DEVOTIONS THAT MATTER

Consistency. If we truly began to understand the strength that rests in that one word our lives would be limitless! In our spiritual life consistency is so vital Jesus tells us; “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in...

The question for the church today is not whether it is well-fed, but whether it is well-sent. ...

Conflict is unavoidable. From the first pages of Scripture to the headlines of today, human relationships have always carried the weight of disagreement, misunderstanding, and conflict. Yet what feels new is not conflict itself but our inability to handle it well. Good grief we are at a record fail of mastering conflict resolution!We live in a reactionary age. We speak before we listen. We form op...

It’s a New Year! Time to reflect, refocus, recommit, and remember the nourishment that gives us life. How we spend our time. Where we invest our energy. What we nourish our physical and spiritual bodies with.I am a student of God’s Word; however, I have yet to commit to reading the Bible in chronological order from Genesis to Revelation. So this year, I’m accepting the challenge! I picked up the D...

I woke this morning with an image in my thoughts and a word resting quietly on my heart.Some of my favorite memories as a child are falling asleep with anticipation that the subtle flurries of snow that began falling during dinner would be a covered winter wonderland upon waking the next morning.  There is a silence that only comes after a heavy snowfall. Before my feet ever touched the floor the ...

A young man within our church family felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit to touch lives on Christmas Day with the light and love of Jesus. As a result, we met a beautiful community that invests weekly in the stories and feeding of a homeless community in Marietta. There were many precious conversations and God-winks along the way; however, one conversation kept me up last night. A gentleman who pick...

The beginning of a new year often stirs a holy restlessness within us. We sense that God is inviting us into something deeper, more rooted, more alive, and more formed by Him than by the world's pace. We set goals, make plans, and choose words for the year. Yet, beneath all that lies a quieter invitation: Come away, be still, and listen. Charles H. Spurgeon captures this invitation as a brilliant ...

A new year often invites us to pause and reflect on where we’ve been and to consider where we are going. Calendars reset, plans are written in fresh ink, and with them comes a quiet desire: to grow. For many, that growth begins with a renewed commitment to reading the Bible. A reading plan feels like the right place to start, and it is. But Scripture invites us not only to read, but to taste and s...

“You know, at the end of the day, when you close the door, and you're all alone... And you strip off your armor and lower your guard and peel away the mask... When there's nobody watching and nothing to hide... And you no longer need to be strong or clever or pretty or brave... There's just you. That's it. That's the soul.” ― Dylan Horrocks, Batgirl (2000-2006)It’s that time of the year again! In ...

Glory is a Cavapoo a.k.a “Velcro Dog”. She lives up to this trait to the best of her ability! Wherever I go, she goes with me. I can hear the pitter patter of her paws follow me to the laundry room. If I’m at my desk, she is curled up in her bed next to my office. If I go to the garage her fluffy little face is peaking around the door to see what I’m up to. She literally follows me everywhere!But ...

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, encompasses wholeness, completeness, well-being, and harmony with God, others, and ourselves. It’s the way things were always meant to be, a life lived in right relati...

“Do no harm”We have a silent suffering among us that has extended beyond a bully on the playground. When relationships become challenging, disagreements occur, misunderstandings happen; instead of having the difficult conversations people are “ghosting” or “cutting” people off. While silence may feel like self-protection, it often becomes a quiet wound to those left without explanation, closure, o...

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday and we off to the races, Christmas is here! In my desire to let the Advent season speak with the greatest voice I find myself feeling the tightness in my chest, the swirling ideas of gift shopping, the endless lists of things that need to be done before the end of December, and well that feeling of overwhelm has taken root. We are only 4 days in to the Ad...

There’s something ancient and sacred about a candle. Long before electricity lit our homes, candles pushed back the darkness. They were made from beeswax, tallow, and oils collected through hard work, each one a small reminder of provision. Candles illuminated late-night studies, warmed dinner tables, and guided travelers home. They marked celebrations, sacred milestones, and moments of stillness ...

Hope is not optimism, nor is it wishful thinking. Hope is a certainty rooted in the character and promises of God. It is the quiet conviction that, even when we stand in the shadows, a greater light is on its way. Advent is the season the Church pauses to remember that the world waited once for Christ to come and still waits for His return. It is a season of holy longing, steady trust, and expecta...

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” John 1:9 Every December, our calendars fill up quickly with decorating parties, shopping lists, cookie exchanges, and Christmas programs. The lights twinkle, the music plays, and the busyness propels us at warp speed through the end of the year. We gather, we give, we prepare, and we entertain. Yet in the midst of the hustle ...

The holiday season is officially here! Thursday, we will gather around a table filled with the annual traditions and recipes that symbolize family, legacy, and love. On Sunday, we begin the journey to the manger as we step into the season of Advent, a time to prepare our hearts for the greatest gift of love given to all of humanity: Jesus. As we deck the halls, shop for treasures, and enjoy the be...

In the quiet stillness of winter, when many trees stand bare, the live oak keeps its leaves. Strong, sprawling, and rooted deep in the earth, it stretches its branches wide as if sheltering all who rest beneath it. Spanish moss drapes elegantly from its arms and dances in the winter winds. And among its twisted branches and expansive limbs  grows something unexpected and symbolic. Mistletoe, a pla...

Dance is a language of movement, joy, and worship. Scripture tells us again and again that the people of God expressed their praise with their whole selves, not just their words.“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.” Psalm 149:3In dance we experience something beautiful: our body, mind, and spirit moving in unity. Physical health grows through strength...

Like Sand Through the Hourglass…I was a huge Days of Our Lives fan in High School. I can still see the image of the hourglass and hear the voice of the narrator opening each episode. Time has always been fluid in my life. It is not my intent to be rude or disrespectful I just typically run fashionably late. There are moments in life when God uses simple, ordinary experiences to teach us profound t...