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When You Feel Depressed
Dealing with depression is not cut and dry. Whether you know the cause of your depression or not, you are not alone in your feelings. It’s very real and it’s very difficult to climb out of. Hear these truths and encouragements from God’s word today: "Be strong and...
Happily Ever After—Or is it?
Congratulations! You’re married! You made it through the wedding and now it’s time to start your life together as husband and wife. It’s smooth sailing from here, right? Well, maybe not. No matter how long you’ve been together, there will always be things you don’t...
4 Things I Wish I’d Known Before “I Do”
It’s hard to know what you don’t know until you’ve been to a place you’ve never been. This is especially true in marriage, and there are new challenges every day. Here are some things you might find you wished you knew for just after the wedding. 1 // There will be...
Two Assumptions We Make When We Think We’ve Found “The One”
“I think she’s the one for me.” We hear this phrase a lot when people start dating. Dating can end in one of two ways: (1) you get engaged and then married, or (2) you break up or are otherwise separated. Looking for “the one” for you can be the most difficult part of...
Adventures in Dating
Yes! It finally happened! You finally get to go on a date with that guy or that girl. Soon you’ll be engaged and then you’ll be married and then you’ll have kids and then — hold on, let’s slow down. This is your first date. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There are...
5 Prayers for Independence Day
Independence Day is a great time to spend with family and friends, celebrating the freedom God has given Americans to live and worship him without persecution. As we celebrate these freedoms it can be hard to remember that there are many places around the world that...
3 Perks of Being Single
We’ve all been there at least once in our lives. Whether you’ve just been dating, or have never dated, at some point you’ve found yourself without a significant other. And while this can feel devastating, there are many perks of being single. 1 | You have some...
4 New Ways to Approach College
I still remember my college in vivid emotional detail. Each of my four years were very different from the others, involving a lot of ups and downs, and a lot of trying to figure life out without my parents or home. I loved college. College is a really formative time...
Justin’s Worship Picks
All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. | Psalm 86:9-10 We love worshipping each weekend with you. Ever wondered what worship music our staff...
For the Parent of a New Middle Schooler
So your son or daughter is graduating the fifth grade. Maybe this is your first child to reach this age - maybe it’s your fifth. Regardless, they’re hitting a whole new stage of life. You might be be feeling totally overwhelmed, or maybe you’re feeling prepared but...
I Can Do This | A Personal Invite
“[We] were made because [we] matter, and [we] were never intended to live a life that matters less than anyone else,” | Author + Writer Tricia Lott Williford. The influences of those around us play a bigger role than we like to admit on what we think we are worth....
Remember, Your Outcome Begins in Your Mind-Set
"For he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. 'Eat and drink,' he says to you, but his heart is not with you. | Proverbs 23:7 Remember, Your Outcome Begins in Your Mind-set Ever glance off at a pretty sunset only to feel your car tires jarring...
Steps for Reading Your Bible
For Christmas this past season, I purchased an iPhone for my wife. I must say, it was a great gift and she was very pleased with my selection and color. What was interesting to us both was how a complex device has such easy instructions to begin. A very simple step by...
Lessons I’ve Learned as a Mom of Boys
If you are the parent of boys, you probably are being faced with challenges unlike any other experience in life. Raising boys is a one-of-a-kind experience. As we understand what makes this calling unique, we begin to see (and enjoy) the way God innately created our...
Staff Book Recommendations
From Craig Smith Lead Pastor Good Faith: Being A Christian When Society Thinks You’re Irrelevant and Extreme by David Kinnaman From WILL CUNNINGHAM FAMILY + MARRIAGE MINISTRY PASTOR Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God by Henry Blackaby From COLETTA...
Try Being Unfair Next Time
Besides death and taxes, there’s one other certainty: human hearts aren’t prone towards mercy, at least not towards others. We’re greedy for personal justice from the moment we comprehend that something's unfair. She has more than me. He has something better than me....
Why We Lie
It’s safe to say we’re not always honest—sometimes we lie. Let’s at least be honest about that. And on top of that, we usually excuse these lies by maintaining that we don’t lie about the big things, just those little white lies. Whether it’s about that sweater your...
5 Ways to Invest in Your Spouse Today
Marriage is a good gift from God that is celebrated in the Bible. Even if you haven’t been married, you can likely attest to the positive influence that a healthy marriage can have on the people surrounding them—from kids to friends and even coworkers. If you’ve been...
What’s Needed to Help Students Find Their Calling
This guest post was written by our High School Associate Director, Aaron Harder. For more information about our middle school or high school ministries and when they meet, check out QUEST and The Crossing. Perhaps you are wondering what is happening to today's youth,...
10 Practical Ways to Value Others
God wants us to be people who live in constant respect of the value of other human beings. However, its easy to forget this truth when sitting in traffic, attending to an unruly child, or getting thrown under the bus at work. Instead of getting angry and reacting in a...
Is the Old Testament Still Important?
It makes up over half of your Bible, but what does the Old Testament really have to do with you now? It’s unlikely you’ve done a devotional from the book of Numbers lately. Even if you’ve read through the whole Bible, you can admit that things start to feel less...