MAR. 15, 2026 Live Like you believe it! (1) "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."  Pr 23:7 NKJV  A fascinating experiment was conducted a half century ago. Three men tested their strength on a gripping machine, with an average measure of 101 pounds of pressure. Then the participants were hypnotized, and the experimenter told them,  "You cannot grip because you are weak." Under the power of suggestion, their average grip strength fell to 29 pounds of pressure. Then the ex

MAR. 14, 2026 Will you hear Christ, or the crisis?. "Let us go over to the other side."  Mk 4:35 NIV Jesus told His disciples: "Let us go over to the other side."  Next, we read: "A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat"  (v. 37 NIV).  The disciples turned to Jesus and found Him sound asleep! They screamed, "Don't you care if we drown?" (v. 38 NIV).  Jesus woke up, commanded the storm to shut up, and then said to the disciples,  "Do you still have no faith

MAR. 13, 2026 The whole world must hear God's Word. "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mk 16:15 NKJV In 1993, a group called AD2000 United Prayer Track came up with an innovative idea. To help realize their goal of "a church for every people and the gospel for every person by AD2000," they established a program called "Praying through the Window." The "window" referred to an area on the globe from ten degrees to forty degrees north of the Equator

MAR. 12, 2026 When you long for companionship . "Then the Lord God made a woman...and he brought her to the man."  Ge 2:22 NIV God recognized our need for companionship when He said, "'It is not good for the man to be alone'...Then...God made a woman...and he brought her to the man" (vv. 18, 22 NIV). Most of us are social beings who are at our best around others. We garner energy and support from them. But there are those who feel a sense of shame over admitting their lonelin

MAR. 11, 2026 Learn to listen to God. ''Speak, for Your servant hears.' Then the Lord said to Samuel." 1Sa 3:10-11 NKJV If you are serious about having a truly interactive relationship with the Lord in which you speak to one another and hear from one another, you will need to spend quality, uninterrupted time opening your heart to Him. When Samuel finally said, "Speak, for Your servant hears," the Bible says, "Then the Lord said to Samuel." All too often, our prayer is "Liste

MAR. 9, 2026 Just play your part . "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them."  Ro 12:6 NKJV If you study famous musicians, you'll often find that they learned their craft by playing in a band or orchestra. That's because certain skills—learning to blend with other instruments, keeping tempo, learning to play louder or softer, following the conductor's lead—can only be learned by playing with others. And what's true of a band or

MAR. 9, 2026 Just play your part . "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them."  Ro 12:6 NKJV If you study famous musicians, you'll often find that they learned their craft by playing in a band or orchestra. That's because certain skills—learning to blend with other instruments, keeping tempo, learning to play louder or softer, following the conductor's lead—can only be learned by playing with others. And what's true of a band or

MAR. 8, 2026 Prayer is your connection to God . "Cry to God all day and all night for the fulfillment of his promises."  Isa 62:6 TLB The remora fish has an oval sucking disc on the top of its head that allows it to attach itself to the underside of a shark. Once attached, the remora does not have to worry about food, transportation, or safety. It feeds on the food that falls from the shark's mouth. Of course, it has the option of swimming on its own, but when it decides to a

MAR. 7, 2026 Free from guilt and condemnation . "The accuser of our brethren...has been cast down."  Rev 12:10 NKJV Satan is called "the accuser of our brethren" because he tries to remind us of everything we've done wrong. Why? So that all our emotional energy is spent on the past, and we've nothing left over to dream God-sized dreams or fulfill our God-given assignment in life. The irony of his accusations is this: he leaves our unconfessed sins alone. Why wake a sleeping d

MAR. 7, 2026 Free from guilt and condemnation . "The accuser of our brethren...has been cast down."  Rev 12:10 NKJV Satan is called "the accuser of our brethren" because he tries to remind us of everything we've done wrong. Why? So that all our emotional energy is spent on the past, and we've nothing left over to dream God-sized dreams or fulfill our God-given assignment in life. The irony of his accusations is this: he leaves our unconfessed sins alone. Why wake a sleeping d

MAR. 6, 2026 Live for a cause greater than yourself . " 'Give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke'...And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb." Jos 14:12-13 NKJV When Moses sent Caleb to spy out the Promised Land, Caleb saw something that troubled him: the town of Hebron. Abraham buried his wife there. He was buried there. So were Isaac and Jacob. Hebron was a sacred site.  Now it was inhabited by their enemies, and it bothered Caleb. It was more than he could ta

MAR. 5, 2026 It came to pass-not stay . "It came to pass." Ge 4:3 NKJV There is a little phrase repeated 436 times in the Bible: "It came to pass." Whatever trial you are going through today, remind yourself, "It came to pass-not stay." If the fulfillment of the vision God gave you seems to be taking longer than you thought, remind yourself "it will come to pass!" In his biography, God in My Corner, the two-time world heavyweight champion George Foreman tells a story about an

MAR. 4, 2026 Confidants, constituents, comrades . "Give to Your servant an understanding heart...that I may discern between good and evil."  1Ki 3:9 NKJV Nearly all key relationships in your life can be broken down into three categories: confidants, constituents, and comrades. Let's look at each.  (1) Confidants . These are the people whose relationships with you are lifelong. They love you unconditionally, stand by you, and have your back in good times and bad. Your best int

MAR. 2, 2026 Having a Spirit-controlled tongue (2) "The tongue is a flame of fire." Jas 3:6 NLT The Bible says, "A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And...the tongue is a flame of fire " (vv. 5-6 NLT). People living in hot climates know the danger of ravaging bushfires driven by desert winds and can readily identify with these words: " See how great a forest a little fire kindles!"  (v. 5 NKJV). A single spark from a match has started many massive fires. Spreading fa

MAR. 1, 2026 Having a Spirit-controlled tongue (1) "If we could control our tongues."  Jas 3:2 NLT The Bible says:  "If we could control our tongues, we...could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth"  (vv. 2-3 NLT).  If you've ever bridled a horse, you know the bridle that slips over the horse's head and behind its ears has a "bit," a metal bar that goes in its mouth and lies on top of its

MAR. 3, 2026 Embrace "the whole counsel of God " "I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God."  Ac 20:27 NKJV More than a hundred years ago, William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, spoke prophetically when he said, "The chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell." That'

MAR. 1, 2026 Having a Spirit-controlled tongue (1) "If we could control our tongues."  Jas 3:2 NLT The Bible says:  "If we could control our tongues, we...could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth"  (vv. 2-3 NLT).  If you've ever bridled a horse, you know the bridle that slips over the horse's head and behind its ears has a "bit," a metal bar that goes in its mouth and lies on top of its

FEB. 28, 2026 Try for reconciliation . "First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." Mt 5:24 NKJV Here's something we don't think about enough-but should! How you treat those you are in relationship with influences the relationship you have with God. Jesus spelled it out clearly: "If you bring your gift to the altar [if you serve in the church, pay particular attention here!], and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave yo

FEB. 27, 2026 Paid in full . "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?"  Mt 18:21 NIV There is a saying in baseball: "Three strikes and you're out." We tend to play life the same way. We give people two or three chances, but no more. But God never gives up on us. It's not in His nature. When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother, Jesus set the gold standard. Peter answered his own question by saying, "Seven times.

FEB. 26, 2026 Rely on God, not yourself . "As a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God."  2Co 1:9 NLT Several men went on a mission trip to Haiti where they met a nineteen-year-old young man who loved Christ deeply. So they invited him to visit them in America and paid for his trip. The young Haitian felt as if he were in another world. He'd never slept between sheets, had three meals a day, used indoor plumbing, or tasted a hamburger. When it