Faith Over Fear - Trusting God's PromisesDon’t be afraid, for I am with you.Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you.I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.Isaiah 41:10 NLTEvery day, we face things that make us feel scared and worried. Whether it's a doctor's report, a scary news story, job stress, or personal problems, life gives us plenty of reasons to...  Read More

Brian Willems and I meet weekly this semester in part to complete his capstone internship course for his bachelor's degree program. I'm enjoy the opportunity to walk alongside him and refresh my own learning as he learns.Among his course assignments last semester he had to write on the topic of epistemology, the study or theory of how humans gain knowledge. As our new monthly memory verse shows, o...  Read More

"The Power of a Prayerful Heart"“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬Greetings forever family,Prayer is the most important part of how we talk to God. It is our spiritual lifeline, a way to talk to our Savior in a personal way, and a tool we use to seek His knowledge and grow closer in l...  Read More

Praise the Lord for the way this verse has been proved true this week! Someone came into my office to tell me the response she got from a local businesswoman she's been witnessing to. Out of the blue, it seemed, this businesswoman said it was time to go to church, and she'd like to start going wherever this woman from NLC was going. This businesswoman said she'd noticed the grace and goodness of t...  Read More

Empowered for His Purpose - Philippians 2:13“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬This week's encouragement comes from the book of Philippians, in a part of Paul's letter to the Christians in Philippi. It is a powerful reminder of how God is always with us, how powerful He is, and how He works through us to achieve His...  Read More

I was present at the Dinuba Chamber of Commerce's "Good Morning, Dinuba!" event this morning at a local insurance company. Thirty people or so were there representing local businesses, the school district, and non-profits, including two representatives from Teen Challenge. We're familiar with this ministry, which accepts men locally at their residential facility near Immanuel's sports complex and ...  Read More