Hope with God... with Andrew and Wendy Palau

Have you ever heard someone say, “God is with you all the time”? What does that really mean? We can say that God is always with us because, when we decide to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside of us! The Bible even says, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. That’s amazing, right? But it wasn’t always this way. This indwelling of the Spirit is a resul...

The very first words Jesus says to His disciples after the resurrection are, “Peace be with you.” The very first words Jesus says to His disciples after the resurrection are, “Peace be with you.”  Peace—the one thing every human needs.  We sing about it, we talk about it, we protest for it… we even fight for it. We need peace in the world, and we need peace in our homes. We need peace in our very...

As Jesus hung on the cross with his last breath, “...he said, “It is finished!” What did He mean? What was finished that day was more than just the execution of an innocent man. It was the end of the separation between God and humanity. It was the victory of the power of God over the power of death.  And it was the gift of Jesus Himself—His grace offered—His forgiveness made available for all of m...

What would you do if you had all the power in the universe? We could all come up with some wild answers to that question, but I bet none of us would say,  I would choose to give up my power and die.  But you know what? That's exactly what Jesus chose to do. Philippians 2 says, "He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross." Jesus didn't use His almighty power t...

Some of Jesus's most comforting words to His best friends before He went to the cross, are in John 14. He says this, “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.”  Jesus could have used many words here. But He chose this very powerful word, “orphan.” It means—fatherless, motherless, desolate, bereaved. And it's only used in the gospels once—and it's right here. Jesus knew that His friends...

How could God the Father send His Son, Jesus, to be crucified? Maybe you've wondered why a loving God would do something that seems so cruel.  The reason Easter is a time of celebration, and not grieving, is that Jesus knew He would rise again, and  He wasn't forced  to go to the cross; the Bible says Jesus went willingly. He knew that His suffering and death was the only way to bring a broken hum...

Listen to these words of Jesus right before He went to the cross. He said, “I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me should stay in the darkness.” The light of the world came, and He promised light for anyone who believed in Him. But then something tragic happened. He died—a gruesome death on a cross. And it seemed as if the light had been snuffed out—totally gone ou...

Do you have peace in your life? Maybe you've searched far and wide but never have felt it. We all definitely desire it. And Jesus wants to give you it—true, lasting, unending peace. In fact, He paid the ultimate price to give it to you. On the week leading up to His death, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. And the people cheered and they shouted “Hosanna! Hosanna.”  But Jesus didn't join in t...

Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered for his stand against racial inequality. In a sermon, King once said, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” So true! Love does change people. And who is the greatest source of love? Jesus, of course! He loved us before we even knew Him. As the Apostle John wrote: “We love Him because He first loved us.” As followers of Jesus,...

Have you ever seen the image of Jesus carrying a sheep on His shoulders? It is an artist's depiction of the parable of the lost sheep. This is a story Jesus told to a group of religious leaders who were muttering against Him because he was a friend to so-called sinners. In the story, the shepherd loses one sheep out of 99. But he leaves the 99 to go after the 1. When he finds the one he calls his...

I saw a quote that said: The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. And the first to forget is the happiest.” Forgiving others can be hard to do, especially if they have wronged you on a deep level. But if you want your life to radiate God’s love, then forgiveness must be offered. “We love because He first loved us,” we read in First John chapter 4. God’s love fo...

What are your troubles today? As you hear my voice, are you driving along in your car, burdened, overwhelmed? Maybe just irritated? Listen to these words from Psalm 55 from The Message "Pile your troubles on God's shoulders - He'll carry your load, He'll help you out." Do you believe this? Instead of letting your worries rattle around in your mind. Instead of trying to solve an unsolvabl...

Just driving into the office these days can be a frightening experience. Doesn't it seem to you that drivers are even more impatient than ever? Many of them are racing to make it through the intersection as the light turns red or zipping from lane to lane in an effort to get ahead. And they get angry if they think you are getting in their way.[ Maybe they never heard the fable of the tortoise and...

In recent years many CEOs have been adopting the strategy of servant leadership. It turns out that companies where bosses lead by serving show higher job satisfaction, less employee turnover, and better productivity. It's a good business practice, and who demonstrated this better than anyone else? Jesus Christ. Of course. Jesus told his disciples in Mark 10, "Whoever wishes to be first among...

Do you want to be clean on the inside? Your thoughts, your conscience, your memories. Maybe you've done things that rattle around inside your mind and you're wondering how to deal with them. This is guilt, and it's real. We all have things we've done - things we've said, things that may have been done to us that make us feel dirty. You can be clean. Listen to this prayer in Psalm 51. "Cleanse...

It might not surprise you to know that about 1/3 of all charitable donations are made in the month of December. Some people give to celebrate the birth of Jesus, God's greatest gift to us. Others get year-end bonuses, and they can share out of that. But whatever the reason, charitable giving does go up at the end of the year. It seems harder for people to give when it's not part of the holiday sea...

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about a son, one of two brothers, who asks his wealthy father for his inheritance. He leaves home for a distant land. But when he has wasted all he has on wild living, he ends up being so hungry that he's feeding pigs and eating what they are eating. Then these words – "When he came to his senses." He remembers his home, his father and his life,...

When you go to a symphony performance, you will often hear the sound of cymbals ringing out at a climax in the music. Or perhaps a loud ringing sound of a gong will be heard. These are the instruments that can be heard over all the others in the orchestra. Imagine if you were standing right next to the percussionist right at that moment; it would be deafening. This is why first Corinthians chapter...

My friend Richard is an amazingly successful man in many areas of his life. Anyone looking at him will think this guy's got it all together. But not long ago, he admitted to me that he has this terrible problem. He doesn't sleep. He's awake much of the night stressing out about his business ventures. Richard feels that everything is dependent upon him. Are you an insomniac because of anxiety and w...

I love the story in Luke 15 about a woman who has 10 coins, but she loses one. She lights a lamp, sweeps her floor, and searches carefully. When she finds it, she calls her friends to come and celebrate with her. This is such a beautiful story. She has nine other coins but is not content to lose one, each coin so precious. There's an urgency for her to find the lost coin. It's obviously evening, b...

Where I live in Portland, Oregon, we don't get a lot of severe weather. But one winter, we had a terrible snowstorm. Traffic came to a standstill, all the schools and stores were closed, and the ice and the snow made it so treacherous you couldn't go out. But inside my home, I felt safe, and it was restful to sit by the fire and look at the beautiful snowy scene outside. I loved it. Our lives can...

How long will you suffer? How long will you cry? How long will this ache fill your soul? I don't know. But I do know it won't be forever. One day you will have joy. God promises it. Listen to these words from Psalm 30. "Weeping will remain for a night. But joy comes in the morning." These are hopeful, comforting words. No night lasts forever. The sun will rise, and we need to look for it...

One of the most amazing things about God is that He has no boundaries. He is infinite. We're so used to things in our lives having beginnings and endings. Everything changes over time for us but not for God. God is always the same. He has always loved you, and he always will love you. He is always with you. And He promised never to leave you but to walk with you through everything you face in life...

I have a friend who is an amazing athlete. He played multiple sports when we were growing up, and he seemed to be headed for stardom, and he was. He was drafted into the National Football League right out of college. But a few years into his career, he was injured in the game and eventually cut from the team. Suddenly, all of his dreams were out the window. As a Christian, he trusted God, even tho...

We all need help at times. Maybe you're a self-sufficient person and you're disciplined. You've got your life under control. For today, you don't feel like you need help. But that's today. What about tomorrow? You might not need any help today, but one day you will. We all will. I want you to remember these words. There is a place to go for help. The creator of the universe wants to help you. Ask...