GRACE AND FREEDOM DURING RAMADAN
byPlease pray for Muslims to meet Jesus during Ramadan. Ramadan started 4 weeks ago on March 10 and it ends this Tuesday evening…
Please pray for Muslims to meet Jesus during Ramadan. Ramadan started 4 weeks ago on March 10 and it ends this Tuesday evening…
Ramadan starts tonight, March 10 and ends in 4 weeks on the evening of April 9. It is the month of the Islamic…
Another year completed! Another 365 days filled with the all-embracing moments of what truly makes a year complete. From the fresh scent of…
Something happened … we went from a very comfortable-typical American-Christian-homeschool (Classical Conversations)-boating-dirt biking-mountain biking-camping type family to something different. We went from living…
I met Matt shortly after I moved to Ventura, California. A friend of mine was staying in his spare bedroom for a month…
After 16 years pastoring a church in England, Belinda and I never imagined we would wake-up one day in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa, a…
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians…
Everybody talks about waiting for this and waiting for that, and although waiting can be painful, and quite honestly never ending, I have…
Tomorrow is the 22nd anniversary of 9/11/2001. I was 23 when I was at ground zero on that day. I must say there…
One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. Luke 6:12 I always…
I was born in Nigeria. I first began to grasp the understanding of Christianity through the eyes of PURPOSE. Your purpose as a…
We all sail on the seas of life. Similar to that of the vast ocean, which can be serene, turbulent, unpredictable, or an…
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Let me tell you about the hope of…
My hand was strumming with vigorous intensity, my voice resounding with a passionate plea to experience God, that familiar feeling came over me…
I once heard that “Friends know the songs in our hearts and will sing them back to us when we’ve forgotten the words.”…
He’s got the whole world in his hands, he’s got the whole world in his hands! If you grew up in church, you…
Life has been a lot of things in recent months, but consistently, it’s been tough. The past 18 months have been a long…
This past week leading up to Easter, I’ve tried to read the Easter story every day and look for something new that I’ve…
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened…
Today, I pulled up to a familiar scene; on the side of the road was a woman holding a sign with her gaze…
For the beginning of this Fruitful Story, you may want to first read Teresa Ku-Borden’s LIVING IN GETHSEMANE This second Fruitful story by Teresa is excerpted…
I’m a millennial. I’m currently writing this on my MacBook Air, drinking a great cup of coffee, sitting on a daybed in the…
We’ve lived under some “real” persecution. When I think of some of the situations my husband and I have lived through over the…
Next Sunday is a day in the USA designated to celebrate the people who carry us into the world: our mothers. My mother is…
Can you believe we’re here and doing this? During the past five years, my husband David and I have looked at each other often…
Every time we meet on this middle eastern university campus, we stop at the kiosk for three brimming paper cups of sweet mint…
Tables… We have them in our homes, schools, work places. We fight to get a good space at one in a cafe and we…
“Move along, sister!” the police officer was firmly instructing me. I was standing in front of a scene I’d only ever heard about…
This year, Easter is celebrated today by Western Christians and on next Sunday by Orthodox Christians around the world. All around the world, the words “He…
It was in a small auditorium filled with second year college students that I met the little boy named Charlie who would change…
What are your plans now? This question greets me nearly every day. It’s not a bad question at all. In fact, it is…
I’ve been in Kenya a week. To be exact, 7 days and six hours. I’ve barely even scratched the surface of all that…
We were startled awake in the middle of the night by the persistent buzz of an iPhone going off near our heads. My parents…
If you knew that there was just “one thing” you could do that would impact everything else in your life and bring about…
With a twinkle in his eye, my precious little newborn boy lets out the most delightful coo, his gaze fixed upon me. I…
Last year at Christmas time, I spent two weeks at my in-laws’ dairy farm in Wisconsin. As a California girl, people kept asking me…
It was just over a year ago now that my husband and I cut our long-term overseas mission plans short to move back…
I’m learning the English language from The Internet, so i’ll do my best to tell you my story. We also learn English from…
I’ve always liked to know what to expect. To know what’s coming next. I think I was born that way. Following a schedule…
In 1980, Gerard Long had a dramatic encounter with God. Gerard and Jeannie married in 1981 and both felt called to serve in…
As I grew up, I had no idea that wisdom was being developed in me. I had listened to my mom speak truth…
Muslims… What pictures come to mind when you hear that word? Suicide bombers killing thousands of innocent people Angry looking men with long…
It seems like such a small thing, yet it can cause great discouragement. I know I’m not the first to experience it, but…
Here is the World. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. Frederick Buechner, Beyond Words: Daily Readings on the ABC’s of Faith…
When I was young, my father would place me on his shoulders and encourage me to “reach for the trees!” His unconditional love…
My mother breathes adventure. Not the thrill-seeking kind of adventures you would find in someone like Bear Grylls as he undertakes the cliffs of…
Every heart is different, and the path that leads each heart to the gospel is different. Only God knows the path that will…
As a child, I believed I had the superpower to slow time. There were moments throughout my day when I perceived the world…
One day I woke up and everything had changed. I used to be this tough guy. I thought I could handle anything and…
About Six billion people lived before the 1990’s when I was born in Nigeria. This gets me thinking every time I think of…
There I was on my knees, tears streaming down my face as I poured out my heart to God for what seemed like…
Busy has become the new fine. Casually ask someone how they’re doing today, and on autopilot, they might say they’re fine—but chances are…
The remains of the turkey had long since been put in the fridge. The last of the mashed potatoes had been scooped up….
This morning I realised that it’s been 10 years to the day since I crammed as much stuff as I could into a…
For most of my childhood, I was painfully shy. So shy, in fact, that my parents had to make me a star chart…
In the English language, there isn’t really a word for the opposite of loneliness. A quick Google search puts the word “popular” as…
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you…
Some would call the Camino torture. Some would euphemize it to a nice walk. Some, like me, would call it meditation—just really really…
If you have ever visited London and traveled on the underground tube, there is a common phrase you will hear over the bustling…
I have always been a firm believer that you don’t need to move across the world to make a difference in this world….
I’ve been a long time prayer intercessor for the needs of those I’ve encountered at my church and for those I’ve interacted with throughout my life. Recently…
For over 40 years I have had the joy of serving as a Family Life Pastor in several churches. My responsibilities were to model…
“It’s already Monday morning…hard to believe we have only three days left. Difficult to sort through our thoughts as it’s all pretty intense,…
Yesterday, I went to a friend’s house for a concert they were hosting in their backyard. About 50 of us had gathered together,…
The church I get the privilege of working at has a daily reading plan through the Bible. One week ago, we happened upon…
Last weekend, I snapped a photo of my 15-month-old son sitting on my husband’s shoulders, as we walked leisurely on the pier of…
In the last 4 years I have been let go, promoted and even quit jobs. I found myself to be in a constant search for…
In the field of special education, students with disabilities are often referred to as children with exceptional needs. As I reflect on the…
Today is the 4th of July, the day the people of the USA celebrate as Independence Day. It’s a day where people gather and eat…
Have you ever asked the question: How do I prove myself worthy? Welcome to humanity. You are part of the global network of…
My engine light is on again. And a little screwdriver icon I’ve never seen before. The last time it came on, I let…
I like watching people “people watch”. I guess you could call me a people watcher of people watchers. People reuniting with full force…
Swinging open my creaky kitchen cabinet doors, I began loading up our mismatched plates. Above the noise of ceramic clanging together, I turned…
Yesterday I laughed and laughed and my stomach hurts today. I am so thankful for the people God has put in my life…
A year ago I bought a ’93 Chevy conversion van off Craigslist. The deal went down in a somewhat sketchy, yet true-to-form, parking…
I have been in a season of perpetual transition for the past two years in the context of family and friends who are…
I find myself standing in the awkward space that exists after the conclusion of my formal scholastic education. I am facing the ambiguity about…
It’s pretty hectic out there in the world these days. Maybe you feel like the frenzy that characterizes these days we live in…
Welcome to Fruitful–we love practical ideas about how to live our gifts with intentionality. No, O people, the LORD has shown you…
Welcome to Fruitful–we love practical ideas about how to live our gifts with intentionality. I have the privilege of watching three young…
I love to travel. I love to visit cities unknown to me and walk around—looking up at the architecture and around at the…
Shop with a purpose this season. We put together a list of our favorite companies that give a portion of their profits to…
There’s a place in downtown Los Angeles that poses as a park to the everyday passer-by. In the “winter” time (this is southern…
“You’re going to be a pastor,” God tells me in the summer of 2011 while working at a fishing lodge in the Haida…
It looks like a plate full of beans and the best seat in the house after I’d trekked four long hours. It’s inviting…
The Tenderloin district covers a fifty square block radius. It is one of the most densely impoverished, high crime neighborhoods in San Francisco. Each…
It’s time to curl up with a hot cup of joe and a good book. Fruitful hand-picked a list that will inspire, educate and…
Growing up I had the naïve belief that Christ called his followers to only associate with those who also believed He was their…
Sometimes, to learn what you’re good at, you have to try new things, fail a lot, surprise yourself, succeed… all while leaning into…
Three years ago I barely had a clue about my spiritual gift. Like any normal twenty-one year old, I was trying stay afloat…
Dear Father God, Please help me to develop a thirst for you, a hunger for your Manna, a desire to spend time with…
Check out this weeks Free Downloadable Desktops for your computer, phones or tablets. Hand-painted images created so that your tech can become a…
Whether your love language is words of affirmation, acts of service or quality time, we can all benefit from words of encouragement. To…
Dear Father God, I pray that You will give me the insight as to how to use the tools You have given me–whether…
Check out this weeks Free Downloadable Desktops for your computer, phones or tablets. Hand-painted images created so that your tech can become a…
My husband and I received these fancy crystal champagne glasses as a wedding present. When we opened them we made a little pact…
The gift of administration means that you are a goal-oriented person who likes to take charge of situations. Administrators are usually prone to one…
When you are gifted to serve it simply means that you’re driven and motivated by the idea of helping others; it can even…
The gift of prophecy is used to encourage, build up, and strengthen the church body. It is rarely about things fifteen years in…
Check out this weeks Free Downloadable Desktops for your computer, phones or tablets. Hand-painted images created so that your tech can become a…
This gift can easily be misconstrued as Christians trying to push their beliefs on others; Even the word evangelism can turn people away…
When the Gift of Giving is your strength, you tend to see wealth as a tool that can be used towards a greater…
e all wonder from time to time what it is we have to offer this world that is uniquely ours. We want to…