Inspirational Videos

Residential Extended Care gives people who have finished detox or inpatient treatment a safe, organized place to keep healing. Residents live in community homes for three to six months, where they learn life skills, develop healthy habits, and get therapy and counseling. There are daily 12-step meetings, individual and group sessions, chores around the house, and case management as part of the program. It also includes families, which helps build trust and connection again. People who go to Residential Extended Care get time and help to not only get clean, but also learn how to stay healthy in the long term. Website: https://www.gatehouse.org/residential-extended-care/

Darkness is not just an abstract concept—it’s real, pervasive, and often alluring. In our daily prayer and devotional, Lynette Kittle points out that because people often choose what is hidden over what is light, believers need God-given discernment more than ever. Self-understanding, cultural noise, and even spiritual deception can make it difficult to tell what is truly of God and what is not. That’s why we must cultivate spiritual insight—not just rely on our instincts or emotions. She outlines four foundational ways to train discernment: Ask God for discernment (like Solomon in 1 Kings 3:9). Feast on God’s Word, because Scripture anchors our thinking (Hebrews 5:14; Acts 17:11). Test the spirits, discerning whether what we hear or sense aligns with Christ (1 John 4:1–3; 2 John 1:7; 1 Timothy 4:1; Galatians 1:8). Walk in God’s light—live transparently, in fellowship, guided by truth, not shadows (1 John 1:5–7). Discernment isn’t optional. In a world crowded with competing voices and moral confusion, we must actively choose to walk in the light, reject deception, and embrace truth. Today's Bible Reading “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” — Ephesians 5:11 Key Takeaways Darkness is real, and we must avoid complicity with its works. Discernment is a spiritual skill—learned by dependence on God, not self. The Word of God is our measuring rod—if “revelations” conflict with Scripture, they must be rejected. Walking in the light is both protective and revealing. Let’s Pray Together Father, thank You that You call us out of darkness into Your marvelous light. Grant me a discerning heart today—teach me to ask You, to read Your Word, to test what I hear, and to walk in Your light. Protect me from deception. May I see clearly in a confusing world, and may my life reflect Your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What is The Weight of the Stones This devotional explores the nature of sin, the cost of denial, and the freedom found in confession and truth

What is Advent and why do Christians celebrate it? 00:00 - 00:40 – Introduction: What Is Advent? 00:41 - 01:45 – The Meaning and Origins of Advent 01:46 - 02:45 – The Key Themes of Advent 02:46 - 03:35 – Advent Traditions and Symbols 03:36 - 05:00 – Why Advent Still Matters Today 05:01 - 06:20 – Closing: The Hope of Christ’s Coming Advent is the season of waiting and preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ — both His birth at Christmas and His promised return. The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming.” But how did this sacred season begin, and what does it mean for believers today? In this video, we explore the history, meaning, and traditions of Advent, including: When and how Advent began in the early Church The four key themes of Advent — Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love The symbolism behind the Advent wreath and candles How to celebrate Advent with faith and reflection today Advent isn’t just about counting down to Christmas — it’s about preparing your heart for Christ’s arrival. As the world rushes through the holidays, Advent invites us to pause, reflect, and rediscover hope in Jesus Christ. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” — Isaiah 9:2 Isaiah 9:2–6 – The promise of the Messiah Luke 1:26–38 – The angel visits Mary Luke 2:8–14 – The announcement to the shepherds John 1:9 – The true Light coming into the world Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/the-lakes/silent-night License code: HCRYJWYDJPVLSU3I Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/this-christmas License code: OVX2OXFWYGJGNCHT#Advent #Christianity #BibleStudy #Christmas #AdventSeason #HopePeaceJoyLove #Faith #AdventDevotional #ChristianTraditions

I need to fix myself! I know I’m sinful, but still I need to fix it, right? Looking for more … https://www.toughquestionsforgod.org/ #toughquestionsforgod #questionsforgod

CeCe Winans shared a powerful message that everyone needs to hear. The incredibly talented and popular Christian music singer posted some words of encouragement and a much-needed reminder. Watch the short but powerful clip to listen to what CeCe Winans said that will encourage and uplift you.

We live in a broken, fallen and lost world. This place is full of hurting and struggling people who are looking for something, anything, to alleviate their pain and heartache. They are searching everywhere, seeking a solution, even if it’s only temporary.

Even though there may be widespread hurt, heartache and pain in this fallen and broken world, there is a permanent solution. Jesus Christ went to the cross, where He suffered and died, who later rose again. That’s how much He loves you and me. He went through all of that for us. He became the fix, the answer that many are searching for and seeking. He can take away the hurt, the pain, the addictions and the heartache.

In a clip posted on YouTube, CeCe reminds us of Christ’s unfailing and unending love. No matter what we may be going through, while the world may be broken, chaotic and hectic, we can rest assured and place our faith in Christ’s love and faithfulness.

“I wanted to encourage you by reminding you that Jesus loves you, yeah,” she said. “There’s a lot going on, I know. But I want you to hold onto your peace, and you have to remember the word of God is true, right? Psalm 46 and 1 reminds us that God is our refuge and our strength and a very present help in times of trouble.”

Later in the video, she adds that these are words, a promise to hold onto whenever we face difficulties and challenges.

“So, whatever you’re facing today, remember that Jesus loves you, and that He’s with you and that God has all power,” she added. “He is your hiding place. He is your refuge.”

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

While Halloween often highlights darkness, Christian families can use this season to shine God’s light. Here are meaningful and fun ways to celebrate fall with faith, joy, and purpose.

🌾 1. Attend a Harvest Festival

Celebrate God’s goodness with worship, fellowship, games, and great food. Rejoice in the bounty He provides every season.

❤️ 2. Serve Others

Shine Christ’s love through service: rake leaves for a senior, help at a shelter, or donate food to families in need.

🎲 3. Host a Family Game Night

Gather for laughter, snacks, and togetherness. Let your home overflow with joy and gratitude.

👑 4. Plan a Bible Costume Party

Dress as Esther, David, Daniel, or other heroes of faith. Teach kids that following God is the greatest adventure of all.

🍁 5. Take a Fall Nature Walk

Admire God’s creation: the colors, the crisp air, and thank Him for His artistry.

🎃 6. Carve Pumpkins with Purpose

Instead of scary faces, carve crosses or hearts to symbolize the light of Christ shining in the darkness.

🥧 7. Bake and Share Fall Treats

Make pumpkin bread, apple pie, or cookies—and share them with neighbors as a sweet act of kindness.

📖 8. Share Bible Stories and Fellowship

Gather friends and families for food, games, and Scripture that encourage faith and hope.

This fall, choose joy over fear, light over darkness, and faith over fright. Let your home shine for Christ!

God is faithful? God is just? God will always forgive? You really expect me to believe all of this stuff? Hmmmm … #toughquestionsforgod #questionsforgod Looking for more … https://www.toughquestionsforgod.org/

Inner Peace

Discipleship and the Bread of Life - This devotional explores the cost of discipleship, the challenge of spiritual hunger, and the call to keep walking with Christ.

Loss has a way of changing everything. As our evening prayer and devotional remind us, when grief enters our story, it can feel like time stops for us while the rest of the world keeps moving forward. We look around and see others building families, chasing dreams, and hitting milestones while we’re still trying to catch our breath and survive another day. Sophia Bricker shares her story of losing her mother at nineteen and the lingering ache of feeling left behind. Through that pain, she discovered the truth of Psalm 34:18 — that God is not distant in our heartbreak but draws near to us, gently holding our shattered hearts. It’s easy to compare our path to others, especially in a world that constantly showcases curated perfection. But Scripture reminds us that God’s presence is not bound to our pace or circumstances. He is with us in the valleys as faithfully as He is on the mountaintops. His love remains steady even when life feels like it’s standing still. Friend, if you’re weary of waiting, grieving, or feeling unseen, remember this: You are not behind. You are deeply loved, fully known, and right where God can meet you. His timing is perfect. His healing is sure. With Him, you will never be left behind. Tonight’s Scripture: Psalm 34:18 (NIV) “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” 🙏 Your Nightly Prayer Author and Perfecter of Faith, Sometimes it feels like the world is passing me by. I see others moving ahead while I’m stuck in grief, waiting, or uncertainty. But You remind me that You are near to the brokenhearted and that I am never forgotten. Help me rest in Your presence tonight, laying down comparison and fear. Draw close to me, Jesus, and fill me with peace that surpasses understanding. Thank You for holding my story and walking with me through every chapter, even the ones that feel slow and heavy. In Your name I pray, Amen. 🧘 Three Things to Meditate Upon Close the Window of Comparison: When you feel tempted to measure your life by others’, take a break from social media or anything that fuels discontent. Turn your gaze back toward Christ, who writes your story perfectly. Biblical Encouragement: Think of someone in Scripture who felt forgotten—like Naomi, Hannah, or Joseph. How did God meet them in their waiting? Jesus, the Faithful Friend: Reflect on Jesus as your Shepherd and Friend who never leaves you behind. Read Luke 15:4 and John 10:14 to remember His care for every one of His sheep.

To “bless the Lord” is more than praise—it’s a posture of dependence, trust, and devotion. In our daily prayer and devotional, we ponder Psalm 63, where David declares he will bless God all his days. He opens his hands, lifts his voice, remembers God’s faithfulness, sings praise, and trusts wholeheartedly—even in adversity. Blessing God begins with acknowledging our need for Him: lifting open hands in surrender, bringing our weaknesses, and asking for His help. It continues by remembering and recounting His goodness—His provision, His creativity, His unchanging character. Every moment of awe, gratitude, worship, and trust is part of blessing Him. David also models commitment in difficulty. Though threatened by enemies, he remains secure in God’s justice and faithfulness. To bless the Lord is to trust Him when we don’t understand and to live as a testimony to His steadfast love—every day, in all circumstances. Today's Bible Reading: “I will bless you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.” — Psalm 63:4 Key Takeaways Blessing God is both worship and reliance—lifting hands, confessing need, and giving Him praise. Remembering God’s past faithfulness helps fuel our trust in the present. True blessing continues even amid trials, when trust must be chosen over fear. A life that blesses God acknowledges His sovereignty, expresses gratitude, and pursues obedience. Let’s Pray Together God, I desire to bless You for as long as I live. I come with open hands, acknowledging I am nothing apart from You. Help me remember You always—invite You into each moment, cling to Your promises, and trust You wholeheartedly. May my life point others to Your glory. Amen.

This devotional explores how water—above and below—reveals God’s grace, healing, and call to holiness in John chapters 4-5.

Death is no more? Wipe away every tear? Are you kidding me! What kind of “pie-in-the-sky” ideas are these? #toughquestionsforgod #questionsforgod www.toughquestionsforgod.org

Explore how the Word became flesh, why we resist exposure, and how Christ is the Light of the world and frees us from condemnation.

A devotional on Luke 23–24 exploring the spectacle of violence, the suffering of Christ, and the choice between death and life.

In the American South, people say certain phrases that sound spiritual. A good example is, “God will never give you more than you can handle.” As I studied and read the Bible for myself, I realized this doesn’t exist in Scripture. In fact, it says the opposite. As our evening prayer and devotional remind us, God hasn’t called us to live a life we could do on our own. The Bible speaks clearly about the insufficiency of our own works (Isaiah 64:8, Ephesians 2:8-9). And yet, God commissions us to follow the example of God in the flesh, living heaven on earth. Therefore, he calls us to a life and mission we’re totally unable to “handle.” Not in our own strength, at least. Which is why the Father gives us the Spirit of the Son to live like the Son. We couldn’t do it otherwise. The Bible also contains numerous accounts of God allowing people to experience situations where only he could deliver them: Israel at the Red Sea, David before Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den, and more. Scripture provides these examples to encourage us to live by faith and grace, not by our ability (Hebrews 11). It shouldn’t surprise us, then, when God allows us to face a situation where we’ll only survive if we rely upon him. In fact, James tells us to rejoice when we find ourselves in these trials, since it increases our faith (James 1:2-4). Paul promises God’s help when we’re tempted beyond our ability, saying the Lord will provide a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). In reality, the phrase should be, “God will never give us more than HE can handle.” Living by faith in God, empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37). Most of us are experiencing such trials and overwhelming burdens right now. But God hasn’t called us to carry these burdens. Instead, he calls us to let him “handle them,” empowering us to stay faithful while he works for salvation and deliverance on our behalf. In this way, we learn how to rely more upon his strength instead of our own, watching him do the impossible in our lives. TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” - Psalm 68:19 YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER Heavenly Father, I confess my weakness and inability to handle life on my own, especially the trials I face. Thank you for calling me to a mission beyond my power, so I can learn to rely upon yours. Fill me with your Spirit to live like Jesus, trust you in difficult times, and rejoice as my faith grows. Carry my burdens, fight my battles, and work for my deliverance. Nothing is impossible for you, and I rest in our power today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

We all carry past hurts, regrets, shame, and offenses—sometimes ones we replay over and over in our minds. In our daily prayer and devotional, Rachael Adams, host of The Love Offering Podcast, vividly recounts a gathering of teenage girls invited to lay down their pains on a cross and symbolically cross them out, illustrating what forgiveness looks like in radical form. God doesn’t just pardon our sins; He erases them, choosing not to keep a record of our offenses. As long as we confess and repent, He separates our wrongdoing from us, remembering them no more. But God’s mercy is not just for our own restored relationship with Him—it’s meant to shape how we treat others. We are called to forgive as He forgave us (Colossians 3:13). Forgiving doesn’t always mean forgetting in the sense of erasing memories. It means removing the debt, letting go of grievances, refusing to hold someone’s past mistakes against them. Liberation comes when we choose grace over bitterness, extending to others what God has extended to us. Bible Reading “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:10–12 Key Takeaways God’s forgiveness is complete: He removes our transgressions and doesn’t retain them. Forgiveness is a deliberate choice—not forgetting, but no longer holding a debt against another. Our freedom in Christ empowers us to forgive those who have wronged us. Keeping no record of wrongs allows relationships to be renewed and hearts to be healed. Let’s Pray Together Lord, thank You for pardoning me and erasing my sins. Help me accept Your mercy fully and extend that same grace to others. Show me where I hold grudges or keep score of offenses. Give me strength to forgive, to release the record, and to love as You have loved me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Psalmist reminds us that seasons are short! I'm not sure about you, but I need this reminder tattooed on my hand almost every day. As tonight's prayer and devotional remind us, we're encouraged here to allow God to teach us, indicating that we can't do it without Him. Parenting, marriage, and family don't come with a manual. Asking God to teach us invites Him in and allows us to depend on Him to fill in the gaps that we often feel in our day-to-day lives. Our days are numbered - our kids proliferate, the circumstances we face come and go, and we don't always get a "later." To number our days means prioritizing what matters most: connection over busyness and relationships over tasks. Prioritization can be challenging at any time. I remember well when our kids were small - there were dishes, dirty laundry, and dinner to attend to. Everything felt like a task - I remember well having to say, 'Much of this can wait to read a story, listen to a tall tale, or build a block tower.' On those days, all was well with my soul. It was on the days when the tasks were trumped that I felt drained, purposeless, and longing for a different outcome. Truly making the most of our time together helps us build intentional moments —such as family meals, bedtime prayers, and long walks — so that the days don't slip by. The last part of this verse reminds us to apply our hearts to wisdom. Wisdom is choosing what lasts. Shaping hearts, speaking blessings over each other, and modeling the love of Christ. This verse, in essence, reminds us to slow down, maximize what's important, and gain the life God intended. So tonight, as life feels out of sorts, lacking order and routine, fix your eyes on His Word. It helps us create the culture and framework that allows us to reflect and course correct. It's never too late—tomorrow is a new day. TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." - Psalm 90:12 YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER Dear Jesus, Help me to number my days. Help me maximize the sacredness of my home, so that I may steward my children in a way that brings you glory and honor. My desire is not to "make it" day after day- but to maximize those things that are most important. Thank you, Lord, for being my teacher- thank you for that still small voice that leads, guides, and directs my steps. Thank you for tomorrow- together, we can begin again. In Jesus' Name, Amen. THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE ON 1. Where am I rushing where I need to be relishing? 2. What wisdom is God inviting me to apply in my parenting, my marriage, my home?  3. If my days are numbered, what do I need to prioritize differently tomorrow?

A devotional on Luke 21–22 exploring spiritual readiness, urgency, and the dangers of delay with practical steps to apply.