Life According to the Spirit
The Simple Gospel When I was seven years old, I heard the gospel clearly presented to me at a Vacation Bible School. The teacher explained that I was a sinner, and my sin separated me from our holy God. God, in His kindness, sent His Son to die on the cross for my...
Life According to the Spirit
The Simple Gospel When I was seven years old, I heard the gospel clearly presented to me at a Vacation Bible School. The teacher explained that I was a sinner, and my sin separated me from our holy God. God, in His kindness, sent His Son to die on the cross for my...
Week 4: Investing in a Legacy that Lasts
Oh, don’t you just love how Boaz is a man of his word? Right after Ruth heads back to Naomi with a shawl full of barley - and I’m sure a heart filled with hope - Boaz wastes no time and travels into town, just like he said he would. Boaz is ready to make good on his...
Doing Right in a Tempting World…
"[The book of] Ruth is a portrait of beautiful, noble manhood and womanhood. In a day when movies and television and advertising and the Internet portray masculinity and femininity in the lowest ways, we are in great need of stories that elevate the magnificent...
Ruth Was a Proverbs 31 Woman…
Can I tell you a secret? Ruth Chapter 3 has always made me a little nervous. I mean, am I the only one who cringes at the thought of Ruth going to the threshing floor that night and following Naomi's orders? Ahhh, talk about awkward! My heart begins to beat faster,...
Week 3: A Daring Proposal
Good morning and welcome to week 3 of our Ruth study. Can you believe that we are now halfway done?! This study is flying by, you guys! We begin this week in chapter 3 and it is guessed that a couple of weeks have gone by between the end of chapter 2 and the...
Announcing Our Fall Study…Jonah
The story of Jonah is more than just a story of a disobedient, runaway prophet and a hungry fish. It’s a story of a compassionate God who longs for everyone to come to salvation, even a nation who has done great evil in His sight. His heart of compassion is not...
There’s No Such Thing As Luck!
I used to believe in “good luck” - that events and opportunities in my life happened by chance and some people are just more “lucky” than others. Then in college, my roommate challenged me one day and said, “Angela, that isn’t random luck. That’s God.” And you know...
Sheltered Under His Wings
This weekend, I rolled down my window at a red light and tried to speak God’s kindness to a homeless pregnant woman who was panhandling for money. I felt the crushing pain of her desperation in her bitter response. I can’t stop thinking about her. As I offered her...
The Sovereign God Who Goes Before Us
"So she set out and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelich." - Ruth 2:3 If you came into this study expecting only a love story, you know by now that the story of...
Pleasant to Bitter
It seems impossible to have hope when you are filled with pain and loss and your dreams have been shattered. Although it is difficult to believe that God is near, His sovereignty never sleeps. When our pain is the deepest and our doubt the greatest, God remains with...
The Depth of Loyal Love…
I am currently living in the land of teenagers, and within that privileged territory, I get to engage in some lively conversation around the dinner table each night. Shallow topics can range anywhere from food (and the fact that they're always hungry!) to the latest...
Ruth Week 1: When We Make The Wrong Decision
Welcome to the first week of our Ruth Bible study! I am so glad you are joining us and look forward to spending the next four weeks with you as we read through the whole book of Ruth! If you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our blog or download our...
Ruth Introduction
We are very excited to be studying the book of Ruth with you. Ruth takes place during the time of the Judges, and as we begin reading we see the curtain lift on a scene of the tragedy. Naomi, who had already lost her husband, now mourns the loss of both of her sons....
Take Out the Garbage, Take in the Truth
Years ago, I was traveling down a familiar road in my town and the stoplight ahead of me turned yellow before I thought it would. My mind waivered in that in between space - should I slow down to stop or keep going - for a few moments. I thought I had enough time for...
Announcing Our Next Study For The Month Of August!
Friends, As our summer study: Truth Over Lies comes to a close on Friday, we wanted to let you know that starting on Monday, August 6th we will be going through our 4-week Ruth study during the month of August!!! Join us as we begin one of our most beloved studies,...
When You Know the Truth
The game was called “How Well Do You Know Me?” We sat around the kitchen island at my sister-in-law’s house and scribbled three sentences on a piece of paper. Two statements were true, but one was a lie. This is not the best game to play when you are trying to fool...
Arm Yourself
As I sat at my computer trying to think of something inspiring to write, my mind reeled. Deadlines continued to approach (and pass), yet I could not hear what it was that God wanted to say through me. The past several weeks had been riddled with family struggles,...
Is There Happiness Apart From God?
Think about your life, or more specifically your day, and make a list of things that make you happy. Now, what if all those things were stripped away from you, could you still be happy? Would the day be a good day, or a bad day? Would life still be worth living? I...
Seeking Beauty That Lasts
I spent the summer after my freshman year in college working at a Young Life camp nestled in the mountains of Colorado. The fresh, mountain air was a healing balm to my hurting soul. I had been struggling with an eating disorder for years and just couldn’t seem to...
Week 5- What’s The Source of Your Happiness?
Money can be uncomfortable to talk about, so let’s talk about donuts first. Do most people like donuts? Yes. Can donuts make you happy? Only in a fleeting, earthly way. Will donuts hurt you? Depends. Eating one occasionally won’t hurt you, but eating too many too...
Rising Above The Pain
Recently, I've been seeing a lot of women walk through incredible pain. Friends whom I have the blessing of knowing, online acquaintances, and women I've never met all sharing their stories of pain. Each situation is different. Each story heartbreaking. Not one story...
The Pursuit of Success and What Really Defines Me
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5 I'm usually pretty content with my life. That is, until I see that skinny girl on the cover of a magazine. Or...
Week 4- My Life Is Not About Me
It was one of those calls that you just don’t want to get. My day, though busy, was pretty routine…until I received the phone call. I saw her name pop up on my phone as I was working in my car, waiting to pick up one of my daughters from basketball practice. “Ang?” I...
Never Too Old. Never Too Young.
Some weeks ago, I attended a funeral that really moved me. A 93-year-old lady went to Heaven, and we accompanied her family as they are close friends of ours. During the whole service, there were people speaking about this woman, who was a faithful Christian, and her...
Relentless Love
“If you are waiting for me to tell you I love you, you’ll be waiting forever.” When I first heard these words, I remember audibly gasping, as if my juvenile body couldn’t fully absorb the force and impact of the strike. The words pierced my soul, cleaving me with one...