Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | July 1, 2025

Warning: Be Anchored

“Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.” Ephesians 4:14 (NLT)

Beloved, I have an urgent exhortation: Read your paper Bible—I mean the “book” version. For those of you under age 30, what I mean is that solid mass of collected papers with words printed in ink, having either a soft or hard cover. These iterations of the Bible have been continually printed for the public since about 1450 (not readily available in all countries, but for us—for now—Bibles are easily accessible at present). So, if you don’t have one (or more) in your possession, get one in a solid translation.

And know your Bible. See, since this God-inspired Word was recorded, there have been those twisting its meaning, tricking and outright lying about what God says. (This effort, by the way, stems from the very first lie of the father of lies, Satan, to the very first people in the Garden of Eden.) I could delve into all the places in the Bible—especially in the New Testament—where we’re warned against false teachers and various anti-Christs whose sole purpose is keeping people in the darkness, pulling them back into their previous darkness, or making those who are in the light ineffective for the Lord and His kingdom. Please do that research! But here, my warning is about what we—in 2025—are facing to those same malevolent ends: AI lies.

Recently, a sweet sister of mine was pining for some Billy Graham inspiration, so she searched online and started listening to Billy’s sweet voice (likely as she gardened). This mat-carrier of mine is a very mature believer and knows her Word. So, as this teaching continued, she knew something was amiss—it looked like Billy, sounded like Billy, but this was NOT a Billy Graham message. The message was twisted. It was an Artificial Intelligence (AI) creation. I know we’ve all considered the negative repercussions of AI (socially, politically, culturally, career-wise, etc.)…but to consider this tool in the hands of the lying enemy of God against God’s image-bearers, well, that’s just terrifying. In fact, I’m not going to play out that vision here at all. Instead, as you personally ruminate on the implications, my plea to you once again is to know God’s Word from the literal pages of Scripture. I get it, we’ve all become comfortable with the convenience of our phones and tablets, but even online Bibles can be edited, twisted, added to, and redacted.

When we go online, we have to be sure the sites we visit are trusted sources—not just YouTube feeds. There are plenty of false Christian teachers around (and even falsehood-filled denominations), so that battle is already constant. But now, even our favorite solid teachers (Piper and MacArthur are two of my go-to’s) can be replicated by AI—in audio and video formats—to purposefully mislead believers and keep Truth-seekers from hearing the true Truth.

Sweet friend, store up God’s Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11), it is the very breath of God for our training and righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), every word proven true (Proverbs 30:5). The Bible is a lamp to our feet and light to our path (Psalm 119:105)—it transforms us by renewing our mind (Romans 12:2). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)—and as teachers and technology come and go, the Word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8). Read it, learn it, love it. God’s Word will keep you anchored in Truth, so AI lies will not trick you and toss you about.

“Lord, thank You for Your precious Word! May believers everywhere turn to the literal pages of the Bible to know You and become more like You through Holy Spirit revelation.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

Leave a Comment

Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 30, 2025

Satisfied With God

“The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

George Mueller lived in the 1800s and is widely known for his prayer life. He started an orphan ministry and cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime. Never once did he ask for donations or attempt to raise funds – George solely relied on God’s provision and prayed in millions of dollars.

This in and of itself is amazing but what really captures my heart was when the love of his life, Mary, was about to pass away from rheumatic fever. George saw God do miraculous things for his orphans and had so many prayers answered. His unshakeable faith and confidence in God lead him to read Psalm 84:11 to his dying wife.

“I am a poor worthless sinner saved by the blood of Christ and I do not live in sin; I walk uprightly with God”, stated George. “Therefore, if it is really good for me, my darling wife will get well. But if not, then it would not have been a good thing for me. And so my heart is at rest; I am satisfied with God.”

George’s wife died, yet he was at peace. Why? Because George had cultivated a deep, dependent prayer life with God; he knew the heart of the Decision Maker. All was well with his soul even if his heart was breaking.

There are lots of things we pray for – prodigal children and spouses, sick loved ones, financial stressors, critical decisions, daily strength – the list is endless. Often we monopolize the conversation by telling God exactly what He needs to do. We layout out our agenda and complain if He chooses another answer. Not George Mueller, he loved the Answer Giver more than the answer.

Wonder how different our view of God would be if we simply believed He is sovereign over all? Not sure what prayers you are laying down at the feet of Jesus. But this I do know, the One who loves you more than you could imagine will always act on your behalf to do what is good even if it is painful, uncomfortable and not desired. We can trust Him fully to do what is best for everyone involved.

“Father, cultivate within us a vibrant prayer life focused on a relationship with You and not a demand of our wish list.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 27, 2025

Tuned In To His Voice

cb devo aug 16

“The Lord came and stood there calling as at the other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak for your servant is listening.” I Samuel 3:10 (NIV)

Grocery shopping used to be uneventful, but now I know all the drama consuming the girl standing in line behind me. Too much information, but she is oblivious to the fact that everyone is hearing her conversation, including several giggling toddlers. Me, I just want to checkout and go home.

Tuning out all the excess chatter takes practice, but if we’re not careful we may tune out the wrong things. Listening is a dying art – one that we proclaim we do – but our actions reveal we don’t. Multi-tasking works great in juggling schedules, managing our homes and being productive on the job. But buried beneath tasks, lists and noise we often find ourselves missing the real silent message given by our children, our spouse, friends or co-workers.

Wonder how many times we’ve sat at the feet of Jesus and then walked away with no information? Oh, yes we came with questions. We even poured our hearts out – our live drama was for His ears alone. But when we finished, we were all done – we got up and walked away. Feeling better for our unloading of emotions, yet lacking His words because we failed to listen.

Maybe we’d already decided what direction to take. Maybe we were too distracted to give Him our full attention. You know that’s what real listening is all about – giving someone else our attention. Slowing down and being intentionally focused so we don’t miss what they are saying. Wonder what opportunities we may have missed because He called our name, but we weren’t listening?

Sweet friends it takes great intentionality in our world to slow the pace, silence the constant chatter and zero in on the voice of God. His wisdom, guidance and encouragement are ours for the taking; we just simply need to pursue an intimate conversation with the One who longs to capture our attention. He welcomes our words and desires to engage with us if we are willing to listen.  So the next time we are tempted to dominate the conversation and walk away let’s choose to sit longer, silence our voice and wait to hear what our God has to say – it will be totally worth every minute.

“Father, it is so easy to glide through my day tuning in and out to the noise – listening to bite size conversations. Help me to know, linger and hear Your voice.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

Leave a Comment

Posted in Attitude, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 26, 2025

What Has God Ever Done For Me

“If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.”   Matthew 27:42

On a crowded pier in Florida one day, I heard part of a conversation between two men who were walking past me. One of them said, “What has God ever done for me?” As he melted into the crowd, I knew what God had done for him, but I didn’t try to chase him down and tell him.

Two thousand years earlier, three men hung on crosses. Some of the same people who had carpeted Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem with palm branches, who had shouted glad Hosannahs, now hated and scoffed at Him. Why? Because He hadn’t done for them what they wanted—relief from the Romans. They didn’t understand that His hanging there in agony was for their sake, the greatest gift anyone could have given them.

Are we guilty of the same thing? We pray for a situation to turn around in our favor, and it doesn’t. We become angry with God. We pray earnestly for someone’s healing, and they don’t recover. It must be God’s fault. We pray for funds to pay for something we know would be beneficial, but instead, an emergency arises that takes the money we had saved so far. Why isn’t God listening?

The people at the foot of the cross were asking Jesus to prove himself on their terms. “IF He is the King of Israel…” But Jesus isn’t a circus dog whose job it is to jump through hoops at someone else’s whim. Jesus is who He is. He is the Good Shepherd, the Lion of Judah, the Creator and Redeemer. You take Him or leave Him on His terms, and it’s the most important decision you’ll ever make.

Back to the fellow on the pier—I pray that the Lord has opened his heart, and that someone has had the opportunity in the years since then to tell him exactly what God has done for him. But that same attitude is repeated millions of times in people all over the planet. If only we could peel the blinders off those people. If only they could understand His unfailing love and grace!

“Father, we ask that our trust in You will deepen each day as we mature in our faith. Remind us that You are not an on-demand benefactor on our terms, but a gracious God whose ways are higher than our ways. Give us peace and an immovable trust that will weather every bump in our path. And give us a burning desire to share You with others. We thank You in the name of Jesus.”

For His Glory
 

Cherie Harbridge Williams
TRBC Women’s Life

Leave a Comment

Posted in Faith, Gratitude, Wisdom, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 25, 2025

Releasing Today

mar 9

“For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33 (NKJV)

Exhausted, I knew the night’s sleep was going to be crucial. The night passed quickly, and suddenly my eyes opened to the “next day!” I rolled out, onto my knees, wanting to commit the day to Him who sits on the throne, and whose glory is above the heavens. The only petition I could pray was “please, give me (us) this day my daily Bread.” Food sustains, comforts, strengthens, and helps our bodies function. However, I wasn’t begging for physical food for this day that would bring heartache and turmoil, rather my soul was crying out for spiritual Bread. My soul needed strength that only comes from God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Only by asking Him—begging Him—for His filling in my heart, would I make it. You’ve probably had days too when it is only by His grace that you made it.

Was it everything I had thought it would be? Yes, and tripled! The crisis we faced that morning within two hours had turned into three. Rolled into a ball of one it was a day that only God could have brought us through. What an unspeakable joy that—in the midst of trials—we have a God who is so caring that His love is bigger than any day’s problems. They do not go away, but He puts that yoke across our shoulders and His own shoulders taking the greater weight on Himself. Praise His Holy name!

“Holy God, we bless Your name which is above all names. We cannot make it even a second without You, but facing days with You by our side, sometimes with You even carrying us, is our only hope. Our hope is in You, Lord! Thank You for Your promise to be with us today!”

For His Glory

Sandy Day
TRBC Women’s Life

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 24, 2025

Be Astonished

“And astonishment seized them all and they began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.” Luke 5:26

In Luke 5:19-26 (as well as in Matthew 9:1-8 and Mark 2:1-12), the Bible details a single event that could be studied for weeks—it’s profoundly rich in truth, conviction, and calls-to-action. It’s the account of Jesus teaching and healing in an overcrowded home. And when some guys brought their paralyzed friend to be healed, they couldn’t get to Jesus. Not being deterred, they climbed up onto the roof, tore it off, and lowered their buddy into the middle of the crowd. Jesus saw the faith of these guys and proclaimed that the paralyzed man’s sins were forgiven. Well, this made the Pharisees who were there pretty ticked, and in their thoughts they called Him blasphemous. Of course, Jesus knew what they were thinking and responded, “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up and pick up your stretcher, and go home.” (Luke 5: 24) And so that’s what the paralyzed-no-more guy did.

Again, there’s so much here to meditate on—but here are just a few aspects:

  • Do you believe that Jesus can—and will—forgive your sins, forever freeing you from condemnation (Romans 8:1)?
  • Are you doubtful of the Lord’s Sovereignty (total authority) and what He can do in your life?
  • Would you tear off a proverbial roof to get a friend to Jesus?
  • Do you have your own mat-carriers to take you to the feet of Jesus when you’re paralyzed by some sin or overwhelming situation?

But what I really want to focus on here is the last verse in Luke’s account, which records the response of the crowd that day—and something that the Lord has been hammering me about lately: “And astonishment seized them all and they began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.” There’s a linear progression that we can learn from and apply to our lives each and every day.

First, the crowd saw what Jesus did, and they were astonished—that is, they were amazed and in awe of His person and power. So, the question here is…are we? From the sun rising over the horizon and the very breath in our lungs, to the mind-blowing miracles that make the angels look with wonder (like salvation itself)…do we perceive it all with the deserved astonishment? Without the hand of Jesus, literally every atom would fall apart (Colossians 1:16-17).

The second thing the crowd did is appropriately respond to this astonishment: They glorified God! Friend, with every breath we should be glorifying God—not just because of His unceasing miracles, but also because of who He is. And, complementary to glorifying God for what He does, everything we say and do should be to and for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 115:1; Colossians 3:17, 23; 1 Corinthians 6:20).

What next? They were filled with fear—or reverence. Once God’s greatness is recognized and glorified, a healthy fear should settle in. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom-living. It’s acknowledging His power over life and death and then acting accordingly (Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 8:13; Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Matthew 10:28…and there is so much more).

Finally (this so beautiful—and convicting), they testified to the remarkable things they saw. The astonishment, glory, and fear of the Lord was so immense that they couldn’t contain themselves. They had to share the news! They didn’t need to understand the theology behind it, and it wasn’t about making a defense to critics…they just told of what they experienced.

So, the multipart question for me and you is this: Do we see—really see—the big and small daily miracles of God? In that seeing, do we thank Him and give Him all the glory? Do we then recognize His vastness and Sovereignty with appropriate fear? And once all that has settled into our mind, heart, and soul, is the Truth of it beyond containment, such that we have to tell others what we’ve seen? Let’s learn from this group of Jesus-followers and do the same.

“Lord, You are Sovereign, Holy, Awesome. May I always be in awe and respond by glorifying You and sharing the Good News with others.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 23, 2025

Trusting God When Winning Is Distant

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (ESV)

Ever felt like victory was a distant foe to be conquered? Perhaps we’ve stepped on the scales only to witness the numbers staying the same or worse getting higher. Despite our sacrificing of sweets or giving up of our fave foods, the numbers don’t drop. Or perhaps, we’ve been searching for a new job. Our diligence to conquer every interview seemed like the perfect win until rejection offered a different song. Better yet, we held out for Mr. Right only to find ourselves with a broken heart. What we wouldn’t give for a little success, a nudging of yes we’re headed in the right direction to keep us on track and motivated to stay the course.

Nothing tastes sweeter than a little success in the midst of pressing through. When we are hanging by a thread even a seemingly insignificant nudge can propel us to keep moving in the right direction. And sometimes we are so blinded by the goal or desire before us that we simply don’t see any seed of progress. We’re so zeroed in on the potential for victory that we miss the little wins we just accomplished.

Sounds a lot like perfectionism, right? We get paralyzed in the pursuit of perfect and fail to recognize our leaps forward, but God doesn’t. He delights in watching His children succeed. God loves the baby steps and crawls that move us closer to where we need to be. He enjoys the journey and cheers us on despite our missteps. Not simply focused in on where we will end up but intentionally visible in where we are now.

So what’s a girl to do when victory is distant? Grab a hold to the presence of her God. Release perfection and embrace learning. Keep a bended knee and a surrendered heart knowing God’s plan far exceeds our view of success. Gather with those who will cheer us on …… invite accountability and admit struggles along the way. Pray…pray….pray – and zero in on growth, changes and little wins that ultimately birth sweet success. And never forget who’s watching, guiding and going before us – we are never alone. Our God is our ever present help, our greatest joy and all compassing strength. A heart devoted to Him will forever reap the rewards of success.

“Father, keep our minds from simply focusing on accomplishing to growing and leaning. Help us to see You working even in our small wins to transform us to be more like You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

Leave a Comment

Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 20, 2025

When We Know What We Gotta Do

 

“Don’t think that you (Esther) will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace.  Esther 4:13b (HCSB)

Ever find yourself knowing what you need to do and just simply not wanting to do it?  I think we’ve all been there.  Moments when doing the right thing is the hard thing.  Times when we keep asking for confirmation for the directions God has already given us.

When Esther was faced with the reality that she must confront the King in order to save her people, she responded a lot like we would.  “Mordecai, don’t you know I just can’t burst into the King’s court?  The King hasn’t called for me for thirty days,” echoed from her lips.  Truth spoken well yet still an excuse in the making.  We’re great at zeroing in on the facts that shed credence to what we don’t want to do.

Love the way Mordecai reminded Esther, “Who knows perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”  Not exactly the wisdom, encouragement or direction Esther most likely desired, yet striking enough to propel her forward.  But Esther doesn’t just accept the yes to do God’s will, she seeks His face for how to accomplish it.  Esther calls for a fast – not just for self but for her maids, for Mordecai and the Jews.

Way to go Esther – take some time to fast, pray and delay.  Ask God to get you out of this mess and miraculously intervene so you won’t have to go through this.  Sounds a lot like my words when “yes” means I really don’t want to obey. Not the case with Esther – her decision was made – “If I perish, I perish”  Pledging to do the tough, right thing Esther sought the favor, wisdom and guidance of God with her “yes” response.

Even when we know exactly what God is asking us to do, we need to press in and pray.  This was critical in Esther’s situation and demonstrated her great dependence on God. We need to do the same. Too many times we accept His “yes” and move forward without seeking His favor or guidance for the next step.  Esther’s decision to say yes and draw close granted her an audience with the King and great favor for the saving of her people (Esther 5:2).  Wonder what we are missing when we seize yes our way?

“Father, You are the giver of all wisdom and the One who knows exactly how and when we are to respond.  Teach us to not just accept “yes” but to trust You to lead us each step of the way.”

For HIs Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 19, 2025

My Hope – His Mercy

“When the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud that it made the ground shake!” 1 Samuel 4:5 (NLT)

When my mother was a little girl she was given a Lane cedar chest. A hope chest where she stored her childhood memorabilia. When my daughter was born, I painted it white to match her nursery décor and used it as a toy chest. Twenty-five years later, that beloved chest has a new paint design in John Deere colors and my daughter uses it as a toy chest for her son. To say the least, that cedar chest is a cherished family heirloom.

I believe there was a “hope chest” mentioned for the first time in Exodus. The Ark of the Covenant. The ark served as a symbol of the presence of God and as the throne of God. Inside the ark was manna, Aaron’s staff and the Ten Commandments. These three articles were preserved in the ark throughout Israel’s history reminding them of God’s provision, sovereignty and holiness. Everywhere they carried the ark, the Israelites were victorious; yet when they turned away from His presence, they were helplessly defeated.

The ark of the covenant was the base of God’s mercy seat. The mercy seat was a covering to remind us of our need for a Savior. Aaron was the first high priest that offered blood sacrifices of bulls and goats. But Jesus our last High Priest shed His blood upon the mercy seat to cleanse us once and for all. A Savior full of mercy and grace. God sits upon His mercy seat and shows us forgiveness after forgiveness time and time again.

“Father, You are full of loving kindness and your mercy covers all our iniquities. Thank You for the shed blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all our sins.”

For His Glory

Kim Lacey Schock (kimlaceyschock.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 18, 2025

Serving God With A Clear Conscience

“I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience…”  1 Timothy 1:3 (NKJV)

These words were written by the Apostle Paul to young Timothy, his protégé in faith.

Most of us know the history of Paul, who was once called Saul of Tarsus, the terror of Christians in the first century. Paul was the equivalent to Christians of what Hamas is currently to the Jews. He was a man who felt he was doing God a favor by arresting men and women who professed faith in Jesus and dragging them off to jail. He was the one who held the cloak of Stephen to aid his cohorts while they stoned Stephen to death. He may have been involved in other murders of Christians, but Stephen was the only one mentioned in scripture.

Can you imagine the fear Christians felt at the news that Saul was coming to their area? But Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus and had an immediate conversion experience. How he must have grieved when he realized how wrong he had been! He even said that the things he once valued, he later considered to be trash after his conversion experience. Now, years later, as he pens those words to Timothy, he declares himself to have a pure conscience, which could come only by the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit.

What about your past? Are there incidents in your past that cause you grief? Things you wish you had never done, or said, Things that caused pain for your family or other people you loved. Things that caused pain for a total stranger.

If you have committed your life to Jesus and your sins have been blotted out, you stand clean and without sin in God’s eyes. That’s hard for the human mind to accept. That’s a gift of grace beyond our ability to understand, but we know it’s true, because God says it is. Therefore, we, like Paul, can also serve Him with a clear conscience.

The enemy of your soul will try to bring up those things in your past to discourage you and make you feel guilty. There is no need to dwell on past sin unless there is some restitution the Lord is urging you to make. Deal with the restitution issue if possible, and enjoy serving the Lord with a clear conscience, as Paul did. He went on to write thirteen books of the Bible and planted churches all across Europe and Asia Minor, despite his black past as a persecutor of the church.

Think on this: If God can take a person like Saul and change him into the mighty apostle Paul in such a dramatic way, He can also use a person like me. And like you. And that, dear friends, is a cause for rejoicing!

“Heavenly Father, we thank You for the forgiveness of sin and ask You to supernaturally heal our thinking so we will know we are forgiven and can move forward victoriously in our service to You.”

For His Glory

Cherie Harbridge Williams
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories