Devotions (Page 40)

Over the past couple of weeks I have had the privilege of engaging with people from all walks of life. Some seniors, some children, some in ministry, some in the workplace, etc. Something that really stood out to me was the fact that everybody has a story. In a recent meeting, the speaker mentioned that his eldest child was having a very difficult time in life. In fact he stated that it is an extremely difficult time. It was a passing statement…

On our road to growing in maturity, I’ve found that one of the things that hinders our growth is our sight. We hear great things that our God promises for us but they often don’t look like what we think it should look like. Our expectations of what should happen can cause us to grow bitter and angry sometimes. Even when the visions God gives us are so grand and seemingly difficult, we tend to shy away because of the…

Is anybody else out there already starting to Christmas-ify their home?? I’m really hoping it’s not just me… 😅 It feels like I am especially early this year. I don’t have a tree up yet but the decorations and festive soap fragrances are slowly beginning to sneak their way in. And I am here for it! In times of darkness, like the new 5:00 pm (thanks Daylight Savings) and in times of waiting… having something to look forward to, something…

Over the past few months, one of the areas where God has been speaking to me is about humility. As important as humility is for our journey as Christians, it can be difficult to understand what genuine humility is and how it’s different from pride. I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned about humility–two of them are about what I call false humility, and two of them are about genuine humility. The part of scripture that illustrates this…

Being a newlywed and moving into a new home has brought many joys, many adjustments and many more responsibilities. The list of items gets longer but we still only have 24hrs in a day. It wasn’t long before I felt my cup was running dry and that there wasn’t enough time. Gabe always says that when life gets busy, one of the first things to go is your time with God. With that in mind, I have kept my morning…

Over the past 3 months we have seen a dramatic increase in people who are in need! As we Make Every Effort to support those in need, sometimes I just wish we could simply do more. I wish that we could provide a special formula and all the suffering, challenges, and tears would simply be wiped away. In our family, our aunt has had health challenges. As Karyne and I wrestled with how we can help, how we can make…

“Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do…

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9 This week during our pastoral meeting, we were talking about some of the plans and purposes God has been putting on our hearts for the future. In the midst of that, we also had a chance to look back on the journey God has taken us on as…

Dear LifeSpring FamilyAs we have been on this journey of maturing together, scripture memory is one key tool and exercise that helps me in my growth.  Not too long ago, Andrew suggested and submitted 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to the pastoral team to memorize. Looking back, it might be Andrew was preparing for marriage when he submitted this verse to the team. While 1 Corinthians 13 is often associated with weddings and marriages, it is actually God’s directions on how to live…

Romans 10:17Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ Hebrews 11:1Faith is the assurance (confidence) of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen Faith (belief) has the power to change your behaviour. If you invite me over for dinner – please do – and I agree to come to your house on Saturday at 5pm – based on your confidence in my word, in my character, in my trustworthiness – , you will either believe…

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 Last week in our pastoral meeting we had a good conversation about pride and humility. In some ways, humility can feel like a moving target. The moment we think we’ve mastered humility, is probably when we’re falling into pride! Growing in humility is a journey we’re all on, and one that never really ends. But it helps to have some pointers…

Dear LifeSpring Family, This past Sunday, I was given the privilege to preach at Mississauga LifeSpring Christian Fellowship. It is always an encouragement to Dorothy and me to attend and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ there. As I shared on the Three Biblical Thanksgiving Principles of : It is a choice It is unconditional It is good for you. We were encouraged by our brothers and sisters there. Encouraged because we get to witness over many years…