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John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds
I do not get excited for trials, but I am thankful that the struggles and difficulties that I experience have and do continue to bring me closer in my relationship to God!
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than these?
The care and attentiveness of God astonish me. He is our true source of all salvation, peace, comfort, and joy, and He truly and deeply loves us!
Psalm 91:4
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
It is always comforting to know that God will protect us because of His faithfulness and love.
Philippians 1:6
I am certain that God who began a good work within you, will continue his work until on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
I am a work in progress, and God is not finished with me yet. To God be the glory for what he has done and continues to do!
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O Lord and know my heart, try me & know my anxieties & see if there be any wicked way in me & lead me in the way everlasting.
Since I surrendered my life to Christ over 15 years ago this is one verse I committed to memory & is a verse that I pray often!
Mathew 22:37-39
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
God does not promise that we will not have challenges as we walk through life! He does, however, promise that He will be with us! My life journey and professional journey has taken me through deep waters, across rivers, through fires, up mountains, and down valleys, and it is incredible to look back and see His faithfulness through that transformation and how He is using me now!
2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Nothing here on earth could ever compare to what awaits!
Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Through these words from scripture, I’ve really learned to trust in the goodness of the Lord and His promises through all of life’s challenges. God is good…all the time!
James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Trials produce endurance, and endurance helps to be fulfilled in Christ.
Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Our “light” shows who we are in Christ and how He is working in our life. As we let our light shine, doing good works & loving on others, we can glorify God by being an encouragement and beacon of hope to others showing how God’s love and grace is available to all.
1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Matthew 22:37-40
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
For me, I strive to make all my decisions, my interactions, and my testimony for Christ in the journey, to be founded on these verses. It’s always a work in progress (especially when I’m driving!) but it’s the foundation on how I should share the love of Christ to the world around me, no matter who they are.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Proverbs 16:9
In a man’s heart, he plans his way. But the lord determines his steps.
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I find that “PHIL FOUR FOUR” is a great summary for the Christian’s life. There is relief from anxiety, assurance of the Lord’s presence and peace, a promise of current and future care, and a mandate to find joy – not in circumstances, but in the Lord. I also like that Scripture doesn’t just give us a quick instruction, but even in this short passage, there is gently repeated repetition, because I often need a second reminder to lock in a Godly perspective.
Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
So hard to pick just one verse but this one brings me peace in times of worry, fear, loneliness, doubt, feeling overwhelmed… The Lord is the light, the way & always there!
Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
This is a beautiful reminder that when we go through the trials of life, God is always present. He loves us and we can trust Him to provide what we need.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make straight your paths.
Philippians 4:6
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
I always loved this verse and thought early in my ministry years that If I could live my life for Christ by following this mandate, that with God, anything could happen! PRAISE THE LORD!
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Everything that happens, good and bad alike, can be woven together into something amazing by the hands of the Lord. Our God is an awesome God!
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 8:1
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
It is so comforting to know that when I am anxious or worried, I can pray to God for peace that only He can provide.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jerimiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts I have towards you declares the Lord. Thoughts to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
I love How God is always doing what is best for us. We may not always like what he does but we can always trust him that he has our best interest in mind.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
In a world of increasing turmoil, having bedrock knowledge of God’s unchanging goodness and love for us is a precious and absolutely essential gift.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Jeremiah 33:6-9
Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.
God heals, forgives, and makes everything good because He is a good God!
Psalm 139:9-10
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Honestly the whole chapter is one of my favorites. It has helped me through all manner of stressful situations and tumultuous thoughts. God is with me. He knows me, and He loves me.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
I love this verse because of its context in scripture: God’s chosen people have been exiled from the Promised Land and are suffering greatly. The promise isn’t that nothing bad will ever happen to us, it’s an assurance that THROUGH the hardest of times He’s still in control and working for our good. That truth has comforted me many times over the years.
Isaiah 54:5
For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Psalm 100:2
Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
If the LORD has blessed you with the gift of serving, do not put that gift on a shelf.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
God knows what is happening in your life and knows what is coming next. Even when we are sent off to captivity God is working things for good.
John 3:17
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
So many people have heard John 3:16 but verse 17 is just as needed. Jesus came not to condemn but to save the world – and that includes you and me.
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
I am continually amazed that God uses ordinary people like us to do His work. He doesn’t have to do that, but He does. We are blessed!
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Acts 20:24
I consider my life worth nothing to me. If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has for me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
I have been so incredibly blessed to witness the goodness of God over nearly five decades of serving Him at Family Life. His blessing is indeed our greatest wealth and nothing can be added to it!
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
I love this verse because there are so many times that I just feel weak. I can’t do it on my own, life is full of challenges and questions and to know that in my weakness God is not only able to help me, but also get all the credit? What more could I want?!
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
As an artist, transition and change come with the territory. “The Lord is my AGENT, I shall not want” has been my mantra for years but knowing where the Lord is leading is so key. If you ask Him, He will lead!
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
So profound. The Trinity has comforted me time and time again – making this verse more and more real in my life.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior in my early 30’s, and until that time I pictured God as someone who was waiting for me to do something wrong and punish me. This verse reminds me that God is for me, not against me.
Jeremiah 9:24
But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.
Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
My favorite verse changes as I go through seasons of life, but currently this one gives me great comfort as I am reminded that my strength comes from the Lord. In Him I am revitalized and directed every day, and goodness knows I need all the strength and guidance I can get!
Hebrews 6:15
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
God gave me this verse during a women’s retreat in the Adirondacks. Life isn’t always easy. Endure the hard times patiently, because God is always faithful.
Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
Our very lives are a miracle beyond understanding. Faith is the only reasonable response to the God of life!
Psalm 16:11
You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
The Lord intimately cares for you! He longs for each of us to be “close” in His presence. When that happens, joy overflows. We can have that deep joy, no matter the circumstances of life! I pray that you seek out time with Him! (He is caring and faithful!)
Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
“Great is thy faithfulness” has always been one of my favorite hymns, based on these verses, especially these lines:
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!