Devotions (Page 49)

James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Trials are a regular part of being a Christian. The bible indicates time and time again that trials, tribulations and temptations will come. Before Jesus started his ministry, He came face-to-face with Satan and was tested by him, and this was right after a 40 day fast! It is God’s way of building…

As a Pastoral Team, we have been reading Unwritten together. It’s the story of John and Lorraine Baergen and what they learned/how they dealt with crisis. Tragedy struck their family in the form of a drunk driver and their lives were forever changed in the blink of an eye. Although none of us on the team have personally experienced tragedy in this way, or perhaps even on the same scale, so much of what they wrote is applicable for us…

Exodus 4 NLTSigns of the Lord’s Power4 But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” 2 Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. 3 “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. 4 Then the Lord told him,…

At the end of last year, we worked on the memory verse 2 Peter 1:5-8 (“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness…”). Hopefully these are verses you’ve come to know and love, and even memorize. These verses are part of a bigger theme in 2 Peter, and the very last line of 2 Peter summarizes this theme well–“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).…

Dear LifeSpring Family, This past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday. We start the journey/countdown towards Easter, Sunday, April 4th. Dorothy and I observed Ash Wednesday with a meal consisting of vegetables and some fish. We also took some time to pray for those among us in the LifeSpring family. As we prepare for Good Friday and Easter, allow me to share with you a prayer for this Lent season. Lent “Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and…

Back in October, I had the chance to speak on the topic of dealing with suffering and trials. From what I can remember, things were pretty different back then both for the church and in the world. We were allowed to have up to a hundred people join us live on Sundays, so it was nice to gather for those who were able even though we had to social distance and mask. The summer had just ended, where we’d seen…

I don’t know about you, but my family is FULL of all sorts of different characters… we have the clowns/jokers, the serious ones, the ones who need loads of attention and the ones who thrive behind the scenes! We have a whole slew of political and religious views, hurts and failures, life experiences and lessons learned. Despite us all being VERY different, there is a certain bond that exists among us that simply cannot be broken! We are family. Whether…

Genesis 40:8 NLTAnd they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.” “Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.” When I was reading Genesis 40, God highlighted this verse to me. To give you some context, Joseph had been thrown into prison for being wrongfully accused of trying to sleep with Potiphar’s wife. During this time in prison, Joseph was given Pharaoh’s Cup-bearer and Chief…

Dear LifeSpring Family, I was memorizing and meditating on this verse in Isaiah 41:13 last week. 13 For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” And in just one verse, the Holy Spirit was teaching, reminding, and encouraging me of the truth, God’s truth. For starters, it is non-other than “the LORD” Himself that holds my right hand. And not only “He…

It has been almost a year since the first state of emergency in Ontario was declared in March 2020. I remember gathering with our family in our living room to hear the Lord together and seek His direction in important decisions that had to be made – especially with regard to Darryl and Kayla’s personal training business (Shepherd Strength). As we meditated on Psalm 23, I saw a picture of a bent barbell. Through that picture, the Lord assured us…

During worship last Sunday, Jerry was MC’ing and shared a word he was hearing from God (see it here – https://youtu.be/bYWujpu54gw?t=1811). The word that Jerry got was that for many of us, we feel like our life is on “pause” because of the pandemic. We’ve had to pause important things whether it’s because of lockdown, our family situation, sickness, work life, job loss, etc. That word really spoke to me! I definitely feel like things in my life have been…

Many of us have been challenged this year to Make Every Effort to grow in maturity. This challenge comes with many obstacles in becoming mature sons and daughters in Christ. It is the road less traveled but for those brave enough to take on the challenge, the rewards are generational. I’ve realized that this journey has exposed me to many roadblocks and hurdles that either I’ve placed in front of me based on what I see and know or that…