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When God Speaks
I’m still learning to listen to God’s voice and imagine that I will always feel like a beginner in prayer (since Thomas Merton felt the same way I feel like I’m in good company). Amy Boucher Pye, a fellow Our Daily Bread writer and friend, wrote the book 7 Ways
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Successes and Sorrows
“When we acknowledge God, we remember His presence in both the successes and sorrows, whether big or small, of our lives.” —Lisa Samra
Sound the Trumpets
Today’s devotional reminds us that if we will “sound the trumpets,” or call out to God for help, He always responds to the prayers of
A Father’s Prayer
Growing up in Texas, country music was the soundtrack of life. I still enjoy listening to (some) country music and one of my favorite artists
The Sweetest Harvest
The picture of Israel in Isaiah 5 explored in today’s devotional is a humbling reminder to me of the areas of my life where I
Choosing Hope
In today’s devotional, I write about my experience with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) because of the long, dark winters in Michigan. While I’ve learned it
Love Locks
Today’s devotional took place several years ago when I was visiting mission partners in Europe. Reading it again today when my life can feel so unanchored
Sermon Question – Elijah and John the Baptist
I received this perceptive question about Elijah and John the Baptist as a result of the sermon on Malachi 4. Because I did not have
Named By God
Today’s devotional is based on the idea that nicknames can be a source of encouragement or a reminder of suffering and failure. What are the
Betrayed
Today’s devotional comes from the Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, The Last Supper. What fascinates me about this painting depicting the aftermath of Jesus’ announcement
More Books to Consider
When my Crosswalk editor asked writers for submissions on resources addressing racism and racial reconciliation, I agreed to write the article because I had already
Found On the Edges
Today’s devotional was written after watching a motorcycle demonstration at CityFest Grand Rapids in September 2019. I hope the truth that God sees you even
Act Justly, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly
One of the significant ways to respond to the current events in our country is to be willing to engage and learn more about the
A Grace Disguised
In today’s sermon, God’s Quiet Grace, Jim quoted from Jerry Sittser’s book, A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss, including this section that
Eclipse
Do you remember all the excitement surrounding the total eclipse that was visible in West Michigan during summer 2017? That unique experience became the basis
A Word for Today – May 1
Today’s video looks at 2 Corinthians 8, where Paul writes about the power of churches giving to support other churches in times of need. We
A Word for Today – April 29
The encouragement in today’s video comes from Malachi 3. Blessings, Jim
A Word for Today – April 27
Today, I share a reminder that the gospel is good news that gives us hope in the midst of our current crisis. Blessings, Jim
A Word for Today – April 23
Today’s encouragement comes from the story of David and Goliath found in I Samuel 17. All is well, Lisa