Hope with God... with Andrew and Wendy Palau

Has your heart hardened over time? It can happen to any one of us. God has this promise for you today, if you want it…He says, “...I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” This can seem impossible and scary… but it is good, and it is possible through Jesus. On the cross, He carried our sin;...

What is your “why?” Why do you live, work, love? You might have a very clear “why.” You might have a multi-faceted answer. For many of us, our “why” is many things—many desires and longings. Can I tell you something that’s true? The God of the universe—the One true, supreme, creator God—sent His Son to the earth. He lived a perfect life. He died a painful death on a cross. But He is more powerful...

Life can feel like a storm, can’t it? The Bible, God’s book of truth, promises this, “...we who have fled to him [that means Jesus] for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.” At the cross, Jesus secured our forgiveness; when He was raised to life, He offered us unending life. And this is His promise:...

Are you like a child? Children are amazing. Children are trusting, they’re vulnerable. They believe what we tell them. Jesus calls us to be like children when we come to Him. He calls us to be humble, to humble ourselves, to trust Him, believe Him, obey Him. Not to be childish or immature—but to be childlike, to be full of wonder. The beautiful thing is that when we put ourselves in the hands of J...

Have you ever achieved something great, I’m talking about a major accomplishment, and then felt strangely hollow? Jesus understands that ache. He told His friends this, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” He’s not talking about literal food or water; He’s talking about nourishment that feeds our soul, bringing purpos...

You ever set goals to improve your life, only to end up watching those goals gather dust? What if there was a better way to change? A follower of Jesus named Paul wisely said this, “...I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Real transformation isn’t just about your own willpower; it’s about Jesus’ power alive in you. He offers forgiveness for the sins of your past, and strengt...

What is your treasure? The most valuable thing that you have in life? Jesus told a profound story, and He’s told us that the kingdom of Heaven, which is Him- knowing Him, is like a treasure that is hidden in a field that a man found. And with joy, this man went and sold everything he had, and he bought the field. Jesus tells us that this is what God’s kingdom is like. This is Jesus! Knowing Him—be...

Do these “what ifs” keep you up at night? Fear can control our minds and shrink our lives. But God speaks this promise over you: “...God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” He faced these exact fears that we face—sin, death, separation from God—and He overcame them on the cross. Because He rose from the dead, we can trust that fear does not hav...

Do you feel lost? Have you wandered away from the life that God offers you? From the hope and healing that He can give? There is a beautiful image in the Bible of Jesus describing His compassion and kindness for those of us who are lost. He says that He, Jesus, is like a man who owns a hundred sheep, but 1 has wandered away. This man will leave the 99 sheep who are safe and go looking for the one...

Have you ever had to find your way through a thick fog? Will you let this promise from God cut through the haze? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Jesus promises to guide you if you’re willing to listen. He will walk the road with you if you ask Him. He laid down His life to bring...

What is your foundation? What are you building your life around? Jesus told this story long ago, and it’s true for you today: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents…and the wind beats against that house, it will not collapse because it is built on bedrock.” What is that rock, that firm foundation?...

Isaiah 53 tells us that we are all like sheep that have gone astray. Every one of us has gone to our own way. Which way have you gone? Maybe your wandering has led you to a very dark place in your relationships. Maybe you have habits that are destroying you, addictions that are hurting you and the people you love. Your story isn't over. You are a wanderer. But God loves you. He loves you so much t...

Does life ever feel to you like a heavy backpack that you just cannot set down? If you feel that way, if that’s what life is to you, listen to this wonderful invitation from Jesus: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Following Jesus looks like handing Him each burden, one by one, and learning His gentle way. Do you want that kind of rest? You c...

What are your goals? Do you want to be great? Famous, wealthy? Do you want your name remembered? We all want our lives to matter. We want to be seen and known. We want to be respected. We want to be remembered. The interesting truth about this desire is that Jesus offers greatness to us, but not in the way we think. Not greatness as defined by the systems of the world. He offers a different way be...

Picture yourself at a crossroads at dusk— it’s two roads crossing, and you’re not sure which one leads to home. Life can feel like that. Jesus had something to say about our choices: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction…But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life...” Jesus isn’t trying to scare you; He’s inviting y...

Have you ever wished you could start over—wipe the slate clean as freshly fallen snow? Today, God is offering you this chance. The Bible promises, “...anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone and new life has begun!” He’s offering you forgiveness right now. What does it look like to begin again with Him? It means turning from the old path that you’ve been on—the b...

Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind. I'm not sure if you’re like me, but this commandment feels impossible! To love an unseen God in this way. Jesus knows this, and I am so grateful that He knows this about me. He knows this is an impossible commandment, which is why He came. He loved us with all of Himself. What kind of love wo...

Have you ever wondered, “What is the point of following Jesus?” You may have even heard someone say, “Believe in Jesus so you won’t go to hell.” That’s part of the story, but the Good News of Jesus is so much bigger! And it’s not just about the afterlife. It’s also about the now-life! This is how Jesus described eternal life when he was praying to God, His Father…He said, “Now this is eternal life...

There was a young man in the Bible. You can read about him in Matthew 19. He came to Jesus, and he asked Him, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus told Him to sell all he had and follow Him. The man walked away sad because he was a very rich man. You see, this man obeyed the rules. He wanted to know what he could do to have life. But Jesus understood that his wealth was the most...

Have you ever been asked to believe something that seems… impossible? Maybe you’ve heard the story of Jesus, being born as a baby, dying and then being raised to life. I wonder if you’ve ever thought that faith means shutting off your brain. Jesus never rejected honest questioning, even doubt. He met it with compassion. After Jesus rose from the dead, one of His own disciples—Thomas—struggled to b...

Every great story has a pivotal moment. And the greatest story ever told had its turning point on the very first Christmas. The Bible, God’s book of truth, says in Luke 2:11, “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Think about that. God, the Author of life—the big story of EVERYTHING—wrote Himself into His own story. And He didn’t stay distant....

Are you depleted and empty? Exhausted? Maybe people rely on you, and you feel like you're ready to give up or run away. Jesus' friends were in a similar situation. They faced a large crowd of very needy people; they had come to see Jesus to get help and healing from Him. And now, added to their needs was physical hunger. Jesus' response was unexpected. He said, “You give them something to eat.” Th...

Do you ever feel like Christmas today has become just too busy? What if it became the life-changing event it was always meant to be? That’s what happened for a few shepherds long ago on the hills of Bethlehem. The Bible tells us that, “The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard. It was just as the angels had told them.” Their encounter with...

Serving others is very hard. Putting others before ourselves. In fact, serving isn’t very popular. The systems of the world tell us to fight for what we want, what we need, what we feel we deserve. That we must put ourselves first. This is not the way of Jesus. In fact, He said that the way to truly be great is to serve others. The Lord of all, Creator God, laid down His life for you, for me. He c...

When we picture Christmas, we often think of a baby wrapped in cloth, lying in a wooden manger. But that moment of new life points forward to another moment. So different—it’s the cross. In the Bible, God’s ancient book of truth, a prophet named Isaiah wrote a prediction about the savior that would come…Jesus. Isaiah said this, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was be...