Grounded in Grace

09/28/2025

12/24/2024

12/17/2024

12/11/2024

Grateful to be working from home this snowy morning. We're gonna be below zero in the next couple of days! ❄️ ⛄️

11/14/2024

10/05/2024

Love Him ❤️ Just what I needed tonight. 🌙 ⭐️ 💛

04/22/2024

How to Make Disciples

You Version Bible App Devotional

Imagine being a disciple in Jesus’ day. Just before Jesus returns to heaven, He commands you to tell all nations the story of the gospel. In your travels, you encounter new people and cultures and share all that God has done through His Son, Jesus. People’s lives are changed because of God’s salvation and His working through you.

God asks us to continue to make disciples in His name because His is the only name that can offer salvation.

Disciple-making starts with loving others as God has loved us. It involves thoughtful teaching and instruction that points people toward a loving relationship with God. We can teach others about discipleship as we go about our daily lives. Here are two ways to get started…

Modeling
But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching. Titus 2:1 NIV
If we want to help people know God, it is important to have hearts that demonstrate Jesus’ teachings. Jesus cared for the poor and the oppressed. He cared more about inward heart attitudes than outward demonstrations. He sacrificed Himself for the good of others. When we model Christ’s sacrificial love and compassion in our relationships, we are illustrating that we have been transformed by God’s love. The way we live will invite others to experience the same sort of love that transformed us.

Mentorship
Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still; teach the righteous and they will gain in learning. Proverbs 9:9 NRSV
As each of us grows in intimacy with God, we can offer wisdom to people we know. Taking time to listen to people’s stories and encouraging them to walk with God through their experiences can lead to a powerful mentoring relationship.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples the command to make more disciples. He declared that all disciples should be made in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is a comforting reminder that when we make disciples, we aren’t doing it by our power.
God’s grace goes before us, and the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to transform us. This is all possible because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

So take a moment to think about someone you would like to see draw closer to God. How can you show up in their life today?

04/21/2024

Choosing Thankfulness

You Version Bible App Devotional

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 is a full sentence, but it’s packed full of powerful commands:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Today, let’s look at the last of those three commands in verse 18: Give thanks in all circumstances.

This is one of those commands that, while simple, can feel daunting, or even impossible, at times. How do we feel gratitude when life isn’t fair, when pain tries to push out our joy, or when doubt clouds our vision?

The beauty of this command isn't about the absence of difficulty, but rather our response to it. When we express gratitude in all circumstances, it isn't a denial of challenges. It's a bold declaration of faith. It's choosing to recognize God's presence and power even during tough situations, not despite them. We don’t have to be thankful for our circumstances–but we can always choose to be thankful while we’re in them.

Recall God’s faithfulness, speak of His goodness, declare His character, and find strength in His promises when our own falter. Gratitude shifts our focus.

So, one more time, let’s look at all three of these commands together: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Commit these commands to memory. Recall them when you are happy, when you are sad, when you are unsure, when you are angry–in every season, in every moment.

Reflect on these commands today.