Grace Gives Us the Power to Want Something Different “Grace is not a license to do whatever you want. It is the power to want something different.” We often describe grace as God’s unmerited favor, and it certainly is. Grace means that we could never earn God’s love, purchase His forgiveness, or make ourselves righteous through our own efforts. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 NIV But grace does more than forgive our past. Grace transforms our desires, strengthens us in the present, and teaches us how to live a new life. Grace does not say, “Keep living however you want because God will forgive you.” Grace says, “You no longer have to remain a slave to the desires that once controlled you.”

Grace Is Not Permission to Continue in Sin The apostle Paul addressed this clearly: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” Romans 6:1–2 NIV Grace is not God overlooking sin as though it does not matter. Sin matters so much that Jesus gave His life to free us from it. The cross shows us both the seriousness of sin and the greatness of God’s love. Jesus did not die merely to make us comfortable while we remain bound. He died to forgive us, rescue us, restore us, and make us new. “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14 NIV I personally love reading Romans 6 in the Message Bible. When we are under grace, sin is no longer supposed to be our master. We may still face temptation. We may have moments of weakness, and we will continue to need God’s mercy. However, we are no longer powerless. Through Jesus, we can say no to what once ruled us and yes to the life God has prepared for us.

Grace Teaches Us Many people think grace means that God does not require anything from us. Scripture teaches the opposite. Grace becomes our teacher. “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.” Titus 2:11–12 NIV Grace teaches us to say no. Grace teaches us self-control. Grace teaches us to live differently. Grace does not lower God’s standard. Grace gives us the strength to follow Jesus. It reaches into our hearts and begins changing what we love, what we pursue, and what we are willing to leave behind. Before Jesus, we may have wanted the world’s approval, temporary pleasure, revenge, control, or whatever satisfied us in the moment. When grace enters our lives, something begins to change. We start wanting peace more than drama. We want purity more than temporary pleasure. We want obedience more than popularity. We want God’s presence more than the things that once distracted us from Him. Grace gives us the power to want something different.

Grace Changes the Heart Christianity is not simply behavior modification. It is heart transformation. It is a brain transplant. God does not only tell us to stop doing wrong things. He gives us a new heart and places His Spirit within us. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” Ezekiel 36:26 NIV Real change begins when God changes our desires. When we love Jesus, obedience stops feeling like punishment and becomes a response of love. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15 NIV We do not obey to make Jesus love us. We obey because He already loves us. We do not pursue holiness to earn salvation. We pursue holiness because salvation has awakened something new within us. The closer we become to Jesus, the less appealing our old ways become. His presence changes our appetite. His Word renews our minds. His Spirit convicts us, corrects us, and leads us toward freedom.

Freedom Is Not Doing Whatever We Want The world often defines freedom as the ability to do whatever feels right in the moment. However, doing whatever we want can quickly lead us back into bondage. A person can be free to make a choice while becoming enslaved by the consequences of that choice. An addiction may begin as something someone wants to do but eventually becomes something they feel unable to stop doing. Bitterness may feel justified at first, but it can eventually control the heart. Sexual sin may promise pleasure while producing shame, secrecy, broken trust, and spiritual bondage. Jesus offers a better freedom. He does not merely give us the freedom to choose. He gives us the power to choose what leads to life. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh.” Galatians 5:13 NIV Biblical freedom is not the absence of boundaries. It is the presence of God’s power. It is the ability to say, “My feelings do not have to lead me. My past does not have to define me. Temptation does not have to control me. Through Jesus, I can choose another way.”

Grace Meets Us When We Fall Living by grace does not mean we will never stumble. It means that when we stumble, we do not have to run away from God. We can run toward Him. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NIV Conviction says, “Come back to the Father.” Condemnation says, “You have failed too many times to return.” Grace reminds us that Jesus has already made a way home. However, grace does not leave us lying where we fell. Grace picks us up, cleanses us, and teaches us to walk differently. God’s mercy is not an excuse to plan our next fall. It is the reason we can rise again.

We Must Cooperate With Grace God gives us grace, but we must respond to it. We cannot continually feed our flesh and then wonder why our spiritual desires feel weak. We must renew our minds with God’s Word. We must guard what enters our hearts. We must be honest about temptation, receive correction, establish healthy boundaries, and remain connected to faith family. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 NIV Transformation requires surrender. Sometimes grace looks like God comforting us. At other times, grace looks like God confronting us. Both are expressions of His love. God loves us exactly where we are, but He loves us too much to leave us there.

A New Desire The evidence of grace is not perfection. It is transformation. You may still be in the process, but your heart is no longer at peace with what once kept you bound. You want to please Jesus. You want your thoughts to become pure. You want your words to bring life. You want your relationships to honor God. You want to become more like Christ. Even that new desire is evidence that grace is working in you. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13 NIV Grace transforms our will to become God’s will. Grace is not permission to remain the same. Grace is God’s loving power at work within us, giving us a new heart, a new direction, and a new desire. Grace does not simply say, “You are forgiven.” Grace also says, “You are free.” Free to leave the old life behind. Free to say no to temptation. Free to love what is holy. Free to obey Jesus. Free to want something different. And when we surrender fully to Him, we discover that what Jesus offers is far better than anything we were ever afraid to release.

Watching racing has taught me so many things. I have had many afternoons at a dirtbike track learning great life lessons. As a family we love cheering for Robert and so many of our favorite riders. The track is now part of our home.

As much as I enjoy the excitement of racing, I often find myself watching through a different lens. I see a sermon.

Every rider on that track has invested hours of practice, discipline, preparation, and sacrifice. They did not arrive there by accident. They have trained, studied the course, worked through injuries, and given everything they have to compete at their very best. These riders show up even on the hard days with injuries, with bike issues, with inclement weather, with rough track conditions and so much more but these riders are more determined and press through. Yet even after all of that preparation, life on the track can change in an instant.

A crash. A mechanical failure. A missed turn. One unexpected moment can move someone from the front of the pack to the back. And every time I watch it happen, I cannot help but think… Life is like that.

We seek the Lord. We spend time in His Word. We pray. We prepare. We work with excellence. We try to make wise decisions. And still, life can throw us something we never saw coming. A phone call. A diagnosis. A disappointment. A relationship that changes. A door that closes. The truth is, following Jesus does not exempt us from difficult seasons. But it does give us something the world cannot offer, a hope that is anchored in Him and a strength that rises every time we choose to trust Him again. What moves me the most is not always watching someone stand on the podium. It is watching someone refuse to stay down. There is something beautiful about a rider who gets back on the bike after a hard fall. Maybe they will not finish first that day, but they finish with courage. They remind us that perseverance is not about having a perfect race, but it is about refusing to let one difficult moment define the rest of your story.

I want that kind of endurance for my own life. I want our family to be known for getting back up. I want our children and grandchildren to see that our faith is not just something we talk about on Sundays, because it is something we live every day. That when life gets hard, we don’t lose hope. We do not quit. We do not become bitter. We choose joy. We choose gratitude. We choose to keep our eyes on Jesus.

The older I get, the more I realize that making memories with my family is one of God’s sweetest gifts. I do not want to rush through life chasing accomplishments while missing the people He has entrusted to me. I want to laugh more, encourage more, celebrate others more, and love more deeply. Because someday, none of us will remember every race result. But we will remember who we shared it with. We will remember the conversations. The prayers. The laughter. The hugs. The moments that reminded us how good God has been.

Most of all, I want my life to point people to Jesus. Long after the applause fades and every earthly race has been run, only what is done for Christ will last. The greatest legacy we can leave isn’t success but it is faithfulness. It is showing our family and the next generation what it looks like to love God wholeheartedly, love people well, and never stop running after Him.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight… and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” — Hebrews 12:1–2

So wherever you find yourself today, keep going. If you have fallen, get back up. If you have been discouraged, do not give up. If life has taken an unexpected turn, trust the One who already knows the finish line. Run with endurance. Walk in joy. Smile with strength. Love your family well. Cheer others on. Leave people better than you found them.

And when your race is finally complete, may it be said that you didn’t just finish but you finished faithfully, you loved generously, you pointed people to Jesus, and you left footprints that lead others all the way to eternity. That is the victory worth living for. And remember get back and stay in the race. 

The Whisper They Will Remember

Wanting to share what Holy Spirit has been whispering to me. As a pastor, wife, mom, and Gigi, I have learned something over the years that continues to shape me. People may remember what we said, but they almost always remember how we made them feel. That is especially true in our homes.

There have been moments as a parent when I wished I could rewind a conversation, not because what I said was wrong, but because of how I said it. The truth may have been right, but my tone did not reflect the heart of the Father.

The older I get, the more I realize that our children do not just need parents who speak truth. They need parents whose truth is wrapped in love.

Scripture reminds us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” Proverbs 18:21. Every day we are planting seeds with our words. We are either watering confidence or insecurity, hope or fear, courage or shame. Our words have the power to build a home that feels like a refuge or one that feels like a battlefield. I have also realized that it is not only what we say that matters. Tone matters.

The same sentence spoken in frustration can wound, while spoken in gentleness can heal. Sometimes our children don’t reject our correction, but they reject the way it was delivered.

God has been teaching me that He is God of the whisper not of the scream.

When Elijah was exhausted, discouraged, and ready to quit, God did not reveal Himself in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. Instead, He came in a gentle whisper 1 Kings 19:11–13. That has challenged me deeply.

If my Heavenly Father chooses to whisper, maybe I should too.

A whisper does not mean we ignore truth or compromise boundaries. It does not mean we become passive parents. Jesus never watered down truth, but He always delivered it with perfect love. He corrected people without crushing them or cursing them. He restored without shaming. He invited people closer instead of pushing them farther away. That is the kind of parent and grandparent I want to become.

I want my children, grandchildren, and the people God entrusts to my care to know they have a safe place. I want them to run to me before they run from me. I want correction to feel like protection instead of punishment. Our homes should be the safest place on earth because they point to the safest Person we know, Jesus.

Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Isn’t that beautiful? God does not become our refuge only after we have cleaned up our mess. He is our refuge while we are in it. As parents, we have the privilege of reflecting that heart. Will there be moments when we have to be firm?Absolutely. Will there be consequences? Of course.

But firmness and gentleness can live together. Authority does not require anger.

There is a difference between authority and anger. True authority is calm because it is rooted in confidence, not control. When I have to raise my voice in anger to make my point, it often reveals that I have lost control of myself more than I have gained influence with someone else. Scripture tells us, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” James 1:20. We never have to sacrifice the fruit of the Spirit to exercise God-given authority. Self-control is part of our authority.

I have also learned that we can never blame someone else for the way we choose to respond. It is easy to say, “They made me angry,” or “If they would just listen, I would not have reacted that way.” But no one else gets to decide who I become in that moment. My response is my responsibility. I do not want to become the kind of person whose character is determined by someone else’s behavior. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I can choose patience when others are impatient, gentleness when others are harsh, and love when emotions are running high. My calling is not to mirror the atmosphere around me, but it is to bring the atmosphere of heaven into it.

That does not mean we lower the standard or ignore disobedience. Healthy boundaries, loving correction, and consistent consequences are all part of godly parenting and leadership. But they can be delivered with a heart that is settled in Christ. The strongest person in the room is often the one who remains calm. Jesus carried unmatched authority, yet children ran to Him, the broken found safety with Him, and sinners were not afraid to come near Him. His authority drew people closer because it was always clothed in truth, love, and perfect self-control. That is  the kind of authority I want to grow in every day.

In fact, one of my favorite verses reminds me, “A gentle answer turns away wrath” Proverbs 15:1. Gentleness is not weakness. Gentleness is strength under the control of the Holy Spirit. I have also learned that children become fluent in the voice they hear the most. If they constantly hear criticism, they often become their own worst critic. If they constantly hear encouragement, they learn confidence.If they constantly hear grace, they learn how to give grace. If they hear truth spoken in love, they begin to recognize the voice of their Good Shepherd. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice… and they follow Me” John 10:27. 

I wonder if one of the greatest gifts we can give our families is helping our voice sound more like His. Not because we’re perfect. Not because we never lose our patience. But because we are willing to apologize, grow, and allow the Holy Spirit to keep shaping us. Our children do not need perfect parents. They need parents who are becoming more like Jesus. So today I am asking the Lord to help me be more of a whisper than a scream. To slow down before I speak. To remember that every conversation is an opportunity to disciple someone’s heart.

To choose words that bring life.

To let my tone communicate love even when my message requires correction.

Because long after my children forget the details of my conversations, my prayer is that they will always remember how safe they felt in my presence.

And even more than that…

I pray that through my words, my tone, and my life, they would recognize the voice of their Heavenly Father. He is the One who has always spoken truth with perfect love.

Praying this: Jesus, thank You for always speaking truth wrapped in grace. Teach me to parent with Your heart. Teach me to lead with your love! Guard my tongue, soften my tone, and help my words produce life. Let my home be a place of peace, safety, restoration, and unconditional love. May my family hear Your whisper through my voice and see Your love through my life. Let every word I speak point them closer to You. Amen.

There is something beautiful about simple devotion to Jesus.

Not polished religion. Not performance. Not becoming so mature that we lose our tenderness toward Him. Sometimes in growth and maturity, if we are not careful, we can become impressed with our own growth. We know the language, the Scriptures, the systems, the church culture. We know how to “do ministry.” Yet somewhere along the way, passion quietly fades. Wonder drifts. Tenderness weakens. We become experienced but not always intimate. Paul warned about this in 2 Corinthians 11:3 when he said:

“I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

That phrase ministers deeply to me: the simplicity of devotion to Christ. The simple romance. The tenderness. The humility. The awe of loving Jesus. Do not get too grown for passion. There is a place in God where your heart still burns when His Word is opened. A place where worship is not routine. A place where tears still come because His presence means something to you. A place where you still love sitting at His feet more than being seen by people.

In The Book of Revelation 2, Jesus speaks to the church at Ephesus. He acknowledged their labor, endurance, discernment, and faithfulness. They were doing many things right externally, but Heaven saw something missing internally. They had left their first love. Notice Jesus did not tell them to feel something first. He told them to remember, repent, and return.

“Do the things you did at first.”

This is important because returning to first love is not a sensation but it is a decision. Obedience comes before emotion. Sometimes you worship before you feel goosebumps. Sometimes you pray because you love Him even when your feelings feel quiet. Passion is protected through pursuit.

The Ten Virgins: Prepared Hearts

In The Gospel of Matthew 25, Jesus tells the story of the ten virgins.

All ten had lamps.
All ten had oil.
All ten expected the bridegroom.
All ten were waiting.
All ten even fell asleep.

The difference was not appearance. The difference was preparation. Five were wise because they carried extra oil. Oil throughout Scripture represents intimacy, consecration, and the work of the Holy Spirit. The wise virgins were prepared before the announcement came. Midnight in the story represents dark seasons, unexpected moments, delays, uncertainty, and testing seasons. It represents moments when faith is challenged and comfort disappears.

Yet the wise were ready before the cry rang out:

“Behold, the bridegroom is coming!”

Jesus was teaching us something powerful: do not wait until midnight to seek oil. Do not wait until crisis to pray.
Do not wait until trouble to worship. Do not wait until culture grows darker to decide you belong to Jesus. Keep oil in your lamp now.

Josiah: A Picture of First Love

One of the clearest examples in Scripture of someone with spiritual oil is Josiah in 2 Kings 22–23. Josiah was a young leader living in a broken culture, yet he chose obedience and wholehearted devotion to God. His story shows what happens when someone returns to the Word of God and allows it to transform not only their own life, but an entire nation. Josiah loved the house of God.

In chapter 22, he ordered repairs to the Temple because it had been neglected. When you love God, you care about the things of God. You honor His presence, His house, His people, and His ways. While repairing the Temple, the priests discovered the Book of the Law. The Word of God had been neglected and forgotten. Can you imagine that? The Word buried beneath the rubble of neglect. But when the Word was read to Josiah, his response was humility. He tore his robes in grief and repentance because he realized how far the people had drifted from God. His humility stands out to me.

He did not argue with the Word.
He did not excuse compromise.
He did not justify sin.
He allowed the Word to search his heart and transform him.

One of the greatest signs of maturity is letting the Word correct you. Josiah understood the problem was not that God had failed His people. The people had abandoned God. So Josiah began tearing down idols, removing compromise, cleansing the land, and calling people back to covenant with the Father.

That is first love.
First love tears down idols.
First love removes compromise.
First love returns to covenant.
First love honors the presence of God again.

Josiah did not just privately love God; he publicly led others toward Him.

That is leadership.
Not perfection.
Not performance.
But publicly pursuing God in a way that points others back to Him.

Revival Begins With Remembrance

One of the most beautiful parts of Josiah’s story is when Passover was restored.

The people remembered again. They remembered God’s faithfulness. They remembered His delivering power.
They remembered His covenant. Revival often begins when people return to remembrance. When hearts remember who God is, passion awakens again.

2 Kings 23:25 says:

“Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength.”

That echoes the words of Jesus:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

This is the call of first love. Not halfway devotion. Not casual Christianity. Not empty lamps with no oil. But wholehearted love for Jesus.

Get Your Love Back

Maybe you have been serving faithfully but your passion has grown quiet. Maybe life became busy. Maybe responsibility replaced tenderness. Maybe ministry became work instead of wonder.

Jesus still lovingly calls:
Remember. Repent. Return.

Get your love back.

Go back to sitting with Him.
Go back to loving His Word.
Go back to worshiping with tears in your eyes.
Go back to childlike faith.
Go back to awe.
Go back to oil.

Because the Bridegroom is coming. Heaven is looking for people whose lamps are burning. He is looking for First Love!

A Legacy of Love: Dedicating Our Families to the Lord

Recently, as we stood together as a faith family dedicating families to the Lord, I could not help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude. Not just for the babies in arms or the smiles on parents’ faces, but for the legacy being built right before our eyes. Because dedication is not just about a moment. It is about a lifestyle of surrender.

It Starts with Us! In Deuteronomy 6:5-7, we are instructed to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength and then to impress His Word on our children. That means it starts with us as parents, leaders, and guardians.

I remember when Jeff and I were raising Hunter and Caitlyn. We did not have it all figured out and still do not but we are growing. There were busy seasons, moments where we were stretched thin, and times where we had to choose, again and again, to put Jesus first in our home. It was not about being perfect parents. It was about being consistent and present parents. (We also had seasons where we did this well and others that we struggled in.)

 I have learned this over the years: Faithfulness is built in the everyday, not just the highlight moments. Respect, trust, and influence in our homes are not automatic, but they are earned daily. They do not carry over from yesterday. Our children are watching how we show up today.

More Is Caught Than Taught! There is a truth I have seen play out over and over again: Our children do not just listen to us, but they mirror us. In Proverbs 22:6, it says to train up a child in the way they should go. That word “train” is about dedication, direction, and example.

Good parenting is not built on a few great moments. It is built on consistent behaviors over years.

• Showing up when it is inconvenient
• Loving when it is not easy
• Staying steady when emotions rise
• Living what we say we believe

Because what we carry, they will catch.

Faith Over Feelings is important, especially in the world we are raising families in today: Feelings are real, but they are not reliable. Feelings are valid.
But they are not useful as a foundation for our lives. We do not build our homes on how we feel in the moment instead we build them on faith. There were days raising our family when I did not feel like I was getting it right. Days when emotions were high, patience was thin, and exhaustion was real. But we made a decision: We are going to live by faith, not by feelings. Feelings change. Truth does not change, and God’s Word is Truth. Part of maturity, for us and for our children, is learning to manage emotions before they manage us. Because if we do not lead our emotions, they will lead our decisions and that will take us places we were never meant to go.

You must choose responsibility over excuses. One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is this: A life without excuses. We taught and are still teaching that ownership matters. Because blaming others may feel easier in the moment, but it delays growth and keeps you stuck. Taking responsibility even when it is uncomfortable builds confidence, strength, and long-term success.

I have had to model this in my own life too. Apologizing when I got it wrong, and hopefully doing it fast. Learning to own my reactions. Choosing humility over pride. And let me tell you those moments preach louder than any words ever could.

In a world that constantly tells our kids that value comes from appearance, status, or success, we have to remind them of the truth. What makes someone truly beautiful and successful is not how they look or what they have, but it is how they love, care, and treat others. That is the legacy we want to build. Not just children who achieve but children who love well. Not just families who look good but families who live right.

It is about a covering and not a performance. Family dedication is not about standing on a stage looking like you have it all together. It is about saying: “God, we give You our home. Lead us. Shape us. Be the center.” In Joshua 24:15, it says, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” That is not just a declaration it is a daily decision.

And sometimes that decision looks like:

• Choosing faith over fear
• Choosing truth over emotions
• Choosing responsibility over excuses
• Choosing love when it is hardest

There is power in being a praying parent.  If there is one thing I have learned, it is this:
Never underestimate the power of your prayers over your children. I think about the seeds sown before me the prayers from my parents, faith poured into our home, moments where heaven was invited into ordinary days. And now, as “Gigi,” I find myself doing the same by praying over my children, their spouses, and my grandchildren. Doing this not out of fear but out of faith. Because God is faithful to generations.

We Are Better Together! One of the most beautiful parts of family dedication is that we do not do it alone. We do it as a faith family. At Covenant Church, we say it all the time, “Welcome Home.” In Psalm 127:3, it reminds us that children are a gift from the Lord. And what a gift they are.

I want to say to every parent, grandparent, and family reading this: You do not have to do this perfectly. You just have to do it with Him. Be consistent. Live by faith. Take responsibility. Lead your emotions. Love people well. Because what you are building matters. You are not just raising children, you are shaping legacy. And that legacy will echo for generations to come. Let the echo be the sound of heaven. 

Be an Encourager, a Connector, and a Hope Broker

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

Our words carry more weight than we often realize. They shape atmospheres. They can strengthen faith or quietly tear it down. A simple sentence can lift someone’s heart or leave them discouraged for days. Every conversation matters. Every comment matters. Even the words we whisper to ourselves when no one else is around matter.

What we say in public matters, but what we say in private matters just as much. The truth is that whatever fills our hearts will eventually flow out of our mouths. Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 12:34, when He says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Our words reveal what is truly happening on the inside.

Because of that, God calls His people to live differently. He calls us to be encouragers, connectors, and hope brokers.

Encouragers are people who put courage into others.

Connectors help bring people closer to Jesus and closer to one another.

Hope brokers remind people that God is still working even when situations feel impossible.

When someone is around a true encourager, they leave stronger than when they arrived. Their faith is lifted. Their courage grows. Something inside them believes again.

But if we are not careful, we can easily become the opposite of what God intended. Instead of bringing life, we become negative. Instead of lifting people up, we criticize. Instead of creating safe places, we create environments people want to avoid.

Sometimes people wonder why the same conflicts seem to follow them everywhere different places, different people, but the same tension. In those moments it is wise to pause and allow the Lord to examine our hearts. If the same problems keep appearing in every relationship, we may need to ask an honest question: Am I the common denominator?

God never reveals things in our lives to shame us. He reveals them so He can transform us.

One of the clearest pictures of encouragement in the Bible is found in Acts 4 through a man named Barnabas. His name literally means Son of Encouragement. Barnabas became known for lifting people up, believing in people, and creating safe spaces where others could grow in their faith.

Growing up, my dad, Gregory Pope, who pastors, Covenant Church, always taught me the importance of being a Barnabas in people’s lives. He would remind us that the kingdom of God moves forward when believers choose to encourage rather than criticize, to lift others up rather than tear them down. That lesson has stayed with me through the years—in ministry, in leadership, and in everyday life. I have seen how one person choosing to believe in someone else can completely change the direction of their story.

Later in Acts, a man named Paul, who was originally called Saul, had a radical encounter with Jesus. His life had been dramatically changed, but the early believers were terrified of him. After all, Saul had been persecuting Christians. No one trusted him. No one wanted him near their community.

But Barnabas stepped in. Acts 9:27 tells us that Barnabas took Saul and brought him to the apostles. Barnabas saw something that others could not yet see. He believed in the transformation God had already begun in Saul’s life. Because of Barnabas, Saul was welcomed. And Saul would later become the Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament.

Think about the power of that moment. One encourager helped open the door for one of the greatest apostles in history. Barnabas did not rehearse Saul’s past. He did not criticize what Saul had been. He believed in what God was doing. That is what hope brokers do.

Hope brokers see the work of God in people before everyone else sees it. They recognize seeds of destiny when others only see brokenness. They help connect people to purpose. They help create environments where people can grow.

The world already has plenty of critics. It has no shortage of people who are quick to correct, quick to point out flaws, and quick to judge. But God is raising up people who will be safe places. A safe place does not mean we ignore truth. It means we speak truth in love. It means we restore instead of condemn. It means we build instead of tear down.

Hebrews 10:24 tells us, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” The word consider means we intentionally think about how to encourage others. Encouragement is not accidental. It is a decision.

We also have to guard what we say to ourselves.

If we constantly rehearse fear, negativity, offense, or insecurity in our private moments, those thoughts will eventually spill into our public relationships. But when we speak the Word of God over our lives, when we remind ourselves of His promises, we become carriers of faith wherever we go.

I have seen this truth play out so many times in ministry, in leadership, and even in family life. The people who bring life into a room are the ones who have learned to guard their hearts and their words. They are the ones who choose to believe the best about others. They are the ones who refuse to gossip, refuse to criticize, and instead speak life. Those are the people others feel safe around.

So choose to be the person people are glad to see walking toward them instead of the person they try to avoid.

Choose to be an encourager. Choose to be a connector. Choose to be a hope broker.

Guard your words in private. Guard your words in public. And above all, be a believer.

Believe that God can restore people. Believe that God can change hearts. Believe that God is still writing beautiful redemption stories.

Because sometimes one simple word of encouragement can open the door to someone’s destiny. And you never know whose life might change because you chose to speak life.

Encourage!

There is something powerful about the words we speak. Words are not just sounds or sentences we release into the air; they carry weight. They shape atmospheres. They affect hearts. They can either strengthen someone’s spirit or quietly drain the courage out of them. The word encourage literally means to put courage into. The word discourage means to remove courage from. When you understand that, it changes how you view every conversation you have. Every word you speak. Every room we walk into, every meeting we attend, every text message we send, and every correction we give is either depositing courage into someone or withdrawing it. We are either strengthening faith or draining strength. And one of the fastest ways courage leaves a room is through manipulation.

Words are spiritual containers. Proverbs reminds us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. That means our words are constantly building something or breaking something. Encouragement breathes courage into a person’s heart, while manipulation suffocates it. Encouragement builds people up; manipulation controls people in order to get outcomes.

The Bible gives us two powerful leadership pictures that show the difference.

David at Ziklag is Pressure Without Manipulation

In 1 Samuel 30, David returns to Ziklag with his men and finds devastation waiting for them. The city has been burned to the ground. Their wives, children, and families are gone. Everything they owned has been taken. The Bible says the men wept until they had no strength left to weep. Imagine the emotional exhaustion of that moment.

Then the situation becomes even heavier. Scripture says David was greatly distressed because the very men he led began talking about stoning him. The people he had fought beside, protected, and led were now blaming him for their loss. This is what leadership under pressure looks like. Grieving. Misunderstood. Exhausted. Blamed. Standing in a moment where everything feels like it is collapsing around you. Yet in the middle of all of that pressure, the Bible gives us a statement that reveals David’s heart and his leadership, “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

David strengthened himself in truth. He did not try to shift the blame. He did not spin the narrative to protect his image. He did not stir up emotion in the crowd to regain their loyalty. He did not manipulate the situation to control people. Instead, he went to God. He inquired of the Lord and asked what he should do next. And when God gave direction, David obeyed. The story ends with one of the most beautiful outcomes in Scripture: David pursued the enemy and recovered everything that had been taken. David did not pull courage out of the people around him in order to survive the moment. He received courage from God and then led from that place.

Ahab and Jezebel have Desire Without Integrity

Now contrast that with the story in 1 Kings 21. King Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard. It was close to his palace and seemed convenient for him to own. But Naboth refused to sell it because it was part of his family inheritance. Instead of accepting the answer with integrity, Ahab responded like a child who did not get his way. The Bible tells us that he laid down on his bed, turned his face to the wall, and refused to eat. It was emotional immaturity mixed with entitlement. (which most of us have demonstrated before in our own lives.) Then Jezebel entered the scene. Instead of encouraging him in the Lord, she encouraged him in manipulation. She got in agreement with the wrong motives. She took matters into her own hands and began to scheme. She wrote letters in Ahab’s name and used his authority falsely. She stirred up false witnesses and twisted the narrative so that Naboth would appear guilty of something he never did. She fired people up with lies until the crowd condemned him.

What began as one man’s disappointment became a wave of deception because someone fueled it. Jezebel knew how to push the right emotional buttons. She knew how to stir outrage and create urgency until people moved in a direction that was not rooted in truth.

That is one of the dangers of manipulation: we can stir the wrong things in others. We can stir anger, offense, suspicion, or division when the Lord is actually calling us to peace, patience, and truth. Ahab wanted possession. Jezebel wanted power. Together they created destruction.

And this is where we must be careful. When we begin looking at circumstances instead of looking at the Word of God, our emotions can lead us into stubbornness and rebellion. Instead of yielding to God’s truth, we start defending what we want or even what we think should happen. But God never asks us to interpret life through our circumstances. He asks us to interpret life through His Word. Circumstances will always try to speak louder than truth. They will try to convince us that frustration is justified, that control is necessary, and that manipulating outcomes is the only way forward.

But the Lord calls us to something higher. We cannot allow disappointment to make us stubborn. We cannot allow pressure to make us rebellious. We cannot allow desire to override obedience.

Scripture reminds us that rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is idolatry.(1 Samuel 15:23), because it replaces God’s authority with our own. Whenever we insist on having our way instead of yielding to the Word, we step into dangerous territory.

Manipulation always distorts truth. It creates urgency that God never assigned. It stirs emotion to force outcomes. And almost always, people get hurt in the process. Most importantly, manipulation removes courage from everyone around it. It creates confusion, fear, and instability in environments that should be marked by trust.

The Difference Between David and Ahab

Both men experienced disappointment. Both wanted something. Both had influence and leadership authority.But their response revealed their character.

Another truth we see in these stories is that our response always reveals our character. Pressure does not create who we are; it exposes who we are becoming. When circumstances tighten, when disappointment hits, when we feel misunderstood or denied, what rises out of us shows what has been forming in our hearts. This is true in every relationship of our lives in how we respond to our spouse, our children, our friends, and even our coworkers. The words we speak in those moments either build courage in them or slowly drain it. A heart anchored in God will respond with humility, patience, and truth, even when emotions are high. But a heart driven by pride and insecurity often reaches for control, sharp words, silence, or manipulation. That is why David strengthened himself in the Lord before he responded. He allowed God to steady his heart so that his response flowed from faith instead of fear. Our reactions are not just momentary decisions, but they are windows into our character. And when we let the Holy Spirit shape us, even in tense or emotional moments, our responses can bring courage, clarity, and life to the people closest to us.

David strengthened himself in the Lord.
Ahab strengthened himself in control.
David inquired of God before he acted.
Ahab inspired deception to get what he wanted.
David restored everything that had been lost.
Ahab brought judgment on his household.

The difference was not the pressure they faced. The difference was integrity. Saying and doing the right thing when no one is looking or listening. Pressure does not create character. Pressure reveals it.

How Manipulation Hurts Others

Manipulation rarely announces itself loudly. In fact, it often hides behind what looks like strategy, correcting, or influence. But when we exaggerate facts, withhold information, stir emotion to sway opinions, speak from emotions, or build alliances behind the scenes, something unhealthy begins to form. When we protect our image instead of pursuing truth, we may gain temporary ground, but we quietly rob courage from the people around us. Trust begins to erode. Discouragement becomes contagious. It may secure short-term outcomes, but it produces long-term damage.

Encourage Yourself First

If David had not strengthened himself in the Lord, he might have tried to control the crowd around him. Fear often pushes leaders toward manipulation when they feel like things are falling apart or they are losing. But David chose a different path. Instead of manipulating the crowd, he managed his own heart.

There is something deeply holy about refusing to control outcomes and choosing instead to trust God. When you feel frustrated, disappointed, misunderstood, angry, denied, pressured, or threatened, the temptation is often to push, spin, or stir something to make things happen. But there are really only two options in those moments. You can encourage yourself in the Lord, or you can manipulate your environment.

Encouragement says, “God is my source. God is my defender. God is my vindicator. God is my joy. God is my peace. God is my identity.” Manipulation says, “I will make this happen. I will force this outcome. I will stir what needs stirring.” One is rooted in faith. The other is rooted in fear.

Leaders Put Courage In

Leadership, whether in the home, the church, or the workplace, is ultimately about the courage you deposit into people.
Do your words bring clarity or confusion?
Do they strengthen faith or stir insecurity?
Do people leave conversations with you feeling stronger or drained?
Do you bring joy and courage or jealousy and comparison?

David strengthened himself in the Lord before he ever tried to lead others. That is the picture of mature leadership.

Breaking Cycles

Sometimes the patterns we operate in are not intentional; they are inherited. Some of what we call personality is actually learned behavior from environments we grew up in. Some of what we call communication styles are really survival patterns formed in homes where love was conditional, silence was punishment, anger controlled the atmosphere, or guilt was used to get results.

Without realizing it, we can repeat what we experienced. But the Gospel breaks cycles. David broke cycles in his generation. Ahab continued them. The difference was who they strengthened themselves in.

Breaking Word Curses

Words carry spiritual weight, and many people are still living under sentences spoken over them years ago. Phrases like “You’ll never amount to anything,” or “You always mess things up,” or “You’re just like your father” can linger in someone’s heart far longer than we realize. Even if these words are spoken in private they are still heard by the enemy and plant seeds of death. Those words remove courage.

But if those words did not come from the Father, they do not get to define your future. God’s voice restores courage to the places where other voices drained it. Encouragement puts courage in. Word curses pull courage out. And God is restoring courage to people who have lived too long with damaged hearts.

A Final Charge

In this generation, God is raising up leaders who refuse to manipulate. He is raising up people who refuse to lie, refuse to stir division, and refuse to control outcomes through fear. He is raising up Davids, not Ahabs. People who strengthen themselves in the Lord and then build people from that place.

Because every day we face a choice. We can pass down fear or pass down faith. We can drain courage from the people around us, or we can deposit courage into their hearts.

And the Spirit of the Lord is calling us to be people who strengthen ourselves in Him first, so that when we speak, we are not taking courage out of the room, but putting it in.

Prayer

Lord, search our hearts. Expose any manipulation within us and remove the insecurity that drives control. Teach us how to strengthen ourselves in You so that we lead from Truth. Make us leaders who put courage into rooms. Make us people who speak truth, carry integrity, and build others instead of breaking them. Let us speak Truth in Love to ourselves and others. We choose encouragement over control, faith over fear, and truth over deception. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” — Isaiah 43:19

Every pattern in your life repeats until you learn the lesson. That lesson is not about others changing it is about you being transformed into the image of God. The biggest shift God wants to make is in you.

He is not just rearranging your circumstances; He is realigning you. Before the new thing can be released around you, it has to be established within you an internal peace that refuses to be shaken and a faith that cannot be moved.

This is not a season for panic; it is a season for posture. A time to get your heart, your words, and your focus in alignment with Heaven.

God wants to shift your vocabulary, because your vocabulary has been blocking your victory.

What you say matters. Proverbs tells us, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” And in Mark 11, Jesus said, “You will have whatever you say.”

Your words are creating worlds for better or worse. It is time to get out of the doubt camp and get into faith camp. Stop coming into agreement with the assignment of the enemy with your mouth. This is not something you just try; it is a choice you live by. You must think right and speak right.

The enemy wants to poison how you see God, how you see others, and how you see yourself. But every word from your mouth should carry the fragrance of Heaven.

Ephesians 4:29 reminds us, “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

If you follow Jesus, your mouth should follow Him too. Your speech should sound like grace, not gossip- prophecy, not poison. 

Remember: what is coming out of your mouth shows the true condition of your heart.

It reveals what you really believe about God, yourself, and others. Your mouth is the mirror of your heart. If your words are bitter, your heart is burdened. If your words are critical, your heart is calloused. If your words are fearful, your heart is anxious. If your words are faith-filled, your heart is anchored in Him.

So ask yourself, what does my heart look like? Because your speech is the overflow of your soul condition! Every time we choose the same response, criticism, anger, fear, complaint, doubt, or frustration we circle the same mountain.

But the moment you choose differently, the loop ends and growth begins.

Cycles stop when faith starts. It is time to get rid of the sin mouth. God is dealing not just with what you do, but with what you declare.

It is time to speak prophecy instead of pity, cheer instead of complaint, hope instead of hurt, and joy instead of junk. Heaven is waiting on your agreement. 

You must be a pioneer in the problem. You were not made to shrink when things get hard, you were created to arise. In the middle of the mess, God is raising up pioneers. People who do not wait for perfect conditions to lead, pray, build, or believe.

You cannot pioneer something new with an old mindset. It is time to trade sarcasm for sacredness. Sarcasm keeps you safe; sacredness keeps you surrendered. 

God is birthing new beginnings, he is birthing new vision, new peace, new opportunities, but He is starting with you. You cannot pour new wine into old wineskins.

Let Him stretch you, refine you, and fill you again with peace and faith for what is coming. This is your time to align. This is your time to believe again.

There is a reason Scripture tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart.” God knows that what we allow in determines what flows out. Just like a city’s gates once determined its safety, our hearts are the gateways to our spiritual strength, peace, and purpose.

In ancient times, a city without walls was an open invitation to destruction. No matter how magnificent its palaces or how vast its treasures, it was vulnerable to every thief and invader that came its way. Those walls represented strength, safety, and identity the visible proof that what was precious inside was worth protecting.

The scripture above was written by King Solomon and he understood this that “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

The Heart: Your Inner Command Center

In Hebrew, the word heart (לֵב, lev) doesn’t just describe emotion it represents the mind, will, and inner life. It’s the control center of who you are. Every word you speak, every reaction you give, and every choice you make flows out of what’s happening inside your heart.

That is why Solomon said above all else. Before you guard your schedule, your finances, or your reputation, you must guard your heart because everything else springs from it.

Mind the Gates

In the days of Nehemiah, when Jerusalem’s walls were broken down, the people were vulnerable to attack. The first thing Nehemiah did wasn’t to build new homes or decorate the temple he rebuilt the walls and gates. Gates were where watchmen stood alert, guarding what came in and what went out.

Spiritually, we have gates too our eyes, our ears, and our thoughts. What we allow through those gates shapes the condition of our hearts. If we let fear, offense, or temptation enter unchecked, they take up residence and begin to influence everything we say and do.

Paul reminds us, “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

This is the posture of a guardsman not passive, not waiting for an attack, but proactive and alert.

You Are the Guardsman

God has not called you to live in reaction mode constantly responding to the noise of the world, social media, or fear of the future. He’s called you to stand watch over your inner life.

To “guard” means to protect with purpose and diligence. You do not guard what does not matter you guard what is valuable. Your thought life, your peace, your faith, and your spiritual mindset are treasures that shape your destiny.

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”Psalm 141:3 (ESV)

When you guard your heart, you are also guarding your words and your words create worlds. A renewed mind produces a renewed mouth, and a renewed mouth produces a renewed life.

A Renewed Mind, an Obedient Life

Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

When your mind is renewed by God’s Word, obedience becomes your natural response. You do not have to strive to do what is right. you are simply living out what’s inside you.

As a guardsman of the heart, you choose daily what you allow to stay. You recognize when something does not belong like fear, pride, bitterness and you send it packing. You fill your inner walls with truth, worship, gratitude, and love.

Standing Watch Together The beauty of God’s kingdom is that we do not guard our hearts alone. We stand shoulder to shoulder with other believers, encouraging one another to stay strong, alert, and rooted in truth.

“Be on guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NLT)

You are not just protecting your own peace. You are preserving the purity of what flows out of your life into your family, your ministry, and your community.

So today, rise up as the guardsman God has called you to be. Stand watch over your thoughts. Set boundaries that honor your King Jesus! Guard your heart, because it is the wellspring of your life.

And remember the strength of the city lies not in its walls, but in the God who watches with you.