Truth Builds Trust—Two2Grow, Saturday, August 1 “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.”  Proverbs 24:26 NIVWe are living in an era of lies. It is hard to know what is real and what is fake, who is genuine and who is a deceiver.Several years ago, I was overseeing a ministry, and the man I relied on the most to keep things running, oversee the finances, and so on turned out to be a pathologic...  Read More

Suffering’s Reward—Two2Grow, Friday, July 31 “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12 NLTWhen I was growing up, I got the impression that a person of faith would never suffer hardship or experience problems in life. I thought that problems and suffering were the result of a lack of faith. So the moment...  Read More

Led by the Holy Spirit—Two2Grow, Thursday, July 30 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Romans 8:14 NIVWhen Emelie and I were young, we wanted to spend a weekend in London, England, before Christmas. We had watched movies that made it look so picturesque and wonderful. We imagined Christmas shopping under the lights of London, stopping for high tea, and enjoying al...  Read More

When You Don’t Know What to Do—Two2Grow, Wednesday, July 29 “You came near when I called You, and You said, ‘Do not fear.’” Lamentations 3:57 NIVHave you ever lost your footing, found yourself in chaos, and not known where to turn or what to do? I have.Today's verse comes from the book of Lamentations. It is a cry to the Lord after Judah's enemies, the Babylonians, captured Jerusalem and destroyed...  Read More

Not Even a Smell of Smoke—Two2Grow, Tuesday, July 28 “Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!” Daniel 3:27 NIVThe book of Daniel tells the famous story of three Israelite friends who refused to bow before the statue of an ungodly king. Their punishment was to be thrown into a blazing furnace so hot that the guards who cast them in...  Read More

All It Takes Is God’s Little Finger—Two2Grow, Monday, July 27 "But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." Luke 11:20 NIVWhen I was growing up, I heard a lot about the devil and spiritual warfare. It made me think the devil was much bigger and more powerful than he really is, and it left me feeling fearful.Today’s text opened my eyes to the greatness...  Read More

Stay At It!—Two2Grow, Sunday, July 26  “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIVWhen I had just graduated from Bible college, I served the Lord as a missionary in Kenya. There was an amazing revival at the time, and many people gave their lives to Jesus. I was part of open-air meetings where tens of thousands of p...  Read More

God Wants to Think About You—Two2Grow, Saturday, July 25 “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” Isaiah 49:16 NIV By Emelie Stenhammar, MD One of my earliest childhood memories—I was probably about four years old—is of sitting on the kitchen counter in the home of some of my parents' friends. The adults were talking and talking, and I was fidgeti...  Read More

Winning the Mind Battle—Two2Grow, Friday, July 24 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 NIVWe are in a battle for our minds. The Reformer Martin Luther is often credited with saying:“You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from building a nest in your hair.”The illustration is meant to help us better fight the battle of our thought li...  Read More

Fear No More— Two2Grow, Thursday, July 23 “He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” Matthew 8:26 NIVWhen faith moves out, peace leaves, and fear moves in. That's what happened to the disciples in the boat on the stormy lake.Fear is a bully. Fear is an enemy. Fear wants to take the driver's seat, seeki...  Read More

The God of Our Future— Two2Grow, Wednesday, July 22 "Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish." Isaiah 46:10 NLTLife is full of waiting for answers that will affect our future.You or a loved one may have taken a medical exam, and you are anxiously waiting to hear what the doctors will say. Or, as a student, you are waiting...  Read More

Who You Are in the Dark— Two2Grow, Tuesday, July 21 “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” Luke 12:2 NIVD. L. Moody is often credited with saying, “Character is what you are in the dark.” How we act in the privacy of our home, what thoughts and fantasies we nurture in our minds, and what feelings we harbor deep inside our soul—all of that ma...  Read More