Author: Sweet Tea and Front Porch Storyteller
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Finding Our Place: One Home, One Shepherd
There is a longing that runs through the human heart—the desire to belong, to find a place where we are known, safe, and at rest. Scripture names this longing and gently redirects it. From the wilderness of Jacob to the promise of a better country, from God’s rain of provision to the voice of the…
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Fear That Heals, Not Harms
Learning the Fear of the Lord in a Fear-Filled World We live in an age saturated with fear. Fear of violence. Fear of rejection. Fear of the future. Fear of being “othered.” Fear of not having enough. Fear whispers constantly that we are alone and unprotected. Yet Scripture speaks of a very different kind of…
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Walking in the Light Without Condemnation
A Devotional Reflection on John 8:12–19 In John 8:12–19, Jesus stands in the temple and makes a breathtaking claim: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Almost immediately, the Pharisees challenge Him. They question His authority, His testimony, His legitimacy.…
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Be Still: Letting God Be God
A Devotional Reflection on Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.” These words from Psalm 46 are among the most beloved—and most misunderstood—lines in Scripture. We often hear them as an invitation to quiet prayer or inner calm, and they certainly include that. But in the psalm’s original setting, “be still” is…
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Shelter, Light, and Mercy: What These Scriptures Teach Us About God Today
Reading the Scriptures is like doing a crossword puzzle. We have clues of how those who lived before us viewed God. We are to take these clues and relate them to our world and times. I read the Scriptures in the Daily Office each morning. What I share here is what the Holy Spirit shares…
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I read Psam 93, Isaiah 62:6-7,10-12, Hebrews 2:10-18, and Matthew 1:18-25 today.
God Reigns, and God Is With Us Psalm 93 opens with a bold declaration: “The Lord is king, robed in majesty.” In a world that often feels unstable—politically, socially, and spiritually—this psalm reminds us that God’s reign is not shaken by chaos. The waters may roar, the floods may lift their voice, but the Lord…
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Sin as rule-breaking
Sin as rule-breaking, defines sin primarily as disobedience to God’s laws or commandments. The focus is placed on violating prescribed rules rather than on the deeper condition of the human heart and humanity’s relationship with God. In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly challenges this way of understanding sin. In Mark 3:1–6, Jesus is criticized for healing…
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Loving What God Loves, Hating What God Hates
Psalm 97 is a song of joy and awe. Yet tucked inside this praise is a verse that can trouble modern readers “The Lord loves those who hate evil;he preserves the lives of his saintsand delivers them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 97:10) At first hearing, this can sound conditional—almost as if God’s…
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Christmas Confession: Turning Our Hearts Back to God
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus—Emmanuel, God with us. Yet the incarnation is not only something we remember; it is a truth that confronts us. God came near in Jesus to heal, to reconcile, and to call humanity back to God’s ways. On this holy day, joy and hope must also make…
The Curious Pilgrim 