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How Faith is Formed

Guest Post by C.A. Simonson “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16 – New Living Translation) How is faith formed? “Little by little, line upon line, precept upon precept…” My mother taught me how to pray and believe in faith. My mother began teaching me to …

The Message and the Messenger

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (NIV)             Amy Hollingsworth, author of The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers (I highly recommend this book, by …

WHEN GOD IS SILENT

Guest post by author Linda Apple “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27: 45 & 46 There have been times I’ve cried out to God for help, only to feel as if my prayers hit the ceiling and fell to the floor. My pain was real. I …

A Door of Hope

“I will… make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.” Hosea 2:15 (ESV)             I have a fascination with doors and gates. So, when I had the opportunity to travel to the Cotswolds (England) this past fall, I was delighted to discover an abundance of unusual and picturesque doorways.  Doors represent access or egress, …

Everything We Need

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)             One of my biggest oversights, as a disciple …

The God Who Sees Me

Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” Genesis 16:13 (NLT) Hagar was frightened. She was hurting. She was confused. Alone, in the hot, dry desert, without help, without hope, without answers to her dire circumstances, Hagar faced a …

He Knows My Name

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:3 (NIV) My British Mum was born shortly before WWII broke out. The first few years of her life were difficult and filled with raids, rations, and two evacuations to the countryside. After the war ended, her father returned home (he was a …

Who Holds Your Hand?

I hold you by your right hand – I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, “Don’t be afraid, I am here to help you.” Isaiah 41:13 (NLT) One of my main responsibilities as a mother is to protect my children. When they were little, I did a lot of handholding; in parking …

Remember your Promise to Me

Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles Psalm 119:49-50 (NLT) “But Mom, you promised!”             His face looks so sad, I can’t help but feel like a bad parent. “I’m sorry son, but I completely forgot. Maybe we can go to …

God of the Good Times, God of the Bad Times

“I am the LORD, and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things.” Isaiah 45:6-7 (NLT) Merriam-Webster defines the word ‘bad’ as disagreeable, unpleasant, objectionable, or unwelcome. While bad times typically connote something unpleasant, …