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The Search

June 13, 2013

I set out to look for God, figuring if he was out there, I would find him. I would climb as high and for as long as it might take, having no idea how long and how grueling that journey would become.

What I found was a trail that wended through disappointment and loneliness. I made wrong turns and met a few people who tried to discourage me. But I was driven on by the memory of his being there—back before things broke—and encouraged by those who helped me climb higher. I learned many things about myself, some good, some not so good. But I did find God, in the end—right where I had left him.

Excerpted from Don’t Let Me Go by David Pierce

Daily Reflection: Do you find yourself searching for God?

The Importance of Average Joes

June 12, 2013

God seems to have a special fondness for average Joes. Before they accomplished extraordinary deeds, normal guys like Gideon, David, Peter, and Paul went about their farming, sheep herding, fishing, and tent making. Even Jesus, our Redeemer, Healer, and coming King, started out using a hammer and saw in a carpenter’s shop…

In a day when compromise and political correctness rule, these simple men—average Joes—seek truth and have an unshakable commitment to doing what is right. Ask them their opinion, and you will get an earful of resolute beliefs in God, country, and family.
Strong in character, integrity, and principle, these are the unsung heroes of everyday life in America.

Excerpted from Average Joe by Troy Meeder

Daily Reflection: How can you show the average Joes in your life your appreciation?

Walking with God

June 11, 2013

When a Christian thinks about walking with God, it’s clear there are many variables included in that walk: when, where, how, and who can come with you. No matter what you do or the goals you have, God is our most important Walking Partner. And there is a very practical reason why this is important. Your Walking Companion determines the destination of your life. Walk with God, and you’ll live in His will. But walk with money and possessions, and you might get them or you might not. But one thing is sure: you’ll never be satisfied with them, and you’ll crave more.

Excerpted from The Walk by Shaun Alexander

Daily Reflection: How can you ensure that God is your only Walking Partner?

Coming of Age

June 10, 2013

“You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.” (Luke 21:16–19)

How can some of us be put to death, yet realize the promise that “not a hair of your head will perish”? The answer can only be found in a radically different concept of safety. Jesus sees things from His Father’s perspective. In His eyes, the passage from this world into eternity looks more like a coming-of-age, or a rite of passage. It’s a beginning of something much more than it is an end of something. Remember your high school graduation? Caps and gowns, hugs, high fives, and perhaps a few tears. It’s a [ … ]

The Great Winner

June 7, 2013

Step back for a moment. Way back, so that you’re no longer focusing just on your own life and the lives of those you touch. In the grand historical scheme of things—from the garden where Adam first set us men off on our course of struggle with masculinity, to the distant future long after we’ve fulfilled our legacy of being forgotten—God is working to bring His perfect plan to completion. And we know from the book of Revelation that Christ will be the conqueror on a white horse, heaven will come to earth, and all things will be made right…forever.

God is the great Winner, and so it is only appropriate that we live our lives to magnify His glory, as John Piper reminded us in the last chapter. And it only makes sense that we subject our own limited [ … ]

Our Heavenly Father

June 6, 2013

Children grow up believing that whatever version of love they receive from their parents reveals how God will love them. A demanding father teaches you that God will love you based on what you do. A controlling father will teach you that God’s love is for those who follow the rules and don’t make mistakes. A passive father will leave you convinced God’s love is distant and intangible.

In reality, God’s love is unlike anything we know. It’s not the love we have for french fries or football or even our spouses. Rather, God’s love is perfect love that can only come from a perfect Father. The Bible doesn’t just say God loves—although He does—but it clearly states that God is love.

Excerpted from God Distorted by John Bishop

Daily Reflection: This Father’s Day, how will you [ … ]

By the Grace of God

June 5, 2013

“Grace is active.

And because it is, you and I are able to live productive lives which have eternal significance. Often we think of grace as merely doctrine that explains our salvation, something which occurred in the past. But grace is power in action. Oh, if we could only get this truth into our heads and then into our daily lives, what passion it would bring to our service to Him and for Him!”

Excerpted from Lord, I Need Grace to Make it Today by Kay Arthur

Daily Reflection: How can you passionately serve the Lord in your life today?

Loving Our Kids

June 4, 2013

God is our perfect model for parenting. If we imitate God’s love as detailed in 1 Corinthians 13, we will see our kids. We’ll initiate relationship by entering their world and walking toward the miracle and the mess, even when our kids don’t appreciate it.

At times parenting will require great sacrifice. We’ll have to give up some of our freedom, endure losses, and sometimes grieve, but we must never give up trying to break down barriers that separate our kids from love. What God does for us is what love looks like in action. This is our perfect model for our job as parents. As we grow toward the ideal secure love style, our love will become a clearer picture of God’s. By the time our kids leave home, relating to God will feel a lot like relating [ … ]

Relax in His Grip

June 3, 2013

God cares about the prayers of a pregnant mom. He cares about the prayers of a panic-stricken teen. He cares about the prayers of a king facing a battle. And He cares about the battles you are facing—even, and especially perhaps, the ones that illuminate your weaknesses. He’s strong enough to take care of all your needs if you’ll just stay in His grip.

Simply be still. No wriggling, no wrestling. While you’re resting there, be thankful for your weakness, because it’s the very place His strength will manifest.

Excerpted from Get Lost by Dannah Gresh

Daily Reflection: What can you do to relax in His grip today?

Relentlessly Pursued

June 3, 2013

“Not fully embracing the idea that God really cares about you personally is the spiritual equivalent of running away from home.

But it doesn’t have to be that way, because God does care about you. The Bible
says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7).

And God is adamant that we get this message. That’s why He has given us the Bible, and the book’s plot is actually very simple. In fact, the plot would make a great subtitle: “Loving Father Relentlessly Pursues a Relationship with His Children.”

Your heavenly Father will never desert you, never abuse you, never fail to forgive you, never hold back His grace, and never condition His love on your performance. He’s determined. He is in relentless pursuit of you, and He will not [ … ]