Devotions (Page 15)

At Lifespring we have many opportunities to be a blessing to others, especially those who are in need. This past Sunday, we created 200 winter care-packages for the homeless. We had everyone who attended that day help assemble these winter care-packages, from children to parents to grandparents. It was truly a family effort. One of the verses that seem to capture what we were doing is: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life…

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature, and fully assured. Colossians 4:12 A measure of Kingdom maturity is prayer. If you consider yourself mature in the faith, the first thing to check is your prayer life. One of the most dangerous things in this world is when a child believes they are an adult.…

Dear LifeSpring Family, Allow me to share an encouragement that I shared recently on my mission trip to Thailand. I was given the opportunity to share with my fellow sisters and brothers from Thailand Campus Crusade For Christ in Bangkok. The Lord led me to share from Nahum 1:7:  “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” I felt that the Lord wanted to remind them and us that “He knows those (us) who take refuge in him.” I don’t know about you, but sometimes as…

We were privileged to have Adib Ahmad from the Afghan Church GTA join us as our speaker yesterday. If you missed his message, I encourage you to see the recording here. Adib shared his testimony with us as a refugee who had to flee his home, Afghanistan, because of persecution as a Christian. In a nutshell, Adib became Christian through the work of missionaries in Afghanistan and began attending an underground church. Government authorities caught wind of this church and…

Getting to hear Pastor Anita preach to us again last Sunday was such a treat! Her sermons are always packed full of information and are overflowing with life.  One of the biggest takeaways for me was the reminder that none of the big transformations we long for, or the breakthroughs we pray for, happen instantly. They take time. That doesn’t mean they will never happen quickly or that changes can’t take place miraculously. Of course that is possible! Especially when…

Last week, I attended the Toronto Children’s Ministry Conference with some people from LifeSpring. I learned so much from the workshop presenters and speakers, and while I was reflecting on my takeaways from the conference, God gave me a verse that pretty much summarized them. “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20 Let me break…

On Sunday, Pastor Anita shared a very timely message titled, “Restore Your True Identity by Renewing Your Mind.” Pastor Anita’s message reminded me of a time in my young adult years when God brought me through a season of learning and discovery about the importance of identity. Over the course of a few weeks I went through a series called “Identity Discovery” by Steve Chua (if you’re interested please ask me about Lifespring’s copy). I was so impacted by this…

Every time we talk about Kingdom Parenting, I want to make it very clear: Kingdom Parenting is best shown through the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest parent that this world has ever seen, yet he had NO physical children of His own. As a Kingdom Parent to his disciples, he raised disciples that would change the entire world. Kingdom Parenting happens everywhere – not just at home. Provision Now I am ready to visit you for the…

As I was reading Acts 13, verse 22 struck a chord in my heart. Acts 13:22 (NIV) 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ Many of us are familiar with God’s words concerning David as being a man after His own heart, and willing to do everything He wanted him to do.…

It seems obvious, but to really dive into Kingdom Parenting, we need to look at the parents. To truly grow in this call, I believe the secret is found in the greatest commandment. Matthew 22:36-39 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself The Kingdom secret is subtle here: the measure in…

A common piece you might find in a Finnish home is a “räsymatto”, or “rag rug”. They take on a striped pattern as they are, essentially, handwoven assorted fabrics. There are modern versions of these rugs and they can be as neutrally coloured or bright and colourful as you’d like. But, originally, these räsymattos were created from old clothing or linens that were no longer able to be used in the home. Rather than throwing them away or having an…

I heard so many gems from Dr. Siang Yang’s sermon and leadership training on Sunday. One line that really jumped out at me from the leadership training was “Don’t try to do great things for God. When you try to do great things for God, the emphasis is on the great things. It’s not about God, it’s about how great you are and the great things you do. Do things simply for a Great God.” He was spot on. If…