Believe God— Two2Grow, Tuesday, September 15 “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend.” James 2:23 NIVGod wants us to trust Him, and when we do, it pleases Him. There is a special smile from heaven over us when we live by faith, and we enter into a closer walk with God.Abraham stands as an exampl...  Read More

A Word That Sets You Free— Two2Grow, Monday, September 14 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NIV By Emelie Stenhammar, MDI have a note in my Bible next to this verse that says, “23rd of March 2022.” That was a date when God spoke to me through this verse and set my heart at peace when I was worried about heading into a longer period of hard work...  Read More

Free from Shame—Two2Grow, Saturday, September 12 “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” Psalm 34:5 NIVShame is a powerful enemy that seeks to take control of our lives.I know Sophia (not her real name) very well. When she was left alone with three children after her husband chose a younger woman, she was gripped by a powerful spirit of shame at having been d...  Read More

Not Alarmed—Two2Grow, Friday, September 11 “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” Matthew 24:6 NIVI remember exactly where I was when I heard the news of 9/11. I was serving the Lord as a missionary in Kenya, leading a school of ministry there. It was hard to find news, so I went to a hotel that had...  Read More

What Is Better—Two2Grow, Thursday, September 10 “‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:41–42 NIVBy Josephine StenhammarIn today’s text, we find the story of Jesus coming to the house of Martha and her sister Mary. Mary chooses ...  Read More

If Jesus Sleeps, So Can I—Two2Grow, Wednesday, September 9 “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.” Mark 4:38a NIVBy Emelie StenhammarWhen a young child, in the company of a parent, faces something unfamiliar or perhaps frightening, I have noticed many times that they look to their parent’s face. They want to know, by their parent’s reaction, whether this is something to worry about or not...  Read More

“More Yours Than Mine”—Two2Grow, Tuesday, September 8 “Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me” Acts 27:23 NIVEmelie and I have a mentor couple who have served God as missionaries in Africa for over 40 years and pioneered an amazing ministry there. One time, the wife, Gunnel, gave birth to their second child by cesarean section in a very remote place, but t...  Read More

“I am a very busy man, but I take time to get alone with God every day”— Two2Grow, Monday, September 7 “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalm 105:4 NIVWilliam Booth founded the Salvation Army together with his wife, Catherine, to reach people who were trapped in alcoholism, poverty, and hopelessness in 19th-century England. It grew into a powerful revival movement that sp...  Read More

Choose to Trust— Two2Grow, Saturday, September 5 “Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’” Mark 5:36 NIVThere have been many times in our lives when circumstances looked impossible, and we saw no human way out. Emelie and I looked at one another and said, “We chose to trust God.”Living by faith begins with a conscious choice: I want to trust God no matter what....  Read More

The Faithful God—Two2Grow, Friday, September 4 “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.” 2 Timothy 2:13 NLTLet’s imagine for a minute that God allowed some of the saints of the Bible to come back to life for just a short while and we could talk to them. If we lined up Moses, Miriam, Abraham and Sarah, Joshua, Ruth, Hannah, Samuel, David, Jeremiah, Mary, John, Paul,...  Read More

Interrupted by Glory—Two2Grow, Thursday, September 3 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” Romans 11:33 NIVThe little word “Oh” in today’s Scripture says a lot. Paul has been writing about God and how He works out His plans in the world. It is very deep and sometimes complicated to fully understand, but t...  Read More

Flow In Your Gift—Two2Grow, Wednesday, September 2 “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 NLTI never wanted to preach. I grew up in a pastor’s home and saw many of the downsides, so I wanted to get into business. But then I met the Lord and woke up to the fact that God had given me a gift that I needed to steward, so I began preaching in my late tee...  Read More