Thanksgiving is a special time of year. For some, it brings together family and friends around the table. Others will savor delicious food, wonderful company, and make new memories. Some years, you may sit at a full table with loved ones, while other years, the holiday may feel lonely.

What makes this time of year meaningful, regardless of our situation, is that it teaches us to pause and give thanks. It is the season that we carve out time to reflect on the goodness of the year past. While some years we might feel that we have less to be thankful for than others, when we look at this holiday through a biblical lens, we begin to recognize that gratitude begins with the Lord.

I invite you to make your way through this seven-day Thanksgiving journal, which will take you through Psalm 145. This psalm teaches us about the foundation of thankfulness and serves as a humbling reminder of what Thanksgiving can really be about.

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To understand why we believe and follow Jesus, it is vital to understand who Jesus is.

Starting your day with God simply means spending time with Him. You can do this in various ways, but however you do it, the most important thing is to start cultivating this rhythm in your life. There is truly no better way to start your day than to start it with God.

Jesus was raised in Nazareth, and this is a significant piece of information regarding Jesus’ life and story. His humble upbringing was consistent with the humility Jesus demonstrated during His life and ministry.

Perhaps you are a new to the Christian faith, or something has happened in your life that has made you curious about God. Whatever your situation, because there are numerous local churches, it may feel like a big task to find a church to go to. You might wonder where to start or how to go about finding a church. Becoming part of a church is a significant step in one’s faith journey. As it says in Acts 2:46-47:

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Jesus established the Church, and we find in the New Testament that the disciples spread the Gospel and started churches as more and more came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Attending church is an exciting and important part of being a Christian. If you are curious about Jesus, going to a church can be a great first step in discovering more about Jesus and becoming a follower of Him.

Here are five tips for finding your first church.

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The book of Habakkuk may be one of the shortest books in the Bible, but its impact and relevance is significant. This book is about having faith in God even when the suffering and injustice in the world seems to go unnoticed.

The book of James is found in the New Testament and is only five chapters long with a total of 108 verses. Within this book, we find great truth on hardships, temptations we face, the danger of showing favoritism, taming the tongue, surrendering and being obedient to God, and warnings to not let riches keep us from faith in Jesus. Within this letter written to Jewish Christians, we come across a verse about human anger.

“Because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20).

Anger is an emotion that humans feel, and sometimes struggle to process and cope with. What we learn from this letter written by James is that anger rooted in human pride, logic, or evil intentions will not produce righteousness because it is not in line with God’s love, goodness, or justice. God does not want our anger, or any emotions, to get in the way of doing what is good and right in His eyes. This wicked type of anger could never result in righteousness because it is not in sync with God’s good and perfect ways.

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This demonstration of prayer taught by Jesus was simple, yet it shows us how we can come to God in prayer. Jesus was often seen going away from crowds to pray and spend time with the Father. He recognized the significance of having a healthy prayer life, and practiced it regularly.

We may face hardships and challenges because of the brokenness of the world, but God wants us to have hope and peace through it all. Jesus has overcome every situation and circumstance you will ever face, even those chaotic times in life that seem insurmountable. We can trust God in chaotic times, knowing He is with us.

God blesses the family model, and He has orchestrated having children. Therefore, it can be particularly painful when a woman is not able to have children. Some women are unable to conceive, while others never marry and therefore, do not become mothers. Whatever her unique story may be, there are women who long to be a mother but have not had that desire met.

With Mother’s Day upon us, we take time to recognize and celebrate how much moms love, provide, and care for their families. A mother’s work and responsibilities aren’t always glamorous, but caring for her family is truly a significant ministry. Oftentimes, moms are so busy taking care of others that they have little time for themselves, and unfortunately, they don’t always find the time they need with God. Most moms can relate to those seasons in life when finding time to read the Bible seems nearly impossible. The truth is that knowing Scripture is vital to our faith!

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Fellow moms, we need this time with God, and we need to read Scripture. The Bible shows us the right path to take, reveals God’s truth and wisdom, teaches us to live like Jesus, and prompts us to love our family and those around us. To the moms who are trying their best to practice their faith and take care of everyone, here are nine tips for when you feel you just have no time to read the Bible.

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Perhaps what David wrote about being in the presence of the Lord all his days is a concept that draws you in and reminds you how great it is to know the Lord and experience His great love.

In 2023, almost 2,000 years since Jesus’ death and resurrection, the world currently has a population of approximately 8 billion people. As believers work to spread the Gospel and fulfill the Great Commission, we may wonder exactly how many believers there are around the world. 

According to the Bible, every good and perfect gift comes from above and is given by the Father (see James 1:17). God loves His children and has good things for those who follow Him.