Courage For Life publishes a weekly blog to encourage you to embrace your God-given courage and live the abundant life God intended for you. Bookmark this page, check back weekly for new posts, and follow Courage For Life on Instagram @GodGivesCourage.
What if you wanted to follow Jesus by modeling a life of selfless service? What does selfless service look like in everyday life? In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus explained that His followers would be known by their service toward others – they would feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty,…
What are some ways people try to earn or grow their greatness? Or, when someone is called an influencer, what did they do to earn that status? People do many things to claim they have grown their greatness or influence, such as accomplishments, wealth, education, fame, titles, positions, and followers.…
Fear is one of the greatest enemies of the abundant life God offers. Embracing the courage to take the next best step toward the life God intended for us begins with a commitment to change—specifically, a commitment to renew our mind. We believe the best way to renew our mind…
Prayer is communication with God. Prayer is how you can remain connected to God and grow in your relationship with Him. Prayer is about being with God and choosing to talk with Him about everything. Prayer demonstrates you trust God. You trust God to hear your prayers and that God…
Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation,…
What do you know about prayer? Do you believe prayer is accessible to you? Would you consider prayer as important to your spiritual growth? Why? Learning what prayer is, why prayer is so important to your spiritual growth, and that prayer is accessible to you – hopefully, will motivate you…
God’s love is a topic that has been explored and discussed for centuries. Yet it is still as relevant now as ever. The overuse of the word “love” in our culture can create a lack of awareness of how the love of God is distinctly different from how we use…
Have you ever asked yourself what type of Bible study you enjoy most? There are many Bible study techniques and methods. Sometimes pastors and Bible teachers give the impression that there is only one “right way” to study the Bible because they have already answered this question for themselves. They…
Studying the Bible is one of the most critical aspects of our spiritual growth. Check out this verse from 2 Timothy 3:16-17. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects…
Have you ever wanted to grow in your relationship with God but felt like you lacked something? Maybe you felt like you needed more awareness of where to start. Or perhaps you felt like you needed more resources, knowledge, or skills to pursue spiritual growth on your own. However, maybe it’s…
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 (NASB) All we have to do is turn on the news and we are assaulted by negativity. Very seldom do we ever see or hear anything positive during a broadcast. Living in a…
The last few years have been rough on all of us. A pandemic brought our lives to a standstill, war continues to inflict violence on the innocent, and the fight against injustice rages on. Open any social media app, and you will likely be bombarded with a hearty dose of…
I recently had the privilege of hosting our Courage For My Life training for 27 incarcerated men. Some of the men are incarcerated for life. The majority of the men will become Peer Facilitators and lead our video-driven discipleship class with other inmates. When I walked into the chapel, the…
When people are asked what they want in life, to be happy is a popular answer. Some would even say, “I deserve to be happy.” Happiness seems to be much sought after. Do we deserve, have a right to be happy? Is that a realistic expectation? On July 4, 1776,…
When Christians pray, their time is an investment into the eternal. Prayer walking is a technique to incorporate more prayer into our lives. We pray as we walk in a chosen location. It is a practical way to intercede for others. As we walk with our eyes open, the Holy…
Do you want to incorporate more prayer into your life? Do you want to cover your loved ones or your workspace in prayer? If so, the practice of prayer walking may help. Prayer is spending time with God. Randy Sprinkle writes in his book Follow Me, “Prayer, contrary to popular…
Have you decided to begin studying your Bible? Perhaps it’s a resolution of sorts, an attempt at reviving an old desire, or some other reason. Maybe you have attempted it in the past but were not successful or couldn’t keep it up. No matter what you have or have not…
What comes to mind when I mention the following stories? The Boy Who Cried Wolf The Tortoise and the Hare The Little Engine That Could Each tale teaches an important life lesson: Always tell the truth. Slow and steady can win the race. Believe that you can. Although we can…
Each spring, I referee Upward Basketball. Who wouldn’t want to give up their Saturdays to have coaches, parents, spectators, and players yell at you? And it’s done for the lovely sum of free! Most referees have no connection with the players, we just love giving the kids an opportunity to…
John Newton, the author of one of the most beloved Christian hymns, confessed, “Amazing grace, How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” Countless hymns, worship songs, and poems have been written on the…
For a long season, I was incapable of genuinely giving grace to others. While I found it increasingly easy to share God’s message of unconditional forgiveness and grace with those struggling with fear, hurt, sin, and shame, I found it much harder to extend that same message of forgiveness and…
Did you know that Bible users ages 18 to 25 would rather interact with the Bible digitally than in print? Check out this quote from the American Bible Society’s 2022 State of the Bible: “Bible Users… ages 18 to 25, would rather interact with the Bible digitally (apps, websites, computer…
Has anyone ever told you that God loves you? Have you ever read the Bible and discovered the Bible says, “God loves you.” Hearing others say that “God loves you” doesn’t always convince you that God loves you, nor does knowing the Bible says, “God loves you,” lead you to…
Everyone has a picture of God in their mind. What’s yours? Having spent over four decades in vocational ministry has given me a multitude of opportunities to talk to people about God. One of the questions I like to ask is, “Who is God to you, what’s He like?” The…
What is love? How would you describe it? From the beginning of time, human beings have tried to explain the concept of love. Tragically, we sometimes develop a distorted view of love from a parent or spouse who abused or manipulated us. Some authorities in our lives may have given…
It’s difficult not to have courage when we fully grasp how deep God’s love is for us. As the Bible says, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31). When I was saved at age nineteen, my eternity was sealed. But my spiritual growth was…
Christians hold the Old Testament to be part of their sacred scriptures, but where did it come from? Who wrote it? How was it all put together? The Christian Bible is divinely inspired. It was written by God through human authors. God wrote the Bible through over 40 human authors…
How did we get the New Testament? Christians believe the New Testament is part of their sacred scriptures, but where did it come from? Who wrote it? How was it all put together? Unity in a Diversity of Genres and Authors The Christian Bible was written by God through human…
Why do some Christian denominations have more books in their Bibles than others? Is it just a personal preference? The books included in Bibles are called the biblical canon, from the Greek word kanon, which means “rod” or “measuring stick.” Different denominations considered their biblical canon to be divinely inspired,…
Today marks eight years of Courage For Life ministry! Here are a few things we’ve accomplished over the last eight years that we’d love to celebrate with you! Stats as of June 30, 2022. Your generosity makes ministry possible. Because of you, incarcerated individuals in state prisons have access to…
I lived overseas for several years. One day a local friend came to the apartment for a visit. During the visit she noticed my Bible on the table beside my favorite chair. She asked if that was my Bible and why it was beside my chair. I told her that…
If an object is described as old, we may get the impression that it is outdated, used up, or no longer needed, especially if a newer model is available. But this is certainly not the case for the part of the Christian Bible we call the “Old Testament.” When we…
When I was young, I remember hearing adults say there are two constants in life: death and taxes. They never said it lovingly but rather sadly, as if one must accept the inevitable. As I aged, I realized the list could be expanded, certainly the negative ones. Being a person…
Have you ever felt dissatisfied with your life? Perhaps you were frustrated and thought… If I only had just a little bit more money, … or a bigger house, … or if only I got that promotion at work…. It’s easy to slip into thinking that “more” will make us…
Our past can really complicate our present—if we let it. Sadly, we can’t change our past, but we can work to identify how and why we have allowed past issues to affect our lives today. We can stop the vicious cycle that keeps us from walking in freedom and living…
Courage For Life creates emotional health, spiritual growth, and Bible study resources with the expectation of obedience to Jesus’ teachings. David Guzik notes, “In the ancient world, it was common for people to hear a teacher. But if you followed the teacher and tried to live what he said, you…
In the United States criminal justice system, there are around two million offenders incarcerated in federal, state, local, and tribal systems at any time. According to PrisonPolicy.Org, “In a typical year, about 600,000 people enter prison gates, but people go to jail over 10 million times each year.” The United…
Suppose I told you that the sun will rise in the west tomorrow. (For those directionally challenged this is not true, because of the rotation of the earth the sun appears to rise in the east each day.) Almost everyone would disagree because of experience. But imagine there was breaking…
Many religions practice meditation, but what a specific religion means by the term “meditation” may be drastically different from another belief system. The meditation practices of New Age and Eastern religions are very different from what the Christian scriptures describe. The Bible refers to meditating on scripture in many passages.…
Our ability to make fearless, healthy choices is directly related to what we believe. Author Chris Thurman says, “Every lie that goes through your mind is slow, self-inflicted psychological and spiritual death.” Isn’t it time to blow these lies out of the water? But how do we know if something…
During the month of May, Courage For Life would like to encourage you to celebrate the courageous women in your life. This month provides a beautiful opportunity for you to acknowledge and thank the women God has allowed you to encounter and influence your life for the better. You may…
Eating a slice of chocolate cake every night before bedtime would delight our tastebuds, but this routine would soon supersize our waistlines! For optimal physical health, we must intentionally build healthy habits into our lifestyles. Likewise, if we want optimal spiritual health, we must intentionally build godly habits into our…
Christianity is based on the event of Jesus’ resurrection. Without Jesus’ resurrection, there is no Christianity. The apostle Paul told the followers of Jesus in the city of Corinth that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, their faith was in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). Paul proclaimed the object…
Christianity is based on the event of Jesus’ resurrection. What if Jesus predicted or foretold His resurrection before it happened? Would knowing beforehand the certainty of an event add credibility to the trustworthiness of the person making the prediction? Would witnessing the event after the event had been predicted validate…
Christianity is based on the event of Jesus’ resurrection. You may be wondering why Christians celebrate Jesus’ death as Good Friday. What could be “good” about an innocent person (Jesus) being wrongly arrested, falsely tried, unjustly sentenced to death, and killed by crucifixion? Christians celebrate Jesus’ death as Good Friday…
Christianity is based on the event of Jesus’ resurrection. For Jesus to rise from the dead, He first needed to die and be buried. The soldiers confirmed Jesus’ death at the crucifixion and pierced His side with a sword. John 19:33-34 But when they came to Jesus, they saw that…
Christianity is based on the event of Jesus’ resurrection. All four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) present three core components of Jesus’ death and burial. Joseph of Arimathea takes Jesus’ body and lays Jesus’ body in a tomb. Three days later, Mary Magdalene and other women arrive at Jesus’…
Christianity is based on the event of Jesus’ resurrection. Eyewitnesses seeing Jesus after he died and was buried provide further proof that Jesus had risen from the dead. In fact, many people encountered Jesus after his resurrection from the dead. John 20:11-18 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and…
Growing up, one of mom’s most memorable quotes was, “it is better to give than to receive.” But, by focusing on just one side of the “act of giving,” a life-long habit of guilt can be born. Although we must never ignore the value and importance of generosity and selfless…
This week will celebrate a century-old holiday known as April Fools’ Day. While the day entails playing practical jokes on others, life can sometimes feel like it’s playing a practical joke on us. One of the contributions to painful life experiences is derived from self-reliance instead of relying on God.…
Have you ever had the opportunity to hear a recording of your voice? Were you surprised by how you sounded? Personally, I’m a bit shocked and certainly not so pleased with how I sound on a recording. What I have discovered is that the resonance of my voice in my…
When you were a child, how did you spend your free time? Playing sports with friends in the neighborhood? Reading books under a favorite tree? Pretending to be a great explorer? Serving your stuffed animals tea? Childhood passions give us a glimpse into the uniqueness of each person. God creates…
Like most little girls growing up, I wanted to be accepted by my peers. I didn’t dare let any of my friends know about the trouble in my home life. I believed I couldn’t share any of it with anyone, so when I went to school or hung out with…
Did you know that more than 43 million individuals speak Spanish as a first language in the United States? That’s about 13 percent of the population. Right now, Spanish-speaking individuals are searching for courage in the midst of chaos. A female inmate desperately longs to hear her heart language in…
Have you ever met someone who seems to just sail through life? They have an ideal life with no struggles or cares. Don’t they make you feel jealous, insecure, miserable, defeated, and defective? It seems like you always hit a pothole or roadblock in life, and they never even hit…
Have you ever hiked a rugged trail through the forest? My sister and I went hiking a few months ago at a state park in the mountains of Tennessee. We rambled up steep trails composed more of rocks than dirt, scrambled over boulders, and stepped around or over fallen trees.…
Many of us caught up in the dysfunctional dance of fear-based choices can trace the roots of our distorted thinking back to a time when the baggage we carried was no more than the size of a small tote bag. But those days are long gone, as many of us…
The following is a sneak peek of the first session of our in-depth study of the book of James via Instagram Live (@GodGivesCourage). Join Courage For Life each Wednesday beginning February 16 at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT), where we will walk verse-by-verse through the book of James. This…
Some people embrace change. More power to them! For many of us, change is challenging, frightening, overwhelming, or just downright uncomfortable. Babies cry when they need a “change,” and so do we. We are creatures of habit and receive comfort from things familiar, even if they are not healthy and…
At times he deeply regretted his lack of self-control. A fisherman by trade, Simon Peter worked long hours alongside his brother Andrew sailing across the Sea of Galilee. Sometimes they worked through the night hoping to haul in nets full of tilapia or carp. Outgoing and passionate in his beliefs,…
It’s been said that the hardest part of any unfamiliar journey is the first step. Once we take this monumental first step, we may find there are more things to change than we anticipated. For example, we may need to change how we view and respond to others in our…
“But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” Isaiah 43:18-19a, NLT Has anyone ever asked, “What’s new with you?” How would you answer this question?…