Psalm 19:7-14 Sometimes it is embarrassing to be the favorite. Years ago I was helping transport senior adults to a week long event at a stadium. The first day a parking attendant in an orange vest waved me forward. I explained what I was doing. She smiled and said, “Follow me.” She led me to […]

The post Embarrassing Favoritism first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

Psalm 19:7-14 This psalm is a portion of Scripture we would be wise to read slowly, again and again. Allow it to resonate within us. When you read these verses over again, consider which phrases are easy for you to proclaim, and which ones seem more difficult. You might want to journal what comes to […]

The post Refreshing My Soul first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

1 Peter 1:17-25 Thanks be to God that He has given us everything we need to live a godly life. Our God not only calls us, affirms us, and desires a relationship with us, but walks alongside us in the journey. These verses also bring out an important aspect of the Christian life: growing in […]

The post I Want to be Like Jesus first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

1 Peter 1:17-25 Your value and worth are immeasurable. As the people of God, we have an understanding that our creator God is working in all things. This means that God is continuously redeeming all of creation—including you! This means good things. Your life has a purpose, a good purpose! The creator of the world […]

The post Our Response to God’s Activity first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

James 2:20-26 Think of someone you know who you feel exemplifies the characteristics of Christ. Perhaps this person is a mentor, friend, or pastor you know. Think about or take some time to write down a few characteristics about this person that you admire. What is it about their walk with Christ that draws you […]

The post Teach Me Thy Way Lord first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

James 2:14-19 James is an author who cares deeply about the connection between what we believe and what we say. For James, faith cannot be separated from good works, and good works cannot be separated from faith. They are one and the same, continuously feeding into one another. If the people of God are those […]

The post Faith and Good Works first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

James 1:22-27 Something I appreciate about the book of James is the lack of “sugarcoating” in these words. James likes to tell it like it is. Don’t just listen to the word, do what it says. A hindrance to the people of God may be the way we love to talk about Scripture, but sometimes […]

The post Taking Action first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

James 1:16-21 The people of God would be wise to follow the advice of James. Especially when James writes, “be quick to listen, slow to speak” (1:19). Perhaps this is something you can write on a sticky note and place on your laptop, keep it on a whiteboard, a bulletin board nearby, or as a […]

The post Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

Hebrews 11:39—12:3 The writer to the Hebrews spends an entire chapter commending the faith of Old Testament heroes. Yet sums up noting “none of them received what had been promised” (11:39b). All those years and “All these people were still living by faith when they died” (11:13a). Where did we get the idea that faith […]

The post Still By Faith first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois is a beautiful place. While there are many notable monuments none draws more interest than that of the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Over 150 years after his death his tomb remains one of the most visited in the country. Lincoln’s death was […]

The post Monuments of Grace first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.