“Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” (Acts 16:26 NIV). Sometimes we need God to shake up our lives.It’s particularly true when we find ourselves locked up in prisons of our own making, like a... Continue Reading →

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free” (Galatians 5:13 NIV). God wants you to live in freedom. Let that sink in for a bit.In fact, the Bible says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free”(Galatians 5:13 NIV). Freedom is your calling. God doesn’t want you to live a buttoned-down, constrained life.... Continue Reading →

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9 NASB). You’ll encounter lots of doors in your life. You’ll find doors to happiness, doors to sadness, doors to success, and doors to failure. Some doors are traps, and others are opportunities. Your success in life largely depends on which doors... Continue Reading →

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT). Love can be absolutely exhausting. Don’t let anyone fool you. The kind of love that really makes a difference in this world will zap everything out of you.Sometimes you just don’t feel like you have any more... Continue Reading →

“Do all your work in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14 GNT).   The apostle Paul says, “Do all your work in love”(1 Corinthians 16:14 GNT).He doesn’t say some of your work but all of your work. He also says that “no matter . . . what I do, I’m bankrupt without love” (1 Corinthians 13:3 The Message). The point is that any job can... Continue Reading →

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart” (Philippians 1:7 NIV). I’ve discovered that if people are not on my heart, they’re on my nerves. If you don’t have your kids in your heart, they get on your nerves. If you don’t have your... Continue Reading →

[God] hears us whenever we ask him; and since we know this is true, we know also that he gives us what we ask from him” (1 John 5:15 GNT). Do you ever wonder if prayer really works? You’re praying about something and Satan whispers to you, “Who do you think you are? What do you... Continue Reading →

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4 NIV). If you want to connect with people, you start with their needs, not your own. Start with their hurts, not your own. Start with what they want, not what you want. There’s an old Chinese saying that says this: “Seek to... Continue Reading →

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7 NIV). God accepts us, despite our messy lives, impure motives, and irritating attitudes. One of the ways we reflect God’s love and bring him glory is to accept one another just as he accepts us. This means we... Continue Reading →