Dwell Differently

“Sometimes I think we think this promise is something that we earn, or that we get when we're good enough, or when we’re doing all the right things. But the beauty of this promise is the context of the promise: when we fail, when we are faithless, God is still faithful. God still loves us. He draws us with unfailing kindness—the kind of kindness that doesn’t fail. That’s who our God is.” — Na...

“It was then, in the midst of my mess, that I encountered Jesus. And I kept thinking, ‘How come no one ever told me? How come no one ever told me about God and his unbelievable love—even for a messed up woman like me?’” — Cindy Bultema This month’s memory verse: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” — Jeremiah 31:3b Today’s podcast: It’s February, a...

“This is a verse not spoken in a place of perfection and goodness and righteousness…but a place of mess and of need and even of God’s rebuke. In this midst of their sin, God says this to [his people]: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.'” — Natalie Abbott This month’s memory verse: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn...

“For each of us—no matter who you are, no matter how mentally tough you are—there are things in our lives we are believing that are not true. Or maybe we need guidance in our life. And God’s Word is saying here in this verse, in Psalm 119:105, that his Word is the light and the lamp for our path.” — Vera Schmitz This month’s memory verse: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” — Ps...

“God’s Word is this lamp, it’s a light. It makes a way in the darkness. It shows you the path where you should be going.” — Vera Schmitz This month’s memory verse: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” — Psalm 119:105 Today’s podcast: As we celebrate the 5 year anniversary of Dwell Differently, Vera Schmitz, co-founder of Dwell, talks with her good friend Kelsie Holahan about how...

“To be able to look to Scripture in the dark times, and look to Christ in those dark seasons of my life, gave me hope that brought light into the darkness and really was just a foundation for me when it felt like the earth beneath me was shaken and shattering.” — Lauren McAfee This month’s memory verse: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” — Psalm 119:105 Today’s podcast: Have yo...

“We walk in a dark place. This is inherently saying that we need God’s Word to light the way. We are not the light—we need God to be the light, to shine a light on our path and to illuminate where it is we are supposed to go. We need God’s Word.” — Natalie Abbott This month’s memory verse: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” — Psalm 119:105 Today’s podcast: When you hear the wor...

“We’re not just putting verses on stuff to put verses on stuff. If it’s not going to bring life and push forward the Word for the good of God’s people, then we’re not going to do it.” — Vera Schmitz This month’s memory verse: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” — Isaiah 60:1 Today’s podcast: Here’s your chance to hear a behind-the-scenes conversation...

“You can read the whole Bible in a year in about 12 minutes a day…it’s 1% of your day that’s going to change the whole other 99%.” — Tara-Leigh Cobble We are so excited to share this special bonus episode with you today! Have you ever started reading through the Bible and then stopped soon after starting because it felt hard or you were confused? Here at Dwell, while we focus in on memorizing and...

“So often we get so caught up in our own individual lives that our heads are down and we’re doing all the things and we forget that we have God’s light in us and that we can shine—that we are called to be a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, and we are to point other people to Jesus.” — Vera Schmitz This month’s memory verse: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD ris...

“This should be our heartbeat…when we feel the pain and the darkness in our lives, that we would look at that eternal restoration of all things and long for it—we would long for this light, the glory of the Lord, to shine on us.” — Natalie Abbott This month’s memory verse: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” — Isaiah 60:1 Today’s podcast: Curious why...

“The darkness is being dispelled—the light is coming. Sin is being dispelled—righteousness is coming. Death is being dispelled—life is coming.” — Jason Abbott This month’s memory verse: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” — Isaiah 60:1 Today’s podcast: What does “glory” mean? Chances are you’ve heard that word a lot already this Christmas season, but...

“I really hope that as you memorize and mediate on this verse this month, it would really guide you in the process of reflection on who Jesus is, and the beauty of who he is, and what he has done for us, and that it would compel you to share that good news with others throughout the month.” — Natalie Abbott This month’s memory verse: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LOR...

“My challenge to you is to find somebody…who is further along in the faith than you and I want you to ask them this question: 'What is the most wonderful thing God has done in your life?’ and just treasure their answer.” — Vera Schmitz This month’s memory verse: “Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” — Psalm 107:8 Today’s podcast: In our...

“This is why this verse says let them give thanks—because when we share in the triumphs of God with others, our faith grows.” — Vera Schmitz This month’s memory verse: “Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” — Psalm 107:8 Today’s podcast: How have you experienced the goodness of God? Psalm 107:2, just a few verses before our memory verse this...

“There’s something about the practice of [thankfulness] in community that completes it. And that’s God’s design, that’s not a crutch. It’s not more holy if I’m just praying to Jesus alone in my thankfulness—it is in fact the bigger vision of what God’s redemption is that he creates a people that is marked by thankfulness.” — Rachel Gilson  This month’s memory verse: “Let them give thanks to the LO...

“[Psalm 107] is just such a beautiful picture of the gospel, isn’t it? That Jesus came not to save those who were good and righteous and the best, but he came to seek and save the lost. He came for those of us who were his enemies, who were thumbing our nose at him. And that is who our God is, and his love is unfailing, and his deeds are wonderful. Even to people like me who, in so many ways, am u...

“Don’t be afraid to share your heart, to share God’s truth, and to share his promise, because it’s true that we can live full lives following Jesus—it is the only way to be full in a real and lasting way.” — Vera Schmitz This month’s memory verse: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” — John 10:10 Today’s podcast: You wo...

“This is the promise that we have in Jesus: not to be taken from but to be given. Even when we don’t deserve the kinds of gifts, the fullness that he gives us, he does it—willingly, fully, beautifully for us.” — Natalie Abbott This month’s memory verse: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” — John 10:10 Today’s podcast:...

“I know what it is to grow up with my identity rooted in something that is temporary, and something that actually does come to steal, kill, and destroy rather than he who gives abundant life. And so it is with some urgency and compassion and drive that I want others to know that as well.” — Jen Oshman This month’s memory verse: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that...

“Are we going to entrust ourselves and believe in those things that are taking from us, or are we going to entrust ourselves and believe in Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who has laid down his life for us, and promises us abundant life?” —Natalie Abbott This month’s memory verse: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” — John 1...

“You only have one life, and while you can have a few careers in it, if my time was running out, what do I really want to be focusing my life on? And so that’s really what I’m here to talk about today.” — April Harper This month’s memory verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:...

“The reality is, we’re all empty vessels that are needing to be filled. So practically speaking, how then do we fill our buckets?” — Vera Schmitz     This month’s memory verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13 Today’s podcast: Welcome to our monthly wrap-up episode with Dwel...

"The promise is that we would overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, and I think that’s the lynchpin there. It’s not my own scraped-up hope, it is hope only by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Vera Schmitz This month’s memory verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Roma...

“These things that he’s giving—the hope and the joy and the peace—are not separate from him, they are part of him. He’s the God of hope, so he’s actually giving us himself.” — Courtney Doctor This month’s memory verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13 Today’s podcast: In tod...