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Praying for the Prodigal by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
Do you have a child who has left faith—who has strayed from the daily relationship with God? Are you asking yourself, What did I do wrong? You probably did nothing wrong, although we are all imperfect. In 1 Samuel 8, the prophet Samuel is growing old, so he appoints his sons as Israel’s new leaders. Samuel was dedicated at birth by his mother to God. He grew up in the priesthood. He followed God’s ways. God spoke to him regularly. However, Scripture says his sons did not follow his ways. “They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and…
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A Resurrection Day Reflection by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). As I write this, my husband and I are on our way to Washington, D.C., where our grandson will participate in the Easter Egg Roll at the White House. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we are grateful to our youngest son and his fiancée for making this happen. However, for me, Easter is not about bunnies and eggs. It’s about humility, mercy, and grace. Every Resurrection Day, I think about the humble sacrifice Jesus made for mankind, and like the…
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Best Surprise Ever! By Lane Jordan Burday
What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love him (I Corinthians 2:9). Our precious granddaughter, 15, has been acting in plays for about five years, and she loves it. She joined a new company—a full-fledged theater group. Beautiful costumes, great music, and the use of a large theater. This year, they performed Anastasia, and our granddaughter had multiple parts. However, because of different circumstances, we didn’t think we could attend this year. Her mother, my daughter, thought it would be all…
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A Healthy Reverence by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
How do you respond to God’s Word? I’ve been studying in the book of Nehemiah, and I am at the point where the wall around Jerusalem has been completed. The Israelites have gathered together for a reading of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Their reaction to hearing the Word of God is intense. They bow down and worship with their faces to the ground, and they weep. Can you imagine the scene? Two things are at play here. The Jewish people have just emerged from a great trial as they built the wall. There was so…
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Spring Cleaning by Lane Jordan Burday
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace (I Corinthians 14:33). Many years ago, when there wasn’t any air conditioning or central heat, households would be able to do a deep clean when the weather got warmer—in the Spring! That’s where the term Spring Cleaning began, and even though our homes do not get as dirty as they did when we used coal to heat or had to wash our linens in tubs of water, it’s still a great time to re-order your home. You may ask why? I believe that anything that God has given to…
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Come as a Little Child by Lane Jordan Burday
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there (Matthew 19:13-15). I was with my precious grandson this past weekend. He is 21 months old, and his smile is a million-dollar one that lights up our lives. Scott and I can’t stop looking at him, playing with him,…
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He is Good by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him (Psalm 34:8). When both our external and internal worlds seem to fall apart, we have to remember one truth. God is good, no matter what is going on around us. I’ve been troubled by the war in the Middle East. While no one wants a tyrannical and oppressive regime in a position of power, the constant news of bombings, drones, and targets hit makes one wonder, Are we at the end? The terrorism in our own country is also unsettling. A foiled synagogue attack in Michigan,…
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Thank God I Do! By Lane Jordan Burday
A friend sent me a YouTube video featuring the wonderful Christian singer Lauren Daigle singing Thank God I Do alongside Anthony Gargiuia and Jonathan Tilkin. In the video, they were just sitting casually in her kitchen, not in a fancy studio, but the harmony, the words, and the beauty of their talent caused me to literally tear up. You could tell they meant every word they were singing, and their hearts were full of joy for their Lord as they sang. Here are the words to this amazing song, Thank God I Do: I don’t know who I’d be if…
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How Heavy is it? By Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! (1 Chronicles 16:24) I am in the middle of a research project about God’s glory, something I have been curious about for a few years. I believe we use the term “glory” loosely, but I am not sure we actually know what it means when we speak of God’s glory. I want to glorify the LORD. Let’s give God all the glory. Show me your glory! The Hebrew word for “glory” is “kabod,” which means weight, heaviness, or significance. So, this is why we sometimes see worship…
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An Epic Legacy by Onyx Conklin
“Let’s don’t let a good thing die….” These lyrics grip me every…single….time. Last weekend I went to see director Baz Luhrmann’s latest Elvis Presley production called “EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert.” I was mesmerized, possibly because it was my first show ever in IMAX and Elvis was ten feet tall in front of me! The film was a project that took hours and hours of never-before-seen footage from interviews and concert clips during Elvis’s seven-year tenure at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. We see Elvis’s brilliant showmanship on full display. It’s easy to see why the girls scream with…
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Staying Connected by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
When reading in Numbers 25 this week, I was frustrated with some of the Israelites who were immoral with foreign women and bowed down to other gods. How could they do this? Didn’t they remember the miracles they had experienced, like God’s provision of manna for food each day, and water from a rock when they were thirsty? What about the presence of God that traveled with them as a pillar of cloud during the day and fire at night? How could they turn their backs on the LORD in this way? But then I realized we are all capable…
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God is Calling You by Lane Jordan Burday
God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. I Corinthians 1:9 It is so easy to recognize the voice of an artist on the radio instantly or an actor’s voice in a movie or TV show, and yet we are unsure whether it is God’s voice we hear or not in our lives. Perhaps you wish that God would speak to you through a burning bush like Moses or that a voice from heaven would show you exactly what you should do in your life. But if we believe in God’s Word,…
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Split Second by Dr. Lisa Burkhardt Worley
This week, I was turning right out of a shopping center parking lot when I heard the sound of a police siren. I looked over, and the policeman was out of his vehicle, had his gun drawn, and was pointing the gun at another car. I did not stare too long. My first instinct was to move as far away from the scene as quickly as I could. However, as I drove away, I thought, What if there had been an exchange of bullets? Because of where I was situated, I was potentially an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire….
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How Can We Not Keep Our Promise? By Lane Jordan Burday
And all the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the word of the people to the Lord (Exodus 19:8). I’m blessed to be able to teach a Bible study in my home each week. I’ve been teaching for almost 23 years, and I believe God has set me to teach because I need to learn so much! We decided in the fall to go through the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Not sure how much time it will take, but it doesn’t matter. We are learning God’s…
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It’s Okay to Like Nice Things by Dr. Lisa Burkhardt Worley
I went shopping yesterday for my birthday. I had birthday cash from my husband and a gift card from my oldest son and daughter-in-law burning in my pocket, so I picked up a couple of new outfits. I did not feel guilty about it. Sometimes we give ourselves a hard time when we buy something for ourselves or purchase new decor for the house, but I was reminded this week that God loves beautiful things, and I believe He instilled that love of beauty in our hearts. When the LORD gave instructions for building the Tabernacle, there was ornate beauty…
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Are You Anxious? by Lane Jordan Burday
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way (Psalm 139:23-24). I’m usually a happy and joyful person. I live in gratitude for all God has done for me and blessed me with, even with some of the hardships along the way. I’m usually not an anxious or fearful person. But for the last few weeks, the minute I lay down to sleep at night, anxious thoughts started bombarding my mind! I worried about my grandson. He…
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Light and Momentary Troubles by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min
This has been a week to remember. It was a joy to attend our youngest son’s engagement party on Saturday night. We barely escaped the bad weather in Dallas to make it to Washington D.C. for the festivities, but we arrived in time to celebrate the happy couple! However, we were supposed to return to DFW on Sunday, and after about ten plane cancellations, I am writing this devotion on Wednesday from a hotel room in Oxen Hill, Maryland. I am out of clothes, meds, and longing to sleep in my own bed. This has been a bittersweet week. While…
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No One Knows About Tomorrow by Lane Jordan Burday
Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. (James 4:13-14) Ten days ago, my husband and I left our home in North Texas and drove four hours south to our daughter’s house to babysit our precious grandson while she and her husband took a ski trip to celebrate their anniversary. I decided not to bring my heavy coat because South Texas is so much warmer and Texas has had weather in the…
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Riding the Storm Out by Onyx Conklin
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you (Isaiah 54:10). I still remember how hard I was shaking that afternoon. I remember the shaking as much as I can recall the pelting rain soaking through every inch of my clothing. Terror filled my emotions and there was only one thing left for me to do… My Papa Joe stands about 6’4″. His legs take up more than half his length. He’s a retired…
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The Beauty of Holiness by Lucy Wallace
Our guest blogger today is Lucy Wallace. Luch has served the last ten years in various ministries (Women’s, Freedom, Children’s, Jewish and Prophetic) but specifically has a heart for women, desiring to inspire them to walk in holiness in their multi-faceted roles at home and the workplace. Lucy spends her time homeschooling her children and loves to study the Bible through the Jewish lens and equip herself in Christian Apologetics. Lucy is wife to Dustin and together they have three girls with one on the way! Beauty. All of us are drawn to it in one form or another, but…