Are you characterized and known by investing in or tearing down your family and friends? Before you offer the Sunday school answer and move on, consider these questions. When was the last time you wrote an encouraging note to your spouse, father, mother, sibling, co-worker, or teammate? When did you comfort one of them going […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Investing (Proverbs 14:1)
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Godly (Proverbs 31:30)
God’s design for females can be communicated through the acrostic: CUTE GIRLS MADE. He desires every woman to be confident, unique, a temple of the Holy Spirit, and the expression of God. When we examine the acronym, GIRLS, we see that our Creator desires these reflections of His heart in each woman He has fashioned. […]
Crave the Word, Not the World, Part 3 (1 Peter 2:1-3)
What are you seeking when you read the Bible? Knowledge? Wisdom? Comfort? Joy? Strength? If we are honest, we often pursue the Word of God as a tool to improve our circumstances while we remain in control of our own lives. Jesus’ disciple, Peter, communicated a very clear message for us to experience The Almighty’s […]
Crave the Word, Not the World, Part 2 (1 Peter 2:1-3)
When last did you spend an uninterrupted ten minutes with God reading the Bible? Left unchecked, our cravings for the achievements and pleasures of this world choke out our desire for the Word of God. Malice blinds us to healthy relationships. Deceit masquerades as political expediency. Hypocrisy rewrites our identity. Envy hardens our heart. Slander […]
Crave the Word, Not the World, Part 1 (1 Peter 2:1-3)
When most of our daily freedoms and routines are stripped away, our true inner cravings are exposed. Whether it’s Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, our favorite restaurant, our local workout facility, or our daily marketplace activities, we all want more of what gratifies us. Amidst the stressors, our spiritual cravings tend to go in one of two […]
Abel Faith, Part 3 (Hebrews 11:4)
Now more than ever it is crystal clear we live by faith or by sight (see 2 Corinthians 5:7). If we trust in only what we see, we will make our choices out of fear, rather than trust in our Creator. Whereas, Adam and Eve’s son Abel lived by faith in offering his best and […]
Abel Faith, Part 2 (Hebrews 11:4)
Are you experiencing anxiety from your sin? Fear is the problem. Faith is the solution. God accepts faith in Him as righteousness and rejects fear as unrighteousness: “By faith he [Abel] was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings” (Hebrews 11:4b). God confronted Cain’s negative countenance from his substandard sacrifice […]
Abel Faith, Part 1 (Hebrews 11:4)
In these trying times, do you find yourself trusting in the gifts or the Giver? The former operates from fear, the latter through faith. The writers of the Scriptures commended Adam and Eve’s son, Abel, for his faith in his Heavenly Father. We can still learn from his example. Faith offers the best; fear offers […]
God’s Calm Amidst the Chaos (Psalm 46:1-11)
In this challenging time of uncertainty and fear, where are you turning for refuge, strength, and help? Each of us has a go-to that we believe will provide us solace. We seek the next deal, a strong balance sheet, an appreciating market account, a profitable income statement, a steady paycheck, a performance recap that moves […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Expression of God, Part 2 (Genesis 1:26; 2:7)
As the expression of our Creator, we are God-breathed, literally His inspiration. When we inhale the breath of God through worship, the Word, and a workout, we are filled with the Holy Spirit’s oxygen to exhale His breath to those we encounter in the same three disciplines. First, we worship God by communicating His character to […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Expression of God, Part 1 (Genesis 1:26; 2:7)
You are the expression of God: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness’” (Genesis 1:26). This expression comes from the breath of The Almighty: “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20)
On the set of a television program, a young woman shared how she had been the property of a biker gang. They owned her. She was not her own. After a nationwide raid by federal agents, she was set free physically, but God had much more in store for her. He would also free her […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Unique (Proverbs 139:14)
Do you often compare yourself to other women, labeling the result? Adjectives, such as skinny or fat, tall or short, beautiful or plain, smart or dumb, funny or stuffy, rich or poor, successful or failing, fit or unhealthy, flood your mind. Comparing and its cousin labelingdefeat the healthy self-esteem God intends for you. As we […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Confident (Proverbs 3:26)
Is there anything you would like to change about your look? Body image is one of the most pressing challenges with females in our Western culture; however, the Bible communicates a recurring theme: True beauty comes from the inside. Let’s examine what the Scriptures teach about God’s design of a woman through the acrostic: CUTE […]
Fear Paralyzes. Faith Catalyzes. Part 2 (2 Timothy 1:7)
The most frequent command in the Bible is to “Fear not.” Fear stems from trusting in ourselves, rather than God. When we operate in fear, at least three things happen: we become weak, we hate what we fear, and we fall apart. Whether inside the lines of athletic competition, in a heated argument, or a […]
Fear Paralyzes. Faith Catalyzes. (Joshua 1:9)
When I was five-years-old, I panicked as I peered out the window of our vehicle, while my dad drove across the Mackinac Bridge, one of the world’s largest suspension bridges spanning five miles and rising 552 feet above the Straits of Mackinac, connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. It didn’t help matters that […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Resist Rebels (Proverbs 24:21-22)
Can you honestly say that, prior to every decision, you first consider what God desires? If we would adopt the practice of praying before making a choice, we would experience a much more fulfilling life. In his final pearl of thirty wise sayings, King Solomon taught: “Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Wicked Worry (Proverbs 24:19-20)
Do you ever look at someone who bends the rules and envy their success? Maybe they don’t strictly adhere to the team training plan and cut short their reps, only to receive more playing time than those who work wholeheartedly. Perhaps, they mishandle the truth and close more sales than their competition. Possibly, they cheat […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise | Weep Over Others’ Woes (Proverbs 24:17-18)
Have you ever attended a sporting event and cheered over a mistake made by the opposing team? We all have. Whether in athletics, academics, business, or ministry, competition brings out the best and, sometimes, the worst in us. The higher the stakes, the more likely we are to cheer when our opponent falters. Solomon taught […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Bounce Back (Proverbs 24:15-16)
Are you lusting for something or someone outside God’s design for your life? Has the object of your affection captivated your mind and taken over your thoughts? Perhaps, you long for a position in your company or on your team, a title in ministry, a scholarship at a particular school, a part in a major […]