I like to take the time to pick up lost pennies. But one day, I found more than a penny. Actually, it found me.

It wasn’t on a sidewalk, but in a church while I was on a mission trip in my home state of Oregon. On the fourth day of our trip, I woke up and read Matthew 7:7: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” I felt God tell me that He was serious about that. He meant to give my team and me things we asked for by grace, in faith, and in His Name. He wanted the things of His kingdom to be received, found, and opened.

Lord, what does that look like? I prayed. Teach me today.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15).

When Satan caused the world’s greatest tragedy by successfully tempting Adam and Even to sin, war broke out between good and evil and between God and Satan. 

The only hope for this world was a warrior who could come and fight this war and defeat this enemy. For thousands of years, the nation of Israel looked for the one predicted to be a bruiser.

Jesus went on toward Jerusalem…he sent two disciples ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here” (Luke 19:28-30).

Make this Palm Sunday extra special by sharing the Bible story with your kids, as told from the donkey's point of view! Let the heart of Easter come alive as you read to your little ones, and discover together the strength of Jesus at work in our weaknesses...

Enjoy the incredible Easter story with the little ones in your life using this excerpt from The Jesus Bible for Kids. Remind them of why we celebrate Easter and let them know that Jesus is alive! 

As soon as the word antichrist is mentioned, all kinds of questions come to mind.

Could the antichrist be alive somewhere in the world today?

Could he be a child, or perhaps a teenager, a college student, or even an adult waiting in the wings to emerge as a world leader?

Could one of today’s well-known political leaders be the antichrist?

What will this individual be like?

Romance doesn’t have to be expensive to be great. The best romance is usually accompanied by a lot of creativity!

Here’s a list of 20 affordable and cute date ideas to get you started:

1. Have a candlelight picnic in an unusual location, such as a rooftop, a park bench, or overlooking the ocean.

2. Snap photos of each other all over the city. If finances permit it, take them to a one-hour developing location. You may want to frame your favorite and give it to your sweetheart with a note. The others can be sent as postcards to each other all spring.

In Vannetta Chapman's new Amish romance novel, Joshua's Mission, a group of Amish young people from Oklahoma travel to Texas to aid the Mennonite Disaster Service in rebuilding after a storm. But even while doing serious work, the characters find time to relax on the beach. In this scene, Becca shares the legend of the sand dollar with Joshua...

There’s no mistake in Jesus’s mind that heaven is a real, physical place. 

Twice in John 14:1-6, he uses the Greek word topos, which is translated “place.” For example, He says, “I go to prepare a place for you.” In the ancient language, topos refers to a real, physical place. Furthermore, Jesus uses physical references like “rooms” and “house” to describe where the Father lives.

Hardly a day passes without hearing about conflict and war in the world. It seems never-ending. The bad thing about watching the evening news on television is that it’s, well, mostly bad news!

Of course, there was no news media back in Bible times. If there were, however, they too would have heard daily reports about war and conflict in the world.

The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. What wise words these are! Most all we do in life flows from what first happens in the heart. 

Solomon echoes this truth with this poignant piece of wisdom: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). He knew the importance of the heart. He knew that everything in life flows from what’s happening within.