Never Forgotten—Two2Grow, July 3 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” Isaiah 49:15 NIVI remember very vividly coming out of soccer practice in middle school and realizing that the van I had come with was no longer in the parking lot. My friend’s father, who had taken a group of us to practice, ...  Read More

Mind-blowing Generosity — Two2Grow, July 2 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32 NIVThe first paycheck I ever received was for packing orders in a shoe warehouse during evenings and weekends while I was in high school. It was hard work. I remember when my first paycheck came in the mail, I cou...  Read More

The Antidote to Fear — Two2Grow, July 1 "Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." John 14:1 NLTFear is a bully—it wants to set the limits for our lives and decide what we can and cannot do.Fear is an enemy. If we give in to fear, we will never fulfill God’s assignment for our lives.We tend to speak our fears and make choices based on what we are afraid could happen.B...  Read More

The Power of Self-Control— Two2Grow, June 30 “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32Our greatest enemy isn’t Satan; it is ourselves. Our fallen nature is constantly working against the will of God in our lives.We need to grow in self-control in our walk with the Lord so that we don’t give in to every impulse we have and simply let o...  Read More

Kingdom Focus — Two2Grow, June 29 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 NIVWe are in a war—whether we know it or not. There is an ongoing spiritual battle for our minds. Satan wants us to lose focus on Jesus and the kingdom of God and become consumed with what is going on around us in this world. He knows that when our focus is where it should be, we become danger...  Read More

Where God Guides, He Provides – Two2Grow, June 28 “The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.” Isaiah 58:11 NLTThroughout the Bible, God shows His love toward His people by providing for their material needs. It is not, as some think, that God only cares about our spiritual...  Read More

The Curse of Comparison — Two2Grow, June 27 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12 NIVI have one older brother, and growing up, I compared everything he got with what I got. When my mom gave us ice cream at home, I put my bowl next to ...  Read More

Afraid Yet Filled with Joy— Two2Grow, June 26 “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” Matthew 28:8 NIVA post by Emelie Stenhammar, MDAt the word of the angel of the Lord, the women left the tomb where they had been looking for Jesus’ body and went to tell the other disciples of His resurrection. They were given a commission from the ang...  Read More

Caught by Goodness and Mercy— Two2Grow, June 25 “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 NIVWhen our kids were young, we lived in a small two-story house that had a very steep staircase, almost like a ladder, leading to the second floor. They were not allowed to climb it alone—Emelie and I were always behi...  Read More

Chaos Defeated—Two2Grow, June 24 “Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.” Revelation 4:6a NIVHave you ever experienced chaos—whether in your circumstances or in your inner emotional life? You lose all your fixed points in life, and confusion and fear take over.The devil is the master of chaos. Whenever he enters the picture, that's what he brings. ...  Read More

Be Bold—Two2Grow, June 23 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9 NIVI have a mentor in ministry who is now over 90 years old. One of his favorite things to say to me when I face hardship is, “Be bold.”Joshua was taking over as the leader of God’s people after Moses. It was a...  Read More

Taming the Tongue—Two2Grow, June 22 By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.  James 3:6 The MessageAt the wall in a house of some elderly missionaries we often visited in Africa hung a framed print on yellowed, moisture-damaged paper:“Christ is the Head of th...  Read More