Devotions (Page 14)

I’ve been thinking so much about the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary, “Do not be afraid.” Because they’re really easy to say, of course. But not always so easy to cling to or tobelieve. And I worry that, at our worst, we kind of see these words in scripture in a similar way.We hear them said: ‘don’t be afraid’ as a strict command, rather than a gentlereassurance. Perhaps an even better way to hear this ‘You don’t need…

One of the things that caught my attention last Sunday was when Pastor Alvin said “without a broken heart, we will never move to action.”  When I thought about what he said and let it marinate in my spirit, I was reminded of my relationship with my Dad.  Today, we have a great relationship. I can pick up the phone and call my dad if I ever need anything. I walk and talk with my dad, I hug my dad…

Dear LifeSpring Family, It is that time of the year again!!! Family, relatives, friends, parties, food and the myriad relationships in our lives. While for some, this is a great time of rest and relaxation, for others it can be a stressful time. Stressful because of the myriad relationships in our lives. Starting from the most intimate relationship of marriage and family to our most casual ones with our acquaintances. No matter which, God’s powerful word can help us to navigate these relationships…

We had the wonderful privilege of having Pastor Alvin speak to the church family this past Sunday (watch it here). Pastor Alvin and Aunty Patricia continue to demonstrate to the Lifespring Family what it means to Genuinely Love God and Genuinely Care for Others – it was through their conviction that Lifespring was able to be a part of the Refugee Dinner hosted this past Saturday. This entire weekend I felt the Lord highlighting the word COMPASSION in my spirit. And as Pastor…

As I was commuting around town earlier today, I was gently reminded about the importance and the value of waiting… I have this horrible tendency to switch travel routes mid-journey because one bus is taking too long or maybe another one will be there quicker. Sometimes having alternate routes and an app that gives you each arrival time for the buses near you can be a gift… sometimes, for someone particularly impatient, it can feel like more of a curse.…

I had an essay prompt that ran along the lines of “What do you expect to be remembered for and why?” It really got me thinking, If I died today, what would people say at my funeral? It’s a morbid topic, I know, but bear with me. The “Correct Christian Answer” would obviously be “people saw Christ in me”. As I was trying to envision what that would look like on paper, a thought I had was, In what scenarios…

As an Eldership & Pastoral Team, we sought the Lord and felt God put “Patient Endurance” on our hearts. In the world we live in today, the expectation and the norm are instant gratification. Whatever we want, whatever we need – it is available the same day and at worst, the next day. And although this has made life convenient, sometimes – oftentimes – the ways of the world are not the ways of God. … this calls for patient…

I remember receiving an email from Ann Dalton a couple years ago. At the end of her email was a quote that said: Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything. After hearing Ryan’s message on Sunday about five loaves and two fish, I was reminded of that quote. In his devotional on Monday he said: “Five loaves and two fish is a tiny amount of food compared to the masses who needed it.…

Dear LifeSpring, On my recent mission trip to Thailand and Singapore, I had a coffee meeting with a friend. He was excited to share with me the book he recently wrote. The book was about his life and how God played a central role in his life. In his book, he also shared a letter that his wife wrote to him. In her letter, among other things, she blessed him with the scripture found in Psalm 128, encouraging him with the…

The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand is one of the most iconic and memorable stories in the Bible. Earlier this week when I was telling my family that I was speaking on this passage, Sophia (8 years old) piped up and said she knew the story well from her Rhyme Bible (Bible stories told through rhymes – I recommend!) The story appears in all four gospels and stands as a significant event in Jesus’s ministry in and around…

Trying to figure out “The Will of God” is one of the most challenging things for believers to attempt.  There is not always an exact formula or schedule that we have to follow… except sometimes we do have both of those things? It can come across as one of the most individual and specific things there is about our journey with God… and yet we do have very clear expectations given to the people of God through Scripture!  Last Sunday…

In the movie The Fellowship of the Ring, Galadriel tells Frodo, “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future”, and it really got me thinking about the impact we have on the world. It’s easy for us to see CEOS and politicians calling the shots and making big changes in the world and think that what we do is pretty insignificant compared to them. This reminded me of when I went through the story of the 5…