Category Archives: Living the Christian Life

Living the Christian life is a journey of suffering and joy. It’s a road on the way to Damascus. These stories include what it means to live as a fisher of men in modern day times.

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Your Promise Land Is On The Other Side Of Your Pain

You must persevere to get to the other side

promise, 145:13, God is faithful, God's promises

Fresh into our first year of marriage, my husband and I were arguing over laundry, dishes, the dog, and everything under the sun. Fight after fight, fear had me questioning God and His promise for my future. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that God wasn’t doing what I assumed a good God would do.

Have you ever had your hopes dashed, a devastating thing happen, or a situation never seems to get better? Fear has an awful way of exaggerating our reality. Worry can snowball a small situation into a much larger problem.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

God designed a place for His children to prosper. It’s a Promise Land where you and I can experience the most abundant life in store for us; a renewed marriage, restored health, a refreshed calling, released from the chains of addiction. God’s desire is for His children to dwell in this Promise Land free from fear, anxious thoughts, or negative thinking.

Just like the Israelites who stood at the cusp of Canaan, their Promise Land,

we might be standing one step away from our Promise Land and fear has us thinking of turning back.

They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.” Numbers 13:27-28 NIV

It took 40 years of walking the wilderness to find this Promise Land and now God’s children are letting fear make them want to throw in the towel. The Israelites are fearful of what they’ll find on the other side of this one last mountain to climb, but they’re soooooo close!

Isn’t it crazy what fear will have us doing?

Concerns overworked in our minds become worry. Worry digs up doubts that this situation will get better or that God will intervene. Doubts morph into dread and unbelief as we stand at the foot of our Promise Land. 

You might be ready to cash in 40 years or even four months of marriage. Maybe you’re thinking of running back to life as a slave to sin because you haven’t seen the harvest of your hard work just yet. Panic will produce all kinds of irrational thoughts as an attempt to control the situation.

Don’t give up yet, you’re almost there!

It takes perseverance to step into the Promise Land.Psalm 145:13, God is faithful, God's promises

It’s difficult to see from where you’re standing, but the situation isn’t as big as your fear wants you to believe. God is much bigger and your Promise Land just on the other side is much better. You’re at the foot of your Promise Land, don’t turn back now.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. Psalm 145:13b NIV

When we open God’s Word, we’re assured He’s working out His purpose here for our ultimate good and His glory. Fear may have you facing a delay or even defeat, but this is not your final destination. Your Promise Land is just on the other side of the mountain.

Whether your circumstances change or not, hold onto this eternal hope: Jesus is still on the throne, our Father is faithful, and His promises are true for you today.

I promise you!

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The First Decision Is The Most Important

Scriptures to back up every decision

building a house, making decisions, start with Jesus, Proverbs 24:3-4, by wisdom a house is built,

Building a house requires a lot of important decisions. What kind of kitchen should we have? How many bedrooms and bathrooms? What about the backyard?

Having children also comes with making a lot of choices too; should we use a daycare or stay home when the kids are young? Will we homeschool our kiddos or enroll them in public schooling?

Maybe you’re leading a group of people and wondering how to talk about a problem, or, perhaps you’re thinking about making an expensive purchase.

No matter what your question is, the first decision is the most important.

Once you figure out the foundation of your decisions, the rest will fall into place.

For my husband and I, that foundation is God’s Word, the Bible.

Searching the scriptures, my husband and I found the Lord had much to say about open doors and hospitality, creating a sanctuary of peace, and taking care of widows, orphans, and the poor. As we made our choices for this new space, we dreamed up audacious possibilities of fellowship and providing refuge for a community in need of Jesus.Isaiah 41:10, fear not, I am your God, I will help you, I will uphold you,

My husband and I also thought about the legacy we were leaving with the hands and hearts of those working on our home. We claim to be ambassadors of Christ so it was a conscious choice to advocate for Truth even in our absence. We chose scriptures to bear witness to the saving grace of Jesus and scribbled this testament over the floors and beams of our new home.

Where do you begin when making your most important decisions?

It’s easy to take action when you have the answers. Jesus is always the answer.

Your options are opportunities to declare Jesus is the One you seek and serve. What could this look like in your life? Maybe you start with prayer over your meals in public places. Perhaps you post your favorite bible verse in a public place, like your office.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

When we believe this Truth, it’s easy to make God’s Word our first choice. 

Ps. I dare you to allow your imagination to run wild with all ways His Truths will be accomplished – its super fun!

Wanna see pictures of our artwork and know what scriptures our family chose to graffiti the foundation of our new home? Click here and use it for your own!

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What to do with what frustrates you the most

Living with the superpower of patience

Have you ever felt like you had the “right” to revenge? To get even? To have your say? To confront someone? Maybe it’s with your kids, your spouse, a friend, or someone at work who frustrates you. Emotions can make it difficult to make wise decisions. When we’re consumed with what we “deserve” to do, our thoughts cloud what God’s Word says we should do.

In the Bible, we see some great men of God, like Samson and David, prove that impulsiveness is rarely the right reaction. Both men made choices in the moment out of pride and lust that snowballed into more and more sin. We find that waiting on God could have prevented a lot of pain.

Demonstrating a little patience now can save us a lot of problems later.

patience now, less problems later

It’s easy to love other people when life is going our way, but what happens when the kids take too long getting ready in the morning or our boss asks us to stay late again? When someone tests our last nerve, the way to walk out patience in the moment is to:

  • Remember God’s purpose
  • See the situation from His perspective
  • Put others first

Remember God’s Purpose

The purpose of everything is to lead us to God. Even the devil unintentionally fulfills this truth. When Satan tempts us to react in frustrating situations, God is giving us the opportunity to focus on the One who settles it all. These difficult situations offer the perfect place to turn to God for the strength to endure this circumstance and to see things as He sees them.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

God’s ways might be difficult to understand, but His character is not. Above all, He is God Almighty. He is just. And we can trust Him completely because His character never changes and His word never fails. Becoming more patient means gaining a better understanding of God’s sovereignty so that we can let go of the situation. It also means acknowledging that God loves us no matter what.

See the Situation from His Perspective

Whenever you face trials, you can remain steady in a storm and patiently endure the hardship because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:3 NIV

When someone is selfish or rude or maybe just mistaken, we can look past the pain and stand patient in our love for others because of our love for God. Adopting God’s perspective is the key to becoming more patient with people, with ourselves, and even with God Himself.

Put Others First

Once we understand God’s purpose in all things and we gain God’s perspective, the last piece to living with more patience is to put others first.

It’s easy to think if we put others first then our actions suggest they must have done something “right.”

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God … Romans 3:23 NIV

None of us deserve the radical grace God extended to us through the death of His only son, Jesus. The truth is that obeying God’s commands means you’ll live life differently, just like the life of Jesus.

Instead of reacting to humanity’s failures or out of your own struggles, what would your life look like if you submitted to God’s purpose, His perspective, and put others before yourself? There is a secret superpower in becoming more patient; you are becoming more like Christ. For His glory.

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Make The Most of Your Days

More than just once a year

wisdom, number our days, Psalm 90:12, make the most of your days

Saturday’s are short, life is short. And though we make our own plans, many details are still so uncertain. We like to mark the years with our birthday, but we would probably be wiser to number our days. One day a year isn’t enough when we have 364 more chances to make the most of every opportunity God gives us.wisdom, number our days, Psalm 90:12

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 NIV

Living in light of eternity makes every day significant—no matter how many days we have on earth.

Your thoughts have tremendous power. Your day will follow the course of your thoughts. When you live with an attitude of faith and expectancy, you will be strengthened and empowered by the Spirit of God.

Take inventory of your thoughts and replace them with declarations of your faith.

When the storms come, be assured that these trials are refining your soul to produce a purer version of you. You are better having gone through it; that is how God works.

The beginning of wisdom is knowing that He is God, and you and I are not Him.

I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! Psalm 91:2 AMPC

You can make the most of even the hard days because God honors a heart of faith.

If you’re bold enough to speak it, God is bold enough to do it.

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Faith is…

The gaze of a soul upon a saving God.

A.W. Tozer, Tozer, faith is, saving God

A.W. Tozer, Tozer, faith is, saving God

It’s pretty simple. The God of heaven, who made the sea and dry land.

The God of the storm and our oasis.

The God of our strength and every weakness.

The God of our only saving grace, His son, Jesus Christ.

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What to do when you don’t know what to do

obedience, eternal gain, small steps

What to do? Most likely, it’s a question you ask often. I do.

I’m convinced when my mind understands the eternal calling here on earth, then my earthly calling will be fulfilled in eternal ways.

In other words, when you grasp that God put you here to experience mercy in the face of emotions, to extend grace when situations fall short of expectations, to flood the nations with Jesus’ love and compassion, then what you should ‘do’ is exactly this.

Our ‘calling’ can sound daunting when we hear “nations” but see only our neighborhoods.obedience, eternal gain, small steps

Start with your next step. Small steps in obedience to God’s desire for your life leads to an eternal gain.

Are you fighting selfishness? Pray for the welfare of others before you begin prayers for yourself. Are you consumed with concerns of a comfortable life; more money, more time? Then say ‘yes’ to the company of others and give away what you have all the more.

In whatever way you share Jesus with others, that is what God has called you to.

The skills, talents, and resources God has gifted you with to carry His compassion to even just one soul, that is your calling.

God’s will is that you do this with a thankful heart. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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Prisoners of Hope

Zechariah, Zechariah 9:12, prisoner of hope

Zechariah, Zechariah 9:12, prisoner of hope

We are Prisoners of Hope!

We look at our circumstances and expect Jesus to enter in. We don’t panic in the storm because He gave us a promise. He is our Strong Tower, our stronghold in the storm.

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Our days are not dictated by the moods of other people. God is here in our midst and calms us with His love.

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The single worst day in history and God said it was good

death, sting, King, Jesus, His death brought goodGod wrote “good” on the single worst day in history. There is not one day, or week, or month, or year of suffering… not one trauma, loss, or pain with which God cannot write “good” over you in Christ Jesus too. All it takes is the belief that His blood covers all of you; in the past, the present, and what is to come.

In God’s presence, pain has no place, sickness has no place, weariness has no place, depression has no place.

At the cross, we find all our answers.

In what Jesus lived for, in what Jesus died for, that is the meaning to life.

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The bottom offers a new beginning with God

God will let you get to the bottom, maybe lose something important, or even become desperate just so you and I can experience Him all the more. The Almighty waits for our hands to surrender so we can see His sufficiency is all we ever need.

Our Creator God cares about having a relationship with His children. He holds the keys to life and is championing every effort to discover Him more.

Instead of complaining or stressing out about a situation, this is the time to say, God, you have created an opportunity for me to see your power, to experience your hand, to go deeper in my relationship with You by seeing You like I have never witnessed your grace, your favor, or your strength before.temporary losses, short-term loss, eternal gain, perspective shift, change your perspective, perspective

“Only God.” This is the beginning of every God-glorifying story.

Any temporary loss has an eternal gain if you can change your perspective on the problem. Our promise-keeping God never asks us to give up anything without offering something far greater in its place.