02/13/2026“However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”— 1 Peter 4:16 (NIV)There is something powerful about a name.When my wife Caryn and I named our daughters, we didn’t just pick something that sounded good. We prayed. We considered meaning. We thought about legacy. A name carries identity. It carries belonging. It carries purpose.Peter writ...  Read More

02/12/2026“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”Philippians 4:13 (NIV)The apostle Paul wrote these words not from a place of comfort, but from a prison cell. Chained. Restricted. Watched. Yet full of joy. When we read, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength,” we often hear it as a motivational slogan. But Paul wasn’t talking about winning a race or closing a deal. He ...  Read More

02/11/2026“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” — 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)There is a beautiful confidence in the opening words: “God is able.” Paul does not say God might bless you. He does not say God sometimes blesses you. He boldly declares that God is able.Paul writes these words in the contex...  Read More

02/10/2026“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”— Romans 5:3–4 (NIV)There’s something in us that wants growth without pressure, strength without strain, and hope without hardship. But Paul flips that instinct on its head. He says we glory in sufferings. Not because pain is good, but bec...  Read More

02/09/2026“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”— Psalm 94:19 (NIV)There’s something deeply honest about this verse. The psalmist doesn’t minimize what’s happening inside, anxiety was great within me. Not small. Not manageable. Great. Multiplied. Overwhelming. This is not a faith-filled denial of reality; it’s a faith-filled confession of it.Most of us know what that ...  Read More

02/08/2026“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”— James 1:2–3 (NIV)James doesn’t waste words, and he doesn’t soften the edge. He looks straight at real life, the setbacks, the disappointments, the unexpected phone calls, the seasons that feel heavier than they should—and says, “...  Read More

02/07/2026“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”— 1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)Paul writes this to a young pastor living in a very real, very demanding world. Timothy knew discipline. He knew responsibility. And he knew pressure. So Paul doesn’t dismiss physical training or effort, he simply puts it in...  Read More

02/06/2026“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)There’s something powerful about that word, therefore. It tells us this verse doesn’t stand alone, it’s built on everything that came before it. Hebrews 11 has ...  Read More

02/05/2026“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”Proverbs 12:25 (NIV)Anxiety has a way of sneaking in quietly and then settling heavily on the heart. It doesn’t always announce itself with panic or fear. Sometimes it shows up as restlessness, distraction, tight shoulders, or a mind that just won’t slow down. Scripture captures it perfectly, it weighs down the heart. Anxiety ...  Read More

02/04/2026“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” — Matthew 7:12 (NIV)This single sentence from Jesus carries extraordinary weight. Often called the Golden Rule, it’s more than a moral suggestion, it’s a Kingdom way of living. Jesus takes everything the Law and the Prophets were pointing toward and distills it into one relatio...  Read More

02/03/2026Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.- Psalm 23:4 (NIV)In the familiar words of Psalm 23, David paints a picture of life as a journey under the care of a faithful Shepherd. But verse 4 takes us into the shadows, the “darkest valley,” a place where uncertainty looms and threats feel all too real.T...  Read More

02/02/2026“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”— 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)There’s something deeply countercultural about this verse. Paul doesn’t just accept weakness, he says he delights in it. That’s not the language of denial or fake positivity. It’s the language of a man who h...  Read More