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Anything and everything can be seen as an inconvenience if you want it to be. You can justify and rationalize all day long about why you don’t have time for people. There will always be reasons, and some of them good ones, why others shouldn’t expect your time and assistance. But be careful not to […]
What are some ways the Bible helps you? Look at what Psalm 19:7-11 says: –It refreshes and heals. The Bible converts the sinner and restores the believer who stumbles (verse 7). –It gladdens the heart. Scripture is a source of true joy (verse 8). –It illuminates the mind. The Bible gives meaning to life (verse […]
Read Need Help? on Elizabeth & Jim George.
When friendships are broken, it’s easy to stop trusting all people. But here’s good news: You can always, always trust Jesus! He is a friend you can definitely and totally trust all the time, every day, and in every way. In fact, Jesus promises, “I am with you always, even to the end of the […]
Read Teen Tuesday—The One You Can Always Trust on Elizabeth & Jim George.
As a mom, you are God’s go-to person for your daughter, Number One on His list as someone who prays for her. Each of the following suggestions will help you become the mom you dream of being, and will better your life … and her’s too! Check your heart. Being a mom after God’s own […]
How gullible are you? I am not asking in a derogatory way. I tend to believe what I hear, read, and watch. If you’re like me, you realize there is definitely a need to discern truth. And that ability comes from learning, growing, and understanding the Bible. You may want to get involved in a […]
Read How Do I Figure Out the Truth? on Elizabeth & Jim George.
As the saying goes—where there are people, there are problems! So how can we handle the people who cause us pain so we can have harmony? How can we continue to walk by the Spirit and not succumb to the flesh when we are assaulted or annoyed by people? Thank God He gives us the […]
Read Looking for the Key to Harmony? on Elizabeth & Jim George.
All around you is evidence that evil is in this fallen world. But take heart! You can make a difference….like the mother Jochebed did. She lived in an evil world that was growing darker every day. When her third baby was born, the Egyptian Pharaoh put forth his evil hand of oppression. He ordered that […]
Someday — maybe even today — you will need courage for the trials Jesus said will come your way. He encourages you in such times to be brave and trust in His strength through you. For, “You are from God…and have overcome them, for greater is He that is in you than he that is […]
Going to school can get old with day after day trudging off to the same classes, only to come home and do homework. But I want to encourage you! The good habits and disciplines you develop during the next few years will lay the foundation for the rest of your life. Here’s my story…. When […]
Read Teen Tuesday—Where Are You Headed? on Elizabeth & Jim George.
Have you ever lost an expensive pair of earrings and spent hours searching for them? I’m guessing you didn’t give up until you found them, right? Well, think about this: How much more...
Have you thrown in the time-management towel? Are you operating in survival mode? Many women have given up using their organizers and other plan-making methods out of frustration. Well, I want you to give it another try. Determine to make tomorrow a better day than yesterday. Ask God for His wisdom. Just for today, create […]
Read A Masterpiece on Elizabeth & Jim George.
How much thought do you give to honoring your parents? It’s definitely something God has thought a lot about. In fact, He promises that if you respect your parents, He will bless you: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land” (Exodus 20:12). Once you marry, this command […]
Take care of yourself—it’s part of God’s plan for you! When you don’t exercise, your back goes out. When you’re not careful about what you eat, you lack energy and develop health concerns. When you don’t get the proper sleep, you’re wrung out for days. I think you get the picture! It’s dangerous to neglect […]
Read Take Care on Elizabeth & Jim George.
The only way we walk in love – God’s love – is to look to Him to fill us with His love, the kind of love … … that is an act of the will, … that takes action rather than being content with mere words, … that extends itself to the unlovely, … that […]
When you became a believer, you entered into an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus. When you embrace Him as Savior, you put into motion a lifelong process of putting off the sinful ways of mankind and putting on the nature and conduct of a new creation in Christ. As part of this process, amazingly the […]
Read Leaving the Old on Elizabeth & Jim George.
Most men are do-it-yourself guys. If it needs fixing, they fix it themselves. They are or act self-sufficient and have a hard time letting others help. For example, guys usually don’t like to ask for directions. As a result, many men have a hard time depending upon God. This dependence goes against all the “rules of masculinity”. But […]
Read A Dad’s Privilege on Elizabeth & Jim George.
Purpose to encourage everyone you talk to. Put this goal on your prayer list. And guess who should be at the top of your prayer list? Guess who should get the first overflow of your ministry of encouragement? Your family! I realize this doesn’t come naturally for most guys and even many women, but it’s […]
Paul was an amazingly influential believer — and yet did you know he got a late start in the Christian life? Most people become Christians as teens and young adults; Paul didn’t get started in formal ministry until he was past 40! Most pastoral search committees would never consider a man in his mid-forties with […]
You can pray to God at any time, day or night. God never sleeps and is always available (Psalm 121:3). His ears are always open to the righteous, and He hears their prayers (1 Peter 3:12). But do you ever wonder, “Is there a correct or proper place to pray?” True believers with clean hearts can approach God anywhere […]
Read Is There a Proper Place to Pray? on Elizabeth & Jim George.
No matter what you’re facing, embrace life in trust and contentment based on your faith in Jesus. What situation do you face today? Has someone you love fallen sick? Are you concerned about your child’s behavior? Do you hold on to a hurt from the past? Just as Christ’s strength is sufficient for all you […]
Read Coping with Life on Elizabeth & Jim George.
The world is full of people who have a low “self-image” or have a “poor me” attitude. You, too, have probably been tempted to give in to such thinking. But God gives you a sure remedy. Through His Word, God’s message to your heart is to constantly remember what He’s done for you through and in His Son, […]
In football a “huddle” is used to tell players what the next play will be. Imagine such a huddle of two—a seasoned coach, the apostle Paul, and a young player, timid Timothy. Perhaps with his arm affectionately around young Timothy’s shoulders, the aged Paul tells his protégé exactly how to handle the battles he’s encountering in ministry (1 Timothy 1:18-19): […]
I love the tender heart of the shepherd that Jesus describes in Luke 15. When one of his 100 sheep was missing, he left the 99 and went looking for the one that was lost (verses 3-6). God...
God created you and I with an incredible resource called a brain. This fascinating organ is more complex than any computer. And God expects us to put it to good use. As you look over these verses, think about how they point out the necessity of learning. And don’t forget to notice the blessings that […]
Read Part 1 – Learning as a Lifestyle – God’s Perspective on Learning on Elizabeth & Jim George.
I remember reading an article in the Los Angeles Times about a concert pianist who was asked about the secret of his success. He answered, “Planned neglect.” He then related how he first began to study the piano. He was young, and many things were tempting and tugging on him for his attention and time. […]
Here’s a challenge and a truth. When you decide to work on being more generous, you’ll have no trouble finding opportunities! Just to get you going down this path being a giver, try these ideas for starters: Begin at home—Your parents and siblings are first in line for your cheerfulness and help. Give to your […]
Read Teen Tuesday – The Joys of Giving on Elizabeth & Jim George.
Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said, “The quality of your life will be determined by the depth of your commitment to excellence, no matter what your chosen field.” With this in mind, here are some questions you can ask yourself as you strive to live for Christ: What are the most important commitments in my […]
Read Focusing on What Really Matters on Elizabeth & Jim George.
At your workplace, do you see yourself as Christ’s ambassador? Being an ambassador for Christ means properly representing Him in whatever you do, including at work. You represent God as you go about doing your job. What kind of ambassador are you? Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world…Let your light so […]
When life is good it’s easy for praise and thanksgiving to flow from our lips. But when life gets tough, that’s an entirely different story. Yet the Bible says, “In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Everything? I’m afraid so! Think of it this way: When you’d rather stay miserable but you choose to look […]
What do your calendar, “to do” list, weekly commitments—and even your checkbook register—say about you? What do they suggest about your walk with God? About your priorities? Take a look. Is what you see based on solid priorities you believe in, or on the desires and whims formulated by what you see and hear via people and […]
You have a calling. Did you realize that? God’s first and highest calling on your life is to Himself. So seek to draw close to Him in all ways and seek His transforming love. What’s in your heart affects your behavior, and God asks that your actions represent your relationship with Him. The Bible says […]
From Elizabeth’s heart: One way to be respectful to your friends is sometimes to be scarce. There are a multitude of ways friends can communicate without having to be together physically. You can phone, text, email, use postal services… and especially prayer! As the proverbs teach us, “Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, lest he […]
Read Sometimes We Need to Be Scarce on Elizabeth & Jim George.
For almost 30 years we lived in Los Angeles—a city that never sleeps. It doesn’t matter what time you are out and about, the roads, the streets, and the freeways are always packed with cars and people. This dark-to-dark scenario is repeated for millions of people in cities around the world. Whether we like it or not, or […]
Read Rest on Elizabeth & Jim George.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. {Matthew 6:34} With these words of commonsense wisdom, Jesus reduces our responsibilities to those of today … and today only. He forces our focus from the panorama view of the mountain range of all […]
Read Deal With Today on Elizabeth & Jim George.
What person hasn’t dreamed of coming home to a set table and a delicious, prepared meal? When David prayed to God in Psalm 23, he said, “You prepare a table before me” (verse 5). Your host for this feast is the Lord Himself. And the table is prepared for you in advance because you are an anticipated, invited guest. Imagine! Your divine […]
Are you wondering, “Why do I need a Savior?” Many people ask this question when the Christmas season approaches. This the reason Joseph was given regarding Jesus’ birth: “And [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Consider all […]
Read Christmas – The Birth of Our Savior on Elizabeth & Jim George.
When it comes to my prayer life, I have a saying that helps me each day—First things first. I try to make my quiet time with God the first thing I do each morning. Somehow, dedicating my fresh new day to God in prayer first thing makes a tremendous difference in that day. It reminds […]
Read First Things First on Elizabeth & Jim George.
Laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. —1 Peter 2:1-3 Are you thirsty? Are you craving time in God’s Word? Peter instructs us to yearn for […]
Read Growing in Him on Elizabeth & Jim George.
Love is something we do, not merely the words that we say. Yet acting on our love is not always easy-as a wife knows who pulls into the driveway at 5:30 p.m. followed closely by her husband! Both of them have put in a long day at the office, so…who is going to fix the meal, clean up the dishes, and do the laundry? […]
Read Love Is Action on Elizabeth & Jim George.
Have you had a day filled with driving carpools and assigning time-outs? Of homeschooling, overseeing homework, and making sure chores get done? If so, reminding you that children are a blessing from God probably isn’t what you need to hear right now! Or – is it? Psalm 127:3 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from […]
A windstorm came down on the lake, and [the boat was] filling with water, and they were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But […]
If you’re alive, you’re tempted. That’s a simple fact of life. That’s why you and I need God’s self-control every minute of every day. We need His help to resist our “urges” regardless of how innocent we’d like to think they are. “No” can be a hard word to say, but it’s the key to […]
Thankfulness should characterize every aspect of your life. “Thank You, Lord,” should be recurring words throughout your every day—not just on one day a year. What can Christians be thankful for? Read on! We become Christians by God’s grace, through His unmerited favor. We can’t buy salvation. We can’t earn eternal life. All that God […]
Politicians, celebrities, and others talk a lot about “going green”. They want to protect the treasures of the earth. To keep the earth pure or restore it to purity. If you look up the word “pure”, you’ll discover that it means to be without stain, to be free from pollution, to be clean, innocent, and […]
Read Going Pure on Elizabeth & Jim George.
Prudent? It sounds so old-fashioned… but what a wonderful attribute for any woman to have. Prudent is exactly what Proverbs 19:14 calls the wife who is from the Lord: “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” This wife is in a special category. She’s a blessing to her husband directly […]
Read A Prudent Woman on Elizabeth & Jim George.
There’s nothing that thrills my mother’s heart more than two or three little ones sharing chocolate chip cookies at my house. We have so little control over most of the events of our lives, but we do have a measure of say in establishing the atmosphere of our homes. And that includes filling the house […]