Maturity Is a Process Tony EvansIn His Presence: Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:13-14).God’s goal for all of us is Christl...  Read More

What it Means to Have Faith that Can Move MountainsBy Whitney Hopler“… Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17:20 NIVWhile hiking the Craggy Pinnacle trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway, I looked out on a clear afternoon to see mountains surrounding me i...  Read More

A Prayer for the Obstacles in Your WayChelsey DeMatteis“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.’” - Exodus 10:21We measure much of our lives by the obstacles we face. I wonder, though, what would happen if we instead measured life by God's faithfulness and steadfastness? Obstacles are just a ...  Read More

What Would it Look Like to Worship God 24/7?By Annie YortyYou are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased. - Revelation 4:11 NLTI rose to my feet in the dim light of the sanctuary as the opening strains of music called the congregation to worship. My heart lifted to God as I joined in singing abou...  Read More

Winning an Offended BrotherBayless ConleyProverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle.When this verse refers to a "strong city," it means a fortified or a guarded city. You cannot just waltz up to the gate of a fortified city and say "give up." It takes strategic planning to take such a city. You have to think things through a...  Read More

Wisdom from the PsalmsPsalms 49:16-17Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.Shied Industries was made great by one man: Grayson Shields. He devoted himself to his work, and he made a fortune by his efforts. During his climb to the top, he experienced tow divorces; lost ...  Read More

When God's Plan Doesn't Make SenseBayless ConleyIn Joshua 6:1-5 we find one of the most bizarre battle plans, but one with an important lesson for you and me,Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the cit...  Read More

Life is Short... How Do I Make it Count?By Jeanne DoyonI will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I still have my being. - Psalm 146:2I don't know how many years I have left to live and love. Life is short and the older I get, the clearer that is to me. The fact is, none of us know. Life is short, so I think I should live each day with that in mind.The meaning of this...  Read More

Faithful with Little, Given MuchDaily DisciplesToday's Reading: 2 Samuel 12; Luke 16"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, ...  Read More

Sweet Ebenezers – Alistair BeggNow, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.” ...  Read More

The Power and Mystery of Obedience Alistair BeggThe Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons” … Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem.  1 Samuel 16:1, 1 Samuel 16:4Samuel stands ou...  Read More

A Prayer about the Power of PrayerBy Jessica Van Roekel“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and what is the immeasurable greatness ...  Read More