Encouragement Archives | Council Fire

April 27, 2026

April 27, 2026

Biblical Advice for Grief

“God blesses those that mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (NLT) God knows you will experience grief in this life, but you’re not meant to go through it alone. Relying on God and others can relieve your sorrow. Ecclesiastes 3:1a-4 says: “To everything there is a time . . . a time to weep . . . a time to mourn, . . .” (KJV) John 11:35 says, “Jesus wept.” (KJV) Jesus felt deeply the pain of Lazarus’ death. I was raised in a culture where open grief was not normal. I recall standing by a family that […]

April 23, 2026

April 23, 2026

God at Work

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NASB) When you experience hard things in life, it is difficult to believe that God has anything to do with what is happening. Early in my Christian walk, my older brother died a violent death at the hands of another family member. This was the first death in my immediate family that I had experienced. I went through many emotions during that time. It was a big test on my faith […]

April 20, 2026

April 20, 2026

Hiding God’s Word

“Your word I have hidden my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11 (NKJV) I remember memorizing Psalm 23 in Sunday school. That earned me my first Bible! I like that the teacher said memorizing Scripture is like hiding God’s Word in our hearts. As I grew older, I realized what a treasure God’s memorized Word is. Keeping God’s Word with us this way serves in several ways. It is a reminder to not sin against Him and to draw on His many promises. It also helps us to be encouraged in moments we may experience fear […]

April 17, 2026

Flight

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Imagine we are living in the 1700s. We’ve carried water from the lake or creek, chopped wood for the fire, and started a stew for supper. (You men brought game home yesterday.) How difficult would it be for us to believe the tale of an odd-looking stranger who shows up with a wild story about a machine called a “747”—that we can walk into, with all of our luggage, […]

April 16, 2026

April 16, 2026

He Knows Your Needs

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) When I attended Key-Way-Tin Bible Institute in the early 1990s, I began to learn what it means to trust in the Lord for everything. To get a diploma, three years were required. I did not know how I was going to pay for the three years. I was out of high school and didn’t have a job. I gave my life to Jesus on January 14, 1994, and the Bible school staff graciously worked it out so that […]

April 14, 2026

April 14, 2026

An Undivided Heart

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19- 20 (NIV) It is easy to allow habits to creep in and take up residence in our lives just as the Israelites did in Ezekiel 11. We can allow the world around us to sell us their idols. Our focus becomes our jobs, our […]

April 12, 2026

April 12, 2026

Be With Him

“And He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would; and they came unto him. And He ordained twelve, that they should be with him.” Mark 3:13, 14a (KJV) Recently, a teenager had been attending our small church faithfully for two months, but he suddenly stopped. About a month later I saw him walking with a friend. I asked him why he stopped coming and he replied, “I have been very busy and don’t have the time.” His friend piped up, “He is always busy on Sundays.” My wife and I wondered what could keep a […]

April 11, 2026

April 11, 2026

Compassion One For Another

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (KJV) A. God loves us. This is only one of the Scriptures that tells us that God loves us. Not just me. He loves all of us, the whole world. He loves not just the good people, but also the bad people. Drunks, alcoholics, drug addicts, murderers, thieves . . . all sinners are loved by God. God doesn’t love the sin, but He loves the person He created. Psalm 97:10 says, “Ye […]

April 10, 2026

http://Ungratefulness—A%20Hard%20Pill%20to%20Swallow

April 10, 2026

Ungratefulness—A Hard Pill to Swallow

“Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name” Psalm 140:13a (NKJV) There are few things more painful than doing someone a kindness and having them treat it with disdain. After working in secret for weeks, Margaret, a prize-winning bead crafter, has finally finished the intricately beaded vest for her daughter, Princess. She wraps it and places it beneath their Christmas tree. When the big day arrives, Margaret can hardly wait to see Princess’s eyes brighten when she sees the vest! But when her daughter unwraps the gift, she scowls and tosses it back into the box. She says, “Here, […]