The Giver is the Best Gift
“The truth is, we cannot have joy, peace, love, or hope apart from their perfect embodiment in Jesus Christ. Christmas is not about warm fuzzies; it is about the One who finally delivers on the promise of everything we acknowledge as good and true. The Bible will not let us have ethereal virtues. Do you want peace? Christ himself is our peace (Eph. 2:14). Do you want love? Christ himself is love (1 John 4:8). Do you want hope? Christ himself is our hope (Titus 2:13).” - The Giver is the Best Gift by Jared C. Wilson
The First Gift Giver: How Our Christmas Giving Displays Our Savior
“At this time of year, we celebrate the coming into the world of the first and greatest Giver who is also the best and most beautiful gift. Thankfully, it looks like Christmas will no longer be constrained by Covid. As joyful as that isolated Christmas in 2020 turned out to be for my family, the joy of giving gifts can only grow when we spread them abroad more widely. There will be joy for the givers. There will be joy for the getters. And—we can pray—there will be joy for those who learn something of the Christ who is reflected in the giving.” - The First Gift-Giver: How Our Christmas Giving Displays Our Savior by Lizzie Laferton
Predicting Jesus: Finding Hope in the Old Testament Prophecies
“It wasn’t until I studied Isaiah and all the prophecies that came true that I finally let go of my doubts. When I studied the virgin birth, the root of Jesse, the costly cornerstone, and the one who would cry out in the wilderness, I began to see Jesus all through the words of Isaiah. Isaiah spoke of a Messiah who would heal the deaf, the lame, and the blind. Isaiah 53 has so many details about the suffering and atonement of Christ on the cross, only God himself could have “written” it. Studying Isaiah created in me a steadfast assurance that the Bible is from God and about God.” - Predicting Jesus: Finding Hope in the Old Testament Prophecies by Kim Erickson
Advent Hope Far as the Curse is Found
“This Advent season, let us wait together with great expectation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us live in the light of Jesus’s birth, death, and resurrection and set our hope on his second advent—when we will dwell with God and he will wipe away every tear and death will be no more. Let us fix our eyes on the promise of his blessing that every single thing will be made new and whole and perfect and beautiful—far as the curse of sin and death is found.” - Advent Hope Far as the Curse is Found by Lainee Oliver
The Future of Journeywomen
“Journeywomen exists to come alongside women to move them to know and love God and his Word, to find hope in the gospel, and to invest deeply in their local churches as they go out on mission for the glory of God..” - The Future of Journeywomen by Hunter Beless
Trusting God in Seasons of Transition and Change
“Transitioning into a new season can bring a rush of emotions. It can bring excitement and joy over the coming of a long-awaited hope, or it can usher in uncertainty and a longing to stay put just a little while longer in the face of the unexpected. Our incoming seasons may look different, but regardless, transitions can produce both sweet memories to cherish and stressful situations to navigate. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to stay focused on God throughout the journey.” - Trusting God in Seasons of Transition and Change by Chrissy Callahan
Hope and Healing in the Bread and Cup
“Through the Lord’s Table we are invited into a special aspect of on-earth-as-it-is-in-Heaven: we choose healing instead of bitterness, we choose love over hatred, and we choose to belong to each other. We participate in the ministry of reconciliation rather than amputating ourselves from the body of Christ. In Communion with the local church, mercies are made available to us that we wouldn’t otherwise experience. This is the mercy of ushering down to earth parts of heaven, bringing to parched ground the living waters of God’s Kingdom. Together, we take, break, eat, and drink in remembrance of the God who has come and will come again.” - Hope and Healing in the Bread and the Cup by S. A. Morrison
Outward Comfort for the Inward Ache
“Two months ago, I lost my sister. In my sorrow, I learned two things. The first is this: the gospel is big enough to hold up all our hurts. The pain of this world does not get to have the last word. Not in my sister’s life. Not in my life. And the second? Love is a verb and is best lived out in workaday ways. It doesn’t have to be flashy. It just needs to be faithful. It just has to show up. Hygge is not a necessary component to healing the hurt of searing loss. But, it certainly helps. If we let it, the comfort we provide to those in grief can be a tangible tool to show them the love of Christ.” - Outward Comfort for the Inward Ache by Jamie Erickson
Salvation Basics: How to Share the Gospel
“Imagine you’re sitting in a coffee shop with your Bible open when someone walks up to your table. “Excuse me,” she stammers, “I noticed you’re reading a Bible, and I was wondering if you can explain to me what the gospel is.” How do you think you’d react in that moment? Would you be excited for a surprising opportunity to share your faith so openly? Or, if you’re honest, would your palms start sweating just thinking about it? If fear or hesitation is one of your first responses, you’re not alone. But sisters, we must be ready to give a reason for the hope we have in Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). We must be ready to share the gospel. To that end, here are three salvation basics to share with anyone who will listen.” - Salvation Basics: How to Share the Gospel by Joanna Kimbrel
God’s Heart Toward Us When Life Is Hard
“In that series of months, God seemed far away to my family and me. We found ourselves asking, “Why would God allow this? What is the point of this? Why us?” It felt like God’s heart toward us was punishment or spite or anything other than love. At that young age, I didn’t have the answers, nor did I have the ability to articulate all I was thinking. But in the years since I have realized that in the moments that life is hard, God’s heart toward us is never hate or punishment or indifference. It is only love.” - God’s Heart Toward us When Life is Hard by Keagan Hayden
Finding Jesus in the Furnace
“The day we received my first cancer diagnosis, my husband and I sat down with our (then) six-year-old son to tell him the news. Jeremy shed some tears and hugged me tight. I locked eyes with him and said, “This is hard, isn’t it, bud? It’s not good news. But God is with us, and he turns everything for our good. Everything.” Jeremy paused, then asked if we could read the story of “the fiery furnace.” My husband opened the Bible to Daniel 3 and read of King Nebuchadnezzar’s intimidating gold statue, threatening edict, and furious rage at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they refused to bow down. You know how the story goes: after the men had been bound and thrown into the fiery inferno… My husband finished the story and closed the Bible, and after a pause Jeremy said, “There are four of us in this family.” In his suffering, a six-year-old looked and saw that God was with us in our own fiery furnace. He was given eyes to see Jesus standing with us in the flames. ‘” - Finding Jesus in the Furnace by Colleen Chao
Don't Miss the Gospel in Your Bible Study
“‘What would you miss from the gospel story if the passage you're studying right now wasn't in the Bible?’ This insightful question was posed to me by a mentor. Her hope was to convince me of this truth: the individual sections we study in Scripture are part of one big story. The entire Bible works together to tell one overarching narrative. In other words, the Bible is one book. Its forty different authors are inspired by one divine Author to tell one central story: God’s redemption of sinners through his Son.” - Don't Miss the Gospel in Your Bible Study by Nana Dolce
The Church: Essential to Our Endurance
“These brothers and sisters whose lives have been woven into mine have encouraged me, prayed for me, welcomed me to their tables, and adopted me as “auntie” to their kids. We’ve lived through high highs and low lows together, prayed for God’s provision and lifted up our longings and laments to him, pointed one another back to Jesus and the good news of the gospel time and again, and seen God at work in many ways. Church has always been part of my life, part of my week, and often part of my work. But it’s taken a pandemic and a sabbatical to reveal to me that church is not just important, it is essential to faithfully following Jesus.” - The Church: Essential to Our Endurance by Jenilyn Swett
The Life-Giving Joy of a Hobby
“When I was a kid, my grandfather taught me how to use a camera. I enjoyed it enough to even take a photography class in college, but once I graduated and started my first ‘real’ job, I no longer had time for it. But, one evening in the middle of the 2020 lockdown, I decided to get my camera out and go out and take pictures of the sunset—just to have a reason to get out of the house. And that was it. I found something I had forgotten I enjoyed, and it helped me make it through the worst of the pandemic. I think you should have a hobby too. And I know you think you’re too busy; I get it. But if you’ve read this far, perhaps you’ll be willing to consider these four reasons why I think you should not only have a hobby, but also protect time for it on a regular basis:” - The Life-Giving Joy of a Hobby by Matt Lantz
Honoring God with Your Bank Account
“What matters to you? Before noodling this, take a quick look at your bank account activity, including your credit card records. What do you see? You see evidence of what matters to you. Consider it this way. Actions are evidence. Our behavior is reporting in. Our bank accounts are important. What are they telling us? Before we do a deep dive, let’s look at the big picture. All that you ‘own’ is really all God’s on loan to you. The journey to honor God with our bank account begins with this biblical perspective.” - Honoring God with Your Bank Account by Valerie Hogan and Miriam Neff
Expect God's Word to Change You
“Do you ever wonder if God’s Word is making a difference in you? Maybe you read, memorize, and study it, but you’re not sure it’s doing much good. Take heart! Even when you don’t feel it, God is continually using his Word to transform you from the inside-out.” - Expect God's Word to Change You by Laura Booz
How Do I Take the Next Right Step?
“God’s Word is the ‘lamp’ of our lives. When we don’t know which way to go, are struggling to make a decision, or are paralyzed in the darkness of depression, Scripture is the ‘lamp’ that points us in the right direction. Through his Word, the Spirit illuminates the very next step. We may not have enough light to see the full outcome of our circumstance, but he is faithful to provide enough of what we need to step forward, trusting that his ‘lamp’ will then shine for the next step, and the next, and so on.” - How Do I Take the Next Right Step? by Ashley Setterlind
Remembering the Gospel
“An unfortunate thing happens to many of us after we have been a Christian for some time. The gospel becomes so familiar that we begin to take it for granted. Without even realizing it we start to view the gospel message as basic or rudimentary, as something we move beyond once we come to Jesus. But in truth, we will never arrive at a place where we no longer need the gospel. There is never a moment when our hearts and our minds do not need to be saturated with the message of God’s goodness and grace to us in Jesus. As believers, we must remember the gospel. Sometimes this practice is described as “preaching the gospel to ourselves.” But what does that mean? It means we remind ourselves of what is true based on the promises of God as revealed in his Word.” - Remembering the Gospel by Erika Allen
When Anxiety and Fear Press In
“What if, instead of torturing ourselves by getting on every fear ride and daydreaming about all the bad things that might result from our current reality, we used our imagination to visualize what God has said is true in his Word? Jesus is present with us, and he loves us. What if we imagined him lovingly sitting with us in our kitchen as we struggle to manage three active children, holding us on the couch as we walk through the disappointment of another argument with our husband, comforting us with his kindness when we get the scary phone call? Jesus’ love for us is what is real, not the stories we spin in our fear. What if we daydreamed about that?” - When Anxiety and Fear Press In by Hope Blanton and Chris Gordon
The Tale of Two Days
“Have you ever had one of those days where you fall into your bed at night and rehearse all the ways you blew it? You are angry with yourself and angry with everyone else who made you act in all the ways you don’t want to act. As you toss and turn unable to sleep you wonder if God is as disappointed in you as you are in yourself. Or conversely, have you ever had one of those days where you slowly descend into your bed on a cloud of peace and rehearse all the amazing things you did that day? On and on the list of your good deeds goes, and the longer it gets the more convinced you are that you’re really excelling in the fruit of Spirit that your pastor preached on last week. As you drift to sleep you wonder if God loves you a little bit more today. However, the one thing that’s missing from both days is any thought of Jesus.” - The Tale of Two Days by Jessica Thompson