“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” -Proverbs 19:11 Has anybody ever made you mad? Like seething, fuming angry? Or has anyone done something to you or someone else that has hurt you? We all have to deal with offenses – we are human! It’s been said before

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” -Proverbs 4:23 Many of us have heard the phrase “guard your heart” before. But what does this mean? Why does the Bible say to guard our hearts? Is this optional for someone who loves the Lord? I would venture to say that

“So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” -Genesis 1:27 Women had a special place in the Bible. They also had a special place in Jesus’ heart. Consider these encounters Jesus had with women in the Bible: “Anna, a prophet,

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.” -Matthew 23:13 Have you ever been around someone who seemed to exude self-righteousness? Often it’s difficult to respect

“But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” Luke 5:16 There is no doubt that prayer (or talking with God) is an essential component of a believer’s life. But often we can get caught up in the demands and interruptions of life, and we may or may not spend enough time in prayer. Truthfully,

“But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” -James 4:6 & 7 Some days I wish I could start my life all over. I feel like I have

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” -1 Corinthians 9:24 Several years ago, a lady at my church had given me a CD recording from a women’s meeting I had missed the week before.

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” -2 Timothy 1:6-7 Have you ever noticed the dichotomy between faith and

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” -Romans 12:4,5 Dr. Lance Wallnau, a speaker and author on Christian cultural influence, talks about supporting

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” -1 Peter 5:8 Have you ever started something you know God had called you to only to be met with extreme resistance? “Why is this happening to me?” we might ask. “God, all

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” -Matthew 18:18 Have you ever noticed that Jesus does the rather uncanny? He drives demons into pigs, He turns water into wine – He multiplies bread and fish. Twice He

“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.” -Matthew 11:29-30 In our busy world, it is easy to get involved in so many

“I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” -Job 40:4&5 Have you ever marveled at the greatness God? There are so many things that I cannot understand or comprehend. My human mind just can’t

“At once they left their nets and followed Him.” -Matthew 4:20 What makes a great follower? Why should we be great followers? Becoming a selfless follower is one of the biggest proving grounds for becoming a leader. We need to learn to lay down our own agenda. A great follower will more than likely produce

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” -1 Peter 1:18-19 When I was younger, I was really

“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” -Proverbs 25:28 Have you ever heard the term ‘boundaries’ before? The word may conjure up images of a fence or a wall, but the idea of boundaries has come up in recent years as it relates to our emotional and spiritual

“So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe – the ornate robe he was wearing- and they took him and threw him into the cistern.” -Genesis 37:23 & 24 Have you ever had something happen to you that wasn’t fair? Have you ever been falsely accused or wrongly judged? It

“And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” -Matthew 16:19 You know, God gave us quite an incredible gift when He sent His son Jesus to die for us. In

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” -2 Corinthians 5:17 Did you know that when Jesus died on the cross, He died to make everything new? No, really, I mean EVERYTHING? When we’re in a tough spot and we