My favorite spoken words out of Matthew’s account of the Easter story are found in the 28th chapter and 6th verse where the angel states, “As He said.”

As He said.

These words are a reminder that God’s word – His promises – always come to fruition.

He said He would defeat the grave

He said He would come back

He said He is with us always

God doesn’t lie.

So whatever pain and heartache you are going thru right this instant – stand on God’s promises. Stand on His hope. Stand inside the realm of His amazing grace.

“He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.” – Matthew 28:6

**The Easter Story**

Four different apostles wrote their own account of what we call The Easter Story. This story is one of:

Betrayal

Suicide

Trial

Shame

Mockery

Sacrifice

Crucifixion

Although the start of each book is so grim, so choked full of heartache and lies and deceit – they each end with the greatest love story ever told. A story of love, hope, and fulfilled promises. A story of a God that loved us so much that He sent His only son to die on an old rugged cross.

For me. For you.

This story of sacrificial love can be found in the following books and chapters of the Bible:

Matthew 26-28

Mark 15-16

Luke 22-24

John 17-20

Read them all. Soak in the tiny details. This is our heritage. This is our story.

Which is your favorite account? Mine changes. As of today I’m focused in on Matthew 27.

Here’s what’s on my heart:

You’re never too far gone.

You’re never too bitter.

You’re never too sinful.

You’re never too awful.

You’re never too sad.

You’re never too much of whatever satan is whispering in your ear. You’re just not.

It’s time for your comeback.

Come back to Jesus. He’s waiting with open arms, and He wants to wrap you up tightly. He wants to love on you. He wants to tell you that it’s all gonna be ok. He wants to work through this with you. Come back.

“And rend your heart and not your garments ” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.” – Joel 2:13

Merriam describes resurrection as bringing a dead person back to life – to cause something that has been forgotten to exist again.

To bring back to life.

Christian women – it’s time to rise up.

Think back to when you first met Jesus. Think back to the little girl that loved VBS. The one that was baptized in grade school. The one that thought loving Jesus with her whole heart was so cool – she’s still there. She still exists.

Let’s get excited about Jesus again. When His name is spoken let’s grin from ear to ear. Let’s wake up looking forward to walking and talking with Him. It’s time to resurrect our first true love.

It’s time to rise up.

🎼Now I have resurrection power, living on the inside Jesus, you have given us Freedom🎼

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

⁃ Romans 6:4

Are we desperate for God today?

Is our desperation for God circumstantial, or is it because we just love Him so darn much?

When we are in a “fix this” or “fix me” situation it’s easy to cry out to God. It’s a natural reaction to scream out to God when everything around us is falling to pieces. But what about on a Tuesday -when we’re just doing laundry. Do we need Him as much then? Do we make it a point to talk to Him then – to totally depend on Him in those moments, too?

Depend on God today – desperately. Let His love and grace overflow within you. Because it’s Tuesday. Because He is your favorite. Because you can’t make it without Him. And because His love for you is never circumstantial.

“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.” – Psalm 63:1

Hey. It’s Monday.

You’ve got this because God’s got this.

You’ve got work to do, and within that work is a mission that God has specifically assigned to you.

It’s probably going to be a battle. Let’s be honest – there is a war raging all around us. But God has equipped you for this specific mountain, and there is somebody out there that needs you this week.

Yes. You.

Step forth and be a conqueror for Christ. He needs you. This world needs you.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

– Matthew 5:16

Low self-confidence.

That was me all through school. I was too skinny. I had stringy hair. Crooked teeth. That’s what I saw. That’s what I thought other kids saw.

Then I had babies. And I was too big. One afternoon while walking through the grocery store in my hometown – pushing my newborn baby in a buggy – an older lady pointed out how much weight I’d gained.

Don’t do that.

Don’t point out other people’s flaws. It’s hurtful.

It took me years, and a deeply grounded relationship in Christ, to push past the insecurities of a poor self image. You don’t have to live that way, ladies.

*Are you tired of not feeling good enough?

*Are you constantly comparing yourself?

*Tearing down yourself?

Break free. Let Christ help you undo the chains of insecurity that are holding you back.

*Speak truth to yourself.

*Pray

*Set aside Praise & Worship time

*Become best friends with Jesus.

*Lift other women up.

You were created to be a confident woman in Christ. He made you beautiful. He created you for a purpose. Believe it. God doesn’t make mistakes.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14

Dear Teenagers,

Standards.

Don’t apologize for having them. Set them high. Dare to be different. Don’t feel bad about yourself when you don’t fit in. There’s nothing wrong with you, but the world will try to make you think there is.

The world will try to tell you that you think you’re better, but that’s not it. It’s just that you know without a doubt that God’s way IS better.

Standards. Set them. Keep them. And when you mess up – because you will – ask God to give you the strength to forgive yourself and keep on going.

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” – Philippians 1:27

God will give you the desires of your heart. He said so. The thing is – when you totally surrender to Him – there is a shift. Your desires change.

Your desires are no longer self-based but Kingdom-based. Everything within you will long, will strive, to grow closer to God. To lead people to God. To be the hands and feet of Christ in a world that needs to see and feel Him like never before.

It’s time for a shift, guys.

“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” – Psalm 37:5-7

In a technology laden world – with all kinds of knowledge at our children’s fingertips- it’s more important than ever to prepare them for what this world is shoving in their face.

Smart phones, the internet, commercials on TV – they are all oozing with information that we may or may not want our kids to see and hear.

I’m not dumb. I can’t stop it all. Whether I let them watch certain things or not they will hear it at school.

I know.

But let me tell you what I can do. I can get those babies to church. I can pray with them every morning on the way to school. I can make sure that they hear the truth. I can pray that the truth fills their minds and hearts. I can pray that they fall so in love with Jesus and everything He stands for that when the time comes they will turn away from evil. I can let them see me loving Jesus with everything within me.

I’m not naive. I know how the world is attacking our youth. I see it every single day; however, I also know that Jesus is stronger. I know without a doubt that Jesus is bigger.

If we want to empower our kids – if we want them to be able to stand strong in a world that is spinning out of control – then we have to equip them. We have to teach them the truth. We have to BE that truth.

“5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” – Deuteronomy 6:5-9