What We Were Created For

There’s a story often told about Chinese bamboo that feels almost too good to be true—yet it’s grounded in how growth actually works. For the first five years, Chinese bamboo shows virtually no visible progress above the soil. You water it. You tend it. You wait. And nothing seems to happen. But beneath the surface, an extensive root system is forming—strong, interconnected, and capable of supporting rapid growth when the time comes. Then, in a…

“Behold, I am doing a new thing;now it springs forth—do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19 (ESV) As we stand on the threshold of a new year, we find ourselves looking back with gratitude and ahead with expectancy. God has been faithful—again. Not just in the mountaintop moments, but in the quiet ones. The hidden ones. The ones you didn’t know if you’d make it through, yet here you are. Tonight isn’t about making resolutions that…

There’s a sobering truth tucked inside Jesus’ words in Luke 6:45: “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good… for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Our words are not random. They reveal something deeper — the condition of our hearts. What we say (and how we say it) exposes what we believe, what we value, and who truly rules our inner life. When grace fills our hearts, grace spills out. When,…

When Jesus chose His twelve disciples, He didn’t pick twelve carbon copies. He called fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots, and quiet observers. Some were bold and impulsive (Peter), others relational and behind the scenes (Andrew). James and John were fiery “Sons of Thunder,” while John also became known for his deep love. Thomas was cautious, Philip was analytical, and Nathanael was a straight-talker. Matthew bridged social divides, Simon the…

Do you remember what it felt like to be completely free? To live without shame, fear, or striving—when imagination ran wild and every day was full of wonder? We do. I (Steve) can still see myself at eight years old, ruling the backyard as a cardboard-armored knight, conquering invisible foes and rescuing fair maidens (usually the girl next door shaking out her mop). Life was simple then. Not perfect—but free. No performance, no pressure. Just joy. Colleen…

Have you ever thought about what it means to truly give something over to God? Not just in theory—but in practice? That’s what consecration is all about. It’s choosing—intentionally—to dedicate something fully and completely to Jesus. Not to share it. Not to hold some of it back. To say, “This is yours, Lord. All of it.” The Hebrew word for this is qadash. It’s tied closely to qodesh—which simply means “holy.;…

My friend Matthew McConaughey is at it again, and I just can’t help but draw a life lesson from his reflection on success. Here we go. The first Webster’s Dictionary in 1806 described success as:“Prosperous, fortunate, happy, and kind.”Today’s dictionaries define success as:“The attainment of wealth, fame, rank, and power.” What’s your definition of success? Meet Jeanie. She’s from a small town on the Gulf Coast of.…

I was an officer in our High School Navy Junior ROTC chapter many moons ago. My goal? The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the eventual rank of Admiral. One of my favorite drills was charting the course of our carrier group. I gathered nautical charts, a compass, a divider, and a parallel ruler, and headed out to sea - theoretically, but it felt real. Yet, the Core Principle informed me that a one-degree error in heading will result in being off…

Genesis 3:7: "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." The glass frog is native to the Central American Rainforests. The general background coloration of most glass frogs is primarily lime green. Still, the abdominal skin of some members of this family is transparent and translucent, giving the glass frog its common name. When active, their blood makes them;…