The word heart is found 30 times in the book of Exodus. Nineteen of these uses (63%) relate specifically to the heart of Pharaoh. In fact, in the English Standard Version of the Bible, nearly every use of the word heart from Exodus 1 to Exodus 15 refers specifically to Pharaoh’s heart. Those references to
For a year and a half, the world has been struggling against the coronavirus. Lockdowns. Vaccines. Facemasks. These words and issues are now pieces of our lexicon that we consider and debate in the new era. In the US, there have been more coronavirus-related deaths than American military deaths in World War I, World War
What is spiritual strength? Over the course of the last few podcast devotionals, JB and Casie Shreve have discussed the idea of building spiritual strength. What exactly is spiritual strength though? That is the question we discuss in today’s podcast devotional. Strength is not about freedom from hardship, bad times, or even failure. Strength is
The past 18 months of global crisis have taught us many things, but chief among these is a startling revelation regarding the weakness of our response systems. Whether we are looking at the global pandemic, food systems, climate change, or any other point of crisis encountered during this season of extreme pressure, the crisis response
Last week the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) announced that the US experienced a record surge in drug overdoses last year. More than 93,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2020, increasing 30% compared to 2019. Ten states in the US are expected to show an increase of at least 40% in overdose
In this podcast devotional, JB and Casie Shreve continue to look at how to build internal strength by thinking strong. We start in Joshua 1 where the new leader of Israel is encouraged “be strong” AT LEAST THREE TIMES in the course of three verses. The implication is clear, he was not feeling very strong at
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; He repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands. For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not turned from my God to wickedness. Indeed, I have kept all His ordinances in mind and have not disregarded His statutes. I was blameless toward
In the Monday Morning Devotional this week we looked at the reality of the wise and foolish builders. The foolish builder is the guy who builds on the foundation of sand. It is a foundation of easier decisions, comfort, and an easy fit for the world we live in today. But what about the wise
“In some ways, before the event, the building was just another building on the beach. Now it’s a site of trauma and tragedy, a sign of — I don’t know. I don’t even know what it is. Is it a sign of mismanagement, over-optimism, negligence? I don’t know. I don’t know what it is.” Surfside
In this podcast devotional, JB Shreve looks at the aftermath of the US elections and the weird responses from many within the church who claim they speak for the purposes of God. Now is not the time to grow discouraged but it is the time to take care to avoid the path of deception and