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God Is More Interested in Our Hearts Than Our Head Count! ❤️
Have you ever thought that bigger is always better? More people, more money, more resources, more influence? We tend to measure success by numbers, don't we? But God doesn't always see things the way we do. God isn't impressed by numbers the way we are. He's concerned about what's happening in our hearts.
Van Smith
6 days ago2 min read


Tear Down to Build
Have you ever thought about how God sometimes asks us to deal with what's wrong in our own lives before He uses us to make a difference in the lives of others?
Van Smith
Oct 182 min read


God Will Supply
Have you ever wondered how God was going to provide? Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” That is a promise worth holding onto.
Van Smith
Oct 81 min read


God Cares Even About the Small Things
Have you ever lost something and thought, “This may not matter to anybody else, but it matters to me”? In 2 Kings 6, there’s a story about Elisha and a group of prophets who were building a larger place to meet. While one of the men was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head flew off and fell into the water. That may not sound like a big deal to us, but in that day, an iron axe head was valuable. To make it worse, the man cried out, “Alas, master! It was borrowed.” He didn’t
Van Smith
Sep 302 min read


Building Together
The church is strengthened when God’s people stand side by side, serve with humble hearts, and say, “Lord, use me where You need me.”
Van Smith
Sep 51 min read


God's Grace Changes Everything
Have you ever wondered how God could love someone who has made so many mistakes? That's exactly what makes the Gospel such incredible news. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
Van Smith
Aug 201 min read


Get to Know the Father Who Runs
The father didn’t stand on the porch with crossed arms. He didn’t wait for a speech. He didn’t lead with shame. He ran with compassion, wrapped his arms around his son, and welcomed him home.
Van Smith
Jul 311 min read


You Have a Place in the Body of Christ
The church is not simply a building where people gather on Sunday. It is a family of believers brought together by Jesus Christ. We come from different backgrounds, have different personalities, and possess different gifts—but we are all part of the same body.
Van Smith
Jul 232 min read


You Belong
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” — Romans 8:14 Romans 8:14–17 gives us one of the most comforting truths in the Bible: when we belong to Christ, we are not just forgiven—we are adopted into God’s family. That means we don’t have to live like spiritual outsiders. We don’t have to approach God with fear, wondering if He really wants us near. Through Jesus, we have been brought close. We are His children. Paul says we have received “the Spiri
Van Smith
Jul 161 min read


No Condemnation in Christ Jesus
Paul doesn’t say there is less condemnation. He doesn’t say there is temporary condemnation. He says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Van Smith
Jul 81 min read


A Father’s Compassion
"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” — Psalm 103:13 One of the most comforting pictures in Scripture is the picture of God as a loving Father. Psalm 103:13 reminds us that God doesn’t look at His children with coldness, distance, or disappointment. He looks on us with compassion. He knows our weaknesses. He sees our struggles. He understands the burdens we carry, and He cares deeply. A good father doesn’t turn away wh
Van Smith
Jun 271 min read


Waiting on the Lord
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." — Isaiah 40:31
Van Smith
Jun 201 min read


Learning to Listen
Sometimes we are so busy asking God to bless our plans, fix our problems, or answer our questions that we forget to simply listen. Samuel did not know everything yet. He was still young. He was still learning. But he had a heart that was willing to hear from God.
Van Smith
Jun 111 min read


Train Up a Child
One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is not just instruction, but direction. They learn from our words, but they also learn from our steps — how we pray, how we forgive, how we worship, how we trust God, and how we keep walking by faith.
Van Smith
Jun 61 min read


Arrows in the Hand
As parents, grandparents, and those who influence the next generation, we're helping shape hearts through everyday moments — prayers at bedtime, conversations in the car, lessons learned through mistakes, and examples lived out in front of them.
Van Smith
May 171 min read


Faith to Let Go: Trusting God With What We Love Most
What are you holding onto today that God may be asking you to place in His hands and trust Him with completely? There’s something powerful about the faith of Moses’ mother in Exodus 2. She loved her son deeply, yet there came a moment when protecting him meant releasing him into God’s hands. Imagine the faith it took to place that baby in a basket on the river, trusting that God could do what she could not. Sometimes faith means holding on, and sometimes faith means letting g
Van Smith
May 141 min read


Say Yes ... When God Nudges
If God is stirring your heart today, don’t ignore it. Follow His lead.
Van Smith
May 41 min read


Still Called
And yet, in John 21, we find Jesus on the shore… waiting. He doesn’t show up with condemnation. He doesn’t rehearse Peter’s failure. Instead, He calls out to him again. He prepares breakfast. He creates a moment. And then He asks Peter three simple, piercing questions: “Do you love Me?”
Van Smith
Apr 242 min read


Grace is Waiting
The question isn’t, “Have you failed?”The question is, “Will you come back?”Because grace is waiting.
Van Smith
Apr 152 min read


Van Smith
Mar 290 min read
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