Gratitude is the gateway to the miraculous. We can learn to give thanks before our miracle by applying the lessons in thanksgiving modeled by Jesus. Thank God for Providing “He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds” (Matthew 15:36, ESV). Jesus and the disciples were confronted with an overwhelming need. Both Matthew and Mark describe two different feedings of the multitude who had followed them for an extended length of time with no access to food. Jesus was conscious of the need and already had a supernatural solution in mind, but He called his disciples to action. Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” Needs reveal the true object of our trust. Where do we turn for help in a crisis? Do we cry out to the Lord, or do we look for our own solutions? Jesus was testing His disciples to see where they would go when confronted with a need so great that no human plan would work. Acknowledging The Provider is a seed for a miracle. When we realize “What I can do is insufficient and…

Conflict, fighting, division, harsh words—reveal something deeper than personality differences or circumstances. Scripture reminds us that unrest is evidence of a heart out of step with God. A broken world is watching closely, longing to see a different way of living. God calls His people to be that witness to embody harmony, humility, and peace in a divided age. Peacemaking does not come naturally. It is a spiritual discipline, formed as we walk daily with Christ. As we submit our hearts to Him, He trains us to reflect His peace in our homes, churches, workplaces, and communities. Consider these four principles for growing as a peacemaker. Peacemakers Love Like God Am I motivated by love? James offers a searching question: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1, ESV) Conflict always begins in the heart. Before we attempt to resolve outward tension, we must first examine our inward posture toward God. Jesus made it unmistakably clear that love is the greatest commandment—and that love for God cannot be separated from love for others (Matthew 22:36–40). Only the love of God, actively shaping our hearts, can…

God invites us to participate in the process of discovering and developing the dreams He has placed within our hearts. If you sense God stirring holy desires in you, consider walking through these four phases on the path to possibility. Seek “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV). God gave you His capacity to dream. When He created you in His image, He placed within you a reflection of His own ability to imagine, create, and bring life from possibility. The inspiration, ability, and power to accomplish your unique purpose all originate with Him. Take time to intentionally awaken the divine DNA God has placed inside you. Cultivate honest conversations with Him about your desires and longings. Bring those dreams into the light of Scripture and wise counsel, allowing God to confirm, refine, or redirect your steps. Speak truth over yourself daily: “I am becoming who God has created me to be.” Shape “Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1, ESV).…

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16 This week, we have been talking about choices. We have considered different stories from the Bible where decisions had to be made and the lessons we can learn from them. It is important to remember that Jesus chose us first. Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” He loved us when we did not deserve His love. He looked beyond our faults and failures and saw what we could be. His blood cleanses us from all sin. His Holy Spirit abides in our hearts. His Word gives us strength and guidance in the right paths. What a privilege it is to know Him and to serve Him. In a world filled…