A Brighter Kind of Life

,

Matthew 5:14-15 — You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

Florence Nightingale was not your average Victorian lady.

She could have spent her life in elegant drawing rooms, dressed in beautiful silk gowns, surrounded by the finest things society had to offer.

She came from a wealthy family.

She had opportunities most women of her time could only dream about.

But Florence wanted something different.

She wanted her life to mean something.

And she believed God had called her to care for people who were suffering.

During the Crimean War, that calling took her to a military hospital in Scutari, near Constantinople.

And what she found there was heartbreaking.

Wounded soldiers were crowded into filthy hospital wards.

Medical supplies were scarce.

Sanitation was terrible.

And men who had survived the horrors of battle were dying from disease and infection.

Can you imagine?

These soldiers had already endured so much.

And now, far from home, many were lying in hospital beds with little comfort and even less hope.

But Florence didn’t turn away.

She and her team of nurses rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

They cleaned.

They organized.

They tended wounds.

They cared for men who desperately needed someone to care.

And Florence didn’t do it because she wanted recognition.

She did it because she saw people who were hurting, and she believed their lives mattered.

But there’s one part of her story that I find especially moving.

At night, when the hospital grew quiet and the darkness settled over the wards, Florence would make her rounds carrying a lamp.

She walked among the sick and wounded.

Checking on them.

Offering comfort.

Making sure they knew they hadn’t been forgotten.

And before long, she became known as “The Lady with the Lamp.”

Isn’t that a beautiful picture?

In a place filled with pain, fear, and uncertainty, here came a woman carrying a little light.

And for the soldiers lying in those beds, I imagine the sight of that lamp meant more than Florence could ever have known.

It meant someone was coming.

Someone cared.

Someone hadn’t forgotten them.

And that makes me think about something Jesus said in Matthew 5.

“You are the light of the world.”

Now, think about that for a moment.

Jesus didn’t say we should hide our faith away where nobody could see it.

He compared His followers to a lamp placed on a stand so that everyone in the house could benefit from its light.

And I think sometimes we make that calling more complicated than it needs to be.

We imagine that making a difference for God requires something extraordinary.

A big ministry.

A microphone.

A mission trip halfway around the world.

Or some special talent we don’t think we have.

But what if shining our light begins with something much simpler?

What if it begins with noticing someone who’s sitting in the dark?

Maybe it’s the coworker who’s been unusually quiet lately.

The neighbor who lives alone.

The friend who’s going through something difficult but keeps insisting everything is fine.

Or the person everybody else seems too busy to notice.

Sometimes, bringing light into someone’s life looks like a phone call.

A meal.

A visit.

A listening ear.

Or simply showing up when someone needs to know they haven’t been forgotten.

Now, Florence Nightingale’s work changed the way people thought about nursing and hospital care.

Her influence reached far beyond those hospital wards.

But I wonder if some of the moments that mattered most to the soldiers were the quiet ones.

The moments when she stopped beside a bed.

When she offered a kind word.

When the glow of her lamp reminded someone that they weren’t alone.

Because here’s something I’ve come to believe.

You don’t have to light up the whole world to make a difference in someone’s darkness.

Sometimes, you just need to bring a little light to the person standing in front of you.

And as followers of Jesus, we have the opportunity to reflect His love wherever He places us.

Not so people will notice how wonderful we are.

But so they might catch a glimpse of how wonderful He is.

That’s what Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 5:16.

When people see the good things we do, the glory should go to our Father in heaven.

So today, I want to challenge you to look around.

Who might be struggling?

Who might feel forgotten?

Who could use a little encouragement?

You may never know how much your kindness means to them.

You may never hear the full story of what they’re facing.

But that doesn’t make your act of love any less important.

Florence carried a lamp through the darkness of a military hospital.

You and I have opportunities to carry the love of Jesus into the places we go every day.

And sometimes, the smallest light can make an extraordinary difference.

So don’t hide your light.

Someone may need it more than you know.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What part of Florence Nightingale’s story speaks most strongly to you?
  • Why do you think Jesus compared His followers to a lamp that gives light to everyone in a house?
  • Have you ever experienced a time when someone’s simple act of kindness helped you through a difficult season?
  • Is there someone in your life who may be struggling quietly and could use encouragement?
  • How can you serve others in a way that points them toward God’s love rather than drawing attention to yourself?

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

Who might be sitting in the darkness today, waiting for someone like me to bring a little light?

/by

You’re Gonna Be Alright

,

Matthew 6:25-26 — That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

Some days, faith looks less like standing on a mountaintop and more like hanging on by your fingernails.

You know those days.

When the bills keep coming.

When the doctor’s office calls.

When someone you love is hurting, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to fix it.

And everybody keeps telling you to trust God, but if you’re being truthful, you’re just trying to make it through the day.

That’s one of the things I appreciate about Matt Maher’s song, “Gonna Be Alright.”

It makes room for those days.

It doesn’t pretend that life is always easy or that we’ll never face something that shakes us to our core.

Instead, it reminds us of something we desperately need to remember.

Even when everything around us feels uncertain, God hasn’t changed.

And that’s exactly what Jesus was teaching in Matthew 6.

He told the people listening to Him to look at the birds.

Now, think about that for a minute.

Birds don’t plant crops.

They don’t fill barns with food for next winter.

They don’t have savings accounts or carefully planned retirement funds.

And yet, God provides for them.

Then Jesus asks a question that I think we sometimes read right past.

“And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”

Let those words settle into your heart.

You are valuable to Him.

Not because you’ve managed to keep everything together.

Not because your faith has never wavered.

Not because you’ve figured out how to handle every problem life throws your way.

But because you belong to Him.

Of course, knowing that and feeling it can be two very different things.

The bills still have to be paid.

The medical tests still have to be taken.

The difficult conversations still have to happen.

And sometimes, even when we know God is faithful, we’re still afraid.

But here’s what I want you to remember.

Trusting God doesn’t mean you’ll never feel worried. It means you know where to take your worries when they come.

Jesus isn’t telling us to ignore our responsibilities or pretend our problems aren’t real.

He’s inviting us to stop carrying tomorrow’s burdens as though we’re carrying them alone.

And I think that’s where so many of us struggle.

We spend today worrying about what might happen tomorrow.

And then we worry about what we’ll do if it does.

Before long, we’ve lived through a hundred terrible possibilities in our minds, and none of them has even happened yet.

But our Heavenly Father already knows what we need.

He sees what we’re facing.

And He hasn’t forgotten us.

Now, that doesn’t mean everything will work out exactly the way we hope.

Sometimes the answer isn’t what we prayed for.

Sometimes the road is harder than we imagined.

And sometimes, we have to keep trusting God without knowing how the story is going to unfold.

But even then, His love doesn’t disappear.

His mercy doesn’t run out.

And His presence doesn’t depend on our circumstances.

So maybe today, you don’t feel particularly strong.

Maybe your faith feels a little shaky.

Maybe you’re holding on by your fingernails.

If that’s you, I want to encourage you to do something Jesus told us to do.

Look at the birds.

Really look at them.

Watch them for a moment.

And remember that the same God who created them, who knows their needs and provides for them, knows yours too.

You don’t have to figure out every detail of tomorrow today.

You don’t have to pretend you’re not afraid.

And you certainly don’t have to face any of it without Him.

Because the God who holds tomorrow is the same God who’s holding you today.

And even when you don’t know what’s coming next, you can rest in the love of the One who does.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What is one worry about tomorrow that has been stealing your peace today?
  • Why do you think Jesus used something as ordinary as birds to remind us of God’s care?
  • How does knowing that you are valuable to God change the way you think about your circumstances?
  • What’s the difference between trusting God and expecting Him to make everything turn out the way you want?
  • What practical step could you take today to bring a specific worry to God instead of continuing to carry it alone?

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

What am I trying to carry into tomorrow that I need to place in God’s hands today?

 

L Y R I C S

Gonna be alright
Lilies of the field
They don’t toil they don’t spin
Sparrows in the wind
They sing of where they’ve been

If the hairs on my head are counted
And the tears that I cry, are too
Then why would I be anxious
If? It’s all just the same to you

Chorus:
I lift my eyes I know
Everything gonna be alright
My Lord
So why should I worry

Not a thing
That I lack
You’re with me
That’s a fact

I’m alive
It’s a ride
Where I go Lord I know
It’s gonna be alright

V2
Best days or my worst,
If i’m last or if i’m first
Sunshine or rain
The sky might fall but You remain

If the whole world’s in your hands Lord
and mercy’s always new
Then why would I be anxious
When It’s all just the same to you

There’s peace for the trouble this day
There’s hope that everything could change
Tomorrow’s gonna find it’s way
If you’re hanging on the edge of faith
Don’t be afraid

Songwriters: Matt Maher, Simon Dumas, Cecily Hennigan

/by

The Sound of Two Coins

,

Philemon 1:6 — And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.

There are some gifts you can hear.

A big check landing in a church offering plate has a certain sound.

So does a pocketful of change when somebody drops it all at once.

But I want you to imagine a much quieter sound.

Clink.

Clink.

Just two little coins.

That’s all.

There’s a story in the Bible about a widow who walked into the temple one day while Jesus was watching people bring their offerings.

The wealthy were giving large amounts.

And then came this woman.

A widow.

Someone who likely knew what it meant to live with very little.

She stepped forward and dropped two small copper coins into the offering.

Clink. Clink.

No applause.

No big announcement.

Nothing that would have caused the crowd to stop and stare.

In fact, if you’d been standing nearby, you might not have noticed her at all.

But Jesus did.

And what He said next probably surprised everybody.

He called His disciples over and told them that this poor widow had given more than all the others.

Now, wait a minute.

More?

The wealthy people had given far larger amounts.

Her two coins were worth almost nothing.

But here’s what Jesus understood that everyone else seemed to miss.

He wasn’t measuring the size of her gift. He was seeing the sacrifice behind it.

The others had given out of their abundance.

But this woman had given everything she had to live on.

And suddenly, those two tiny coins didn’t seem so small anymore.

You know, I think there’s something about this story that challenges the way we look at generosity.

Because we tend to measure gifts by numbers.

How much was given?

How much was raised?

How big was the contribution?

But Jesus looked beyond the amount.

He saw the person.

He saw what the gift represented.

And He saw something nobody else could see.

Her heart.

Now, this story isn’t a command for everyone to empty their bank accounts or ignore their responsibilities.

But it does remind us that God sees generosity differently than we do.

And that’s where today’s Scripture comes in.

In Philemon, Paul prays that generosity flowing from faith will grow as believers recognize all the good things they have in Christ.

I love that.

Because generosity doesn’t begin with looking at what we have in our wallets.

It begins with remembering what we’ve already received from God.

Grace we could never earn.

Forgiveness we could never deserve.

A Savior who gave Himself for us.

And the promise that we belong to Him.

When we remember those gifts, something begins to change.

We stop thinking of generosity as a way to impress God.

And we begin to see it as a response to His goodness.

We give because we’ve been loved.

We share because we’ve been blessed.

We look for ways to help because Jesus has already given so much to us.

And sometimes, what we have to offer may seem small.

A few dollars.

A little time.

A simple act of kindness.

Something that might never get noticed by anyone else.

But don’t underestimate what God can do with a willing heart.

Because the widow’s two coins remind us that the value of a gift isn’t always something you can count.

Sometimes it’s found in the love behind it.

Sometimes it’s found in the trust it represents.

And sometimes it’s found in a quiet act of faith that nobody else even notices.

Nobody, that is, except Jesus.

So today, don’t spend your time comparing what you can give with what somebody else can give.

Instead, ask God to help you recognize all He’s already given you.

And then look for an opportunity to let that gratitude become generosity.

Because the gifts that matter most aren’t always the ones that make the biggest noise.

Sometimes they sound like this.

Clink.

Clink.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Why do you think Jesus noticed the widow’s two coins when others may have overlooked her?
  • Have you ever felt that what you could give wasn’t enough to make a difference?
  • How does remembering God’s grace, forgiveness, and love change your attitude toward generosity?
  • What’s the difference between giving to impress others and giving as an expression of gratitude to God?
  • What is one way you can practice meaningful generosity today, whether through money, time, encouragement, or kindness? 

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

Am I measuring what I have to give by its size, or by the love and faith behind it? 

/by

Love In the Diaper Aisle

,

1 Peter 1:22 — You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. 

The first time I ran into my pastor in public, I was pushing a shopping cart through Walmart like a madman.

I had a short list and was moving as fast as only a dad with a newborn can.

Sarah and I had just welcomed our baby girl, Reese.

Those first days were wonderful and exhausting, and suddenly, I had a profound interest in the price of diapers.

Then I looked up from my list and saw my pastor.

He lit up and asked how we were doing. Then he asked about the little one, too.

And he listened.

He acted like I was the most important person in the room.

We said goodbye, and I went home to the usual newborn festivities:

Bottles.

Diapers.

Crying.

Repeat.

Then my phone buzzed.

It was an Apple Pay notification from my pastor.

In the comments, he had written, “Hey David, it was great to see you. Congrats on your sweet girl. Love y’all!”

And underneath the message was a fifty-dollar gift.

Now, don’t get me wrong.

Fifty dollars goes a long way.

But that’s not what touched me the most.

It was that he didn’t have to send it.

He had already stopped.

He had already listened.

He had already filled my cup with care.

But he thought about us after we walked away.

And that meant something.

Boy, oh boy, that’s something.

Scripture tells us to love one another deeply, from the heart.

And that’s what I experienced that day.

Love that noticed.

Love that remembered.

Love that went the extra mile when it didn’t have to.

Sometimes love looks remarkably ordinary.

It looks like stopping in the frozen-food aisle at Walmart.

It looks like asking someone how they’re really doing.

It looks like remembering their name, checking in later, bringing dinner, sending a text, or simply letting someone know, “I’m thinking about you.”

But I want to encourage you today:

Don’t let love stop at the moment.

If someone crosses your path, pay attention.

If someone tells you they’re struggling, remember.

If someone needs encouragement, take the extra step.

Because a little bit of love can have remarkable power to say:

You are seen.
You are loved.
And you don’t have to carry this alone.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Can you remember a time when someone showed you unexpected love or kindness? What did that simple act mean to you?
  • Who is someone God may be putting on your heart today that you could encourage with one small act of love?
  • Do you tend to let moments of connection end when the conversation ends, or do you look for ways to follow up and continue showing care?
  • What does “love each other deeply with all your heart” look like in your relationships right now?
  • Is there someone in your life who needs to hear, “You are seen. You are loved. You don’t have to carry this alone”? What could you do to help them know it?

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

Who can I love a little more deeply today—not just with my words, but with one intentional act of kindness?

/by

Taco Soup for the Soul

,

Psalm 98:1 — Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!

There is just something about fall.

The days get shorter. The air gets cooler, and the leaves start to change.

Porch lights come on a little earlier, and suddenly everybody seems to have a pot of something warm on the stove.

And maybe that’s why I loved this particular evening so much.

My wife and I have a set of couple-friends who are pretty special to us. They’re the kind of friends who somehow knew both of us separately for more than a decade before Sarah and I ever started dating.

They actually introduced us.

Needless to say…

We love these people.

It had been a while since we’d all gotten together, so they invited us over for taco soup.

And if you’ve ever had really good cornbread with taco soup on a fall evening, you might already know where this story is going.

We sat around the house while it got dark outside.

We ate.

We laughed.

We talked about the highs and lows of life.

Their girls ran around the house and loved on our toddler.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I just felt grateful.

Not for one big thing.

For all of it.

Lately, I’ve been hearing Forrest Frank’s song THANKFUL, and it reminds me to notice the things I often overlook.

A roof over my head.

A bed to sleep in.

Food in the kitchen.

Good friends.

Even a big mess that I’m actually grateful to get to clean up.

It’s a reminder that sometimes we’re surrounded by blessings we’ve simply gotten used to seeing.

Sitting there with our friends, that’s all I could think about.

Soup on the stove.

Blankets on the couch.

Laughter in the next room.

People I love sitting across the table from me.

There was only one word for it.

Breathtaking.

And I think that’s one of the beautiful things about fall.

It gives us so many ordinary moments to notice.

And when we turn our attention toward God in those moments, something happens.

Gratitude starts to rise.

And before you know it, you’re singing your own song of praise.

Psalm 98 says, “Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds.”

Maybe your new song today doesn’t start with a melody.

Maybe it starts with noticing.

Look around.

Notice what God has given you.

Notice the people He has placed in your life.

Notice the ordinary blessings you’ve stopped seeing because they’ve become so familiar.

And then look up.

Because when you begin to recognize the goodness of God in the middle of an ordinary day, you may discover that you have more reasons to sing than you realized.

We really do have so much to be thankful for.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What is one ordinary blessing in your life that you’ve become so accustomed to that you rarely stop to thank God for it?
  • When was the last time you felt grateful “not for one big thing, but for all of it”? What made that moment special?
  • Who are the people in your life who make ordinary moments feel extraordinary? Have you told them how thankful you are for them?
  • What changes in your perspective when you intentionally look for God’s goodness in the small things?
  • If you were going to write your own “new song” of gratitude to God today, what would you include?

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

What blessing have I gotten so used to seeing that I’ve forgotten to thank God for it

 

L Y R I C S

I’ve got so much to be thankful for

Look, I’ve got a roof and a bed
A couple groceries to stay fed
I’ve got a phone and clean water
And some shoes when I wanna go farther

Today, I’ve got so much to be thankful for (hey)
I woke up this morning thinking, “Thank You, Lord” (hey)
For giving me everything I could ever need and more
I’ve got so much to be thankful for (oh, yeah, run it back)

Ayy, I have lights and a fan
A couple people who know who I am (know)
I have a car and clean clothes
Pots and pans I can cook on the stove

I have the sun and air in my lungs
And a big mess that I get to clean up
But most of all, one thing’s true
Jesus, I’m grateful for You (you, You, ah)

Today I’ve got so much to be thankful for (thankful for)
I woke up this morning thinking, “Thank You, Lord” (thank You)
For giving me everything I could ever need and more (need and more)
I’ve got so much to be thankful for (ayy)

One more time
Today, I’ve got so much to be thankful for (thankful for)
I woke up this morning thinking, “Thank You, Lord” (thank You, Lord)
For giving me everything I could ever need and more
I’ve got so much to be thankful for
Oh, say it again, say it again
I’ve got so much to be thankful for

/by

The Revival Brewing Nearby

,

Matthew 9:37-38 — He said to His disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” 

One of my favorite things to do when sweater weather rolls into town is stop by a local coffee shop.

You know the feeling. It’s the first cool morning of the year. You walk in, and cinnamon and espresso are in the air.

I know I’m not the only one.

Coffee shops are booming. Look around and you’ll see just about everybody—college students returning to Northeast Louisiana, professionals hunching over laptops… and with the new AI center coming to our area, you might even meet people from all over the world.

But if you sit there long enough, you’ll start noticing something else.

In every coffee shop across America, you’ll find double-shot disciple makers.

I promise you. They’re there.

They’re gospel-sharing, heart-on-fire Christians who turn a latte run into an opportunity to love someone who needs Jesus.

I see older men sitting with young guys. An older woman talking with a college student. Bibles lying open between sips of coffee as they share the gospel and the everyday “how-tos” of a life well lived.

It’s incredible.

And it’s personal for me.

Someone once saw a struggling young David and simply said, “Hey, do you want to go to coffee?”

That invitation changed my life.

So yes, I see disciple makers all over America—and I also see the people they’re sitting beside. People coming and going who still don’t know their Savior.

Jesus said the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. And then He told His followers what to do: pray for the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His fields.

So today, pray for those Christians.

Pray that God would send more of them.

And if you’re praying for someone you love to know Jesus, but nothing you’re doing seems to be working, pray again.

Because while you’re waiting for an answer, God is still at work. He may already be preparing someone to meet that person right where they are—with an invitation to coffee, a conversation, a listening ear, or simply a reminder that they are loved.

The harvest is still out there.

So ask God for more workers.

And maybe somewhere near you, over a cup of coffee, He’s already preparing the next conversation that could change a life.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Who in your life might God be inviting you to intentionally spend time with so you can love them and point them toward Jesus?
  • Have you ever had a simple invitation or conversation that made a lasting impact on your life?
  • Are you more comfortable praying for someone to know Jesus, or actually stepping into a relationship with them? Why?
  • What would it look like to turn an ordinary coffee, lunch, or conversation into an opportunity to share the love of Christ?

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

Who is God placing in my path that I could slow down, sit with, and love like Jesus?

/by

Stuck Is Not Your Story

, ,

John 12:26 – Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

There’s a line in CAIN’s song Rise Up that gets me every time:

“Are you too scared to move and walk out of this tomb?”

That’s a striking question because sometimes what holds us back isn’t that we don’t know we’re stuck.

It’s that the stuck place starts to feel like the new normal.

Familiar, even.

Isn’t that relatable?

But let me tell you, you’re in good company.

In the Bible, Lazarus knew something about being stuck, too.

He had been dead for four days when Jesus arrived. There was a stone over the tomb, his sisters were devastated, and there was absolutely no reasonable expectation that Lazarus was coming back.

But then Jesus called his name.

I love that detail.

Jesus didn’t shout some generic instructions into the cemetery.

He called Lazarus.

And Lazarus came out.

But here’s what I don’t want us to miss: Lazarus didn’t come out of the tomb just to wander around and eventually find another tomb to hide in.

His new life meant a new relationship with Jesus.

In fact, John 12 tells us that Lazarus was sitting at a table with Jesus shortly afterward.

And then, in that same chapter, Jesus says, “Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.”

Now, I can’t say with any certainty that Lazarus was still in the room when Jesus said those words. I’ll leave that part to your imagination.

But don’t miss the bigger picture.

Jesus doesn’t just call us out of something.

He calls us after Him.

Maybe you’ve spent a long time believing the lies, carrying the shame, or living inside a pattern that feels impossible to escape.

Maybe the place that once felt like a prison has simply become familiar.

Hear Jesus’ voice today.

The grave isn’t your home.

And when Jesus calls you out of the grave, He isn’t just calling you away from your old life.

He’s reaching out His hand and saying, “Follow Me.”

So, rise up.

Take off your grave clothes.

And follow Jesus.

He’s calling.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What is one area of your life where you’ve felt stuck for so long that it has started to feel normal?
  • Are there lies, shame, habits, or patterns that Jesus may be calling you to leave behind? What makes it difficult to step out?
  • What does it mean to you that Jesus doesn’t simply call you out of something—He calls you to follow Him?
  • What might “taking off your grave clothes” look like in your life right now? Is there something from your old life you keep putting back on?
  • If Jesus is saying, “Follow Me,” what is one step you could take today to move toward Him?

 

 L Y R I C S

Rise Up (Lazarus)
Come Forth
Dead man open your eyes
The Lord ain’t finished with you
Wake up You sleeper
Watch what he can do
Dead man open your eyes
Jesus is calling for you

In the dark and all alone
Growin comfortable
Are you too
Scared to move
And walk out of this tomb

Buried underneath
The lies that you believed
Safe and sound
Stuck in the ground
Too lost to be found

You’re just asleep
And it’s time to leave

Come on and rise up
Take a breath, you’re alive now
Can’t you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
You’re brand new
The power of death couldn’t hold you
Can’t you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus

When He said your name
The thing that filled your veins
Was more than blood
It’s the kind of love
That washes sin away

Now the door is open wide
The stones been rolled aside
The old is gone
The Light has come
So…

He’s calling us to walk out of the dark
He’s giving us new resurrected hearts

/by

God Isn’t Finished

,

Ezekiel 37:5 — This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!

The church had shrunk so small they started wondering whether it ought to keep going.

It had not always been that way.

There had been a time when the parking lot filled up on Sunday morning, children ran through the hallways, and somebody was always making coffee somewhere. But years have a way of changing things. People moved away. Some got older. Some stopped coming. A few left hurt. Before long, the church had become a handful of faithful folks trying to keep the doors open.

Then one day, somebody came and repossessed the copier.

That may not sound like much, but if you have ever been part of a small church, you know better. A church without a copier is getting pretty close to the end of the road.

They simply couldn’t afford it—or much of anything else anymore.

It felt like a sign that the once-vibrant house of worship should start preparing for its own funeral.

Only God wasn’t finished.

So the people started praying. I mean, really praying.

People who hadn’t been around in years came back. A new pastor arrived. The little congregation began looking outside itself again, serving their neighbors and giving to missions. They stopped asking how to keep the church alive and started asking what they could do with the life they still had.

And little by little, something changed.

That dying church found itself welcoming hundreds of people through its doors. The parking lot filled again. The smell of coffee filled the air. And, more importantly, hungry hearts were beginning to taste the goodness of God there like never before.

That story makes me think of Ezekiel standing in that valley.

God showed him a place covered with bones. Not fresh bones, either. Dry bones. Bones that had been there long enough to make the situation seem completely hopeless.

Then God said, “I am going to put breath into you and make you live again.”

God was showing Ezekiel that what looked completely hopeless to His people was not beyond His power to restore. The dry bones were a picture of Israel, a people who felt like all hope was gone. But God had not forgotten them.

And maybe you need that reminder today.

You may be looking at something you have already buried in your heart—a relationship, a dream, a calling, a church, or even a part of yourself. Maybe it really is beyond what you can repair. But that doesn’t mean it is beyond God.

God may not restore every situation in exactly the way we hope or expect. But nothing is beyond His power, and no situation is beyond His ability to bring purpose, hope, and new life.

Friend, it may feel finished, but God hasn’t forgotten you.

What looks like a grave to us can still become a garden.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What situation in your life feels hopeless or “too far gone” right now? Have you brought it honestly to God?
  • Where have you been tempted to decide that something is finished before God has finished His work?
  • What would it look like to stop asking, “How do I keep this alive?” and instead ask, “God, what do You want me to do with the life You’ve given me?”
  • How does Ezekiel 37 remind you that God’s power is greater than what you can see or understand right now?
  • Where might God be inviting you to pray, serve, or take a step of faith even before you see the outcome?

L Y R I C S

I searched the world
But it couldn’t fill me
Man’s empty praise
and treasures that fade
Are never enough

Then You came along
And put me back together
And every desire is now satisfied
Here in Your love

Oh there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord there’s nothing, nothing is better
than You

I’m not afraid
To show You my weakness
My failures and flaws
Lord You’ve seen them all
And You still call me friend

‘Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
There’s not a place
Your mercy and grace
Won’t find me again

You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can

You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
You’re the only one who can

Written by Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, Tiffany Hammer, Brandon Lake

/by

What’s Weighing You Down?

,

Matthew 11:28-30 — Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

I remember ninth-grade me marching around that astroturf field.

Yep. You guessed it. I was a band kid.

I played all through high school, and my instrument of choice might surprise you. Wrapped around me was a sousaphone—a tuba you wear while you march. And if you’ve ever seen one up close, you know one thing: that thing is heavy.

Band was great. It gave me a community, something to do on Friday nights, and the biggest locker in school.

But there was one unavoidable reality: heaviness.

The fine print should have said: “Must be willing to carry 35 pounds of metal on your shoulder for hours. Rest breaks may or may not be included.”

Eventually, my body adjusted. My muscles got stronger, and I stopped noticing the weight quite as much.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t still heavy.

Life can be like that, too. Sometimes the things we’re carrying are good things—our families, our jobs, our responsibilities, the people we love. They’re gifts. But even good gifts can become heavy when we’ve been carrying them for too long.

That’s why I love Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11. He doesn’t say, “Try harder.” He says, “Come to me.”

Bring Him the burden. Bring Him the weariness. Bring Him the things you’ve gotten so used to carrying that you’ve almost forgotten they’re heavy.

Jesus never asked us to carry life’s weight alone. And when we bring Him what we’re carrying—even the good things—we discover the rest He promises: not necessarily a life without responsibility, but a soul that doesn’t have to carry it alone.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What are you carrying right now that has become heavier than you realized?
  • Is there a “good thing” in your life that you need to bring to Jesus instead of carrying by yourself?
  • What would it look like today to actually respond to Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me?”
/by

The Backpack and the Breakthrough

,

2 Timothy 1:7 — For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Do you ever miss those back-to-school days?

I never liked summer ending, but I loved the feeling that maybe this year would be different. There was something about picking out a new backpack, fresh notebooks, and school clothes that made a new year feel full of possibility.

It came with that hold-your-breath feeling. You didn’t know who your teachers would be, what your classes would be like, or what it would feel like to suddenly be another grade older.

But alongside all that excitement came something I was never too fond of.

Icebreakers.

You know the ones. The teacher would always ask you to do some variation of a get-to-know-you game.

“Stand up and tell the class your name, one fun fact about yourself, and your favorite color.”

It always felt like nails on a chalkboard.

Don’t people know public speaking is one of our biggest fears? Yet there we were, subjected to it as thirteen-year-olds.

It was like they wanted our formative years to be painful.

But, again, I understand the other side too. Later in life, I became a teacher, and I realized these things were helping students learn how to step outside their comfort zones.

So what really is the difference between that giddy expectation you felt in the backpack aisle and those icebreakers that made you want to disappear?

I think the difference is where our attention is.

We stop wondering what might happen right and start worrying about what could go wrong.

Fear turns our eyes inward.

We start thinking about how we’ll look, what people will think, and everything that could go wrong.

But God invites us to look somewhere else.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

That doesn’t mean uncertainty disappears. It means fear doesn’t have to be the voice directing us through it.

God gives us power to take the next step, love that moves our attention beyond ourselves, and a sound mind that helps us remember what’s actually true.

When we trust Him with uncertainty instead of clinging to anxiety, hope has room to grow.

So today, instead of asking, “What if I fail?” ask, “What might God do if I simply trust Him?”

And here’s something comforting: while you’re worried about how everyone else sees you, God has never once taken His eyes off you.

You don’t have to face what’s next alone.

You can walk into it with power, love, and a sound mind because the God who goes before you is already there.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What situation tends to make you focus more on what could go wrong?
  • Which part of 2 Timothy 1:7 do you need most right now—power, love, or a sound mind?
  • How does fear change the way you see yourself or the people around you?
  • What would trusting God look like in the uncertain situation you’re facing?
  • Instead of asking, “What if I fail?”, what might God be inviting you to ask?
/by