A Personal Journal of Grace and Discipleship

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:20

From the blog


 

The Exchanged Life: Finding Freedom and Wholeness Through Spirituotherapy

In a world filled with competing counseling models, it’s not uncommon to find contrasting views on what “biblical” or “Christian” counseling truly means. Searching for answers can feel overwhelming, and the terms alone—“biblical counseling” versus “Christian counseling”—can spark endless debates on how, or whether, secular counseling methodologies fit within a Christian framework.

Loving Kindness
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Loving Kindness

Today's Abide Above devotional draws our hearts to the reassuring truth that our life is not merely in God's hands—He is our very life. Every breath, every heartbeat, every hidden detail of creation is sustained by Him (Colossians 1:16–17). Because He upholds all things, we can rest in His faithfulness to uphold us too.

Read More
Being Renewed
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Being Renewed

Today’s reflection from eManna turns our hearts to the refreshing reality of renewal in Christ.
The devotional reminds us that "newness" is not about age, freshness, or how much time has passed — it’s about relationship. God is ever fresh, ever new, because He Himself is Life unchanging and unaging. Everything connected to Him shares in that vitality.

Read More
When Family Doesn’t Understand: Finding Fellowship in Christ
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

When Family Doesn’t Understand: Finding Fellowship in Christ

When we open the Gospels, it’s striking to realize that even Jesus—the Son of God Himself—experienced misunderstanding and emotional distance from His own earthly family.

In Mark 3:21, we’re told that Jesus' family once thought He was "out of His mind" and tried to restrain Him. Later, in Mark 3:31–35, Matthew 12:46–50, and Luke 8:19–21, His mother and brothers came to where He was teaching, wanting to speak with Him. But instead of stopping everything to meet their wishes, Jesus looked around at those gathered in faith and said something radical:
"Who is My mother, and who are My brothers? Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

Read More
Philippians 4
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Philippians 4

In Philippians 4, Paul’s love and affection for the believers shines so clearly. His instructions to the church aren’t cold commands but tender pleas from a heart knit to theirs. He urges them to stand firm together—like a single, fortified army—especially as he gently addresses a personal conflict between two beloved sisters in Christ. The call for unity is not about maintaining appearances, but about living as those already bound together in Christ’s eternal life.

Read More
John 15 - Abide in Me and Bear Fruit
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

John 15 - Abide in Me and Bear Fruit

In John 15, Jesus paints a vivid picture of the believer’s life: He is the true vine, the Father is the gardener, and we are the branches. Israel was intended to be God’s fruitful vineyard, but Jesus, as the true vine, perfectly fulfills what Israel could not. Through Him, we now have a living connection to the Father.

Read More
Bear Much Fruit, and So Prove
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Bear Much Fruit, and So Prove

E. Stanley Jones gently reminds us that the true aim of prayer—and indeed the true measure of our lives—is fruitfulness in Christ. God’s glory is magnified not merely when we engage in religious activities like attending church, reading Scripture, or praying, but when these practices result in a life that produces spiritual fruit. Fruitfulness is not optional; it is the natural outworking of being a branch connected to the true Vine.

Read More
The True Basis for Social Concern
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

The True Basis for Social Concern

Ray Stedman draws our attention today to God's deep, redemptive concern for the poor and disenfranchised, as seen in Leviticus 25. Poverty is not treated as an inevitable scar on society but as an opportunity for redemption and restoration. God's instruction to Israel was clear: provisions must be made so that no one would be permanently trapped in poverty. Land had to be redeemable. Freedom had to be recoverable. Dignity had to be restorable.

Read More
The Heavenly Way of Holiness
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

The Heavenly Way of Holiness

Today’s reflection lifts our hearts to the beauty of sanctification as a gift—not a burden. A.B. Simpson draws us away from the exhausting idea of self-improvement and reminds us that true holiness is the work of God Himself within us. Sanctification is not human striving for moral perfection, but the very life of Christ flowing into our being, conforming us to His image by the indwelling Spirit.

Read More
Godly Sincerity in General
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Godly Sincerity in General

Today's devotional from Day by Day by Grace brings into focus the beauty of a life lived in simple, godly sincerity. Paul reminds us that the life pleasing to God is not adorned with cleverness or outward performance, but is a reflection of His grace shaping us from the inside out (2 Corinthians 1:12).

Read More
What You Will Get
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

What You Will Get

Today, Oswald Chambers gently exposes the subtle hunger we all have for “great things”—whether possessions, accolades, blessings, or simply more than what we already have. He draws from Jeremiah 45, where Baruch, overwhelmed by disappointment, is lovingly corrected by God: rather than offering Baruch earthly success, God promises something far richer—his very life preserved.

Read More
The Oneness of Prayer
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

The Oneness of Prayer

Today’s reflection from Abide Above invites us into the breathtaking intimacy that prayer was always meant to be. Prayer is not shouting across some vast cosmic canyon, hoping God hears us. It is the Spirit of Christ within us communing directly with the Father, without separation, without distance.

Read More
A Conclusion of Jacob’s Blessing
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

A Conclusion of Jacob’s Blessing

Today’s reflection from eManna opens a window into the final blessing Jacob spoke over his twelve sons—each uniquely addressed, yet woven together into God's larger story of redemption. At first glance, the history of Jacob’s sons is not particularly noble: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah were marred by lust and anger. Their lives bore the painful evidence of fallen humanity.

Read More
Memorizing 2 Corinthians 3:18 (CSB) for Visual Learners
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Memorizing 2 Corinthians 3:18 (CSB) for Visual Learners

Memorizing Scripture is one of the sweetest ways to let the Word of Christ dwell richly within us. But for many visual learners, simply repeating verses over and over can feel dry and difficult. Instead of treating memorization like a mechanical task, what if we turned it into a living, breathing experience?

Read More
Nehemiah 13
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Nehemiah 13

The celebration that closed Nehemiah 12 quickly fades as chapter 13 opens. The people who once joyfully pledged their faithfulness to God's covenant have failed to keep their promises. Nehemiah 13 details these failures and Nehemiah’s determined response.

Read More
Ezekiel 43
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Ezekiel 43

In Ezekiel 43, a breathtaking and hope-filled vision unfolds before us. Ezekiel is led to the east gate where he beholds once again the glory of the Lord—the same overwhelming splendor he witnessed earlier by the Kebar River. This radiant glory enters the temple through the east gate, signaling that true worship will be restored among God's people. The Spirit then carries Ezekiel to the inner court where he sees the temple filled with the magnificent presence of the Lord.

Read More
Psalm 3 – Surrounded Yet Secure
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Psalm 3 – Surrounded Yet Secure

David wrote Psalm 3 during a time of deep personal crisis, fleeing from his own son Absalom, who had led a rebellion against him. It was not foreign nations who threatened David’s life, but his own people—the ones he was called to shepherd. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, David turned his gaze from the mounting danger to the LORD, his covenant-keeping God. The psalm highlights that God's protection is not merely defensive but all-encompassing. David knew that God's shield surrounded him even as betrayal closed in.

Read More
Surrender in General, Obey in Particular
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Surrender in General, Obey in Particular

E. Stanley Jones invites us into a breathtaking understanding of prayer's true power and freedom. He explains that the life of prayer is both the most liberating and the most anchored of experiences. Anchored, because it depends on two unwavering conditions: abiding in Christ and allowing His words to abide in us. Liberating, because once these are fulfilled, we are free to ask "whatever we will," knowing that our desires are shaped by His heart.

Read More
The Pattern of Man
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

The Pattern of Man

Today's reflection from Ray Stedman draws our attention to the spiritual conflict symbolized by a young man of mixed heritage — half Egyptian, half Israelite — among God's people. This story is more than a historical account; it represents the inner clash many believers face when attempting to blend the ways of the world with the life of the Spirit.

Read More
Preserving the Life of Christ Within
Believing Thomas Believing Thomas

Preserving the Life of Christ Within

Today's reflection from AB Simpson invites us to recognize the deep connection between our spiritual state and our physical vitality. It emphasizes that the divine life of Christ within us can be subtly hindered by seemingly small issues, much like a clot that interrupts the flow of blood.

Read More
 

About This Journal