We must ask God to purge our lives of the sins that draw us away from Him.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   What is God leading you to in this season? Where is He wanting to mold you? Are there areas of your life and heart that need a clean out? It is Spring. What work needs to be done now that will lead to making room for growth and good fruit down the road? While I love the idea of Spring cleaning, I do not want to do the Spring cleaning. That is in a way what led me to seek the Lord in this season and it really doesn’t have much to do with vacuuming or dusting. I’ve simply been overwhelmed. I know many of you can relate. As I have taken inventory of my life, home and heart, and all the things that seem obvious that I NEED to do, I’ve been stuck in ways, not even knowing where to begin. That’s when God gave me the words pray, purge and pursue. Instead of getting stuck in a cycle of what I should be doing, my heart is seeking what the Lord wants to LEAD me to do. One way is full of shame and guilt while the other is full of grace and is an open invitation to move closer to who God wants me to be and the plans He has for me. We began last time with pray. If you missed it you can find it at Lifeword.org, but to recap a bit, we’re asking God to lead us to the things and areas of our life and heart that need attention. Pray till you pray, is the first step and words are not required. The purpose of the ‘pray’ step is to be still and know God wants to move you closer to His heart and will for your life in every area. So listen and see where He leads you. The next step we are looking at today is PURGE. We begin with prayer. Once God reveals our area of focus, it’s time to purge. Now when I think of purge I think of the physical act of cleaning OUT. Get rid of it. And in fact, that may be what God wants you to do. To purge is to cleanse, purify or remove. When you have the urge to purge, you act quickly! I love that! For me, this is where the spirit comes in. Where I am weak, thank God He is strong. I can lean on the Lord to give me the strength to follow through with any action of obedience the Lord moves me to take. (2 Corinthians 2:10) I will never have the urge to do things that aren’t easy, but in His strength, I can do all things! What this step looks like for you will be different from what it may look like for me. Ask God to reveal your step forward and then to give you the urge or desire to take it! Where and what do we need to purge? God will reveal it. We can look to Psalm 51 as an example. David’s sin was revealed and instead of sweeping it under the rug or ignoring it, he responded, took action and brought it to the Lord. Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. God revealed what needed to be cleaned out in David’s heart. David responded with repentance and surrender. He wanted to have the sin cut out and his life made new. He moved closer to God through the process. We can do the same whatever that looks like. Be still and listen to His voice. By faith, you can throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. (Hebrews 12:1) You can cut out what is dead in your life and prune back areas of growth to produce more fruit. (John 15:2) You can take an honest inventory of where your treasure has been and realign your heart to what matters most. (Matthew 6:19-21) Wherever God leads us, those are the steps we can take to respond. That’s the truth. We pray then we purge. God reveals and we respond. It’s Spring cleaning that goes beyond the surface. Next time we’ll move beyond the purge to PURSUE what God has in store. Join me at lifeword.org. I’m Lori Cline.

We should be constantly praying with the knowledge that God knows our need before we ask.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org! ~~~   Now that it’s Spring, what do many of us find ourselves doing on a sunny afternoon? Spring cleaning! Ok, maybe I should have rephrased that and asked, ‘what SHOULD many of us be doing’? Yes, it’s time for Spring cleaning, but to be honest, if I have a free sunny afternoon, the last thing I want to do is clean. But, there IS something about coming out of winter, with all its cold and dark days, into the beauty and warmth of Spring. You do want to throw the windows open, let the fresh air in, whistle while you work and allow all the woodland creatures to come clean your home like they did for Cinderella! Oh if only that could happen. If you’re like me in this season, honestly, I’m overwhelmed. Maybe you can relate. My heart is still mourning the loss of my Dad, we’ve had many losses around us, people are hurting and life hasn’t slowed down for any of it. In fact, I think it sped up! Now hear me, I am blessed through it all. God’s grace and mercy IS new for me every morning and His goodness is all over my life, still it’s a lot at times. My heart is embracing the beauty of lament and I do find myself praising through the storms. Still, in that place, I’ve felt stuck when it comes to the things I SHOULD be doing, like Spring cleaning! With an honest heart, I wanted to share with you what God has gently led me to in this season, to take some steps forward in areas that I find it difficult to move. It’s three steps. Pray. Purge. Pursue. Write those down if you feel led to. Pray. Purge. Pursue. We can journey together. I’ll dig deeper into each one over the next 3 broadcasts. The thing is, in any season, God wants us to know Him more. He wants us to abide deeper in His presence and as we do, the light of truth shines bright on areas of our lives that may need some attention. As the spirit of God REVEALS, we then are moved to take steps of obedience as we RESPOND to His leading. Then the beautiful thing is our movement or action steps aren’t rooted in comparison, shame or defeat. Our steps are a response to an invitation to move closer to healing, closer to health, closer to God’s will for our lives and ultimately closer to who God has called us to be for such a time as this. So, if you’re ready to join me in this season to take some steps forward, whatever that looks like for you, we begin today with prayer. The first step is to pray till you pray. Make time. Get quiet. Be still. Shut out distractions and take some deep breaths. This is the most important step. If you miss this, you’re motives and movements can be way off. Don’t look to what the world or social media says you need to be doing in this season. What does God say? Psalm 46:10 says ‘be still, and know that I am God’. To hear God’s voice, we must still our own and others. This is the primary focus of the first step. Silence the noise and wait on the Lord to reveal the areas of your heart, life and home that may need attention. Your heart may need time to open. That’s ok too. Words aren’t required when we pray. The spirit intercedes for us, Romans 8:26 tells us and I’m so glad. Often I have no words and I think that’s where God wants us to begin. Just be still. Jesus invites us to come and find rest. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus gives us His example in how to pray. I love the Lord’s prayer, but it’s the verse right before it that in this season, moves my heart. Matthew 6:7-8 ​​And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you pray till you pray. No words are required, simply a heart open to hear. And if you know me I love words, but God is gently reminding me, I don’t have to even speak. My Father knows what I need before I even ask. Pray. It’s the first step. Your Father already knows what you need, and the process of prayer and listening to His voice is what allows Him to reveal it to you. That’s the truth. God is very present and He wants you to know what steps to take in this season. Be still. Know He is good and He has a good plan for your life and He has good steps for you to take today. Take this first step with me and pray. Together we’ll discover what comes next. I’m Lori Cline.

When we cannot change our circumstances, Jesus is still there to comfort us.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   What is something you wish so desperately you could change, right now, but you cannot? If you’re like me, I have a mile long list. It’s a crazy feeling isn’t it? This isn’t right. I want to make it right. This wasn’t supposed to be this way. How can I fix this? This is not how my story was to be written. What can I do to change it? Is there a REDO button for this day or this chapter of life? When life doesn’t turn out like we expected or the big waves almost knock us down, we all must come to a place we simply understand that we are NOT in control. It’s that ‘throw your hands in the air’ moment of surrender. Broken moments, broken chapters, broken pieces of our lives that are beyond our control, are the very moments God uses to remind us, He IS our only hope. He is the ONE who holds it all together and no matter how many pieces there may be to our life, He is the only one who can put them back together in a way we would have never imagined. He is there, IN every moment, wanting to carrying us through it. How does a child let you know they want to be carried? They put their hands in the air. We must do the same. We come to a place where we accept the reality that we can’t, and God can. When we rest in that, there is peace. Are you familiar with the serenity prayer? It’s a prayer to God asking for calmness and peace in all matters of life. It was written by Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr and promoted and published in the nineteen thirties and forties. There are two versions and I want to read you both. The short version is this, O God grant me... the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference, Amen. The full version reads like this, God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. The line that makes me smile is, ‘so I may be reasonably happy in this life’. There are things we can’t change and there are things we can. What I love about this prayer is it is full of surrender, while at the same time accepting responsibility. God calls us to water walk in seasons and He also calls us to be carried. My prayer is that whatever any day may hold that I always know who holds it. Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Jesus holds me together, ever single day. I’m so grateful He does. Whether you choose to trust Him or not, He holds you too. He is IN it all and working through it all for your good. Believing that brings peace and accepting what we cannot change, is serenity. That’s the truth. If you’re struggling with what you cannot control, trust Jesus with it. One day all things will be made right, but until that day, we walk, rest and move by faith and find peace only when WE let go. I’m Lori Cline.

No matter how far we have strayed from God, His love still remains.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Have you had to chase a dog lately? I sure hope you haven’t. It’s not fun. I have two dogs. One is a beagle mix named Ruby and the other is an eighty pound Goldador named Roxy. We have an invisible dog fence around our yard and our sweet dogs have collars that will remind them when they are too close to the fence so they stay IN our yard. It’s for their protection and care. I now refer to that invisible fence as the circle of blessing. You see, inside the circle of blessing, there is safety. Inside the circle of blessing there are treats. Inside the circle of blessing there is a home with people who love you. There is a warm place to rest, fresh water and enough food for each day. There are belly rubs and couch snuggles inside the circle of blessing. In the yard there is grass to roll in and toys to chew and play fetch with. It’s beautiful inside the circle of blessing. Roxy got outside the circle of blessing. Her collar wasn’t working properly, so she didn’t get the electric reminder to not go beyond the fence. She made her way out into an area of woods and thorn bushes, water, mud and rocks. She was chasing something. Once I discovered she was out, I put on a jacket, got my mud boots on, grabbed a leash and went after her. I called and called. A couple times I got a glimpse of her. She was on the hunt. She was chasing something and WAY more focused on that, than she was my voice. I prayed for her. I love my dogs. I want them safe. I want them with me. I was very concerned because as I continued to make my way through the woods I saw her again and she was getting close to a highway near our neighborhood. I quickened my pace, my voice was stern and she looked up and stood still. I was finally able to get a leash on her and we turned back toward home. The crazy thing is, she was so far out that I got turned around trying to find my way back. Thankfully I got my bearings and we slowly made our way home. It was not an easy journey. It seemed for every step she took away from me, it was double that to get back to the circle of blessing. We made it home. She was tired. I was tired. I washed her off, brought her inside and yes, gave her a treat. She slept all afternoon. My Dad, who is now with Jesus, used to talk to my girls about the circle of blessing and the love and care of our heavenly Father. When we ABIDE and REMAIN in the Father’s love, will and way, we are blessed. Still, how often do we chase after things that lead us away from what is good? Our eyes become fixed on the object of our desire, we go our way and before we know it, we find ourselves in unfamiliar surroundings not sure how to make our way home. Choices made in a fleeting moment lead to a path we never expected full of isolation, struggle and pain. The Father still calls us to come home. His voice calls us by name. You may be so far gone you can’t hear it, but still, He is calling you. His love for you never changes. His desire for what is good for you is still the same. You simply need to stop running and look up. Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Friend, no matter how far you’ve gone, the love of the Father remains. He calls and waits for you to come home. In fact, He is running after you even now. Stop running, hear His voice and follow Him home. There is blessing, forgiveness, healing and rest waiting for you. That’s the truth. Abiding IN Jesus is the circle of blessing. It’s not without pain and the trials of this life, but it is where fullness of life, joy and peace flow and it’s where I choose to remain. I’m Lori Cline.

Our faith must grow and mature as we walk in our relationship with Christ.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Do you have a green thumb? I like to think I do. I mean I love plants and over the years I’ve had many. Some of them have done really well and others, not so much. I love the beauty of plants. I love the health benefits of having plants. One plant, or tree, I currently have is a ten foot fiddle leaf fig I named Felix. I’ve had Felix the fiddle leaf now for almost ten years and overall he’s done great, but in this season, he’s looking a little rough. If you’ve ever owned a fiddle leaf fig, you know they are quite moody. They actually like to be ignored, but don’t neglect them. They need filtered sun, but not direct sun because they’ll burn. They like being root bound, but don’t let their roots sit in water for too long. They’re complicated, but when the conditions are just right, they thrive, grow tall and are beautiful. We’re not much different are we? We can be oh so complicated, but when the conditions are right, we thrive, grow and become something beautiful. What does any plant need to survive? It’s really comes down to three things, soil, water and sun. A seed is just a seed until it’s buried in the soil, watered by the rain and strengthened by the sun. What was dead, is brought to life. There is so much potential in one little seed. I love the Spring because what was planted in the Fall is now blooming and what will be planted now will bear fruit in the season to come. Faith is like that. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, that little seed of faith should be growing. But just like any seed or young plant, you need things to nurture your faith so it will grow strong roots and mature into something beautiful. In the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13, Jesus uses the example of one of the smallest seeds and how THAT is like the kingdom of heaven. When planted, it grows, thrives and over time gives shelter and shade for all around it. Matthew 13:31-32 ​​He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” We are saved by grace alone, through faith. That tiny seed of faith is meant to grow! As it does, not only am I stronger but those around me experience the beauty and peace of God through the spiritual growth in my life. Deep roots and strong branches of a mature faith encourage others, give rest, bring shalom and strength for those on their journey. That’s how the body of Christ works! We comfort one another. We spur one another on. We grow stronger together as one body. The kingdom of heaven is made up of small seeds of faith planted in us. Those seeds of faith are meant to grow UP out of the weeds of this life to mature into mighty oaks of righteousness we read about in Isaiah 61:3. As we grow, no matter the storms or winds of this life, we are not moved or shaken. A mighty oak takes years to grow from a seed, so our hearts and lives take time to mature IN Christ. I think the question we can call ask is, “are we growing in our faith?” Spending time in prayer, digging into God’s word, being sharpened and encouraged by other believers, serving and building UP the body with our gifts are all things you need to grow in any season. Go read Ephesians chapter 4 and then James chapter 1. Those are great places to see where YOU are on the growth chart. There are marks of a mature believer just as there are marks of one that is immature or doesn't know Christ at all. The fruit is always evident. The good news is that wherever YOU are today, all it takes is a seed of faith for you to begin to grow. That’s the truth. What do you need in this season? Add more Jesus and I guarantee something beautiful will begin to grow. I’m Lori Cline.

We cannot see the truth of who Jesus is unless He opens our eyes.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org! ~~~   Are you prepared to see it? You’ll need these glasses! It’s being called an extremely rare astronomical event and it’s happening in just a few days! I’m talking about the great North American total solar eclipse that will occur on April 8th. Now while yes, we do see annual eclipses, this one is special for many reasons that are WAY over my head. You can dig deeper into the fascinating timing and geometry of it all, but just know it will be something special to experience and millions in North America will have the opportunity to see it. In fact, areas that will be in the “path of totality”, as they call it, will be flooded with tourists wanting to see it first hand. But, to see it, you must be prepared. It is NEVER safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection designed and approved for solar viewing. If you do, you could cause permanent damage to your retinas. To see the eclipse safely, you will need solar viewing glasses or if you want to simply watch the shadow, you can use a pinhole projector or a colander from your kitchen. You see the fact is, there are steps you must take to be able to fully see and experience what will take place in the sky this month. If you don’t follow those steps, you won’t see it. Often there is a process to really seeing and understanding what it is you’re seeing. I couldn’t help but think of when Jesus healed a blind man. This healing is only recorded in the book of Mark and what I love about how it unfolds is that there was a process to this blind man being made to fully see. Mark 8:22-25 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. This man was blind. He couldn’t see anything. He was brought to Jesus. There was a bit of a process to him gaining his sight. Jesus took him by the hand. He, without seeing, followed. At first his vision was a bit blurry. He could only partly see. Then after another touch from Jesus, he saw everything, clearly. Isn’t that interesting. This was no accident. Everything Jesus did and the way He did it had meaning and purpose. This mans sight came in stages. He didn’t see clearly at first. Isn’t that just like the disciples. They were so close to Jesus. He revealed himself as messiah in so many ways, still they didn’t fully see or understand until His resurrection. Only Jesus has the power to open our eyes to see our need for Him OR to see where we have been blind in our own eyes. The blind man absolutely knew he was blind, but what he didn’t see was his need for Jesus until his eyes were opened. It’s no accident you are seeing this today. You’ve been brought face to face with truth. The question is, are you prepared to see it? Jesus wants to open your eyes so you can look up and clearly see your need for a savior OR maybe see areas in your life where you’ve been blinded by sin. Take the steps you need to take right now to see clearly. Jesus is waiting to show you what you’ve been missing. That’s the truth. Don’t miss this opportunity. Like the rare total solar eclipse that will take place, this may be the day God has prepared your heart and eyes to see where you’ve been blind. I’m Lori Cline.

The plan God put in place from the beginning was to save a broken and dying world.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   When was the last time you really prayed? I love the phrase, pray till you pray. When I pray till I pray, that’s when I REALLY pray. That kind of prayer is not a quick, ‘thank you God for this day’, followed by a ‘please Jesus let that light turn green’, on the way to work. Now while those are fine too, time spent with the Father is intentional and takes… well, time. I love the example we have in Jesus. Time with the Father wasn’t optional for Him. It was vital, like breathing. He prayed after being baptized. He prayed all night before calling His disciples, after healing people, before trips, early in the mornings, before feeding the five thousand, in front of Jewish leaders and for 40 days in the desert. He was in constant communion with the Father. I Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to ‘pray without ceasing’ and that’s how we see Jesus pray. It’s a life lived OUT in and through prayer as we move through our moments and our days. Every moment IS holy and God is with us and wants to guide us through each one. There is divine purpose in our days, and prayer slows us down to recognize it. All this month at Lifeword.org I’ve been looking closer at the words of Jesus. Today I wanted to focus more on His prayers and the one specifically we find in John 17. The time is close at hand for Jesus’ betrayal and arrest. In this chapter, which is a part of what is known as the Upper Room Discourse, we see Jesus wrap things up with a prayer. He prays for himself, His Disciples and all who will believe. I want to highlight three parts of this prayer. As Jesus prays for Himself, He knows the time has come and in these moments He confirms the calling and mission that was set before Him. John 17:3-4 ​​Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. Jesus’ work and life on earth was coming to an end. The cross was before Him and in this time with the Father he states again the will and WAY of the Father. His will is that we spend eternity with Him. The way is Jesus and the work has been done. Jesus then prays for His disciples, His friends. They have been faithful to the word and they have believed. He prays for their unity, joy and protection from evil. John 17:16-18 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. His prayer for the disciples was a reminder there is more to come and that they stay on the path of truth. The next phase of God’s plan was about to unfold and they would carry the gospel forward from here. Then He prays for me. Yep, He had me on His mind. If you believe, the last part of chapter 17 is for you as well. His desire is for God to be glorified through OUR lives as WE walk in unity, love and follow His ways. He ends His prayer for us with these words. John 17:26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. Through Jesus, I am KNOWN by the Father. How deep and wide is the Father’s love for us? He loved us so much He sent His son Jesus so we might be saved and KNOW Him. That same love of God is in me. His spirit abides in me and I am His and He is mine. How beautiful the words of our savior to the Father on our behalf before carrying out the final mission and plan on the cross. Remember, the plan God put in place before the earth was even formed, was to redeem a broken and dying world. Jesus came to bring peace. He came to die. You were on His mind. I was on His mind. He interceded for us then and he intercedes for us now and His desire is for us to know Him and make Him known. That’s the truth. Pray till you pray today and be known and loved by the Father. I’m Lori Cline.

If Jesus doesn’t cost us anything, the life we’re living may be lost.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Did Jesus come to bring peace? He did say, blessed are the peacemakers. The prophet Isaiah said he would be called the Prince of Peace. Peace I leave with you, peace I give you, peace be still, are all words Jesus spoke. On the night of His birth, the angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”. Ephesians 2:14 says ‘for He Himself is our peace’. Yes, Jesus came to bring peace. Jesus made a way for mankind to be made RIGHT with God. Without Jesus we are enemies of God. (Romans 5:10) The sin that separated us was atoned for, paid for and made right, on the cross. The cross alone made the way for PEACE with God. Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. I am so thankful for the cross. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection changed everything. Only Jesus, the perfect lamb of God, could take away the sins of the world. Peace with God, through faith in Jesus, is now for all who will believe. See John 3:16. Jesus did come to bring peace, but look around, are we at peace? Watch the news tonight and then tell me if our world is at peace. Bring up politics, religion or the injustices of the world in a crowded room and let me know how peaceful that discussion goes. It seems there is more division than peace. Well, Jesus brings that too. Matthew 10:34-39 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Wait a minute, that’s not MY Jesus! Friend, if the Jesus someone has been selling you doesn’t include this truth, you need a new truth dealer. Better yet, seek and know for yourself. So what DOES Jesus mean here? He’s bringing a sword. Households are divided. To follow Him you gotta carry your cross and to find your life you must lose it? That’s not very zen! In this chapter, Jesus is sending out the twelve apostles. It’s about to get real. They will be sheep among wolves. They will be teaching, healing and persecutions are coming. He is preparing them for the immediate task at hand as well as the future challenges ahead. One big challenge they would face and we face today, is the COST of following Jesus. Choosing to follow Jesus then and now requires total SURRENDER. Following Jesus means His way over yours. Following Jesus means He is ruler of your life. Following Jesus means dying to your way and following His. THAT kind of surrender to Jesus brings DIVISION. That kind of surrender to Jesus in certain parts of the world brings death. That’s what Jesus was preparing his followers for. What does it mean for us today? If following Jesus hasn’t COST you anything, then the life you’re living, may very well be LOST. That’s the truth. Following Jesus will cost you, but it’ll never compare to the price He paid for you. I’m Lori Cline.

To follow Jesus, we must seek His ways above our own.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   How does Dairy Queen serve a blizzard? The ice cream and fast food chain has served the blizzard upside down since the beginning. Why do they do this? The inspiration actually goes back to 1959 when a 14 year old boy kept asking for thicker and thicker ice cream shakes. Finally the owner, at a point of frustration, flipped a shake upside down and asked, ‘is this thick enough for you’? Yep, that inspired the DQ flip. The purpose rests in PROVING the ice cream shake is, in fact, so thick, it won’t fall out when flipped upside down. When our lives are flipped upside down, what do we prove? Do we fall apart or hold fast? That may sound kind of silly, but life does get crazy doesn’t it. What we believe about God and how we respond is proven in those roller coaster moments and seasons of life. When life is not as expected, where IS our hope found? Jesus turned things upside down during His time on this earth. What was valued was devalued. What was expected was not delivered. The last became first, the poor became rich and the guttural prayers of a dirty sinner, not the calculated words of a white washed saint, moved the heart of the Father. Do you believe in Jesus? Does your life prove it? Back in the time of Christ, disciples would follow their rabbis so closely that they would be covered in his dust. "May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi" was a blessing commonly given to disciples in Jesus’ day. I love that imagery. I want to follow Jesus so closely and live my life in such a way that it PROVES I belong to Him. I want to walk like Jesus. I want to talk like Jesus. I want to be covered in HIS dust. Are you dusty with the words and ways of Jesus? All this month at Lifeword.org I’m looking at his words, the red letter ones. Often we highlight only the ones that make us feel good. While the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and His words are recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, He is present from Genesis to Revelation. He IS the word made flesh. The ways and words of Jesus turned the world upside down. His followers hoped for a kingdom on earth that would make them free and rich. In His sermon on the mount, Matthew 5, 6 and 7, Jesus served up a kingdom flipped upside down. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who seek righteousness, mercy and the pure in heart, they are blessed. It’s not simply what you do, but what you think and the condition of your heart that causes you to sin. Marriage is sacred. Love your enemies. Give more than required. Seek the Father’s will over your own. Store up treasure in heaven not on earth and so much more you can read for yourself that should PROVE the ways of a follower of Christ. Jesus followers should be set apart not only by the LOVE of Jesus but also the WAYS of Jesus. He makes it so clear, but still many are missing the way. I want my life to shine a light that makes the path clear. Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. We are the light of the world. Covered in the dust of Jesus we are a city on a hill in the darkness. And our life, even when turned upside down, should prove we are His people and He is our God. That’s the truth. Go read Jesus’ sermon on the mount today. I pray you walk away from it dusty, and if you do, you’ll be blessed. I’m Lori Cline.

When we seek Jesus with a heart willing to surrender, that is when we truly find Him and when we do, we find peace.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   What kind of Jesus do you seek? When you even hear the name of Jesus, what are your first thoughts? What you’ve heard spoken or read about Jesus is usually what leads you to believe what you believe about Him. Or, maybe you’re thoughts on Jesus are a result of what you think about people who claim to follow Jesus. You might not like what you see so therefore you choose to not have anything to do with the Jesus they follow. That’s putting a lot of weight into human hands, opinions and worldviews when YOUR soul is on the line. You’re seeking something today. Maybe you’re even running after it. I think if you silenced all the voices in your mind and filtered through all the desires of your heart, the one thing you, or any of us, are seeking is PEACE. Peace is found only IN Jesus, but the key requirement is letting go of everything else YOU hold dear. Yep, there it is. Surrendering your will for HIS is required. Any other Jesus you or anyone else tries to put out to the world, is an ANTI Christ. Simply meaning, it is a false or counterfeit spirit that actually opposes God and leads people away from the one true Jesus with false teaching. Read more for yourself on that in 1 John 2:18-22. If you deny the one true Jesus for any other form of Jesus you seek, you are LOST and forever without peace. Jesus made it very clear in what it takes to know and follow Him. We can quickly look at a couple examples we have in scripture of interactions people had with Jesus. They wanted a Jesus that fit into their world. They wanted a Jesus they could feel good about and celebrate all while clenching with white knuckles onto what they held dear. It simply does not work that way. Jesus said it himself and we’ll look at his words about it in just a bit. First let’s look at the very rich, but left still wanting, rich young ruler. His interaction with Jesus is recounted in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. He desperately wanted eternal peace. He runs to Jesus, kneels before Him and wants to know what he can DO to be saved. While he claimed to be a ‘good’ man, none are righteous apart from Jesus. Still, this man wanted a Jesus that worked into HIS plan, not the other way around. Mark 10:21-22 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus isn’t who YOU want Him to be and He doesn’t fit into our lives any way we want like those bendable Jesus toys you can buy online. He IS God. He is HOLY. He wants ALL of you. When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, the interaction looked quite different. Matthew 4:19-20 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Drop our livelihood? Sure. Leave it all behind? Done. You want ALL of me? You got it. Now in that moment they had NO IDEA the path set before them and what it would all entail, but what they did know was the savior they were seeking, was calling them by name and that was all they needed. Later they would hear Jesus say, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” They were beginning to see it more clearly every day they spent with Jesus. Less of me. More of Him. When we seek Jesus with a heart willing to surrender, that is when we truly find Him and when we do, we find the PEACE we were looking for all along. That’s the truth. The truth doesn’t bend, but the love God has for you, never ends. I’m Lori Cline.

Even as time goes on and things chance, the words of Jesus remain.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Do you know any of the words of Jesus? Whether you believe and follow Him or not, you very well may have quoted Him. You might know Jesus said to, “love your neighbor,” but do you also know Jesus said, “love your enemy”? Yep. Wherever you stand with Jesus, the fact remains that His words always cause a stir. The Pharisees used the words of Jesus against him to have him crucified. So good reminder, just because someone uses the words of Jesus, doesn’t mean they FOLLOW the words of Jesus. Find out what Jesus said for yourself. Dig into Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. As you seek Him, you WILL find Him, from Genesis to Revelation. Some bibles have the words of Jesus in RED. I love those. These ‘red letter editions’ as they are called, highlight the words of Jesus in the color red throughout the gospel accounts. The first one was published in 1899 by Louis Klopsch. He was inspired to publish such an edition by reading what Jesus spoke in Luke 22:20 which says this… Luke 22:20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” This verse sparked the idea. Jesus’ words in red, symbolizing the new covenant Jesus sealed with His blood on the cross. It’s simply a tool we can use as we study ALL of scripture. As a red letter edition bible highlights the words of Jesus, I thought I would do the same. So join me this month at Lifeword.org as I look at some of the red letter words of Jesus. We’ll dig into truth He spoke that doesn’t get as much mainstream attention because, well, it might not be what we WANT to focus on. But you see, that’s why we should. Every word of God’s word matters. That’s the danger in thinking any part of the Bible is of more importance than the other. EVERY word is from God. Jesus Christ IS the Word (John 1:14). All of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is the Word of GOD, (2 Timothy 3:16–17) AND the word of Jesus, because He and the Father are one. (John 10:30) We are to hold dear, adhere to and follow EVERY word, because it is right and true and it will stand forever. This is what Jesus said about His words. Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Here in Mark chapter 13, Jesus is giving his disciples a look into the future. While out on the Mount of Olives, Jesus begins to describe the coming destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem as well as a great tribulation and end to heaven and earth as we know it. There will be signs, just as buds blooming now are signs of Spring that will lead to Summer, we will see and know when the time is near. Jesus makes it clear. All things, in the heavens and on this earth, will pass away, but His WORDS will remain. That’s the truth. Jesus said it. I believe it. I stand alone on it. It’s the only thing in this life that will not fail. I’m Lori Cline.

When presented with temptation, Jesus responded with Scripture. #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Can you hear me now? Good! Do you remember that? From 2002 to 2011, Verizon Wireless aired commercials which showed a test caller calling from all over the place to check for service. It was brilliant, because now over twenty years later, when a call gets glitchy, what do we say? Can you hear me now? No one likes to drop a call. We have things to say and words to hear! Listening matters. A friend of mine recently shared these words of wisdom on listening. Listen to understand, not to respond. Let that soak in. Listening to really understand requires silence on our part, not a quick response. Words are powerful. They reveal so often the depths of our heart and emotions. Sometimes words spoken reveal beauty and depth of wisdom and character, while other words reveal immaturity, foolishness and selfish motives of the heart. Out of the heart the mouth speaks. All this month I’m focusing on the words of Jesus. You know, the red letter ones. Some people like to ONLY focus on those, listen close to understand, that’s a BIG mistake. Every word, from Genesis to Revelation is God breathed and inspired. Jesus is the word made flesh and He and the Father are one, so EVERY word, is the word. Don’t be foolish and misunderstand that very important truth. While the words WE speak are powerful, THE Word of God cuts deeper than any. Hebrews 4:12 ​​For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. The word of God is what we take to battle. We are to daily put on the armor of God, we read about in Ephesians 6. The sword of the spirit, is the word of God. We speak the word of God and the Holy Spirit uses its truth to cut deep into the hearts of those who need to see their need for Jesus. Only the power of the holy spirit can convict and draw someone to repentance. That truth and power is what we take into battle. Jesus fought the devil with that sword. He used the Word of God, in the face of temptation, three times while fasting for forty days and nights in the desert. With each word, Satan was cut deep by truth and ultimately had to flee. Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Jesus was slicin’ and dicin’ on the devil right there with the word of God! At a very weak moment physically from his fast, Satan attacked. He dropped temptation bombs left and right and Jesus used countermeasures of scripture and took each one out like a ninja. Make no mistake, this was no easy battle, but Jesus was equipped with the word. He IS the word and in that battle He knew no lie or temptation of the devil could stand against it. That’s the truth. Look to the Word of God and join us this month as we lean in and listen to understand the words Jesus spoke, the power they hold and how God wants to use them in our own lives to penetrate our hearts and draw us closer to Him. I’m Lori Cline.

God sees whatever battle we are in and will fight for us.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Is it time to drop your weapons? I don’t know about you, but when I’m attacked, I don’t readily want to lay my weapons down. The natural response is to weapon up like you see in the movies. You fire at me, I’ll fire back. Now I’m not talking literally, but goodness we have some sharp arrows in our proverbial arsenal we like to throw at the ready don’t we? Remember the power of your tongue and the power of your comments? I won’t dig deep into that today, but if you need Godly wisdom, there is much to read in His word about the heart and what flows out of it by way of your tongue. Dig into that and ask God to reveal and heal the roots of your words. Today I wanted to remind you of what is true if you are in a season of verbal attack, hurt or betrayal. First, remember you are never alone. God sees and He knows what you’re facing. Take your hurts to the Lord and allow His love and healing grace to meet you there. In Genesis 16 we read how the Lord met Hagar in her sorrow. “You are the God who sees me”, she prayed. He sees you today and in Him there is comfort, wisdom and peace. Second, drop your weapons. We don’t battle as the world does. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Paul was being slandered by the church he planted in Corinth and his authority as an apostle of Jesus was being challenged. His faithful obedience, empowered by the Holy Spirit, was all he needed to stand strong against his accusers. Like Paul, let your life be the witness to silence the words of those against you. Fight on your knees in prayer. Love your enemies and those who come against you. Your soft answer and unexpected response of grace to their anger could bring them to repentance. Third, remember the Lord is your shield. Psalm 3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. When King David prayed these words he was being attacked at every turn. To make it cut a little deeper, his son Absalom was leading the attack. David prayed, ‘Lord you are a shield around me’. If you read about David, you quickly get a glimpse of the great warrior he was. No doubt he was familiar with a full body shield that shields one from the arrows AS they would MOVE forward. David’s faith, identity, character, even though all were being attacked, were shielded and protected by God. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “What a divine trio of mercies is contained in this verse! Defense for the defenseless, glory for the despised, and joy for the comfortless.” Whatever battle you may be in, remember God sees you. He IS always at work around you and the war that rages is not against flesh and blood. Don’t fight as the world does. Go to the Lord in prayer. He is your shield. He is your glory. Lift your head and remember what is true. You are never without hope, you are loved and you are never alone in the battle. That’s the truth. Let’s drop our weapons. Whatever that looks like for you today, allow God to lead you, guide you and give you strength to love, even your enemies through the battle. I’m Lori Cline.

We should be willing to go to work wherever Jesus is moving.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Have you ever been dared to pray something? Me either! But I loved it and now I’m daring you to pray it too! But, before I get to the prayer, let’s talk about mission. What is your mission? If you’re a believer in Jesus, I really hope you know the answer. If you don’t, let me give you a refresher. Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” What’s our mission? We are to go and tell and teach the world about Jesus. Mission is the heartbeat of God. It began with Jesus and now it is to continue through you and me. Jesus said in John 20:2, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” That’s you and me! Yes, it’s also all of our missionaries we support and pray for that are all around the world, but it’s also YOU and ME, right where we are. Luke 10:2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers or laborers are few. Why are the workers few? Because our eyes are only seeing what we want to see. We’re not even seeing the harvest field around us. Where we work, where we live and where we play, that’s where the harvest is. There are people all around us that need Jesus. They need a friend to listen. They need a helping hand to help them with a meal. They need someone that won’t judge them. They need someone that can lay aside their agenda to see a divine opportunity to love. They need someone who will put their needs above their own. That’s Jesus. That’s what people need. Why do you love like that? Jesus. Why do you listen like that? Jesus. Why do you serve me like that? Jesus. Why do you care for me like that? Jesus. That’s our mission. Will you accept it? If so, I dare you to pray this prayer. Jesus, where are YOU already at work where I live, work, learn and play? Jesus, how can I join you? That’s it. That’s what I’m praying in this season. Join me. I dare you. Don’t miss where God is at work around you. There’s no better place to be! Is it uncomfortable? Yes! Will you get your hands dirty in the field? Yes! Let’s go! You can read all through scripture how God used ordinary men and women, just like you and me. Go and tell the world about Jesus. Show them His love. That’s YOUR mission. That’s the truth. May our prayer be, ‘Jesus, show me where YOU are at work’, then may we be willing to go into the field. I’m Lori Cline.

God is able to deliver us from whatever we walk through.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Do you ever sing in the rain? I don’t either, but I’m starting to think we should! Here’s why, I was in the car rider line to pick up my girls from school. It was pouring rain. As I get closer I’m seeing kids using umbrellas, hoodies and backpacks to try to cover their head as they make their way to their car. Then I see this boy. He is not even walking fast. He’s almost kinda struttin’ a little. Is he not getting wet? Yes, he is. Does he not care? No, apparently not! I’m having this conversation with myself, in the car of course. As he gets closer to me, I see he’s singing, in the rain! This kid was in his own little world. Earbuds in, hair dripping wet and he did not care one bit. He was walking, had a song in his ears and he was singing every word. As he walked by my car I said out loud to myself, “he’s just singing in the rain”! You know what, it made me smile! He was soaking wet, walking along, singing his song. I want to be like that kid. I want to sing in the rain and not care that I’m getting wet. You know why he didn’t care, he was way more focused on the song than the rain. Do you have a song to sing today? I don’t know if you’re walking in sunshine or a heavy downpour, but do you have the JOY of the Lord? I’m not talking about fake smiling, sweep the pain under the rug, I’m fine talk. I’m talking about peace in your heart and hope for tomorrow, even in the rain, kind of joy that only comes when you know God is WITH you. Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Here in Isaiah 43, God is reminding Israel, to not be afraid. He knew the journey ahead for them would be rough. They would face many obstacles along the way, but He would be with them and He would deliver them. God is still making a way for us. Through faith in Jesus we have the promise and hope of heaven. This world is not my home! So in a way, like that boy singing in the rain, I’m in my own little world a bit. I can walk out each day and no matter what comes my way or tries to bring me down, I can keep on walking with a song in my heart. That’s mountain moving kind of faith. You see a mountain and yes it’s big and yes you don’t see a way around it, but God is WITH you! Remember Daniel’s friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the Old Testament? Go read Daniel chapter three. They were FULL of faith. They were ‘singing in the rain’ kinda boys. They weren’t gonna bow to the king’s idol. NO! The King asks, ‘and who is the God who will deliver you from my hands?’ “O King” they said, “we have no need to answer you in this matter. Our God is ABLE to deliver us, but even if He does not, we will not worship your God.” Yep, they were thrown into the fire. The guys that threw them in died it was so hot. But those boys, I can just imagine them walking around singing in the fire with Jesus right there beside them. Remember those words back in Isaiah? I will be with you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Those boys had faith in that promise, so they just kept on walking. That’s the truth. Trust the Lord with all you’re walking through. He will walk WITH you and he’ll even give you a song to sing. I’m Lori Cline.

God will redeem what is lost and restore what is broken when we give our hearts to Him.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~ Are you afraid of love? I was at one point in my life. I don’t know what chapter in your story led you to where you are today with how you feel about love, but for me it had to do with trust. I didn’t trust love. If we dig a bit deeper into the root lie I was believing, I ultimately didn’t trust God with my heart. What I’ve come to discover over the years about the lies we believe, is that the broken pieces of our story can lead to broken views of God. Broken views of God lead to lies we then believe about His LOVE for us, His character and His plan. Those lies take root deep in our heart and the fruit is unhealthy. Jesus had my life, but there were pieces of my heart I had on lock down. Only when we shine the light of God’s redeeming love and truth into those dark chapters of our story can love be trusted and have room to grow. When I went to college the last thing on my mind was marriage. I had a five year plan. Marriage was somewhere after those five years, IF it happened. Plans are great, but hold them loosely. The Lord had my path set for a different course. Something unexpected happened. I met a cute boy that didn’t get on my nerves. We actually had fun together. He became my best friend. We even went through a break up and only by the amazing grace of God were we able to see beyond ourselves to something greater God had in store for us. It was His plan, not ours. But the beautiful thing was that all the things we desired individually, God gave us together and it was better than we could have ever asked for or imagined. God has a way of working like that. When I look back over 30 years ago now to those early days of love, I see clearly why I was afraid. I didn’t want to trust God with my heart when it came to relationships. It was too scary. Love couldn’t be trusted. Here’s a light of truth. 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. Jesus had my heart, but the truth is, He didn’t have all of it. The pieces I was holding on to needed to be released into His loving care. I let go and released my control of what I couldn’t even control in the first place. Freedom flooded my heart. And with every step of faith I took, what was broken was restored and redeemed by the most perfect love of all. That’s how our love story began and it is still being written today. It’s a beautiful story. It’s not perfect, but we look to the one who IS and we abide together in His perfect love. That has made all the difference. Give your heart to Jesus. If you’re afraid of love or maybe believing a lie, shine the light of truth into what you’re believing to be true about God. He’ll redeem what was lost and restore what has been broken. The redeeming love of God is deep and it’s unlike any you’ve ever known. That’s the truth. Don’t let fear hold your heart captive. Abide in the perfect love of God and He will redeem your love story. I’m Lori Cline.

Jesus brings joy beyond the circumstances we face.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Do you know you are loved? Even if you don’t get chocolate, jewelry, flowers, cologne, dinner out or even a card at some point this week, YOU are deeply loved by God and He is creating something beautiful in your life. It’s true. That may be the last thing you want to hear today, but the truth is, the most beautiful gift you could receive is knowing your worth, your beauty and your purpose are found FULLY in the one who created you, loves you and knows you best. God adores you. No other love compares. Seriously. I adore my husband. I’ve loved him and he’s loved me now for well over thirty years. I’m thankful to God and blessed by that love, but God loves me more and my heart first belongs to God. The same for my husband. As our hearts have drawn closer to God over the years, our hearts have come closer to one another. It’s a beautiful design and a deep love. All the things we think we want when it comes to love, can ultimately only be found when we first know we are loved by God. Everything else flows from that love. We receive it from God and then we give our heart back to God. It’s a beautiful reaction to being loved. We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) If you are in a season of waiting or maybe your heart has suffered loss or been broken, I want you to know God sees where you are and what you’re walking through. You don’t walk it alone. God is with you. He is near your hurting heart and working through your circumstance to create something beautiful. Knowing He is working FOR your good, (Romans 8:28) you can choose joy (James 1:2-4) even in the most difficult season or trial. Psalm 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. God knows the deepest desires of our heart. He also knows the idols we place above Him. When we seek Him first, the rest will fall into place in the most beautiful design. It’s difficult to imagine something beautiful in a season of trial or longing. Still, as we reflect His love through it, beauty shines for the world to see. Coming through this winter we’ve been hit with some harsh conditions. Arctic blasts brought record breaking low temperatures and lots of ice and snow. The icy cold of winter, while it can bring many challenges, also brought beauty I had never seen. Ice pillars formed in the night sky. These ice or light pillars are an atmospheric optical phenomenon which look like vertical beams of light. They’re beautiful! The effect is created by the reflection of light from tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Ever heard of ice brellas or ice bells? Me either! Apparently these can form around trees in lakes or rivers during a hard freeze. It looks like an ice skirt around the bottom of a tree. Unexpected beauty formed in the cold of winter. Even the harshest conditions of our lives or the coldest seasons of waiting can display something beautiful when our heart reflects the love of the Lord. Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. Jesus brings joy beyond our circumstances. Whatever conditions we face in this life, He shines something unexpected through it as we trust Him with it. We grow as a result with deep roots and our lives become a display of His splendor, even in the winters of life. That’s the truth. REST in the love of Christ. Something new and beautiful will form as a result. I’m Lori Cline.

We can rest in the knowledge that God controls the universe and loves us.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Don’t you love when someone is looking out for you? You don’t feel so alone. You know someone has your back. They care about what is in YOUR best interest. It’s a good feeling. As a mom, I have my girls back. They know I am always looking out for them. Have you seen the image of a lion cub and it’s mom right behind it. That’s me. Nothing would even think about going after the cub because mama lion is scary and she has that baby lion’s back. She is never far away. Her eyes are always on the lookout for the sole purpose of protecting her cub. With the recent winter weather that swept across the country, I was glad someone had our back. My area of expertise is not the weather, but I am thankful we have meteorologists that are always keeping an eye out. They can forecast what’s to come with science and technology so they can let us know for the sole purpose of keeping us safe. With the snow, ice and record low temperatures we had, students were out of school for over a week. As a parent, I’ll keep it real and tell you I was ready for them to go back. I love my girls, but I also love when they are in school. The last day they were out they were planning to go initially with a delayed start time. That morning, the district made the call to keep them home one more day. You know what, I wasn’t frustrated in the least. I found myself grateful. They wanted my girls, as well as every other student, safe. Their eyes were on it. That’s a good feeling. It gives you peace knowing someone that knows MORE than you or someone that can see the BIG picture is watching out for you and helping guide your steps. In life, you may feel today like no one’s looking out for you. You may even be very self reliant because maybe those that were supposed to be looking out for you, didn’t. I want you to know this, you are deeply loved and there has never been a day God hasn’t had His eye on you. Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. I love this! God wants us to KNOW Him and in knowing Him we WILL know the WAY we should go in every circumstance. How many sources do we go to for counsel? Just check your latest online searches. We have questions and we take it to google before we take it to God! God sees. God knows. God will instruct you. God will teach you and counsel you. He holds the entire world in His hand and still, his loving eye is on YOU. I can rest easy knowing that today. You can too. You don’t have to worry. Choose to trust. God sees where you’ve been. God knows the conditions of the road you’re traveling today and He wants to guide you through the storm that may be coming tomorrow. That’s the truth. It’s like the song says, His eye is on the sparrow and I know HE watches me. Go check out Psalm 121 and know His eye is on you. I’m Lori Cline.

God fills us with His goodness and sustains us.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Have you ever been excited about a lemon? Well I have and I’ll tell you why! I got one for Christmas this year. It wasn’t wrapped in a box or anything, I actually picked it off of a tree. This wasn’t just any lemon off of any lemon tree. This was a lemon that grew on a lemon tree that my parents bought and planted in a pot. My Daddy was so proud of that little lemon tree. If they got at least 2 big lemons each year they were happy, because that meant at least one or two lemon meringue pies. My Daddy met Jesus face to face this past summer. Goodness how we miss him. We’re still in the year of firsts. This first Christmas without him, our family gathered. Even though Daddy’s no longer with us, he’s still everywhere around us. So much of who he was and what he loved and lived for, remains in us and in ways, in all things he left behind. One of the things he enjoyed was that lemon tree. This Christmas, it was full of lemons. Everybody got one. Round, yellow rays of sunshine in a way from Daddy. I’ve never been more excited about a lemon. Now something else you should know about me is I LOVE lemons. I am an avid lemon water drinker. I have been for a long time. So bringing one of the lemons that my Daddy loved home with me for Christmas was just about the best gift I could have gotten. I didn’t want to cut it at first. I wanted to just keep it, but I knew it would go bad if I didn’t. It was meant to be picked, and enjoyed. So I did. I sliced it up, filled a glass of water and squeezed a big slice in and let it float to the top. Do you think I enjoyed that glass of lemon water? Listen, I drank every drop. Then I filled it up again and drank all that. That wasn’t just any lemon water. That was lemon water from a fresh lemon off of a lemon tree my Daddy loved and cared for! That just made it taste that much better. It was good. I felt close to my Daddy and I was refreshed. Isn’t that the way this life is supposed to be lived? We have a father who is good. He is a giver of good gifts. He is our good shepherd and IN Him I shall not want. He refreshes my soul and IN Him I am blessed and filled up as I taste and SEE His goodness in my life. Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. When you savor something good, you want more. You can’t stop talking about it. You give five star reviews because you want people to know the goodness you’ve experienced. The Lord IS good. What I have tasted and seen in my life over and over keeps me abiding IN Him. I take refuge in Him. I am connected to the vine. He IS my portion. When I am poured out He fills me up yet again. He is ALL I need in and out of every season. When I see His moving in my life and when I simply must wait, I know He is with me working it all for my good, in HIS time. Nothing else compares to the Father’s love for me. It’s so sweet. I’m not sugar coating anything here. Life IS hard and sometimes you get lemons. But then again, sometimes you get lemons! Through it all, I can be refreshed, renewed and know He is with me. That’s the truth. Have you tasted the goodness of God? It’s good water. I’m Lori Cline.

Although we do not see the big picture of God's plan, we can trust that He does.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Are you ready to turn the page? Yep, me too. What is it about January that at times feels like it lasts forever? It’s 31 days. There are other months that have 31 days, but why does January feel like it has 47? Needless to say, with all the winter weather we’ve had, I’m ready to turn the page into February and move one day closer to Spring! Let this season pass on by, because I can’t see any growth. I need to SEE something grow! Things burst out of the ground in the Spring and I can get OUT and GO! In Winter, everything is cold and still, including me. We’re not very good at being still are we? Does it take a layer of ice and snow or an arctic blast to force us to be still? Sometimes it does. The beautiful rhythms of time and rotation of seasons is no accident. Each one fulfills a purpose. The growth we see in Spring would not come without the rest and renewal of winter. It’s easy to forget there is purpose in a bitter cold season of stillness with no visible growth. It’s a reminder we are NOT in control and it’s in that stillness and surrender we KNOW God IS. God IS always at work. Even when I don’t see it. What God is doing in a season of winter is unique and beautiful, just like each snowflake that falls to the ground. A unique design being formed AS it falls. Beauty through surrender. It’s the same in our life. Surrender, even in a cold season of NOT seeing, IS bringing forth something beautiful in a season to come. That’s the way God works. We don’t have to see it to believe it. We TRUST and KNOW He is working through all things and there IS purpose in every divine moment. I love what Jesus said to Peter when Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet. John 13:7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter couldn’t see the big picture. Jesus did. It wasn’t for Peter to see, he needed only to surrender, serve and follow. Today, remember you can’t see the big picture. You weren’t meant to. This season may not look the way you had hoped, it’s ok. Simply surrender, serve and follow. Trust God is in control. Trust requires letting go of wanting so desperately to SEE God move when and where and how you want Him to in your life. We can’t realize or understand what He is doing, but later maybe we will. Still we surrender, serve and follow. For now, we simply REST where we are, in THIS season. Even in the cold, even in what we can’t see. We can be still and know God IS at work and HE is the only one who brings restoration, renewal, revival and He will make all things new in the season to come. That’s the truth. Don’t question in the cold of winter, the goodness God has shown you in the Spring, Summer and Fall. His will WILL be done as we surrender, serve and follow. I’m Lori Cline.

One day, God will not just renew old things, but make all things brand new.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Do you believe that what’s been done can’t be undone? It depends doesn’t it. I can tie my shoe and then I can untie it, but I can’t go back and undo the first tie. So while I can reverse the action of tying my shoe, I can’t untie tying my shoe. Clear as mud right? To undo something you basically reverse the effect of what you did. Oh how many of us would love to reverse the effect of things we have said or done in the past. One of my favorite commands on a keyboard is UNDO! Wouldn’t that be nice to have in real life situations. What did I just do?? UNDO. UNDO. Programmers can do this when they roll back commands. It’s like they never happened. Well we can’t roll back or hit undo in life. There are consequences to our actions and our choices. We may not be able to hit the undo key, or even call for a REDO like we did when we were little, but we can try to reverse the effects or make things right. God works through us and our circumstances to redeem moments and seasons. I’m so very thankful He does. I’ve experienced that in my own life. What the enemy meant for evil or maybe something I chose to do was forgiven, grace was extended and over and over something beautiful grew as a result. What was broken was mended. What was lost was restored. God meets us in our every need, failure and fear with provision, grace and love. I love how God met Adam and Eve in the garden after they sinned. They tried to cover themselves. They tried to undo a little of their shame. God met them with tunics of animal skin to wear. Blood was shed to cover their sin. The world is still under the curse of sin, but for those IN Christ, we are now redeemed and covered by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus’ death on the cross brings us back into fellowship with the Father. What was done in the garden was undone on the cross. The good news now is that the hope we have because of Jesus, is that one day, He will come again and one day to come ALL THINGS will be made NEW. Revelation 21:1-5 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth, ”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” This is not describing a fixer upper heaven and earth, this is a MADE NEW heaven and earth. A new Jerusalem, a new earth, no longer plagued by the powers of evil, sin and death. The presence of God will very much be WITH us and every tear will be wiped from our eyes. Can you even imagine no more death, sorrow, crying or pain? What a day that will be. That’s what all things made NEW looks like. It’s not an UNDO it’s a made new. John got a glimpse of it for us in Revelation and I’m so glad he did. Praise God for His word, because it is in fact, worthy and true. That’s the truth! If you missed any of this months broadcasts where I’ve been digging deeper into scripture around the word NEW for this NEW year, you can find them all at lifeword.org. God wants to do something new in your life! Don’t take my word for it, get into His word every day and discover the NEW He has for you. I’m Lori Cline.

When we walk in joy celebrating God, it becomes contagious.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Have you ever had an ear worm? And no I’m not talking about an actual worm. Ew. No I’m talking about what happens when you get a song stuck in your head! We have a friend who would intentionally hum or whisper the Kenny Rogers song, ‘lady’ in our ear just for the purpose of waiting to see if we would start humming it or singing it at some point. We usually would. It was so funny and frustrating at the same time. Isn’t there some song that if you hear it, it will be in your head for days? There’s a reason for that. It was played A LOT at radio. Some of these songs fall into the most annoying category, which makes it even worse. One such song is ‘We Built This City’ by Starship. It debuted in 1985 and was a HUGE hit. The band used a lot of synthesizer and a lot of hair spray. You gotta love the eighties. Unfortunately they wanted us to know so badly that they built this city on rock and roll that they repeated that line over and over in the song at least 15 times. Over the years the song came to be, what we call in radio, a high burn. It’s fried and crispy. Please don’t ever play it again. We’re full force into a new year. Are you already a little fried and crispy, tired of singing the same old song? I don’t know what you’ve walked through or what you may be walking through right now, but often don’t we settle into the circumstance and get oh so weary feeling like we’re never going to sing anything new. The same routine. The same song, maybe a different verse. You’re not alone. Look up. God is with you even now and has a new song for you to sing, not just this new year, but this new day. Psalm 40:1-3 ​​I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. God hears your cry today. He’s listening and He is oh so near. No matter what this life brings, when our feet are firm on the rock of Jesus, we can sing for joy and give thanks to the Lord in ALL things for He IS good. He is at work in your life and IN whatever you are facing. His love for you never ends. We see new songs rise throughout scripture from hearts that have experienced God’s goodness. God has a new song for you to sing as well. The old is gone and a new melody is being written even now in your story. Shout for joy and sing a new song for what God is doing and will do as you trust Him. When we begin singing a new song it becomes contagious in a good way. You might even find someone else getting hooked on the rhythm of joy and hope your walking in step with. A really good song has a way of doing that. While a new song rises in the here and now, one day to come there will be a new song like no other, sung throughout the heavens. You can read more about it in Revelation 5 starting with verse 8. Creatures and elders begin the first verse then angels, too many to count, join in for the second. It’s too great to not sing along so every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea will join in for the last verse. Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! It will be an eternal praise, a song we will never tire of hearing or singing. That’s the truth. Look to Jesus for a new song. He has one for you today. And I promise you this, once you start singing it, you won’t be able to stop. I’m Lori Cline.

Jesus didn’t die just to patch us up, but to make us totally new.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~ ​Don’t you wish things would last forever? I want things to stay new and never wear out. Including me! Wouldn’t that be nice? Unfortunately, that’s not how it works anymore. Things break and wear out and when they do, we want them quickly fixed or replaced as soon as possible. If my heat goes out in winter, I want it fixed yesterday. Apparently I’m losing collagen in my face, so how quickly can I fix that and get rid of these lines and wrinkles? What’s the new drink I can drink that will shrink my belly by tomorrow? My cookware says it will last forever, but I doubt it will. If something breaks, fix it quick or get something new! It’s a never ending cycle of trying new things that promise to keep things new. It’s insanity in a way because nothing stays NEW forever. It all wears out. We can do all we can to upgrade, refurbish, tighten and lift, but all things ARE wasting away. Jesus told it like it is in Matthew 6:19 when he talked about where our treasure is. Store up things in Heaven, not down here on earth where moth and rust destroy it all. Paul puts it this way in Romans 7:24 when he asks, ‘who will deliver me from this body of death’? It’s easy to want to lose heart when everything around us that once was new all eventually wastes away. But don’t lose heart just yet, there’s good news. 2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. There is something NEW happening IN us every day, when we are IN Christ. What does that mean exactly? Dr David Jeremiah puts it this way, “temporary things help people appreciate eternal things. When believers are outwardly perishing and in pain, the gleam of this life gives way to the glories of the next.” The Apostle Paul was very acquainted with suffering. He kept it all in perspective as he kept his eye on the prize set before him. He knew what was to come, and all that we try so desperately to keep shiny and new, pales in comparison to what waits at the finish line of life for the believer in Christ. That should give us hope today. Yes things wear out and these bodies are wearing out, but our spirit is being renewed everyday! This world is not the end. One day all things will be made new. And oh what a day that will be. Until then, as we are being renewed everyday, we walk in the newness of life we have because of Jesus. Living that life is one that shines the light and love of Jesus to a dark and dying world. Our light should shine brighter and brighter the closer we get to home. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! Jesus didn’t die to patch you up, he died and rose again to make you BRAND new. That’s a new that never wears out. That’s the truth. Set your eyes on things above this new year. As you do, all that is wasting away around you will dim in the light of what’s to come. I’m Lori Cline.

When the way God is calling us is unfamiliar, He will be with us.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Have you ever taken the road less traveled? I hope you have at some point along your journey in life. In eighth grade I memorized the poem, ‘the road not taken’, by Robert Frost. In the poem, the road NOT taken was the one that was familiar. It was the path that had more wear. The road less traveled was the one he took and in the end, that made all the difference. In life when we step out in faith and go a new way, often there is adventure waiting and more to discover. I love how Jesus describes the narrow way in Matthew 7:14. Many will go down the wide way to destruction, but narrow and difficult is the way which leads to life. He goes on to say, few will find it. The road we choose in life matters. Be sure you’re headed in the right direction! It’s a perfect time to think about the road less traveled as we are well on our way into a new year. Is there a road God is leading you down, but fear is holding you back because you don’t see the path clearly? Maybe more people are going the other way. That doesn’t mean it’s where God wants YOU. Be sure you’re listening to His voice above any other. That’s the first step on the journey. God is all about doing something new. All throughout scripture God moves, speaks and works in new ways bringing about His redemption plan for us through Jesus. So many moments were ‘road less traveled’ type moments for men and women in the Bible. It took faith and action to MOVE where God was leading. With the start of this new year, I’m looking all this month at what we can discover in scripture when it comes to something NEW. You can find them all at Lifeword.org. Is God leading you to a road less traveled? When I think of this new day, in this new year, I wonder is God leading us some way we’ve never been before? He’s done it before. Joshua 3:2-4 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.” This is one of my all time favorite road less traveled moments in Joshua 3. The people of Israel needed God’s direction. They were headed into new territory. The path was new and unfamiliar. The ark of the covenant, where God’s presence and power resided, is what they were to follow. When they saw the Jordan before them in their path did they stop and have a meeting about all the risks of walking through the Jordan? No. They put their feet in the water and walked on. That’s when we see miracles. That’s when we see things we’ve never seen before. When God is leading the way, the road less traveled is always the way that WILL make all the difference. Today, the presence and power of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, is WITH us, leading us as we go. We can trust his leading just as the children of Israel trusted and followed the ark. God was WITH them then, taking them a way they had never been before, and God is WITH us now leading us and wanting us at times to blaze new trails for the sake of spreading the gospel! We are commissioned to go into all the world and tell people about Jesus, yet we get all nervous and full of fear when it’s across the street. Friends, God IS with us. It’s a new day and He is calling us to new ways to reach the lost. When the way we are called to go is new and unfamiliar, that may be the very sign that we’re headed in the right direction. That’s when we know it’s not us, it’s God leading us and giving us peace for the journey. That’s the truth! Today is a new day. What new way is God calling you to go? Listen to His voice and walk on. I’m Lori Cline.

To truly show great love, we must sacrifice.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   It just doesn’t get any better than this! Have you ever said that? I think about moments in my life when my heart was so full. How could anything compare to THIS? Falling in love, the birth of a baby or sitting on the beach watching the sun go down are all moments I’ve thought, it really can’t get any better than this! Then it does. A new moment. A new memory. A new blessing. What about when it comes to things that changed the world? We love the history channel and it’s fascinating to watch innovation, products and ideas that have changed our lives for the better. I’m sure there were times way back then people thought, ‘wow this couldn’t get any better!’ Then along came the wheel, indoor plumbing, the printing press, penicillin, the lightbulb, concrete, the telephone, McDonalds and so much more that did in fact make things better! Something new can be a really good thing, unless it’s NEW coke. That was a huge sugary flop back in 1985. It goes down as an epic FAIL of trying to improve something already great. In the moment, when something is already a good thing, it’s tough to imagine how it could be made better. Nothing is better than the original. But when it actually IS, our minds are blown and we think, how did we ever manage before? It can’t get any better than this. Then, our eyes are opened to a NEW way. When you think about LOVE, could love ever get any better? Could we love more? Could there be even deeper ways to show someone we love them? God commanded His people to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ all the way back in Leviticus 19:18. The command was not to view the world as us and them, but God required love for all. Fast forward to Jesus’ ministry and the command from Leviticus had been tweaked just a bit by the religious elite over the years. Yes, love your neighbor as yourself, but hate your enemy. They don’t deserve your love. Jesus corrected that and turned it all upside down in his sermon on the mount. Love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you and pray for those who use you and persecute you. Love the undeserving, because aren’t we all in fact, undeserving? When asked what is the greatest command in Matthew 22, Jesus said, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and then love your neighbor as yourself.” Again, he is pointing us to be fully devoted to God and then be a conduit of God’s love to others. Is it possible to love someone even more than that? Jesus takes it even deeper. John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Love one other, we get it? But what’s NEW about it? How was Jesus improving on how to love our neighbor? Jesus said, “love one another as I have loved you.” How has Jesus loved me? He died for me. He loved me MORE than He loved himself. That’s the NEW part. He put my need above his own. It’s a selfless, sacrificial love. That’s how we are to love one another. How can I put you ABOVE me? Do you love your neighbor like that? That’s how Jesus loves. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) There is no greater love. And it really doesn’t get any better than that. That’s the truth. So when we talk about love, remember it requires sacrifice. Love your enemies. Lay your life down for one another. It’s no longer about me. That’s how Jesus loves and that kind of love is what changes the world. I’m Lori Cline.

We can always have confidence in who we are in Jesus.   #TheLoriClineShow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Are you ready to take a leap of faith? Let’s go! And you know today happens to be a great day to do just that. It’s leap day, because it’s a leap year! Today is the extra day we get in February, which is added to the calendar every four years to keep it in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the Sun. Whatever that means, I love it because we get one extra day and I always LOVE more time.   So if you were already thinking about stepping out into something new, what better day than leap day! Say yes! Get off the couch! Do something today you’ve been putting off and let’s leap into what God has already set before us.   As you think about that, where do you need to take a leap of faith? Maybe it’s not some BIG thing, but maybe it just needs to be in smaller areas of consistency. Daily leaps lead to BIG leaps and they all begin with faith walking steps.   Since this is a bit of a pep talk for the day, guess where I’m headed in scripture? The hall of faith, Hebrews chapter 11! It’s my favorite. Come on let’s get fired up to take our leap of faith by remembering the faithfulness of those before us. Now I can’t read it all here today, that would make this way too long, so YOU take a leap into God’s word and dig deeper into it on your own. I’ll highlight a few things to get us started and to begin I’ll actually start with the last verse of Hebrews chapter 10.   Hebrews 10:39   But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.   I could stop right there. But I won’t. We do NOT belong to those who retreat, shrink back and are destroyed. Why? Because we have Jesus! We are saved and walk by faith embracing ALL we have and are IN Christ! This is a wake up call to remember WHO you are in Christ and the resurrection power you have access to on a daily basis. Our faith IN CHRIST is what sets us apart from the world. He has overcome the world and so through Him we are overcomers and the race we are running, no matter what it looks like down here, ends in victory.   Hebrews 11:1-2   Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.   In Christ I am confident. When I try to walk in MY strength, I fail. That’s what fuels faith. Being confident of who you are and what God has for you to accomplish. The Apostle Paul was a man confident in Christ and he encouraged the Philippians with that confidence, reminding them then and us today that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. When you walk with confidence, by faith, you walk different don’t you. When you leap with confidence, by faith, you leap different too!   The men and women that are mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 were known for that confident faith. It’s what drove them to obedience and faithfulness in their chapters of the greater story of God’s plan.   Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah were full of confident faith. They weren’t perfect. They were flawed just as we are today, and in need of a savior, but while yes they were flawed, they followed by faith. By faith Isaac blessed his sons. By faith Joseph, in his final days, gave future vision and instruction. By faith Moses took many leaps throughout his journey. By faith the walls of Jericho fell and by faith, Rahab did not perish.   There are so many more. Ordinary men and women, used by God, who simply walked by faith. As a result the gospel story advanced. Now it’s our turn to take the steps and move the gospel forward. Will you take a leap today? If you’ve lost your confidence, repent and acknowledge that your confidence hasn’t been in the Lord, because when we know who we are IN CHRIST, we are confident that nothing can stop us.   That’s the truth.   Take a leap of faith. I don’t know what that looks like for you, but be encouraged by those that have gone before you, paving the way for YOUR story today.   I’m Lori Cline.

We should highlight and remember Bible passages that are important and encouraging to us.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   If you’re reading a good book and you come across a GREAT quote, what do you do? You highlight it! It stands out to you. It resonates with your heart and you want to remember it. Those are the words and lines that show up in memes and quotes all throughout our feed on social media. We copy and paste and want to share with the world these words that have sharpened us or challenged us to MOVE forward, think deeper or see something in a new way. We get inspired by what we highlight. What are you highlighting? I love to highlight in my Bible. The words of God, every single one, are worth highlighting. Still, there are some that stand out to me on my journey. Those verses, those words are highlighted, underlined and circled so I won’t easily forget them. I can go back and be reminded and encouraged of what is true. Many of those words are hidden deep in my heart. I recently went home to celebrate and remember my Dad. It was his first birthday in Heaven. It’s so bittersweet. Our hearts ache for his presence while we at the same time have JOY knowing he is in the presence of the Lord. Over the years my Dad did a lot of highlighting. He had many Bibles and books. He was forever a student in many ways and it’s been so cool to go through all the books and Bibles and see sections and words that shaped and molded him. Words that meant something or encouraged him or words he knew would encourage those around him were highlighted, underlined or earmarked. My dad loved words and I now am paying attention to the words that meant something to him, the words he highlighted. I was sitting in his chair at home and was actually writing a bit for these devotionals. The question kept coming to my mind, what are you highlighting? I was looking through my own Bible and one section of scripture definitely stands out with underlines and highlights. It’s Hebrews 11 and 12. The faith hall of fame. I looked up and saw my grandfathers Bible up on the mantle. I never knew my grandfather, my Dad’s dad. He passed away one Sunday in the pulpit after reading his scripture for the sermon. He had a massive heart attack. My Dad was only 18. I thought to myself as I looked up at that Bible, I wonder what He highlighted. I got up, dusted off his Bible and settled back into my Dad’s chair. I opened it up to Hebrews chapter 11 and I smiled really big. Like my Dad, I love words, but in that moment I had none. I could only smile as I looked over the pages and verses. Just as I have in my own Bible, everywhere you read the words, ‘by faith’, they were underlined and highlighted. Sections marked and set apart for a purpose, to be reminded of what is true. It was a really special moment. I never met my Grandad, FG Carroll, but I sure feel like I knew him because of my Dad. They both walked by faith. They both believed the words of God and didn’t just read them on Sunday, they highlighted the words, hid them deep in their heart and lived them out every single day. Words matter. We are shaped by them. What are you highlighting? What words are you allowing into your heart? If they aren’t true and do not align with the words of God, they are leading you and your family astray. Revelation 21:5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” The word of God, after heaven and earth pass away, Jesus said in Matthew 24, will remain. Spend more time in those words. Let them sink deep in your heart. Abide IN them. Let them light your path each new day. Highlight those words and underline them for those who will come behind you. Write them on your walls and speak them OVER your children. May they be shaped by the words of God more than the words of this world. The words my Grandfather highlighted and underlined meant something to my Dad. They now mean something to me. They point me back to the only thing that matters, faith. That’s the truth. Where is your faith? What are you highlighting? If your faith journey is stalled out, go highlight some words in Hebrews chapters 11 and 12. Be encouraged by the faith of those who have gone before us and the faith they held so dear. Discover it for yourself and get to highlighting and living out in your life what is true. I’m Lori Cline.

God has given us unique and beautiful gifts to help others.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Did you have chickens growing up? It was only because we moved into a parsonage beside Lake Erling Baptist Church, when I was little, that had a barn behind it, full of chickens, that I grew up with chickens. They were awesome. I loved the baby chicks. We raised one as a pet of course and we had eggs for days. I wish I had chickens now. You may have a chicken house and what a blessing I bet you are to so many because of the eggs you give away. How beautiful is that? While raising chickens back in the day was more a means of survival than it was trendy, today, suburban and urban chicken keeping and cooping or whatever you want to call it, is exploding! The pandemic had something to do with it, but raising chickens is continuing to be a very popular thing. Why all this chicken talk? Well, I recently heard a story, and for the life of me I can’t remember who or where it came from, but it was a story about chickens that is worth repeating. It made me pause and ask myself, what’s my one chicken? The story goes that back, I believe during the depression, a family lost everything to a house fire. They had a barn with about a dozen chickens. It was a rough time. Everyone was struggling. The community came together to help this family as much as they could during their time of need. One wife had an idea. All the families in the area, during that time, had chickens. What if they all gave one chicken? Twelve families came together, helped rebuild a pen, and all gave one chicken. Just like that, this family that had lost everything, was given a fresh start. What’s your one chicken? That’s the question for the day. What has God given you, blessed you with, that you can give away? Do you love to cook? Oh my friend Jeannie does! In a way, that’s her chicken. Without even being asked, she made dinner for my family while I was away for work one week. Mexican chicken casserole and M&M cookies became the chicken she gave away. Do you love to garden or work in the yard? One season, we had two dear friends decide to come over and help landscape our front yard. I don’t remember even asking, but it was just what we needed. They blessed us with their chicken. We have a family we love dearly in our church family. They have three little girls. We had a galentine's day celebration with those babies at our house one night so mom and dad could have a night out. That was our chicken. See where I’m going with this? Look around. People are in need of love, encouragement, care and service. They don’t need your judgement or opinion, they need the hands and feet of Jesus to see them and care for them right where they are IN their time of need. 1 Peter 4:10-11 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. God has given you a chicken! You have gifts that are beautiful and unique to you that are not meant for building YOU up, they have been given to minister to those around you. We are to build one another up, love one another and build UP the body of Christ. When we give those gifts we have been given and blessed with away, people encounter the love of Jesus and God gets the glory! That’s the truth. So what chicken can you give away today? Pray about it. God has someone around you right now that needs it. I’m Lori Cline.

The truth is that in God, we are thoroughly equipped to accomplish what we have been created for.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   What lie are you believing today that is NOT true? This can be a tough question to answer because we don’t know what we don’t know. Often we must walk back our behaviors, thoughts and patterns to dig deeper into what we are actually believing to be true. What we value, how we live and interact with those around us reveals our beliefs. If I’m believing a lie, it’s usually something I need to surrender and trust God with. When we shine a light of truth on the roots of our heart, good things grow. There’s a beautiful exercise I’ve learned that helps me do this. I look at the fruit of my life and then walk it back to the root. You see, just like a root is what supports a tree and nourishes the fruit that grows, our beliefs support our behaviors that produce the fruit in our life. That fruit can be good and sweet, like the fruit of the spirit, or it can be bitter and dying on the vine. Recently I discovered a lie I was believing. I wanted to share it with you and the process I walked through to discover it, because maybe it’s a lie you’re believing as well. When we become aware we can repent, have new awareness of how it creeps up in our thoughts, and replace it with what IS true. It all began with me asking a simple question. How do they do that? Now there’s obviously nothing bad about wondering how someone does anything. We sharpen one another and when someone around you has something figured out, you want to learn it for yourself. Give me the scoop? What’s your secret? How did she lose that weight? How does she manage career, kids and home and still look amazing? How did they DIY that project? How are their kids so self-sufficient? How do they have a home cooked meal on the table every single night of the week? Where do they find the time to get it all done? See where I’m headed? Now while on the surface these questions are not bad in themselves, the Holy Spirit gently opened my eyes to something deeper I was believing. I was in a time of silence with the Lord. Psalm 46:10 says to “be still and know that I am God”. So I was still. My mind let go of all my racing thoughts. I was listening. A root was revealed. In many areas of my life I’ve felt a bit like I’m on the sidelines watching how everyone else ‘does it’. Whatever it is. Remember all the questions? The lie that can creep in is, “everyone has it figured out but me”. While it’s great to learn from others if they’re excelling in an area or can inspire you to move forward, the lie that can creep in is this, “I’m not enough”. I’m not capable. I don’t have it all together and everyone else does. Have you ever believed that one? As the Lord was gently shining a light on this root belief, in the same moment He reminded me of what is true. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The truth is, I am thoroughly equipped. No lie or false belief can stand against the word of God. The impact of hiding God’s word in my heart and knowing who I am IN Christ equips me for any task! But here’s the thing, no one has it all together. We do our best, but what completes me, makes me enough and able to accomplish every good work I have been created to accomplish, is the word IN me. His strength IS perfect. And it’s not about what I do, it’s about who I AM and what I allow Jesus to do through me. That’s the truth. Be still. You may discover a lie that’s tripping you up today or causing you to walk in shame. Repent, lay it down and believe the truth of what God says about you. You are loved and you are well equipped. I’m Lori Cline.

When we meet Jesus, the muddy waters of our life make way for clarity.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   What do you see when the dirt settles? If you have a jar of dirty water and you keep shaking it and shaking it, the water will never be given a chance to clear. Look around, there’s a whole lotta shakin goin on and I’m not talking Jerry Lee Lewis lyrics. The water around us is murky. It’s hard to see through all the dirt that keeps getting stirred up. Truth is being clouded and sadly many will never clearly see. Matthew 13:15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ Here Jesus is quoting the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus seven hundred years before Jesus. Many would see and witness all the miracles and cultural impact of Jesus’ ministry, but they wouldn’t SEE and know Jesus. Jesus was using Isaiah's words to once again highlight that the more you refuse to be still, seek and know God, the water will always be cloudy in a way and your eyes will never see. If you’re watching this today, by God’s grace, you have been given an opportunity to be still and stop shaking the water. Let the rhetoric and noise around you fall to the ground. Open your eyes and your heart to see what God would have you see. For you, this could be the moment the water becomes clear and you see Jesus. There was a moment like that for the Apostle Paul. He couldn’t see what was right. His ways and thoughts were not the ways and thoughts of God. What he thought was right was wrong and the truth he was convinced he was protecting, he was actually persecuting. But the water was about to clear and his eyes were about to be opened. Acts 9:1-8 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. What Saul thought was right, was wrong. He had it all upside down. He couldn’t see the truth of Jesus because he kept muddying up the water with his own way over God’s way. Jesus stopped him in his tracks and turned his life around. Saul’s encounter with the Lord left him literally blind for three days. But I guarantee during those three days he couldn’t physically see, the waters of his life were becoming crystal clear. What he was believing to be true and how he was living his life was all about to change. He even got a new name. That’s what happens when we meet Jesus. The water settles, we see what is true and He makes us new. That’s the truth. Let the water clear. Listen for the voice of the Lord in your life. Call upon His name right now and be saved. You’ll see yourself on a different path with a new name. I’m Lori Cline.