Hope with God... with Andrew and Wendy Palau

Little kids love to hear the same story over and over. And, sometimes, as adults, we just get bored, and we wish they would choose a new story! But there is one story that never gets old. It’s the story that is woven into our very existence. That’s the Gospel! Here it is in a nutshell: Humans are prone to do wrong. God knows this, and He still loves you. So much so that He made a way for you to be...

The Bible tells us the true story of Jesus coming to earth to rescue us from our sins and to restore us to relationship with our loving creator. Long ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote… How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! He is talking about the good news of the Messiah, Jesus, w...

Humans learn best through stories, and the Bible is the wonderful true story of who God is and who we are in this world. As the most well-preserved historical document in the history of the world, the Bible provides us with a trustworthy account of the Israelite people, and of the covenants God has made with humanity. It gives us context for our own purpose, and directs us towards God’s grace and...

Listen to the words of Psalm 19… The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. The natural world reveals the beauty and power of God. He’s also...

I read an article the other day and learned that when you hear a good story, your brain actually experiences it as though you’re right there, living it yourself. So, what’s the greatest story ever told? The story of Jesus, of course! The story of the Gospel. A true story. It gives an account of real events. And it’s true in terms of what it means for you. Jesus came into the earth that He created....

Listen to this powerful verse from the Gospel of Matthew: Chapter 28, verse 19 says... Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Did you know that the word “go” in this verse means something closer to “as you go along”? That means you don’t have to travel, necessarily, anywhere out of the ordinary in order to star...

Where do you go when trouble comes? Or confusion or uncertainty? When circumstances feel out of control? From my experience, people call out to God in times of crisis. They either beg God for help or they raise their fists in anger and frustration. The interesting thing is that we need to believe God exists to call out to Him. Romans 10 tells us that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will...

Have you ever had to deliver a message on behalf of someone else? Maybe a friend said, “Send my love to the family.” When you deliver messages like these, you’re acting as an ambassador—representing someone who isn’t physically there. Well, God has invited us to be His ambassadors. What an honor. You and I get to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world where He is present in Spirit, but not in p...

Sorrow comes to us in different ways. Sometimes, the pain of this world walks through our door and sorrow settles into our souls. But, sometimes our own choices bring sorrow. Psalm 16 tells us that troubles (or sorrow) multiply for those who chase after other gods. The Hebrew word, right there, means pain or wound. Are you wounded? Are you in pain? Have you turned your heart away from the one true...

I’ll never forget my dad, Luis Palau, telling this story. When he was young, his mother knew he was meant to be an evangelist. After much urging from Grandma, Dad finally said, “Mom, give me a break! I’m waiting for the call.” Well, what was her reply? “The call?! The call went out 2,000 years ago!” She was talking about this, a verse, Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to...

When I was a young man, my addictions and inclination towards bad behavior and bad relationships nearly destroyed me. I was so far from God I never thought I would find my way back. Maybe you’ve heard about Jesus before and thought to yourself, “He would never want me.” You’ll never be perfect. God knows this, and He still loves you. So much so that He made a way for you to be close to Him. He sen...

My daughter recently went to a massive music concert. 60,000 people singing along, thousands of girls enraptured by the production, the lights, and the beauty of this musician. Each identifying with the stories she tells through her songs, feeling seen and known. I couldn’t help but think about how deep the longing is to be known. To be understood and cared for. And how beautifully and quietly Jes...

Has anyone ever told you, “Today’s a gift…that’s why it’s called the present!” Well, it’s a silly old joke; it’s a pun, and puns work because there’s some kind of truth to them, right? If you’ve never made the decision to follow Jesus, maybe today is your day. The gift of new life, eternal life- it was purchased by Jesus, and it is offered to you today and every day, unfailable. You can choose to...

How easy it is to love what is beautiful, the powerful, the young. We’re all naturally drawn to this. But who loves the old, the poor, the tired, or the abused? When our bodies are destroyed because of age, or sickness, or addiction? The Creator of the universe- He sees past all of these things. He alone has the power to heal, and to help, and to comfort. He promises in Ezekiel 34 that He Himself...

By the time I was a young adult, I had done so many things I was ashamed of. I didn’t know how to break the cycle. But God was so gracious to me. When I finally reached this breaking point—when the darkness began to really close in on me, God showed me… All of my sin, all of my shame…His sacrifice powerful enough to wash it away. He purged me of all these wrongs and gave me a new start. No matter...

Have you ever felt excluded? Like everyone else was wanted, but you were forgotten, not good enough? Listen to this verse, John 3:16-17, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” You are desired by God. You...

If God is your father, you do not live in fear. What are you afraid of today? Failure or loss or loneliness? You might even be struggling with irrational fears. In Romans 8 , Paul reminds us that we don't have a spirit of fear, but a spirit of sonship. That just means if you follow Jesus, you’re a child of the Living God, the Mighty God. This is a relationship that’s built on trust because you can...

When I was young, I knew I could never compete with my brothers, the twins! They were perfect straight-A students, and I was the family wildcard, always in trouble. After many years of struggling to do better and failing, I discovered…There was someone who already knew me and loved me completely. It’s God. And He has a good plan for your life. As humans, we’re affected by sin. It’s in our nature t...

Have you been adopted by God? Human adoption is marked by longing and loss. A family longing for a child steps into a situation and chooses to welcome a child into their family. They choose the child. They do what needs to be done to legally become that child’s forever family. Romans 8 tells us that we’re adopted by God. He wants us. He chose us. And He did what needed to be done to be our Father....

Do you ever feel like something's missing in your life? Think about it right now. Maybe something just popped in your head as I asked that question. Or maybe you’re mostly happy except for the rare occasion when you find yourself sleepless, when you're feeling completely worn out. Whatever it is, I want to tell you, there’s someone who knows your deepest needs. It’s God. He has a wonderful plan fo...

I’ve said this to myself so many times: Remember, Andrew, you are forgiven. You’re loved by your Heavenly Father. There is a purpose for your life. I have to remind myself of these truths because I’m prone to wander. I wander away from the mercy of God. And easily get discouraged and miss out on the gifts and the thriving life that He has for me, unless I allow those truths to correct my thinking....

The world is a big and interesting place! One of my greatest joys in life is going to places where people may not have heard about the goodness of God. They might not see God as loving. They might have been taught that God is an angry taskmaster or a hard judge. Or He is a god that needs to be appeased. They don’t understand that His love is so deep that He gave His life for them. Do you remember...

Have you ever purposely hidden your faith? Sometimes we’re aware that people have linked Christ to other people or other ideas or actions that don’t reflect on who Jesus truly is. But the truth of Jesus’ goodness persists. He is good. He is kind. He is loving beyond what we can ever comprehend. And it’s okay if you need to make a clarification about that. You can say, “Look, I’m a Christian… that...

For some reason, God, in His sovereignty, has chosen people to share His message of hope with the world. That’s His plan. Us! You might be listening to me and think: Well, that’s you, Wendy. Not me. I just need to live my life. But if you walk with Jesus, if you know Him, you are called to represent Him to the world. You carry the Light of Life in you. Paul asked the question in Romans 10. He says...

Think about someone in your life that you love or care about. And when you love someone, you want what’s best for them. You don’t just sit around hoping things work out; you take action. And you talk to them about it, even if it’s tough. You hold out hope for them, even when they do not. If we hold back from sharing the Gospel, thinking that we’re being nice or polite or considerate… Are we really...