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My Testimony

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Listen to my Testimony here

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What’s Your Passion?

One of the tellers at my bank has a photograph of a Shelby Cobra roadster on his window. (The Cobra is a high-performance automobile built by the Ford Motor Company.)

One day, while transacting business at the bank, I asked him if that was his car. “No,” he replied, “that’s my passion, my reason to get up every morning and go to work. I’m going to own one someday.”

I understand this young man’s…

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Wisdom when you don’t know what to Do

Wisdom when you don’t know what to Do

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.

James 1:5

Have you ever been at that fork in the road when you didn’t know what to do? Should you go left or right? Make this decision or the other one? Sometimes both decisions seem good, but you have to make a choice. In those times, we can lean on God for wisdom to make the best decision we can at that season of our lives. Only God has all the…

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Living with an Eye on Eternity

Living with an Eye on Eternity

Read: Mark 8:36-37

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (v. 36)

We human beings seem to be hardwired to want things—and we want them now! We call it “instant gratification.” Why should we wait? Instant gratification may sound good, but is it really? Most of the things we want satisfy us for the moment, but most do not have long-lasting positive effects on us.…

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Through the Cross

My coworker Tom keeps an 8″ by 12″ glass cross on his desk. His friend Phil, who like Tom is a cancer survivor, gave it to him to help him look at everything “through the cross.” The glass cross is a constant reminder of God’s love and good purposes for him.

That’s a challenging idea for all believers in Jesus, especially during difficult times. It’s much easier to focus on our problems than on…

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Visible Reminders

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”  Colossians 3:2

What’s the first image you see when you turn on your computer? Maybe it’s a family portrait or a special vacation picture. Or perhaps your favorite pro athlete.

How about an artist’s rendition of Jesus? A man once wrote to me about his lengthy battle with pornography—a disheartening cycle that punctuated seasons of…

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Compassion that Leads to Action

Compassion that Leads to Action

Read: Mark 8:1-10

I have compassion on the crowd . . . (v. 2)

The thing about Jesus is that he always has compassion for people. If he is truly God incarnated and was walking around on this earth, that ought to give us great encouragement. It’s the best news ever! God really cares for us!

He certainly showed he cared here in the verses we read today. Again, a great crowd had gathered and they…

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God of the Depths

God of the Depths

“When you go to the deep sea, every time you take a sample, you’ll find a new species,” says marine biologist Ward Appeltans. In one recent year, scientists identified 1,451 new types of undersea life. We simply don’t know the half of what’s down there.

In Job 38–40, God reviewed His creation for Job’s benefit. In three poetic chapters, God highlighted the wonders of weather, the vastness of the…

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Enjoy Life while you are Alive

Enjoy Life while you are Alive

Find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 5:18

To wake up every morning is a gift from God. Even on Mondays when many of us start the work week! There’s joy because the Creator of the universe found it fit to give us breath and life. Our enjoyment doesn’t always mean that we need a vacation—although some of us may need to take time off for rest and…

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Strangers Welcome Strangers

When my husband and I moved to Seattle to be near his sister, we didn’t know where we would live or work. A local church helped us find a place: a rental house with many bedrooms. We could live in one bedroom, and rent the others to international students. For the next three years, we were strangers welcoming strangers: sharing our home and meals with people from all over the world. We and our…

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Seeing the Signs of God

Seeing the Signs of God

Read: Mark 8:11-13

Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation. (v. 12)

It’s a good question that Jesus asks. And we can sense a bit of frustration in his tone. Unfortunately, our generation likes signs too—wonders and miracles, and anything fantastic to impress us. Some of the most popular movies feature superheroes with remarkable powers.

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How to Handle an Anxious Heart

How to Handle an Anxious Heart

Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not!

Isaiah 35:4

Not too long after my first child was born, I applied to graduate school. Everything seem to be going in the right direction—I was accepted and most of school costs would be covered. However, I didn’t feel God’s peace about it. The more I prayed about it, the less assurance I felt about going back to school at that time.…

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An Anchor When We’re Afraid

An Anchor When We’re Afraid

Are you a worrier? I am. I wrestle with anxiety almost daily. I worry about big things. I worry about small things. Sometimes, it seems like I worry about everything. Once in my teens, I called the police when my parents were four hours late getting home.

Scripture repeatedly tells us not to be afraid. Because of God’s goodness and power, and because He sent Jesus to die for us and His Holy…

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Solid Rock and Sinking Sand

Solid Rock and Sinking Sand

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24

Over the past several years we’ve seen hurricanes wreak mind-boggling destruction. When a hurricane hits, countless homes and lives are washed into the sea, and the things people count on the most don’t hold up to the storm’s furious surges.

We all have hurricanes…

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How Jesus Healed

Read: Mark 8:22-26

He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. (v. 23)

These verses remind me of the words of an old hymn: “What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Jesus! What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord!” The blind man in Mark 8 must have had similar thoughts. Why? Because of several things we see in these verses about Jesus.

First, the considerate nature of Jesus: he…

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He Knows Us

Did God know about me as I drove at night on a 100-mile journey to my village? Given the condition I was in, the answer was not simple. My temperature ran high and my head ached. I prayed, “Lord, I know you are with me, but I’m in pain!”

Tired and weak, I parked by the road near a small village. Ten minutes later, I heard a voice. “Hello! Do you need any help?” It was a man with his companions…

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Pay Attention!

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16

I would love to have a dollar for every time I heard my Mom say, “Joe, pay attention to what you’re doing!” As I was growing up, there was always something more fun to distract me from the task at hand.

To be honest, I still need reminders like that,…