Focusing on Freedom

What's going on with all this griping and moaning? Why are so many Christians filtering in and out of Bible studies and still feeling defeated by sin day in and out?

Stop Praying Wimpy Prayers

God cares about even the most minor of circumstances. But He teaches us to move beyond the small stuff when we pray.

By Our Love

We often act like people will know we are Christians by what we don't do—drinking and partying for example—rather than by what we do do—love.
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Til I Only Dwell With Thee

This is what I'm learning: Christ, when He's really at the center of our lives, encompasses everything. If we try to schedule Jesus in and "make time" for Bible study, we may actually be living without Him.

Countdown

What if we lived in imminent expectation and excitement for Jesus' return? What if we said "Come Lord Jesus" every day—and meant it? How would it change the way we spoke and thought and used our time if we were counting down?
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Testify!

Nothing beats a good testimony. Here's mine.
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What Are You Vacationing From?

I want to challenge you to not take a vacation from Christ this summer. Instead, find your own way to vacation with him. I guarantee it will be more refreshing than any other break you’ll take.
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Whose house is it, anyway?

Are you acting like the owner or the tenant of your house today? Are you letting the Holy Spirit make you over, or are you resisting His transformational touches?  
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Erin Answers a Reader's Question About Drinking

A LYWB.com reader recently asked a great question. 

“ Okay I kinda have a controversial question. Is it okay for Christians to drink alcohol as long as they don't get drunk? Are there any verses that condemn drinking? I know there are some verses that condemn drunkenness but I don't know if it's bad or not to drink a few sips. I'm 15 and I don't drink but someone at my church has a few drinks and doesn't get drunk and I'm wondering if anyone out there has found any verses or anything about this topic.”

Defending 100 Million Girls

In China alone, it's thought that there are 50 million girls missing due to being aborted or left to die, for no other reason except their gender (Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize winning economist).

One in three women in the world have been (or will be) violently abused in their lifetime (U.N. Development Fund for Women).

Eighty percent of trafficking victims are women or girls (U.S. Department of State, via the International Justice Mission).

Is God Dead?

The last time I posted about depression on this blog, you responded with sixty-nine comments. I take that as a sign that it’s is an issue worth discussing. Really, I didn’t need to read sixty-nine comments to know that. All I have to do is look at my own story to know that depression is real. It hurts. It’s confusing. 

Are you Mad at God?

Have you ever prayed for healing that never came?

Have you ever faced a loss that didn’t make sense?

Have you ever desired to serve God but been denied the opportunity?

Have you ever been mad at God?

No Need for Eggs and Chocolate Bunnies

Jesus' death and resurrection are the cornerstone on which our faith and lives are built. Every day this week is representative of a key part of Jesus' life and ministry. And yet, for most of us, Easter will come and go like every other Sunday except for the addition of some new dresses, Easter baskets, and sugary treats.
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Olympic Fever

I have Olympic fever! Since opening night, my family has been working like crazy to get our schedules cleared out to gather around the television to watch the "ending" to great stories ...


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Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

We wait for the passion to read God's Word before we will get serious about reading it often. Maybe a better course of action would be to start reading the Bible regularly and watch what passion God uses His Word to create.

Will you take our 30-day challenge?

You can't be the woman God made you to be without receiving regular doses of truth from His Word. Neither can I. So, I am committing to take a 30-day challenge and asking you to join me.

Does your car have a steering wheel?

Trying to live out your faith without regularly reading God's Word is like trying to drive a car without a steering wheel. Sure, you're in the driver's seat, but it's impossible to control where you're going.

A Change Could Do You Good

Have you ever noticed that being a Christian requires a lot of change? In fact, God calls us to constantly turn away from our old self and to seek to be more like Him.

Be a Shepherd

It is so difficult to keep Jesus as the focus of our lives. Even in December, when all signs should point back to our King, we get wrapped up in a million other things and forget to make Jesus the center of our celebrating.
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Is your throne getting cluttered?

Jesus is certainly worthy of our worship, but so often we put other things on the throne of our hearts.


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What are your good and perfect gifts?

Amid turkeys and trimmings, football and family gatherings, it can be easy to forget to be thankful for the good things God has given us on days like today.

An Unlikely Friendship

I remember the day she told me that in her teen years God was her best friend. I was glad I was sitting down when she told me that, because I could've fallen over backward from surprise.
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Five Ways to Cultivate Authentic Faith

This year, I want you to head back to the halls of your school with a mission to live out your faith in every area of your lives.
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A Change of the Heart

My sister, Autumn, wasn't a Christian. But I thought it would take a few years for her to change her mind about Jesus.
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You Nailed It!

You nailed it. Two weeks ago, I wrote a post applauding Miss California Carrie Prejean for taking a stance for biblical marriage in the Miss USA Pageant. Many of you commented that while you appreciated Miss Cali’s public stand for Truth you couldn’t help but notice a disconnect between her statement and the immodest clothing she sported on stage.

And then . . . Carrie found herself in the center of a new storm.
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Your prayers could unleash a “war” today

Are you ready to give up on prayer? Does it seem like God doesn’t hear, anyway?
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I'll Have Fun First . . .

One of my friends recently told me that she’s going to have fun while she’s in high school (“Life’s already hard enough, why would I add to the pressure?”), and then she’ll follow God.
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I Am With You

I hope you are participating in our very first LYWB.com Book Club. Together we are exploring the attributes of God using A.W. Tozer’s book, “The Knowledge of the Holy.”

I thought it was important to start with Chapter 14 (sorry to skip ahead if you just started reading) where Tozer talks about God’s Omnipresence. Perhaps this is because the Truth that God is with me and with you at all times is the most difficult and wonderful attribute of God for me to comprehend.
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Which Kind of Bridesmaid Are You?

I know of one thing that God cannot do. (Now, don’t get all heady and start blogging about his omnipotence. Stick with me.) I’m kind of jazzed up about sharing the gospel. It’s not that I didn’t think it was important thirty days ago, but something inside of me has shifted...dramatically!
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The Genie Prayer

I adore the movie Aladdin. I love the romance between the beautiful Jasmine and handsome Aladdin, the setting is mystical and exotic, and Abu keeps me laughing. But my favorite character in that movie is the big, blue genie.

I think there is a part of each of us that would love to discover a genie in a bottle who is willing and able to grant us at least three wishes. It’s fun to think about the ability to have riches or romance or fame by simply asking for it.

It certainly makes for a great Hollywood plot. But it’s a dangerous way to relate to God.
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Do You Ever Feel Like Everyone at Church is Judging You?

Do churches judge more than they love?
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Are You Changed?

At the conclusion of our 30-day challenge, I find myself wondering, are you changed? Has your schedule changed? Has the quality of your time with the Lord changed? Have you spent enough time digging into God’s Word this month to create a radical change of heart?
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The Accusing Voice in my Head

I’ll be honest with you—I failed in prioritizing time with Jesus the first few days of this month. And I struggled intensely with guilt as a result. For some reason, while I was so tuned in to the importance of prioritizing time with Him first thing in the morning (after all, that was the focus of this blog this month!), my body just would not cooperate. I was utterly and emotionally spent. I would wake up, and my first thoughts were, “I can’t wait until I can go to bed again!”
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What's Your Game Plan?

You may already have a regular Bible reading plan, but just in case you don’t, here are several.
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Osmosis: It just ain’t gonna happen

Okay—you’re getting into the Word (which is a huge accomplishment!), but how do you ensure that you don’t walk away from that book without it getting into you?
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Saturate Your Life With Truth

How can you move God's Truth from your head to your heart? Here's one idea. 

A Page from my Journal

Ever want to take a peek into someone's journal? Here's your chance.
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10 Tips for Devotional Reading

Looking for ways to get the most out of your personal Bible study and prayer time? Check out these 10 tips taken from Erin’s book, “Graffiti: Learning to See the Art in Ourselves.”
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Spending a Year Living Like Jesus

What would it be like to spend a year living like Jesus? Would you have to wear a beard and a robe? Would you spend your free time fishing? More importantly, how would it change your relationships, your behavior, your attitude? One man spent 2008 trying to find out.
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Is it Possible to Know God Without Knowing His Word?

Is it possible to know God without knowing His Word?

Is it possible to love God without loving His Word?

Is it possible to obey God without obeying His Word?

A Homework Assignment for the 30-day Challengers

Did you catch Nancy on ROH yesterday? She started a series titled “Getting into the Word and Getting the Word into you.” It’s no coincidence that that is the exact topic we’re tackling all month here on lywb.com.

As part of that broadcast, Nancy gave an assignment to her listeners that couldn’t wait to pass on to you. Check it out.
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Are you willing to take our 30-day challenge?

Will you join me? Will you commit to spending at least some time reading the Bible every day for the next thirty days? I hope so. I’ll be writing about my experience right here on the blog this month, and I want to hear from you. If you’re ready for a heavy dose of life changing, bondage breaking, freedom bringing Truth, join me by spending time reading your Bible every day for the next 30 days. Share you commitment right here so that we can spur each other on!
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