Based on Biblical Truths… But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (I Peter 2:9,) You are a chosen person, part of a […]
No Foolin!… Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and […]
We Can Always Count on God… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20, ESV) Ten things we can always count on God to do and be in our lives: God will always love us unconditionally God will always be with us God […]
God Responds to Our Prayers for Help I asked the LORD for help, and he answered me. (Psalm 34:4, NCV) What do you need help with? Sometimes we need help with something big, and at other times it may not be big, but all the same we need help. God […]
When We Choose Peace Over Self-Interests If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left. (Genesis 13:9, ESV) Abram and Lot were standing on a hilltop overlooking some prime real estate. The […]
Transforming Fear into Faith When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. (Psalm 56:3-4, ESV) There are 366 verses in the Bible that tell believers not to be afraid. Fear is a real, […]
How Jesus Deals with Human Fragileness… A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench. (Isaiah 42:3, ESV) In the old way of “people-helping” and school of thought—which was no help at all—it was believed the best approach was to bring a person […]
Rest Assured, the Lord Sees You… And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was there seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. So he ran […]
Drawing Water from the Well With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make his deeds known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. (Isaiah 12:3, ESV) […]
The Joy Jesus Had… Looking unto Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2, ESV) What may be a task to […]
Handling the Stresses of Life… And very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35, ESV) It’s not uncommon to feel stressed about life. We have so much coming at us, […]
Daily Encouragement for the Soul 