I don’t want any weeds in my family. I want “mine” to shine like the Son! Now that Mom has graduated to heaven, I’m the “matriarch” of this family, and as the matriarch, I must step up my prayers for every member. I must pray daily. Fervently. Without ceasing and…

I love that Jesus told parables. He told stories using elements to which His listeners could relate, and those stories captured their attention. Yes, He entertained His listeners. And then, in the midst of the tale, He presented a moral point with the potential to change their thinking or behavior.…

This statement makes me weep. How could these people who followed Him and listened to His words and witnessed His miracles not believe? The Truth stood right in front of them! And today, how can people deny His power to pardon and redeem? The truth would set them free if…

I love the hymn, “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” by Louisa M.R. Stead—have you learned to trust Him? ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word; Just to rest upon His promise, And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!” Refrain: Jesus, Jesus,…

So begins one of Jesus’ parables. So many seeds sown! Some fell on the hardened path, some on rocky ground, some among thorns, some on fertile soil… Whether the seeds took root and grew into a usable plant depended on where the seeds landed. But Jesus didn’t tell the sower…

“Oh be careful little tongue what you say…” The children’s song is cute, but there’s a lot of truth behind it. Words matter. It seems these days that people are all about their “right” to say whatever they want to. But what about responsibility? To whom am I most accountable—me…

It’s not that hard to fool people, sad to say. So many are fooled by eloquent or fervent speech that holds not an element of truth. But none of us can fool our Creator. He sees my heart. Whatever I choose to fill myself up with will eventually find its…

This verse is great for self-evaluation. I need to stop now and then and ask myself: What is my fruit? Am I living in a way that shows His influence? Am I being selfish or selfless with my time and resources? Am I growing in grace and compassion? Am I…

“Oh! To Be Like Thee!” by Thomas O. Chisholm makes a beautiful prayer of dedication for this new year…and every year thereafter. 1. Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer, This is my constant longing and prayer; Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.…

How we Americans like our gray areas. There are so many different ideas about what is right or wrong. People like to set their own standards. But the problem is, when we all set our own standards, then there really is no standard at all. Jesus said it so well—if…