Simply Christmas Day 5

Day 5: Read Matthew 5 Our Simply Christmas devotional ends where Jesus ministry begins. Matthew 5 opens with the Sermon on the Mount, and for the next two chapters we read a simple, yet revolutionary invitation to live as Jesus did.  So let’s once more make it simple, focusing on the words of Jesus that […]

Simply Christmas Day 4

Day 4: Read Matthew 4 While the first three chapters talk about Jesus, in Matthew 4 we begin to hear more from Jesus. As he was tested in the wilderness, he battled every temptation with words from Scripture. After forty days and nights of fasting and relying on God alone to sustain him, the words […]

Simply Christmas Day 3

Day 3: Read Matthew 3 The story of Jesus jumps decades ahead in Matthew 3. Jesus isn’t a baby anymore, or even a toddler. His teenage years are skipped altogether! Instead, the story picks up with his baptism, so we read a spiritual birth immediately after his physical birth. But we tend to talk about […]

Simply Christmas Day 2

Day 2: Read Matthew 2 I love the history and prophecy we read about in Matthew 2. Sometimes these details can get lost in the story. We more commonly focus on the wise men, their gifts, and the star that led them. But part of why Jesus’ birth was so miraculous is because of the […]

Simply Christmas Day 1

A simple look at the arrival of Jesus Matthew 1-5 tells us so much more than the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth! We also trace his family history, read prophecies that were realized, and discover the hope we have still today through the coming of the Messiah. In this 5-day devotional, we’ll look at the arrival […]

Today I Gave Permission

Today I gave permission.  I gave 3rd grade art students permission to be creative.  I was substitute teaching for an elementary art class, leading them in a Christmas card craft. It was a pop-up tree card, where you would open it to find a Christmas tree protruding from the paper. They were instructed to decorate […]

Growing Gratitude Daily

This post was written by Kayla Cornish, mom, ministry leader, entrepreneur, and coach. Visit legacyrootsco.com for more information. ‘Tis the season to be jolly! ‘Tis the season of thanksgiving. But many of us are going through tough times during this holiday season that can make it more challenging to have an attitude of gratitude. Recently, a lot […]

Encounter

When you go on a mission trip, to church camp, to a worship conference, or even just to regular Sunday morning service, there’s an expectation that you’ll meet with God. We should expect to encounter God through these events! But we should also expect to experience God’s love in the daily, simple moments at home. […]

Sabbath on a Mission Trip

If you’ve been around my corner of the internet for even a few days, you’ve probably read something about slowing down, rest, or Sabbath. This is perhaps the only spiritual practice that I lean toward legalism on. But for me, this is necessary.  An intentional time each week of resting with God is as necessary […]

Guava Bread

My friend Ute and I walked to a local bakery to pick up a variety of sweet breads. One was filled with cream cheese and sprinkled with coarse sugar. One was filled with a strawberry jam and some kind of cream. The final one was filled with a guava jam. Locally it’s called guayaba. So. […]