God in Me Is Greater—Two2Grow, Thursday, August 20 God in Me Is Greater—Two2Grow, Thursday, August 20“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 NKJVEvery season of life comes with its own set of challenges. As a young student, the need to perform well in school, as well as being accepted by others, can be o...  Read More

Everything New—Two2Grow, Wednesday, August 19 “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’” Revelation 21:5 NIVWhen you look at the world news—or just at our own lives, for that matter—it is wonderful to know that one day God will make everything new. Think about that word: everything. God’s renewing work is all-encompassing.That means that the devil’s powers of chaos, dest...  Read More

Not By Might—Two2Grow, Tuesday, August 18 “Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.” Genesis 7:8-9 NIVA post by Josephine Stenhammar.Has God ever commanded you to do something that seems to be impossible?When I read the story of Noah and imagine myself in the shoes of ...  Read More

Entering the Realm of Unlimited Possibilities—Two2Grow, Monday, August 17 “Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:8 NIVMy wife Emelie once had a supervisor at her hospital who was really giving her a hard time and making her work difficult. She started to pray for her boss, thinking that God would change her, only to find out that the one who really changed was Emelie herself. She started to feel God...  Read More

God’s Loving Hand on Your Forehead—Two2Grow, Sunday, August 16 “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’” James 4:6 NIVThere was a season in my life when I felt I was just stuck and couldn’t move forward toward the goal that God had shown me. Have you ever felt that somehow God stood between you and the fulfillment of God’s prom...  Read More

Set Your Face Like Flint—Two2Grow, Saturday, August 15 “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” Isaiah 50:7 NIVMy spiritual mother is an elderly Kenyan woman of God. One of her favorite expressions, and something she often reminds me of, is that when we walk with God, we have to “set our face li...  Read More

My Joy Is Not That Cheap—Two2Grow, Friday, August 14 “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 NIV“My joy is not that cheap” is an expression I have used for years when I go through circumstances that are about to steal my joy. Just recently, we locked ourselves out of our house and had to pay a locksmith to come and open our door. It cost money that we wanted to use...  Read More

Confidence in the Battle—Two2Grow, Thursday, August 13 ”Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” Psalm 27:3 NIVI heard a story about a missionary couple who served in a very dangerous country that had a lot of gang violence. God used them to lead the son of a gang boss to the Lord. That didn’t make the gang dad happy. One d...  Read More

Writing Acts 29—Two2Grow, Wednesday, August 12 “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach.” Acts 1:1 NIVIn one of the churches where we served as pastors, there was an elder who, every time God moved, would come up to me and say, “Acts 29,” and then walk away. For those who are unfamiliar with the Book of Acts, that probably doesn’t say much. But the book...  Read More

Jesus Provides—Two2Grow, Tuesday, August 11 “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.” Luke 9:16 NIVI will never forget when Emelie and I sat around the kitchen table at the start of a new school year just a few years ago and said that unless the Lord performed a miracle, our fin...  Read More

Never Stop—Two2Grow, Monday, August 10 “Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLTIt is easy to feel frustrated after praying for something and not seeing any direct change. Many times, when we pray for someone or something, things can at first take a turn for the worse, and it can look even darker than before we prayed.Jesus encouraged us to keep at it. Walking with God is a test of perseveran...  Read More

God’s Ordinary Miracles—Two2Grow, Sunday, August 9 “I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here… They have been a wonderful encouragement to me.” 1 Corinthians 16:17–18a NLTHave you ever been down and didn’t know how to get back to a mental state of peace and hope, but after spending some time with good company, you realized that those dark clouds had disappeared? The ap...  Read More