A few months ago, I decided to give pencil sketching a try. I wanted something relaxing to do occasionally that wouldn’t require much investment. At an art store, I purchased a Pentalic sketchbook, a set of tinted German-made Staedtler pencils, and a high-quality eraser. A few weeks later, I added colored pencils and another sketchbook to my collection of supplies. Lacking sketching experience, I looked at pictures I had and did my best to replicate them with pencil drawings. My husband gives me lavish praise for my little sketches. I appreciate his enthusiasm about my new hobby, but he and…
Have you ever shopped for a new car, leaning toward a certain make and model, and suddenly that’s all you seem to see on the road? It isn’t that more of them appeared overnight—it’s that you’re now aware of what was there all along. In much the same way, I’ve noticed that when God is speaking to me about a particular subject, it seems to show up everywhere—articles, conversations, and even podcasts. Recently, what has captured my attention is the uniqueness of different generations: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. At the same time, my husband and I have felt a distinct calling to step more intentionally into mentoring within the church. Titus 2 presents a generational pattern: older men should walk uprightly, be sound in faith, and exhort younger men to wisdom and patience. Older women are instructed to live holy lives, teaching younger women how to honor God in their families and relationships, showing love and respect to their husbands. As Brett Harris once said, “The beauty of collaboration between older and younger generations is that we combine strength with wisdom—a powerful force for change.” Each generation carries its own experiences, perspectives, and influences. But when energy, passion,…
“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19, KJV). “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11, KJV). As we look ahead, we should be filled with hope and expectation. The Lord Himself declares, “Behold, I will do a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19). Do you believe it? These verses remind us not to dwell on past failures or fears but to embrace the new things God is doing in our lives. We cannot change the past, but we can trust God’s promise of a future filled with hope. Declare in Jesus’ name: “God is doing something new in me!” The phrase “new beginning” means a point at which something starts anew. This could be moving to a new place, starting a different career, developing new habits, or—most importantly—experiencing renewal in our walk with God. Scripture is full of examples of new beginnings, and…
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14, KJV). “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15–16, KJV). What Does It Mean to Go Beyond? The word beyond means “on the further side of,” “a place not yet reached,” or “to a greater degree or excellence.” We often hear the phrase “above…
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if…
“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep. In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” (Luke 15:4–7, NLT.) “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10, KJV.) In Luke 15, Jesus told three parables—the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the lost son. Though the settings differ, each story carries the same truth: one soul is priceless. The word pursuit means “the action of following or pursuing someone or something.” To pursue is to move forward with intention, to seek without giving up. That is exactly what we…