To my precious four, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if you would have grown up in a different time in history. A day when the world wasn't so cynical. When tolerance wasn't a religion, when success meant more than money, and when more people...

  I remember reading this passage when I was in high school and it terrifying me. “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief...”- 2 Peter 3:10 I don’t know about you, but I’m not fond of surprises… I like knowing what to expect…the time of the event, the...

Welcome to our last week of our 1 & 2 Peter. This has been a wonderful study that has challenged us and hopefully grown us. Peter has had a lot of hard things to say in this letter, but in chapter 3 he begins to switches gears and starts off by addressing his...

Breathe, Whitney... A single drop of sweat trickled down my forehead as I inhaled the thick, cigarette smoke-filled air. The hallway that led to the gate was dark and hot, and I could feel the temperature in my face rising. "Why have you brought me here, Lord?"...

  From its birth to present day false teachers have troubled the Church. Paul warned Timothy about Hymenaeus and Philetus; who “concerning the truth have erred” and whose words were spreading like gangrene (2 Tim. 2:16-18). And John, in 1 Jn. 2:22, talks about...

Counterfeits and false teachers are nothing new; Satan is the “great imitator” (2 Cor.11:13-15), and has been hard at work since he deceived Eve in the garden. (Gen. 3:1-7; 2 Cor. 11:1-4) In the Old Testament, Jeremiah and Ezekiel had to deal with false prophets in...

The Apostle Peter had a heart for the church, especially for those suffering. You can see this in his first letter. His concern for the church led him to shift gears a bit in 2 Peter to focus on false teachers and dangerous theology. Peter isn’t some angry heresy...

Part of living a life of gratitude is remembering what has been done for us. We are cleansed from our past… choices we wish we had never made… places we wish we had never went to… words we wish we had never said… Oh friends, we have been forgiven much. May we never...

Soon after our engagement, my husband and I began pre-martial counseling with our pastor. One of our very first assignments was to choose a Scripture passage to memorize that would be a lifetime foundation of truth for our marriage. After much seeking and praying...

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:10-11 We have come to the end of...

There are days I need to be reminded that my life is in His hands. Days when I need to slow down, pray up, and concentrate on the truth of God’s Word because the fact of the matter is, my life, my children’s lives, my family and friends lives… they are all in His...

Week 5 Video: (Click here to watch the video..from Rome!) As I stood in front of St. Peter’s church in Rome, I couldn’t help but get overcome with love for our Lord. I took in the sights, the sounds… the hustle and bustle of people moving, walking, chattering all...

I just met her last Sunday and I'm not sure I'll see her again this side of heaven, but she's changed my life forever. Ever meet anyone like that? Someone brave. Someone extremely humble, but confident in God's plan for her life. Someone who's on a mission and wants...

Growing up I never felt like I had any special talents. There was nothing that I excelled at. I wasn’t into sports, academically I was average, at home I was a bit messy. I’m not crafty or super outgoing.  For years I had no idea what “spiritual gift” God had given...

Some of the most defining "growing up" years of my life came in those early days of motherhood. All of a sudden there was this dramatic shift in focus. Before kids I worked, played, ate, and slept according to my own schedule. After kids, I quickly learned that much...

"and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels,...

Here was my experience while perusing through social media last week: Negative post. Complaining post. Dividing post.  Argumentative post. I am not even kidding... one right after the other - from basic stuff like the weather, to edgy political rants that went on and...

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 1 Peter 3:1-2 Welcome to week 3 of our study! We have come to a...

I felt so misunderstood. I had retraced my words. Evaluated my intentions and searched my heart. I had begged Jesus that if there was any wicked way in me, he would bring it to light and lead me to repentance. Now even with the best of intentions, plenty of times I...

Suffering and submitting. Two words many Christians don’t like to talk about… including me. Yet here in verses 11-12, Peter encourages us - like a good friend - to keep our focus in the midst of the suffering. To live lives that glorify God. Sometimes God allows the...

My first three children are boys. Listen. I'm no stranger to dirt. Or sticks arranged in a heap on my kitchen table. Or rocks mysteriously tucked away until they experience the freedom victory lap in my dryer. Heh. I even made the mistake once of throwing away a leaf...