The words we use have power. Jesus understood his power and authority, but never used words to cut or demean people.

God invites all of us, no matter our race, status, position in the community, to come to Him and have a part at the Master's Table.

We are sometimes quick to give the devil credit for things in our lives that are just a result of us not fighting against him. The devil only has power in our lives to the extent we give it to him.

Even in our times of weakness or crisis, we are called to have compassion on people. We need to find the opportunities to retreat, like Jesus did, in order to have our hearts and minds ready to love people.

Jesus shocked those in His home town temple when He read from the scroll from Isaiah and told them that "today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Joshua had to have some fear about stepping in after the death of Moses. God told him to be strong and courageous; to face the enemy and to face his detractors.

Whatever the mess we find ourselves in, one of our own making, one caused by someone else, or just one of those things that happen, Jesus can redeem us and restore us and make things better than they were before.

All of us are either in a trial, coming out of a trial, or about to go into a trial. Trials in our lives teach us perspective, if we will allow them to do the work in us that God want to do to shape us.

We don’t get to a place of trust and faith by making an intellectual decision. We get there by going there with God; by walking through the valley of the shadow of death and then giving God the honest truth of what is going on in our heart.

God wants us to share our story with people because people matter to God. Each and every one of us is important to Him.