Hope with God... with Andrew and Wendy Palau

I get messages from people all the time, wondering, “How in the world do I communicate with God? How do I hear from Him?” As you read the Bible—as you listen attentively—expect that God will speak to you. Sometimes you’re going to gain some truth and wisdom—big-picture stuff that just serves you all of the days of your life. And at other times a verse will jump out at you, and it seems to be addre...

Have you ever been plagued by thoughts that you are… Not enough? Not pure enough? Not worthy of God’s love? These are the lies of the enemy of your soul, the Devil. He’ll use your negative thoughts to try to convince you that these things are true. Even though we know they are lies, they still seep into our minds—sometimes without us even noticing. We need to fight the battle by replacing the word...

Do you ever feel like there’s a war going on in your mind? The Bible describes your mind as a battlefield. When we follow Jesus, we commit to aligning our lives with the truth. The father of lies does not want that—so he tries to pull you away, tricking you with words of doubt. Don’t be fooled. The Bible helps us fight the enemy’s lies. 2 Corinthians 10 says: …the weapons of our warfare are not of...

Who is the Holy Spirit? When you give your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God is who enters in, and lives within you. This means you have a direct connection with God in every moment of your life. He's the One who is present—even right now—and able to help! Sometimes the Bible calls Him the Helper or the Counselor. John 14:26 says this about the Holy Spirit... But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, w...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the troubles of life? You don't have to face them alone. When you first accepted Jesus, the Holy Spirit came in to live within you! Maybe you’ve even heard that a lot. Let’s think about what it really means. The Bible sometimes calls the Holy Spirit, "the Advocate." An advocate is like a friend—someone who stands up for you and protects you from the injust...

Have you ever felt like you were so deep in sin… that crawling out of that pit just feels impossible? You are never too far gone for God to save you. Listen to this passage from 2 Corinthians 5:17-19. … anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! …For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against...

Do you trust that God has forgiven the wrong things that you’ve done? “Forgiven” is not just a thing that happened to you. Because of Jesus, “forgiven” is part of who you are. When God looks at you, He does not see everything you've ever done wrong. He sees you clean—washed clean—through the blood of His Son, Jesus. We all struggle from time to time. We stumble, we make mistakes, and we sin. Will...

One day we will all experience physical death. But if you’ve been made alive in Jesus, you're free from the spiritual consequences of sin. That means you will not experience a spiritual death! After your body passes away, your spirit—clothed with a brand new body—will live on in the face-to-face reality of the presence of God. Just like John 8:36 says, …if the Son sets you free, you are truly free...

Do you carry guilt from the sin of your past? You don’t have to. Before you and I met Jesus, we were slaves to sin. We were trapped on a road that leads to death. But Jesus bought our freedom. And He paid the ultimate price for it—His death on a cross. Romans 8 says, …because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Being free...

What are your parents like? Whether wonderfully kind or painfully harsh, you’ve probably experienced hurt from them. Your own childhood—it shapes the way you think about fatherhood. Have you ever thought of God like He’s an angry father and yourself like a naughty child, afraid that you’re going to be punished? There’s a Bible story about a son who left his father. And this is how God wants you to...

The day I walked into the orphanage to bring home my daughter, Sadie, she had no idea that I was coming. A beautiful baby from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia—she was vulnerable to the harshness of life in that situation. But when I came in and picked her up in my arms, she became my child. Wow! This is also what God did for me. This is what He does for each one of us. God picked me up, held me in His arms,...

Have you ever felt like you're an accident? I want to tell you today…listen! You are not a mistake. God created you with love and intention. He designed you uniquely—there is no one on earth like you. He made you to love Him, to receive His love, and to share that love with others. When you accept Christ's offer of new life, you will be born again! And the part of you that’s capable of connecting...

Who God is—makes you who you are. You can’t make things new. But God can. Because He is your creator, when you invite Him to be the Lord of your life, you are made new! Sometimes we hear people say, “You’re starting a new chapter in life.” But rebirth in Jesus means picking up an entirely new book! A fresh start, but on God’s terms. He begins to write a new story, washing the old mess away. But be...

Have you ever been awake early enough to see the sunrise? If so, you know how powerful it is to watch the darkness be overtaken by the light. And as the sun’s rays touch the landscape, there is beauty. When you follow Jesus, your identity—who you truly are—is a reflection of who God is. You won’t be able to know yourself until the Light of Life shines on you. What does that mean? Colossians 1:12 c...

Here’s a question we all ask ourselves. What do I have to offer? Was I made for more than this? Where do I belong? For 27 years, before I accepted Christ, I was so afraid that I didn’t matter. I had a good mask to cover up all the ways I felt insufficient. But I wondered, “Will anyone ever see the real me?” We can spend our whole lives stuck in the fear that we’re not enough—trying to manufacture...

Almost 200 years ago the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote a piece called “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” I was struck recently by some of the lines of that song, when it says: And in despair, I bowed my head: "There is no peace on earth," I said, "For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, goodwill toward men." Then pealed the bells more loud and deep...

There's a phrase in Isaiah chapter 9 that promises the coming Messiah, Jesus. And it says… “...the government will be on his shoulders.” The word government simply means rule, authority, dominion. And the Hebrew word for shoulders means the neck, the place of burdens. The coming Savior will be the ruler with authority and dominion, and the carrier of all burdens. It's exactly what Jesus did when H...

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but it can also be sad and stressful for many of us. Maybe you have lost a family member and miss them acutely this Christmas season. Or maybe your life has undergone drastic changes, and you miss the way that Christmases used to be. I want to remind you today of an ancient prophecy about the first Christmas. It’s the prophet Isaiah, who declared… “For those...

Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah, years before Jesus was born. He said, For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Jesus—our Prince of Peace. During this time of year, very often, the thing we long for the most is peace, and we don't have it. It feel...

On this day, over 2,000 years ago, the world was irrevocably changed. The God of the whole universe came into the world—the world He created. Why? To be with His people, to save us from sin and death. The faithful among God’s people had been watching and waiting for the promised messiah for ages. The prophet Isaiah predicted His birth, saying… “…his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty...

Sometimes, delaying something can make it better and more meaningful in the long run, don’t you think? Having to work for a long period of time to earn something makes it even more meaningful when you finally get it. Today’s culture is more about instant gratification, but I think the anticipation of the Advent can be helpful this time of year. Advent comes from the Latin word that means “coming.”...

We don't often think about death until we're face to face with it…someone you love dies, or you get sick and you realize that you're mortal. We won't live forever. Death seems to always have the last word, and death silences all our protests. All except one. The Creator of life is stronger than death. He has authority over death, which is exactly why Jesus came. Because of His birth (which we're c...

During the Christmas season, some of us observe Advent as a time to reflect on the birth of Christ and the long ages of waiting for His arrival. I’m so thankful that Emmanuel—which means “God with us”—came to the earth and sacrificed His holy life on our behalf. But it’s also true that we are still waiting for something. Hebrews 2 describes how Jesus gained the victory over death and hell. This se...

Do you need a savior? You might say to me, Wendy, I'm fine. I'm my own savior. Can I tell you something? One day, you'll realize you are not enough to save yourself. You do need a savior—I need a savior. It's humbling to realize, and it's humbling to accept, and it's humbling to receive. But here's the good news…God lifts up the humble. So that means, Christmas is for you. Listen to the words of L...

The world is often a scary and a sad place. People fight with words and with weapons. We lose people we love and sometimes we struggle to love people. The apostle, Paul, said in Romans 8 , … all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to this present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory… Each of us...