John 20:19–29
Every scar has a story. The one on my finger is from a knife I was told to leave alone. I didn’t listen. The one on my leg is from a bicycle crash I’d rather forget. And the one on my stomach is from a piece of metal that chipped off a steel chisel at exactly the wrong moment.
Continue reading “The Hope of Easter: Day 10”
John 20:11–18
A man I read about was adopted at birth and grew up with no knowledge of his biological family. In his forties, a DNA service connected him with a half-sister he had never known. They exchanged careful, tentative messages for weeks. Then one afternoon she called him, and the moment he heard her voice, something unexpected happened. She said his name, and he wept.
Continue reading “The Hope of Easter: Day 9”
Exodus 2:23–25
For eighteen months, a woman I know wrote weekly letters to her estranged adult daughter who refused all contact. She never knew if the letters were read, returned, or thrown away. The silence was total. She kept writing anyway, because the love didn’t stop just because the replies did.
Continue reading “The Hope of Easter: Day 6”
John 14:1–10
Maybe you’ve been there. You’re hiking a trail, the fog rolls in thick, and suddenly you can barely see five feet ahead. Your map is useless, all the landmarks you’d been following have disappeared. You’re standing at a fork in the trail, genuinely unsure which way leads back to the trailhead and which leads deeper into the backcountry.
Continue reading “The Hope of Easter: Day 5”
John 13:6–20
A master woodworker once described the most discouraging phase of any project: the middle. “The beginning is exciting,” he said. “You have vision, you have energy. The end is satisfying, you can see the finished piece. But the middle? The middle just looks like a mess of sawdust and mistakes. That’s when most people quit.”
Continue reading “The Hope of Easter: Day 4”
Romans 8:18–27
A cellist I once heard interviewed said something that has stayed with me for years. She was asked which pieces she found most moving to perform. Without hesitation, she said the slow, mournful ones, the adagios, the elegies, the laments. “There’s something in sadness,” she explained, “that reaches for what beauty is supposed to be. Joy tells you it exists. Longing tells you where to look.”
Continue reading “The Hope of Easter: Day 3”
Isaiah 50:10
There are stretches in life when you do everything right and still feel lost. You read your Bible. You pray. You show up on Sunday. And yet the fog stays. The confusion lingers. Some of us are walking through one of those stretches right now, and the hardest part isn’t the darkness itself. It’s wondering whether we did something wrong to end up in it.
Continue reading “When the Dark Won’t Lift”
“Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the LORD you have spoken is good.’ For he thought, ‘There will be peace and security in my lifetime.’” (Isaiah 39:8, NIV)
Life can feel like a roller coaster. One moment we’re celebrating a victory; the next we’re facing a crisis that shakes us to the core. King Hezekiah knew this reality well. His life reads like a dramatic story—miraculous healing followed by foolish pride, divine favor followed by sobering consequences. Yet in his journey, we find wisdom for navigating our own ups and downs.
Continue reading “Lessons from a Roller Coaster Life”
As a new year begins, we do not all step into it the same way. Some of us come hopeful and eager, ready for a fresh start. Others arrive cautiously, carrying disappointments from the year behind us. Some are grieving. Some are tired. Some are quietly wondering if they have the strength to face whatever comes next. God meets us in all of those places, and it is there that our confidence must begin.
Continue reading “This Can Be Your Best Year Yet”
Read: Isaiah 32-37
Today’s Passage: Isaiah 35:4
The headlines assault us daily with an unrelenting stream of troubling news—terrorism, economic instability, natural disasters, and wars. Each story can fill believers with fear and anxiety, draining us emotionally until we wonder if anything good remains in this world. Yet amid this uncertainty, Isaiah 32-37 offers a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness and protection.
Throughout these chapters, Isaiah presents a beautiful contrast: the promise of Christ’s coming kingdom (Isaiah 32:1-8, 15-20) and the Lord’s assurance of victory over our enemies (Isaiah 33:5-6, 21-22; 34:8; 35:4, 10; 37:5-7, 22-35). The central message rings clear in Isaiah 35:4: ‘Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”‘ This verse encourages believers to stand firm in God’s power during difficult times.
This assurance isn’t a generic promise for everyone—Isaiah is speaking directly to believers. For those who trust in the Lord, fear doesn’t have to be our default response. We don’t need to sit around worrying, allowing anxiety to rob us of joy. The reason is beautifully simple: He is our God. As Isaiah 59:19 reminds us, ‘When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift a standard against him.’ This assurance helps believers stand firm and trust in God’s protection.
When we genuinely believe in the Lord, nothing can defeat us. Through obedience comes the victory that Jesus won on the cross. We are His adopted children, and He will defend us. Romans 8:31 asks the rhetorical question that should settle our hearts: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
However, this promise doesn’t mean life will be easy. If Jesus is our example—and He faced tremendous hardship—we can expect struggles too. We’re engaged in a daily battle against the world, the flesh, and Satan. Each seeks to defeat us and hinder our walk with the Lord.
Fear is one of Satan’s most effective weapons, and he wields it with precision. When we doubt God’s power, give in to worry, or forget what the Lord has done, the enemy gains a foothold in our lives. But we must not accept fear into our hearts when the Lord is just one prayer away. Remember: fear is the opposite of faith.
As 2 Timothy 1:7 declares, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” In these uncertain times, let us cling to God’s promises in Isaiah, standing firm in faith rather than cowering in fear. When fear rises, turn in prayer and cling to the promises of God (Isa. 35:4) so that our hearts are reminded of who our God is.
1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (ESV)
Many Christians wrestle with what to do about Halloween. For some, it’s a harmless night of candy, costumes, and community. For others, it feels like a celebration of darkness and evil. It’s easy to see why opinions vary—Halloween’s history is tangled. Its roots include pagan harvest festivals and later Christian observances like All Saints’ Day. Yet, over the centuries, it has evolved into a cultural event rather than a spiritual one. The question we must ask isn’t merely “Where did it come from?” but “What do we make of it now?”
Continue reading “Redeeming Halloween”
Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Few wounds cut as deeply as losing a loved one to suicide. It leaves behind unanswered questions, lingering guilt, and a silence that seems impossible to fill. Even the strongest faith can feel shaken in the wake of such tragedy. Yet it’s often in these dark valleys that the quiet presence of God becomes most real. Scripture does not hide from grief—it meets us there.
Continue reading “Finding Hope After the Unthinkable”
Psalm 143:8
Early mornings often hold a unique stillness—a quiet invitation to draw near to God before the day’s busyness begins. Imagine Jesus rising before dawn to seek solitary communion with His Father (Mark 1:35). His life was filled with needs, crowds, and ministry demands, yet prayer was His anchor—a way to begin, not just react to, the challenges ahead (Luke 5:16).
Continue reading “A New Day, A New Prayer”
Read: Isaiah 15-21
Today’s Passage: Isaiah 19:1–2
At one time, Egypt was one of the greatest powers on earth. The armies of Pharaoh were feared and respected across the ancient world. They were strong not only in battle but also in trade and wealth. Egypt became a symbol of human pride—mighty, organized, and confident in its own strength. Yet Isaiah’s prophecy reminds us that even the most powerful nations fall when they set themselves against God.
God told Abraham that He would bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him (Genesis 12:3). This promise extended through Israel’s history and applies still to all who align themselves either for or against God’s purposes. In Isaiah 15–21, we read a series of judgments on surrounding nations—Moab, Damascus, Ethiopia, Egypt, Babylon, Edom, and Arabia. Each of these nations had opposed God’s people in some way and would face His righteous judgment.
Egypt’s relationship with God had always been complicated. During Joseph’s lifetime, Egypt was a place of refuge and provision. God used Joseph to preserve both Egypt and Israel during famine. But as time passed, a new Pharaoh arose who “did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). Fearing the growing number of Israelites, he enslaved them, turning a nation once associated with blessing into one marked by oppression. When Moses came as God’s deliverer, Pharaoh’s pride brought Egypt to ruin. The Red Sea swallowed their army, and the great power of the world was crippled for generations.
Throughout history, Egypt had many opportunities to recognize God’s authority. They had witnessed the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. At times, they even showed belief in God—but it never lasted. Their hearts always turned back to worldly security, trusting in wealth, wisdom, and military power rather than in the Lord. Jesus warned about this very mindset when He said, “Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried… instead, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you” (Luke 12:29–31).
Egypt’s downfall still stands as a warning of what happens when people reject God and harm His own. Human pride, no matter how mighty it appears, cannot stand against the purposes of heaven. As Paul reminds us, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Let Egypt’s story warn and encourage us: blessings come through humility and obedience, but judgment follows when we exalt ourselves above God.
Read: Ecclesiastes 9-12
Today’s Passage: Ecclesiastes 11:5
Often, we believe that what we know about life, the world, and even God is complete and absolute. Some even try to explain the nature of God as if they have Him all figured out. Even worse, some try to dictate what God will and will not do based simply on what makes sense to them. The truth is, we do not know God or the mind of God apart from He tells us. Scripture teaches that we cannot fully comprehend God or His ways. As Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
Continue reading “Knowing About God vs. Truly Knowing Him”
Central Haywood Church of Christ 