Being born again! Many people believe this and many people do not, but it is written and I choose to believe. The Word of God is the heart of God and it is truth! “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” 1 Peter 1:23-25 We are chosen by God to be His prize possessions…

This scripture is from James – the brother of Jesus! Can you imagine being Jesus’ brother on earth, how incredible that would be!! Read this scripture and soak it in. James does not say IF we have troubles he says WHEN we have troubles. Troubles WILL come in your life, when they do…embrace them and consider it an opportunity for great joy. More from James Chapter 1 tomorrow. Encouragement: Monday’s always bring joy to me, we get to be out in the workplace among people and shine the light of Christ! Go shine bright!! Stay Rooted, L & H

The greatest gift ever given to mankind was the day “darkness fell across the whole land and the curtain in the Temple was torn down the middle.” It was the day when Jesus spoke his last words saying, “It is finished.” It should have been us on the cross. The cross is our gift. It all goes back to the cross. When God sacrificed His son EVERYTHING changed! Jesus “personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” (1 Peter 3:24) When Jesus died for us, our Father forgave…

We are all guilty of regifting right? Someone gives you a gift but for various reasons you decide you can’t really use it so you give it to someone else. (Don’t raise your hand….) But the gifts we receive from God are just for us. He chose them for us. Unlike the regift- we can’t just pretend our gift isn’t there and give it away. God’s word tells us to use our gifts and serve others. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 Too often the pressure of society makes us…

I recently attended the sweetest birthday party for a special little girl. Watching her little hands going for the bows and paper put a big ol’ smile on my face. At one year old the content of the gift doesn’t really matter too much. Boxes and paper typically steal the show! But could you imagine a birthday where every single guest brought you the same gift? Besides being awkward, that would be a pretty boring birthday. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12 that everyone possesses a variety of spiritual gifts. They are described as spiritual gifts because God alone granted them. He is the source! All the gifts God…

In the story of Adam and Eve we see sin for the first time in the Bible. Life is perfect in the garden for these two love birds until the shrewdest wild animal of all – the serpent – asks Eve a question, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Satan was asking Eve a question he already knew the answer to! This is manipulation at its best. Eve answers, “of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. It is only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are…

Paul give us much advice in 1 Thessalonians 5 about encouragement and how we can encourage others as Christians. Patience is an example of us being an encouragement to others. I was not a patient person before I met Jesus. My attitude was demanding and there was a lot of huffing and puffing as I got annoyed with people easily. It was because I had a hard heart, lacked love and this gave me no patience. Thank goodness for Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and transformation. For me now, I wake up thankful for each day and ask God to fill me up with His power and love. I pray for…

Will you serve God or yourself or another imperfect substitute? The choice is yours. “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” – powerful words said by Joshua in chapter 24 and words that have great and powerful meaning to me! #commitment Joshua did not just verbally say this, he was a leader with action and showed it! Talk is cheap! It is easy to say we will follow God but what do your actions say? Joshua’s faith in God was shown by his powerful leadership through action…He obeyed God’s Word and also loved Him wholeheartedly. Joshua is a leader who served God first and his people…

When my daughter was a little girl she would often say, ‘Mommy, who is your favorite?’ She is the youngest with two older brothers. My response was always the same. “I love all three of you with all my heart, but you are my favorite daughter.” (Oh those days go by fast!) I thought about her little innocent question as I was reading Romans 2:11: “For God does not show favoritism.” Over and over again it is written: Galatians 2:6 “God has no favorites” Ephesians 6:9 “…and he has no favorites.” Colossians 3:25 “…for God has no favorites…” Acts 10:34 “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.” We…

Paul wrote: Always be joyful **** Look for the positives in people and in your day to day experiences. I’m always asking my team, what went well, what was your win. There will always be something to improve, but start with what went well. Never stop praying **** pray about all things. Talk to God. Be honest when you’re struggling and then say prayers of thank you’s when you aren’t. Be thankful in ALL circumstances**** I’m often asked, “How are you leading through such a crisis?” My faith sustains me. God is with me. I am thankful. We acknowledge the challenge, adjust our plans and move forward. We persevere. Each…