Bible Truth for Everyday Life
Bible study tools, devotions, and free resources to help you encounter God in your quiet time and apply Biblical truth to your everyday life.
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Passion for God: 8 Ways to Fan the Flame
A thin band of sunlight slips through the window and illuminates a dried bouquet of thistle across the room. Lately, my passion for God seems to be wilting like the dried bouquet. I remember the day we gathered the thistle. It was warm for November, and the threat of the impending months of darkness and snow weighed on me. We went to the fields and gathered thistle, horsetails, and milkweed. We hoped that bringing life inside might somehow lengthen the months when the weather would stop us from wandering through fields of wildflowers. Months later, I gaze at the bouquet as worship music plays. I silently ask God to give…
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Hope for Your Hidden Pain and Unspoken Struggles
Our kids looked adorable together, and someone said something about taking a photo. It was after the comment about how they’ll look nice together at prom someday that his eyes filled with embarrassed tears. He buried his face in his mom’s hip and wiped them away on the hem of her shirt. The moment got me thinking about our hidden pain in life. I understood the little guy’s struggle. I hid my tears throughout most of my childhood too. No one ever made fun of me for crying. I simply thought I needed to appear strong. All the time. The Truth About Hidden Pain We all have struggles and weaknesses.…
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5 Tools for the Days When Your Quiet Time With Jesus Is Boring
We’re sitting on my couch when my friend asks a question that no one has ever asked me: “Is your daily quiet time with Jesus bringing you into life-giving encounters with him?” I stare blankly at my friend while the wrens chatter outside the window. Then, I tell her the gut-honest truth: Most days, I’m just checking “quiet time with Jesus” off a list of things to accomplish for the day. It’s one more task on a never-ending list. I wonder if you can relate. Perhaps you want to connect with God in the quiet moments of your days, but you’re distracted, restless, and quite possibly even bored. If you’re like…
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Be the Real You: 10 Bible Verses About Authenticity
Do you ever feel like you won’t fit in if you decide to be the real you? Today, we’ll explore 10 Bible verses about authenticity. I’ll also share a story of a time when God taught me the power of being vulnerable and authentic. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you embrace yourself as God made you. Let’s start by turning to God’s Word. 10 Bible Verses About Authenticity God designs us each uniquely, and when we hide our true selves, we deprive the world of God’s gift. Here’s what the Bible says about being authentic. Bible Verses About…
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How to Renew Your Mind (With Kelly Balarie)
Do you want to learn how to renew your mind? According to God’s Word, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. God’s primary tool for this process is his written Word. How to Renew Your Mind We can also follow the wise words of those who have gone before us. Today, we’ll look at practical suggestions on how to renew your mind as we take a look inside a powerful new book. How to Renew Your Mind As our bangs plastic toys into one another like there’s a war happening in his bedroom naptime, I watch sun glance through smudged windowpanes and read these familiar words:…
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18 Bible Verses About Heaven and Eternal Life
While perusing the local library with a friend, she suddenly grabbed my arm and tearfully asked, “Am I going to heaven? I’m so scared that I won’t make it in.” She’d recently lost a loved one and had been thinking about heaven. In response to her question, we found a Bible on the shelf, moved to a table, and studied God’s Word for Bible verses about heaven and eternal life. By the time we left the library that day, she had confidence that she would spend eternity with God in heaven. You might have these same questions. Or maybe you lost a loved one and have been wondering what happens…
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Stepping Out in Faith: How to Take the First Step
I have always struggled with new beginnings. Stepping out in faith can feel terrifying when we’re afraid we might fall flat on our faces. Starting anything new often feels awkward, and this is challenging for most of us. Whether I’m launching my first blog post, running the first mile of the morning jog, or starting a new job, I don’t love the first small steps. At times, I feel this way when I sit down to write and have no words. There’s a saying among writers that goes something like this: “Write or do nothing.” In other words, when you designate a time of the day to write, you have…
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15 Bible Verses for Overthinking and Anxiety
I sit by the lake and cast stones like we’re casting cares. I try to conjure up a few long-ago memorized Bible verses for overthinking because I need an anchor on this clear blue afternoon. In vivid detail, I remember a day when I sat by this lake four short months ago. The shoreline was clothed in unrecognizable white, and there was no definitive border between the place where the land ended and the water began. Men sat bundled in blue and brown shanties across the white expanse. They entertained themselves by jigging child-sized fishing poles and hoping for sunken bobbers. Coleman lanterns warmed chilled hands, and their voices echoed…
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How Saying Yes to Life Might Be Your Gateway to Greater Joy
It’s an unseasonably warm spring morning, and we’re hurrying down the road to stay on schedule. There are articles to write, meals to prepare, and towels to fold. Accomplishing these tasks is my idea of saying yes to life today. As the sun rises higher, we set out in search of frog eggs before delving into the work of the day. We’re almost home when little Bekah stops along the road and calls me to look at her treasure. I suspect she’s found another daffodil. “No, Mom! You just have to see this!” she yells. Turning back, I’m astonished by the sight before me. My girl holds a golden flower…
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5 Reasons to Stop Seeking a “Balanced” Life
Do you feel frustrated by the lack of balance in your life? Most of us have had this experience. Let’s talk about why the idea of a “balanced life” might not be God’s plan for us. 5 Reasons to Stop Seeking a Balanced Life Recently, I went for a walk with a friend who was visiting from out of town. She had been serving the least of these in the far corners of the earth, and I had been chasing down the elusive ideal of a balanced life while mothering and writing. She asked how I was doing, and I told her I was feeling a little out of balance. Life…
