Category: Uncategorized

Following Jesus When It’s Hard

October 2, 2025 0

In John 6:66 we read: “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” Jesus had spoken words that were hard to accept. Many who had followed Him for miracles, bread, or curiosity suddenly found the cost of discipleship too great. They left. But Peter answered for…

By John Rains

Surrounded by Good, Surrounded by Bad

September 4, 2025 0

The Phenology Project has been such a delight for me. I get to spend time in one of my favorite places, the Garden, taking solace in the beauty of God’s creation. To walk among the trees, to watch the rhythms of budding, flowering, and fruiting, is to be reminded that God is still writing beauty…

By John Rains

The Bread We Really Need

August 28, 2025 0

In John 6:34 the crowd said to Jesus, “Sir, always give us this bread.” They were thinking of the bread that fills the stomach, but Jesus was pointing to something greater—the Bread of Life that fills the soul. Every day we hunger—not just for food, but for love, for peace, for security, for meaning. We…

By John Rains

You Are Not Your Own

August 12, 2025 1

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”1 Corinthians 6:19–20 There’s something in us that clings fiercely to the idea of ownership — especially when it comes to ourselves. We like to think, “My life, my body, my choices.” But Paul’s words here gently — and…

By John Rains

He Made It All

July 11, 2025 0

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1 Before anything else existed — before there were people, or problems, or pain — there was God, and there was purpose. This one sentence anchors my soul when everything else feels uncertain. God made the heavens and the earth. He made the…

By John Rains

Loving Without Losing Yourself

June 21, 2025 0

There’s a passage in Scripture that’s both deeply challenging and quietly liberating:“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…” (Luke 6:27).And elsewhere:“… for each one should carry their own load.” (Galatians 6:5) I’ve been wrestling with what it means to love someone well—especially when that love once ran deep but was also deeply…

By John Rains

Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak, Slow to Anger

May 25, 2025 Off

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” James 1:19–20 isn’t merely good advice—it’s a spiritual discipline. It teaches us how to align our hearts and actions with God’s desire for righteousness. These three short commands—quick to listen,…

By John Rains

The Power of Restoration

May 24, 2025 Off

We often think of restoration as fixing what’s broken—repairing a house, a car, a situation. But the restoration God does goes deeper. It’s not just about putting things back together—it’s about bringing them back to life. And sometimes, He shows us this not through thunder or miracles, but through something as small and silent as…

By John Rains