30 | Ashley Ayala: Great Expectations
God had been challenging Ashley to do hard things and be courageous for Christ. It wouldn’t be the first time she said yes with great expectations to an uncomfortable situation.
29 | Phil Simmons: Trusting God’s Faithfulness and His Plan
We were a thousand miles away from home and our families, our daughter had just been born, and I was suddenly without a job and church family. I was so discouraged that I swore I’d never go back to full-time ministry and resolved to find a regular day job and a local church I could simply join and volunteer at. But God convicted me that this wasn’t what He had in mind for me, and to trust Him in the process of pursuing another role in ministry.
28 | D.C. Small Group: Finding Common Ground in Scripture Memorization
Despite their differences, the group quickly found common ground when one person said they wanted to memorize more scripture, and everyone else nodded along—it was a mutual struggle. They found themselves both humbled and galvanized by Psalm 119:11, in which the psalmist hides God’s word in his heart so he won’t sin against Him.
27 | Tate Fegley: All Things Belong to the Lord
God has confronted me with the fact that He’s blessed me with so many resources, even if I don’t feel especially wealthy.
26 | Brian Billman: Humbled by the Dream Job
Like many people in the Northern Virginia area, I was very goal-oriented and career-driven. I knew the job I wanted, and I was willing to put in the work to achieve it. I didn’t realize it then, but my career actually meant such a great deal to me that I had much of my self-worth, confidence, and security tied up in succeeding at work and making it to a specific level of responsibility.
25 | Tasha Eckenhoff: Reconciliation in Friendship
When conflict drives a wedge between you and your friends, it hurts. During a prolonged and deeply personal disagreement with a close friend, Tasha and her husband Brian had seen little fruit from their attempts at reconciliation, though they were exasperated and desperate to resolve the conflict.
24 | Will Johnson: Reconciliation Through Prayer
In early March, our small group was discussing a sermon on forgiveness and reconciliation, and I shared about an old friend of mine. We had been close until about three years ago when he fell on hard times. I lent him money in an understanding that he would pay me back whenever he got back on his feet.
23 | Shannon Shaughnessy: Learning to Love Reading Scripture
While on vacation with several families from church last August, Matt Rumbaugh overheard me talking about my Bible reading paralysis and really encouraged me to just start – and to start in the Psalms to really soak in God’s character and watch God meet me exactly where I was at. And God did just that.
22 | Kathy Vaught: Making Harvest Her Home
Kathy moved to the area to be closer to family, but what she didn’t know is that God also would lead her to Harvest where she plugged into a small group, found biblical community and accountability and took the next step to become a member.
21 | The Bowers: Answered Prayers for Healing
When our son was born in May of 2016, he had a slight bump on his forehead. At the time, doctors assured us it would go away in time. However, as he continued to grow, so did the mass.