Love
-
Specifics of the Spiritually Mismatched
Well I realize that that past few posts have challenged us as we consider suffering. We also looked at what Jesus clearly told us. Jesus said: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn…
-
First LOVE
We have been chatting about suffering. It can truly blow up your mind to consider the reasons of God for suffering. Not too long ago the Lord spoke to me about my unequally yoked marriage. It was likely in a challenging season when I was complaining to God about His delay in saving my pre-believer.…
-
Moments of Delight and Moments of Despair
The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. My friends, it’s great to be back with you! I had an amazing week in New York City with my mother and dear friend Sally, who is also my son-in-love’s mother. Definitely a family trip filled with special surprises and blessings that I know came from God’s heart to…
-
Love Conqers All
My friends, I am overwhelmed by the force of God's love. It is powerful, relentless, consuming and vast. It is tender, gentle, perfect and complete. It is who He is, what we long for, what the world needs, and the answer to every thing. Love. God's love. The greatest force on earth and the conduit…
-
What Does Thankfulness Do?
SUM family, we talked last week about the first two keys, forgiveness and love. On the subject of love I just want to make one more point that the Holy Spirit reminded about me over the weekend. We reference 2 Timothy 1:7 frequently when we talk about fear. For God has not given us a…
-
How Do We Love?
My friends, I’d planned to talk briefly about love and then move into thankfulness, but the Holy Spirit impressed our Father’s heart on this subject upon me and I want to give that ample space. So today we will talk about love, the second key in this Abundant Life series. I want to tell you…
-
What Happens When You Hunger For More Of God – Lynn’s Story
This is an unlikely story. This is a story of a God who loves one ordinary woman with such capacity and faithfulness that He would move His hand in astounding circumstances to touch her life and respond to the cry of her heart. This is my story. An ordinary blonde, sometimes whacky and somehow hopeful,…
-
Your Mismatched Marriage Isn’t a “But” (part 2)
My friends, on Tuesday we started talking about seeing our marriages instead of a but, to see them as a "But God…" My heart is to encourage you to walk in God's truths and to be all that His heart and love have declared and planned for you to be. The more I work in…
-
Seek Him Like Never Before!
…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom…
-
My Daughter Taught Me to be Generous
My friends, I’ve heard it said a few times in the last few years that the Holy Spirit doesn’t come child-sized. That’s an amazing thought when you think about it, that just as God’s Spirit dwells in us in “size” and strength, He dwells in our children too when they have made that all important…
-
Even Bullies Need Love
Hello, SUMites! Welcome to week three of the Equipping Our Kids in a Contrary Culture series. This week I’m zeroing in on chapter six in our book, Not Alone, about Generous Kids. I share some stories in this chapter about my daughters, stories that are near and dear to my heart and one that nearly…
-
Making GOoDly Choices
My friends, this week I'm drawing from chapter 5 (Peaceful Kids) of our book, Not Alone. I find more and more that our choices are the starting points of success, whether that be in attaining goals or pressing in for breakthroughs. One of the greatest gifts we can teach our children is to help them…
-
How To Be The MOST Powerful Voice In Your Kid’s Lives
Back To School: Equipping Kids in a contrary culture (Lynn) Every, single, day our children are bombarded with voices. Social media and television shout continual messages of entitlement, moral ambiguity, hate, lust and fear, to name only a few. Sheesh! With so much chatter coming at our kids we can fear our voice might…
-
Chapter One: Extraordinary Kids (part one)
My friends, have we bought a lie? Have we bought into the lie that we’re powerless and alone in helping our children navigate the confusing and changing culture of today? That we are not enough? I find it so interesting that just a few days ago I stood on my front porch, chatting with one…
-
I Kick Disappointment To The Curb!
I began this series on disappointment from a place of victory. Last week I have shared my defeat, struggle in captivity of the enemy and my escape. I have told you that we face a very real enemy who is continually looked for ways to derail our faith and life in God. The enemy will…
-
Joseph: Fruitful in Challenging Places (part 2)
Yesterday we stopped right at the point in Joseph's story where things looked pretty good. God's favor had blessed Potiphar's house greatly, but then things took a turn to the worst. Joseph was falsely accused of trying to rape Potiphar's wife and Joseph wound up in prison. What happened to God's favor? But the Lord…
-
July 4th: Renewing Our Hope and Trust in God
Dear SUM family, Lynn and I hope and pray the series on the Books of Peter has encouraged and strengthened you. We enjoyed sharing this journey with you, and Lynn and I both feel so honored to be a part of this community and to be praying for you. Your requests Monday have moved our…
-
Do You Need Healing? The Books Of Peter – Suffering & Healing
He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed." -1 Peter 3:24 Dineen and I chatted this morning about this very thing, our thoughts centered on Isaiah 61:1 The Bible is clear that we will…
-
Books of Peter: Secure in the Face of Opposition (part 2)
Dear friends, on Wednesday we talked about how it was Peter’s intent to encourage his readers to be of one mind as believers, to place loving each other as brothers and sisters in Christ above disagreements and insults. Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as…
-
Submission – The Books of Peter
Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such…
-
The Books of Peter: Secure in the Face of Opposition (part 1)
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to…