Our Awesome God

  The Seen and the Unseen: Living Between Heaven and Earth Matthew 18:26 — NLT-style paraphrase The servant fell before his master and pleaded with him, “Please be patient with me, and I will repay everything.” Psalm 103:20 — NLT-style paraphrase Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out His commands and listen for His word. Daniel 7:9–10 — NLT-style paraphrase Daniel saw the Ancient of Days seated upon His throne. His clothing was white like snow, His throne blazed with fire, and an enormous number of heavenly beings ministered before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. John 1:51 — NLT-style paraphrase Jesus told His disciples that they would see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and down upon the Son of Man. 1 Peter 1:8 — NLT-style paraphrase You love Christ even though you have never seen Him. And though you do not see Him now, you trust Him and rejoice with a joy so glorious that words cannot fully express it. Have you ever had a mo...

🌿 REMAIN IN THE VINE 🌿 Scripture John 15:5 — KJV “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Psalm 23:1 — KJV “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Ephesians 1:18 — KJV “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 — KJV “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Yesterday started out rough. Actually, if I'm being completely honest, the whole week had been rough. I woke up determined that I wasn't going to church. I just felt like I needed a break. A break from myself. A break from people. A break from all the things swirling around in my...

  When Your Brain Feels Like It Has to Fight “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” — Proverbs 15:1 “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” — Proverbs 19:11 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” — James 1:19 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” — Colossians 3:13 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32 When we read Scriptures about patience, gentle answers, forgiveness, and being slow to anger, it can sometimes leave us carrying a heavy weight of guilt. For someone living with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, like me, a husband’s grumpy mood or sharp tone isn't always just an inconvenience. Sometimes, my body experiences it as a direct threat to my safe...

Trusting the One Who Knows, Cleanses, and Calls When we look at Matthew 4:19, Ecclesiastes 3:1–11, Isaiah 43:25, and Matthew 6:8, we find a beautiful blueprint for life: God already knows what we need. He forgives our past. He perfectly understands our seasons. And He calls us into a greater purpose. Sometimes, however, trusting God means trusting Him when our plans don't go the way we expected. Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me, and I’ll show you how to fish for people!” — Matthew 4:19 NLT Jesus didn't give Peter and Andrew a five-year plan. He simply said, “Come, follow Me.” There is something powerful about those two little words: follow Me. Not figure everything out first. Not make sure you understand where you're going. Not get your life perfectly together. Just follow Me. God Knows What We Need Matthew 6:8 tells us: “Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” — Matthew 6:8 NLT The Greek word used for “knows” is related to gin...

  Verses for the Wind and Storms of Life Mark 4:39 “When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Silence! Be still!’ Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.” Isaiah 43:2 “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Psalm 107:29 “He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.” Psalm 55:22 “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” When the Wind Won't Stop Blowing Have you ever had one of those days—or maybe one of those entire seasons—when it feels like you're standing on the edge of a cliff and the wind is whipping you from every direction? You know what I mean. You're trying to catch your breath, trying to get your feet underneath you, and just when you think you've got things somewhat ...

 Walking in the Light: A Journey of Discernment, Trust, and Patient Endurance 1 John 4:1 — Testing What We Hear “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” — 1 John 4:1 NLT Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5 NLT Lamentations 3:25–26 “The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” — Lamentations 3:25–26 NLT Hebrews 10:35–36 “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” — Hebrews 10:35–36 NLT Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of b...

  Matthew 18:10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. Exodus 15:2 The lord is my strength and my song;  he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—  my father’s God, and I will exalt him! Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Psalms 84:11 For the lord God is our sun and our shield.   He gives us grace and glory. The lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. Under the Watchful Eye of the Rewarder: Finding Strength in the Sanctuary of Grace Hey there, friends. Go ahead and grab a warm cup of coffee or tea, find a comfortable spot, and let’s pull up a couple of...

  A Citadel in the Wilderness Finding Strength, Shelter, and Guidance in the Storm The Anchor Verses Psalm 9:9 — “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Exodus 15:13 — “With your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you will guide them to your sacred home.” Philippians 4:13 — “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” 2 Timothy 2:3 — “Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” The Hiding Place Psalm 9:9 Life frequently demands more from us than we feel equipped to give. There are seasons when circumstances leave us feeling completely cornered. Financial struggles, broken relationships, uncertainty, disappointment, anxiety, or simply the exhaustion of dealing with one more thing can make us wonder, “Lord, how am I supposed to get through this?” And then we read these words: “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” I love that God doesn'...

  GOD MAKES HIS HOME IN US 1 John 4:7–18 (NLT) Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves ...