Standing Near the Cross: Anna Smith Wilson
Meet Anna. Anna is our daughter, married to Nate and mom to three of our grandchildren. When Anna chose to be strong and courageous and move across the country to attend college at Taylor University, she was “standing by the cross.” Anna is faithful to everyone she encounters and everything she endeavors. She continues to stand by the cross as she faithfully serves her family, her church, her clients at the gym, and her friends.
Standing Near the Cross: Kaitlin Patterson Smith
Meet Kaitlin. She is married to our son, Will, and is mom to three of our grandchildren. In this series of sharing women of influence who are “Standing Near the Cross” of Jesus, I want you to know about Kaitlin and how she exemplifies this through a lifestyle of following Jesus wherever He leads her. She is truly standing by the cross of Jesus, listening to His voice, trusting His heart, and following His lead.
Standing Near the Cross: Wanda Bicknell
Wanda Bicknell, Gina’s mom, is standing by the cross of Jesus, walking in the Spirit, waiting for her next assignment from God, grieving with hope, and trusting God for what He has planned.
Standing Near the Cross: The Women Surrounding the Cross
Do you have a godly mom who influenced your life? What women in your life have influenced you to draw near to God?
In John 19, we see there are several women, including the mother of Jesus, standing by the cross.
Mother’s Day is coming up soon (May 14)!
How can we give honor to our moms? If you are a mom, how can drawing near to the cross of Christ change you and influence all of those around you to love and follow Him?
Without the Resurrection…
Conspiracy theories. They can be intriguing, fear-inducing…and, sometimes, flat-out wrong.
Did you know that the Bible tells us a conspiracy theory about Jesus’ resurrection began soon after that glorious Sunday morning that He walked out of the grave?
Without the resurrection, we are helpless, hopeless, and heavenless.
What do you think? Is the resurrection truth or a hoax?
Revival Fire: Walking in Revival
Walking in the Spirit is a vital part of spiritual revival taking root and continuing in our lives, our churches and our nation.
But the flesh, our old nature, tries to slow us down, trip us up, and cause us to stumble.
How can we strengthen walking in the Spirit, and weaken our walking in the flesh?
Revival Fire: Living in the Revival Spirit
Do you ever experience dry times in your spiritual walk? Times when it is difficult to pray? To read His Word? Maybe even to be in church where others are worshiping freely and with joy?
Even though we receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when we are saved, we must be filled with the Spirit daily in order to live with consistent joy and peace.
Revival Fire: Breaking the Power of Sin
Revival begs us to break free from our sin and embrace holiness.
We can break free from apathy, indifference, faithlessness, impurity, and compromise in our lives, our churches, and our country by seeking the holiness of God.
How can we live in holiness and freedom from the power of sin?
Revival Fire: The Reviving Power of God’s Word
Historically, when our country experiences revival, Bible sales skyrocket!
When God’s Spirit moves uniquely, people become hungry for God’s Word, and as a result, chains of bondage are broken, rebellion is shaken, pride is driven out, confession becomes the norm, and the Word of God is held in high esteem.
Are we there yet?
Revival Fire: The First Step - Pray
Is the revival at Asbury University the “real thing?” How would we know?
What is revival, anyway? And how does it ignite and stay burning?
Join me in a new blog series, and let’s begin praying, asking God to begin a revival in our world, our country, our churches…and in each of us.
Take A Good Look - Watching and Waiting
We are told to be watching and waiting for Jesus’ return. But how can we do that with the urgency of our daily lives?
Many days, I am so focused on the “here and now” that I forget to be looking for Jesus.
What would it take to be intentional about watching and waiting for Jesus?
Take A Good Look - Looking Into the Word
Do you ever read your Bible, and a few hours later have trouble remembering what you read?
Sometimes we rush through reading our Bible like it’s an item to check off the to-do list. But God desires us to intently look into His Word, not just reading the Bible, but allowing the Bible to read us. When we take a good look into His Word, becoming a doer and not just a hearer, James 1 says we will be blessed.
Take a Good Look - Looking at Yourself Before Looking at Others
Have you taken a good look at yourself lately?
It’s so much easier to look at other people’s lives with judgement or comparison than it is to take a good look in the mirror at our own short-comings.
Living the Spirit-life involves taking a long look at ourselves and dealing with our own sin before we seek to restore a fellow believer to fellowship.
Take A Good Look - Looking At Things You Cannot See
Have you ever had “one of those days?” I have, too.
On those days, the things we SEE can be defeating. But if we can look ahead with confidence to the things we CANNOT SEE, we can experience great hope and joy in the middle of those difficult days.
Take A Good Look - Looking for the Blessed Hope
Sometimes in the hustle of the daily grind and all its joys, opportunities, challenges, and heartaches we forget that there is more to this life. Something else is coming - our Lord Jesus is coming back!!!
Are you looking ahead to that blessed hope?
Take a Good Look - Looking at Worthless Things
Did you know that the average American spends 7 hours looking at a screen each day?
Each day we fight the urge to fix our gaze on things that drain our spirits, and therefore, darken our hearts.
Psalm 119:37 is a cry for help turning our gaze from the worthless to the worthwhile - the Word of God.
Take A Good Look - Looking Ahead
Are you ever dangerously distracted while you are driving?
Distractions in our walk with Christ are also dangerous. They keep us from seeing the road ahead where we are meant to live in victory.
Take a Good Look - Looking Back
Are you held captive by your past? by your sin? Perhaps the devil is using it to shame you.
In Luke 9 and Philippians 3, we are reminded to look ahead to Jesus, and not look back at what lies behind. You can be free from the shame that keeps you from experiencing victory!
Take A Good Look - Looking Unto Jesus
What are you looking forward to this year?
Jesus knows the beginning from the end of this year, and every day in this year. As we look to Jesus, He will become our wisdom, our guidance and our light for each day in 2023.
Ready? Set. Look.
Christmas is for Everyone - So Let’s Go and Tell!
This Christmas, i’m sure you gave and received gifts resulting in joy and thankfulness. You were willing to share what you had with the ones you loved, and they were willing to share with you.
The shepherds, described in Luke 2, offered a gift to the rest of the world. After receiving the gift of seeing and hearing the angels declare Christ’s birth, they went to find him and worship. And after that, they shared that gift with everyone by telling them what they had seen and heard. (Luke 2:15-18)
The challenge is obvious. Are we sharing the gift of Jesus who we’ve seen and heard, the gift of Jesus who has changed our lives, the gift of Jesus who provides hope and redemption from sin with people who need Him?