I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
The Miracle of New Growth
This scripture shares the important truth that new growth is coming. What is unique is the growth isn’t coming from a vibrant tree, but from a stump! A stump is the remains of something that once was vibrant and full of life, but is now seemingly dead.
But what appears to be dead is instead going to produce a “tender shoot,” meaning a young, new growth, and out of that new growth the branch will bear fruit.
For Christians, this verse is talking about the coming Messiah, Jesus, who will come from the family line of Jesse. A family that seemingly was done and cut off to just the stump. Yet, he came as a “tender shoot,” as a baby in a manger, and lived a life to bear fruit for his father and ultimately pay the sacrifice for all our sins on the cross.
This verse also points to an important application for us—that God can take things that look dead in our life and cause new growth to appear. Even when it all seems done and dead, the miracle of growth is always possible.
Fully Committed
“And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time.”
1 Kings 8:61
These words are part of King Solomon’s prayer of dedication at the completion of the temple in Jerusalem. It was a moment of celebration and fulfillment, a physical reminder that God was dwelling among His people. But Solomon didn’t want a beautiful building. He wanted a faithful people.
Not halfway committed. Not when commitment is convenient. Not when you feel like committing.
Fully committed.
It’s easy to drift into partial commitment: reading your Bible when life slows down and you can find the time, praying only when things go wrong, showing up to church when your family has a free weekend. But Solomon’s prayer still calls to us today, and it's clear: be all-in with your faith.
So what could full commitment look like in your everyday life? Here are four things you and your family can do to build a life that's fully committed to ...
