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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How to Memorize Scripture More Consistently: 3 Tips to Help You
Do you want to be more consistent about spending time with God or learn how to memorize Scripture? I pray that this glimpse into our family’s rhythms will inspire and equip you to memorize God’s Word in a way that works for you. Welcome to our living room. How to Memorize Scripture: 3 Tips to Help You Morning comes softly this time of year. Today, it came with ash-colored cumulus clouds spilling over the horizon like breakers rolling onto a sandy shoreline. The treeline was flecked with yellows and oranges where the maples had surrendered to the season. After a few minutes by the window, I gathered the kids in…
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3 Ways to Have Life-Changing Quiet Time With God
Last week, I spilled a handful of birdseed on the deck, and I’ve been watching cardinals and house sparrows clean it up for days. The scene is a daily reminder of one of Jesus’ parables, and I’ve been pondering it daily during my morning quiet time with God. Here are Jesus’ words: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered…
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God Cares About You: 10 Bible Verses to Stand on in Tough Times
Yesterday, I spent what felt like wasted time trying to find a metaphor for the blue sky that opened wide all around us when we traveled to Wyoming. I even searched for a fitting simile online. Sadly, comparisons to robins’ eggs and soldiers’ uniforms didn’t capture what happened in my heart when the clouds opened wide, Elk Mountain smiled down on us with snowy slopes, and the cold springtime wind sent us hustling to find our jackets. This morning, I opened Luci Shaw’s book of poetry, and today’s poem caught my breath. It was called “God speaks in blue.” God Cares About You Luci offered every metaphor I could have…
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How to Be Still Before God When Your Mind Is Racing
After a few dry days, the rain returned this morning. Torrents fell in silver swaths that drowned out the melody of birdsong and swept us into the synchronous song of the sky. I sat by the window and let the crackling hush of falling water wash over me as I resisted the urge to begin the work of the day. It felt like an invitation to learn how to be still before God all over again. Being still before God has never come easily for me. I find a quiet place to sit, and within three minutes, I’m writing my grocery list or planning dinner. Perhaps you know how it…
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5 Ways to Enjoy God Wherever You Are: Lessons From the Road
After 11 days on the road, we returned home to western Pennsylvania last week. All in all, the trip reminded me of how to thoroughly enjoy God and his gifts in every situation. We spent more than 70 hours crammed into a small Nissan Frontier together. For kids who are 12, 8, and 4, that’s a lot of hours. Nonetheless, the kids marveled at the majesty of the Tetons and watched Old Faithful erupt in a cloud of steam. They stood outside the site of their parents’ first date, The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, and they posed beneath Mount Rushmore (Pics are at the end of the post). We slept…
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The Pain of Waiting on God: How to Endure It
Five colorful bluegills swim in the shallows of the creek. They seem to be waiting for something. I watch them while the kids splash in the emerald swimming hole, and I get to thinking about the pain of waiting on God. Most of us are waiting on God for something. We’re waiting for babies to sleep through the night. We’re watching for the slow fade of springtime to ease into summer. We are waiting to pay off our houses, step into promotions at work, or get married. The Pain of Waiting on God It’s easy to spend our entire lives waiting for what comes next and miss the lessons that…
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When God Closes a Door, He Opens a Window—or Does He?
A scrim of periwinkle clouds hangs low in the morning blue. I stand at the window and admire the scene with an aching heart. The thrum of disappointment beats in cadence with my pulse, and I think of an often-repeated adage: “When God closes a door, he opens a window.” I’m not sure who said this first, but in my experience, it’s not always how life works out. When God closes a door, it often feels like being locked in a dark room with no clue of where to turn next. I’ve experienced this more than a few times, and I suspect you have, too. We set our goals and…
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12 Free Online Bible Studies and Devotionals
Instead of my typical devotion, this week’s post is something special. My vision is to provide tools to help you encounter God in your everyday life. For this reason, I have written a collection of free online Bible studies and devotionals to help you draw closer to the Lord. Below, you will find 12 free eBooks to help you connect with God in your daily devotional time, bolster your prayer life, and provide healing in difficult seasons. I pray these words bless you and lead you straight into the arms of our Father! Simply click on any of the links below to receive your free online Bible study or devotional. Free…
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Nine Comforting Bible Verses for Worry (and a Plan for Peace!)
The winter wind writes its story in flourishes of ivory. As I stare out the window, I feel consumed by worries, and I open my Bible in search of comforting Bible verses for worry. Perhaps you need this Truth to stand on in challenging times, too. Let’s look at what the Bible says about worry, and then we will explore three practical ways to overcome worries with God’s help. 9 Comforting Bible Verses for Worry 1. Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the…
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A Free New Year Devotional to Help You Start Strong
Do you want to start the year by renewing your commitment to spend time with God? Like me, maybe you enjoy reading from an Advent devotional throughout December, but you hit a wall when the devotional ends. You feel a bit lost and aren’t sure what’s next. I have fantastic news. I have a free New Year devotional for you. Mornings With Jesus will help you connect with Jesus every morning for the next 31 days! Why I Wrote This New Year Devotional I spent years reading my Bible and practicing a morning devotional routine without regularly encountering God in the process. My devotional time felt more like homework than…