Posts with the category “devotional”

Ruth 1:14b-18 “At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where ...  Read More

Ruth 1:11-14a Some of the greatest stories of fiction have this moment when all hope is lost. There is no way out, circumstances are beyond the control of the person, and the story seems to have ended here at this tragic point. I’m thinking of a classic like “Where’s Waldo?” (well maybe not a classic? but my kids loved them). You search through those pictures desperate to find this dude with glass...  Read More

Ruth 1:6-10 Anytime I hear or see the word “pivot”, my mind instantly goes to the episode of friends when they are moving the couch on the stairs. While pivoting often comes at a stressful or crucial time in our lives, the same was true for Ruth. We see this play out in today's passage as difficult choices were made by Naomi. We see in just this short passage multiple pivots being made.“When Naomi...  Read More

Ruth 1:1-5   I still remember it like it was yesterday. We had arrived in West Branch at my parent’s cabin for a week of swimming, ice cream, late-night movies, games, and a ton of fun…that is until my parents received the fateful call. I was sitting in the living room across from the kitchen as that phone call came. One of my parent’s pastors was trying to get a hold of my aunt and uncle (who wer...  Read More

Week 1Main Point and Overview:    Can you imagine going through “that kind” of pain! You lose your husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law all within a short period of time. In the culture of that day, women did not have the financial and physical opportunities that they have today. All of a sudden, comfort and contentment was “out the window” for these three ladies. They were now faced with th...  Read More

Titus 2:6-8 & Proverbs 20:7 “Do as I say and not as I do.” This statement frustrated me to no end when I was a child. You may not consider it, but children develop a sense of morality and fairness much earlier than you might think. I remember thinking to myself things like, “why is this thing okay for them but not for me?” Or “why should I have to do this when you never do?” Now that I have kids o...  Read More

2 Timothy 1:5 Generational impact is SO very important! How we choose to live out our faith WILL make an impact whether good or bad. The hope is that we choose to live out our faith in a Christ-like manner so that we can be that example to our children, our children’s children, and to others outside of our little church at home. I am the woman I am today because I watched both of my parents live o...  Read More

1 Samuel 2 I think we can all agree that enablement never leads to anything good. As the fun uncle growing up with lots of nieces and nephews, I could enable the kids to do something, but 99% of the time they took it way too far and either got hurt or got in trouble. We can take it a step further and talk about how not correcting issues leads to enablement, the type that I believe we often think a...  Read More

Proverbs 3:11-12 Let’s be honest here, no parent loves to discipline their kids. Quite frankly, it can be the most challenging part of parenting. However, discipline is not just beneficial; it’s essential. In Proverbs 3:11-12, it says, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” God sh...  Read More

Proverbs 22:6 Ever since I was a child, I knew that I wanted to be a mom. As I got older, I had a deep desire that I knew God had put on my heart to bear children. Our journey wasn’t easy, but I sit here writing this after putting my beautiful 8 month old son to bed.“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NIVThis verse is...  Read More

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 I remember when I was younger my parents and the church we were in really pushed for us to memorize God’s Word! These verses say to “impress them on your children.” Knowing God’s Word is so important! This is one command that all Christian children should know! Love the Lord your God with all that you are! It is repeated many times in this passage to show how important it is to k...  Read More

Week 5Main Point and Overview:   Raising your children to follow the Lord is NOT a small responsibility, in fact, it is the greatest responsibility a person has in regard to influence. You are a steward for God of the most precious gift. How will you handle this incredible opportunity? Thankfully, the Bible is filled with tremendous truths that can both safeguard your family and inspire them to im...  Read More

John 14:25-33 I remember a night shortly after my wife and I moved to Ortonville that was a transition point for me. One of our favorite things is to sit in our backyard late at night around a bonfire. People always come up with interesting discussions around a bonfire and ours often divulged into talks about God. At this point we did not really belong to a church, and I remember making a statemen...  Read More

John 15:16-17 John 15:16-17 tells us that we didn’t choose Jesus but that He chose us so that we would go and bear fruit and that our fruit would abide so that whatever we asked, the Father would give to us. When I read through just these verses, I am not gonna lie, I had a hard time at first understanding how the verses even related to us being homeless without Jesus. As I studied them more and p...  Read More

John 15:9-15 By now you should know that I am a huge Michigan State fan, such a fan that you will never see me cheering for the school down the road. To some that may seem crazy but let’s be honest, the rivalry goes both ways in a lot of fans minds. However, I still love Michigan fans, I believe that we can come together and support the cheering of Ohio State losing at any given time. I say all th...  Read More

John 15:7-8 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You’ve probably heard that song, right? It’s a classic in kid’s ministry.While the song is catchy and teaches us what the Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is, are we actually living it out in our day-to-day lives? How do we move from simply knowing the fruit of the Spirit to intentionally livi...  Read More

John 15:6 We are nothing without Jesus. That sounds harsh, but sometimes our heart needs to be reminded of that. John 15:6 says, “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” This verse has very specific wording: if you do not remain in me. He is addressing Christians, those who call themselves fol...  Read More

John 15:5 We can do nothing without Christ! It's amazing, just a few weeks ago we talked about how God is always with us. We have been looking into the story and life of Joseph and how God tells us time and time again how He was with Joseph. He went through many terrible things but he also was given some great privileges! When things were great, he was given a high office in Egypt and essentially ...  Read More

Week 4Main Point and Overview: So many people are always looking for the “silver bullet” to fix their family problems. They believe that if the pastor or podcaster or “self-help guru” can simply give them a “formula,” they can heal their family issues. What pastors have seen over the years is that many people are not willing to “put the work” into their spiritual healing. Instead, most are looking...  Read More

Genesis 45-50 So much can be said about the necessity for us to have a spirit of forgiveness if we want to live happily in this life. To be driven by resentment and to maintain the position of the victim, seldom if ever results in a happy and fruitful life. It is so important for our children to see forgiveness demonstrated in the home. Just like any other relationship, there are times when it see...  Read More

Genesis 42-44 What goes around…comes around, is the saying we are all used to hearing. In Gen. 42-44 we see how Joseph starts to handle how his brothers treated him now that they need his help. The brothers have NO clue Joseph is the man they are dealing with to get the grain they needed, but Joseph knew who they were. To be honest, that is pretty amazing that after all those years and aging,  Jos...  Read More

Genesis 41 It’s always easy for us to firmly believe that God always has a plan when life is going great. However, it gets a lot harder to remember that truth when life is not going as we had planned. We see this reality play out in our lives but also in the life of Pharaoh. The problem when reading today's Scripture in Genesis 41 is we often just think about Pharaoh’s dream and how God is showing...  Read More

Genesis 40 I’m sure at some point everyone has experienced a time in their life when a family member, friend, or even a co-worker has hurt them. Maybe it was a birthday party when you were younger, and your cousin blew out your candles before you could. Or maybe it was a friend who shared private information you had trusted them with on social media. In my case, it was my wedding day. A day that w...  Read More

Genesis 39 How many times have you heard “life isn’t fair?” I heard this over and over from my parents growing up! Growing up with 3 older brothers, I was told this a lot. This section of scripture can feel infuriating for us to read. Joseph was accused of taking advantage of Potiphar's wife; but it was actually the complete opposite! Joseph continued to hold his ground while Potiphar’s wife was p...  Read More

Genesis 37 I love the story of Joseph! I am also going through Joseph right now with our students on Wednesdays for Magnify. Joseph is an amazing example of God proving that He is always with us. The beginning of the story of Joseph starts here in Genesis 37 and it is an unfortunate story of envy and hatred. Joseph is the younger of many sons of Jacob. But because of the circumstance of his birth ...  Read More

Week 3Main Point and Overview:   One of the most powerful, life-giving stories you will ever read in God’s Word is the story of Joseph. No one has ever had to be as patient as Joseph with everything that he endured. Injustice after injustice after injustice did not keep him from faithfully serving the Lord, no matter what the circumstances. He is a model of Godly character for every Christian to e...  Read More

Ephesians 6:1-3 My wife Angela and I are a blended family. I met her kids at the ages of 5 and 7, and she met mine when he was 2. The first step of this relationship is easy because we are just establishing a report and have not yet focused on forming boundaries. Rules are a little loose and the focus tends to be on enjoying time together and showing love for one another. But this stage does not l...  Read More

Proverbs 1:8-9, 6:20-22 R E S P E C T find out what it means to the role of our children. The importance of our children to show and have respect towards their parents and others is just that important. We have all encountered kids who are not acting respectful and I bet that it caused you some frustration, maybe even anger. It is a natural thing we expect all humans to possess. The only problem i...  Read More

Ephesians 5:22-24 "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:22-24Before we really dive into our devotional time lets get the elephant out of the ro...  Read More

Proverbs 31: 10-12, 27-31 What do you think of when you hear the words “helper” or “support person?” For many, it can feel like a lesser role—like being the one who stands in the shadows while someone else leads. As a wife and mom, sometimes the role God designed for us can feel that way. It can feel less important than the role given to your husband, but that is so far from the truth.Genesis 2:18...  Read More

Ephesians 5:25-33 Love. 1 John 4:16, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” I’m sure there are many times in which you as a spouse may not feel like loving your partner. Maybe you’re in the heat of an argument. Maybe they’ve broken your trust. Maybe they said something to hurt you. Maybe they’re being unlovable or sinful…but you’re still called to love.1 Corinthians 13...  Read More

Ephesians 5:23 Husbands are the head of the household as Christ is the head of the church. This is a tall order for the family, especially for the husband! The husband, the man of the household, is being compared to Christ! Leadership is one of the callings to the husband. It is the main calling. Growing in Christlikeness is a call for all believers. However, we see here that a husband's position ...  Read More

Week 2Main Point and Overview: Can you imagine a chef performing your open-heart surgery, or a schoolteacher replacing your transmission on your car, or a dentist attempting to build your dream home? Think about it – it seems pretty foolish! Why? It’s because each person would be “playing out of position!” Think about it from a sports perspective: Have you ever seen a football quarterback play off...  Read More

1 Timothy 5:8; 2 Corinthians 12:14-15; Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Selfishness comes in many forms and when we examine our lives, we often see the result of it everywhere. In fact, because it is such a common thread throughout all our lives, we tend to blow it off and justify it. Oddly enough, it is especially easy for those of us with families to justify selfish living. Some of the simplest and yet most me...  Read More

Proverbs 15:1 How many times have you been caught in a moment when all you want to do, and have done, is yell out in frustration/anger? God’s word says that we are to give a soft/calm word and it will turn away wrath, but if we give a harsh word it will stir up anger. For most of us giving a soft answer/response is not always the easiest thing to do, especially when the person who is addressing us...  Read More

Ephesians 4:29-32 We have all been in a situation at some time in our lives where words were used against us that cut us like a sword. In that moment, the words cut deep and came from a disrespectful spirit. They came from anger or other emotions. We are told in today’s scripture reading that we are to use words to build each other up. We find in verse 29:“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out ...  Read More

1 Corinthians 13:5b God gives us so many examples in the Bible of what love is, and what it is not. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” We all love someone deeply, a spouse, child, or friend. Yet, showing them love the...  Read More

Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:19,21 Sometimes we read scripture and think: There’s no way I can do that. God knows I’m a sinner, so what’s the point? This expectation is impossible.“Fathers do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4“Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” Colossians 3:21These v...  Read More

Proverbs 12:1; Proverbs 29:1 Admitting wrong is never an easy thing to do! No one ever likes finding out that they did something wrong. Admitting fault or admitting that you were in the wrong in a certain situation is difficult, even for children! One thing that is never fun as a parent is disciplining your children. We were on vacation for a week or so back in March and took some time to visit wi...  Read More

Week 1Main Point and Overview: What is success in a family? Is it your son hitting the game-winning homerun? Is it your daughter getting the lead role in the school play? Is it having respectful, hard-working kids in society and school? While all of these things have value, the ultimate measurement of your family’s success will come down to having “tender hearts” toward the things of God. Does eac...  Read More