Love For The Lost

Love For The Lost – Following Christ’s Example

Have you ever had a conversation with a person who is spiritually lost?

There’s a person we know who doesn’t believe in God, and he shows obvious disdain regarding anything related to Christianity.

He wants us to know it too.

We’re always friendly, even when he tries to start something.

A little jab here, and a little jab there, and always when we least expect it.

His last little “zinger” was to grumble . . .  “and now we got a church on every corner.”

Even though he was obviously exaggerating about churches “on every corner,” he was clearly not happy about seeing more places of worship.

Here’s the thing: churches popping up everywhere or not, that’s not the point.

If only he knew what lies ahead for unsaved people.

Going to church isn’t what brings you to Heaven.

Salvation is found through Jesus alone.

The place you don’t want to go is Hell.

Hell is real. 

A destiny in Hell means everlasting punishment. At that point it is too late for a lost soul to be rescued. 

The following Bible passage should break our hearts for the people we know who shut Jesus out of their lives.

41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. – Matthew 13:41-43, (ESV).1

Spiritually-lost people are in desperate need of the Savior.

Hearts can change

Their hearts can change – just like your life and my life changed when we fully became Christ followers.

There’s a great example of a life change in the Book of Luke. You can read about it here. 

Despised by the people, the tax collector Zacchaeus experienced the soul-saving message of grace from Jesus Himself.

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” – Luke 19:9-10, (ESV). 2

Love For The Lost Among our Friends and Family

Do you know any unsaved people in your sphere of influence?

Love for the Lost

It is our Christian responsibility to remember them in our prayers.

Pray for their faith and salvation.

Recently, I came across a beautifully written quotation that I’d like to share here.

It’s from Andrew Murray’s book titled, Not My Will.

I believe it’s worth taking to heart.

May we come to realize that love for the lost is a most glorious aspect of God’s will. May we recognize that love for the lost is one of the clearest evidences of true godliness, and a sure way to the full joy of salvation. Let us continue to pray earnestly, then, that God will fill our hearts with this love of His. Love for the lost is too often looked upon as something exceptional, but be assured that it is God’s will for every one of His children; it is an indispensable part of your spiritual life. – Andrew Murray, influential Christian theologian.3

Can you think of someone you know right now whom you need to pray for?

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1-2 All Scripture Quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. 

3 Murray, Andrew. Not My Will: A Contemporary Translation of a Devotional Classic. The Zondervan Corporation, 1977.

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Happy 250th Birthday, America!

Time to Celebrate – Happy 250th Birthday America

We’re in the middle of a patriotic celebration here in America.

Happy 250th Birthday America!

Speaking of celebrating, there’s a little breakfast place that some friends and I go to almost every week.

It’s a fun time.

We laugh a lot and share life together.

When you go to a friendly place like that, you start to recognize “the regulars.”

The majority of them are elderly men. Sometimes they’re in small groups, while others come in all by themselves, including one in a wheelchair.

My heart breaks for those lone diners. I wonder what their stories are.

I asked the waitress one morning and she said, “He’s a veteran,” and pointing to another man, “He’s a veteran,” and so on.

My mind is already working on some ways my friends and I can honor them.

You know what I find really touching?

It’s to see a veteran in a wheelchair muster up every ounce of strength he has to stand up and salute our American flag when it passes by.

Brave courageous veteran holding an American Flag

These brave veterans in our military, both men and women, risked life and limb to defend our nation against her enemies.

I “see” them, and hope others do too.

250 Years in the Making – Honoring Our Heritage

There will always be certain factions who will try to drag our great nation through the mud in every way possible.

Those groups may get the attention they are desperate for, but they will never be able to change the fact that America was created and blessed by God.

One Nation Under God.

One Nation Under God

Below is my absolute favorite version of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” 

In this video, the West Point Glee Club joins the church choir in a rousing rendtion of this beloved song. 

I love to turn my speakers up high for this one!

 

America - 250 years in the making

God bless the USA

1 Featured image of veteran holding American Flag. Own work – AI created.
2 The “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Written by American author and poet, Julia Ward Howe, in 1861. Public domain.

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Joy Even When It Hurts

Finding Joy Even When It Hurts

Well . . . this happened.

Yesterday I had shut my computer down and was walking a little too fast out of my office towards the kitchen to make dinner.

You want to know my big mistake? I was wearing Crocs.

Crocs and speed walking don’t go together well.

You guessed it – I tripped, badly.

Joy even when it hurts

There was no way to break my fall.

Everything I was carrying in my arms went flying.

I hit my neck first on the wooden desk, followed by both shoulders.  By the time I crashed on the floor, both knees were feeling the brunt of the fall.

My husband, who was in his office, heard my scream and came running.

I actually saw stars and was close to passing out.

No concussion – thank the Lord – but I’m sitting here now with two swollen kneecaps, two bruised and hurting shoulders, bruising and swelling on my left hand, and swelling on my neck.

Talk about hurt.

Do you remember the Bible verse in James concerning trials and difficulties?

2Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. – James 1:2-3, (NASB).

Admittedly, my first reaction was not joyful. I was in such pain that I couldn’t stand up for awhile, or focus my eyes with all of those stars floating around.

“Joy” was the last thing I was thinking during those tearful moments.

But, after the initial hours of throbbing pain, I count my blessings. God knew what was going to happen and I felt His comfort throughout.

Friends and family offered prayers.

My husband (always the hero) is doing everything from fixing meals, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, helping me shower and put on clothes, to getting me in bed at night.

Joy Even When It Hurts – Focus on God’s Blessings 

A grateful heartCounting blessings is an understatement.

As much as it hurts, my fall could have been much, much worse.

I’m grateful that I didn’t hit my head and have a concussion. I’m also grateful that I didn’t fall backwards instead because I wouldn’t have been able to brace myself as much.

Life seems busy, busy, busy all the time and there never seems to be enough hours in the day.

My black and blue life lesson was learned the hard way.

Don’t let it happen to you.

Slow down. (Gotta remember that.)

Sometimes it takes a serious wakeup call to drive that point home.

And yet we know that God is not trying to frustrate us or defeat us or destroy us, but to conform us to the image of His Son and in so doing He wastes no circumstance, no adversity, no affliction, no sickness, no success, no failure, etc, in achieving His end, which in fact He will achieve (cp Phil 1:6+, 1Pe 5:10+). When you are in the trial, it is critical to remember that God never commands to do His will in any area, that He does not also supply us with the grace and power necessary to fulfill it (Php 2:12+, Php 2:13NLT+, 2Cor 12:9, 10+, Php 4:11, 12, 13+). – Precept Austin Commentary.

Thank You God for Your grace and power

in whatever difficult circumstances we find ourselves in.

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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 Quotation is from James 1-2 Commentary, [2026] Courtesy of Precept Austin, Web. Accessed 19 June, 2026.

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Your Anchor in the Storms

Your Anchor in the Storms of Life

Your anchor in the storms

God’s Word tells us, “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.”

No matter what is going on in your life, have you put your complete trust in Him?

No problem is too big or too small to take to our Lord.

We won’t always understand His reason for allowing bad things to happen.

And, we may not get the answers we want to our prayers, but God is always good and His ways are higher.

In the meantime, in the middle of the storm, don’t wrestle with a single fear or worry on your own.

Lay them down.

Take those anxious thoughts to His throne and pray for the strength that only He can give.

Can you imagine having a Heavenly Father where you feel like you have to preface your prayers with something like this:

“Lord, You’re probably too busy to listen to this right now, but . . .”

Aren’t you thankful it’s not like that?

God created you

God hears your prayers

and He loves you.

Friends – Jesus is your anchor during the storms of this life. 

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Jesus Our Eternal Friend

Jesus Our Eternal Friend – No Greater Love

The other day I got together with some friends for breakfast.

I couldn’t wait to see them again.

We laughed and talked the time away and, before we knew it, two hours had passed.

Thank You God for the blessing of sweet friendships with my sisters-in-Christ.

As far as having a “best” friend, among my gal pals, I can’t pick just one.

Every moment spent with close friends is a gift.

There is one Friend however who is the greatest gift of all.

Evangelist Oswald Chambers, author of the beloved classic, “My Utmost for His Highest”, once wrote: The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared to Jesus Christ.

Jesus our Eternal Friend

Dear Sisters in Christ – we have Jesus, our Eternal Friend.  

The fact that Jesus is a friend of sinners means that He is our friend and is waiting for us to acknowledge His presence and availability. God’s love for us is almost beyond imagining. When we consider Jesus’ Incarnation—His leaving heaven to be born as a helpless human infant in order to grow and experience life among us—we begin to get a glimmer of the depth of that love. When we add to that His sacrificial death on the cross, it is staggering. – gotquestions.org.2 

. . . and Jesus did that for you.

As our Lord, He deserves our utmost praise and reverence.

He is our “Friend”, but His authority over us is not diminished.

In fact, His glory is magnified, for it is through Him alone, that our salvation is assured.

Jesus - our Savior and Friend

1 Oswald Chambers quotation, courtesy of Christian quotes.info.

2 Quotation from gotquestions.org . Accessed May 29, 2026. Retrieved from What does it mean that Jesus is a friend of sinners? n.d., para. 3. Web.

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