Standing Confidently
Ashley Trail
May 11, 2025
Building Courage When I read Esther 7, I imagine the room tense with anticipation. Esther, dressed in royal robes, stood
Building Courage When I read Esther 7, I imagine the room tense with anticipation. Esther, dressed in royal robes, stood
Waiting! The bane of most of us. We do not like to wait. In fact, technological advancements have increased our
My church recently walked through the book of Esther. It was such a blessing to me, as I had never
Haman said, “Furthermore, Queen Esther invited only me to accompany the king to the banquet that she prepared. And also
I wonder what Esther was feeling as she watched the sunrise on that third day. “It so happened that on
Thankfully a few centuries ago royal families lost the power to kill someone for approaching them incorrectly. However, there are
She was an unlikely leader, but her love for Jesus moved her to action. From the beginning of her life,
While the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in an uproar. – Esther 3:15
“In the first month…pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman in order to determine a day and a
The Benefits of Godly Wisdom Have you ever had a moment when someone’s advice really made a difference in your
Rule Following vs Approval Seeking If you’ve ever spent any considerable amount of time around young children, you might have
Ephesians 5:15 says, “Therefore consider carefully how you live–not as unwise but as wise.” Why are we to live as
Chapter 1 of the book of Esther is a cautionary tale of the consequences of foolish decision-making. There are many
Every Love God Greatly study highlights one of the languages we serve – our new study, For Such A Time
Over in the Blink of an Eye Have you ever spent a lot of time and money on planning and
The book of Esther is a strange book in that it is one of two books in the Bible where
Friends, our new study translations are ready! We have the incredible privilege of announcing that the For Such a Time
I love that we get to see God’s heart for the humble and lowly all throughout Scripture. His pursuit of
Have you ever had to wait for an exciting purchase to come in the mail? Though the shipping only takes
The Nativity of Christ is the most powerful and uniquely heavy scene of humility in all of history. Each Christmas
I love Mary’s song of purity and joy to the LORD after finding out she was chosen to carry the
Think of someone who you fear. Now, think of someone who you esteem and respect. Do these happen to be
My friend invited me to attend a worship concert at her church, and we arrived just as the music started
Nothing God does is done in a vacuum and without purpose. Nothing! Everything He does has a plan, purpose, and
Most of us have probably held a sweet, little baby before – maybe our own children, or a friend’s newborn,
I grew up as the accident-prone child in our family. Even though I had two older brothers, I still was
Something I really love is the light of early morning. Whether I’ve just had a good night’s sleep or tossed
Doubt Turned to Praise Today we look further into Zechariah’s song. Zechariah was the father of John the Baptist, the
Every Love God Greatly study highlights one of the languages we serve – our new study, Rejoice, includes the highlight
The Main Characters One of the things I really look forward to every Christmas season is the annual nativity play
The word “Advent” is derived from Latin and means “coming” or “arrival.” It’s the four weeks leading up to Christmas
Friends, our new study translations are ready! We have the incredible privilege of announcing that our Rejoice study is now
People-pleasing has been a part of me as long as I can remember, no matter the amount of sanctification and
The Gift of the Word It was beautiful to study Jeremiah 29 and its surrounding biblical passages. I had to
Endure to the End Do you ever feel like the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? Faithful Christians who know
Faithful Prayers Have you ever prayed for something for days, weeks, months, or years on end? I want you to
Missing the Mark I love playing mini golf. My favorite course is in Cocoa Beach, Florida. It is beautifully designed
I sat in my beach chair watching as two young girls were building a large kingdom in the sand. They
Faithful in Hardship I love this C.S Lewis quote: “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended
Understanding Integrity When I was in fourth grade, I won a “character counts” award, which was given to one boy
Daniel Through the Years Do you remember reading the story of Daniel resolving to not touch the king’s food after
Redefining Humility Pride is one of those funny things where we can actually trick ourselves into thinking we aren’t being
Everyone has some area of their life where they struggle with sin. The struggle is real! Yes…even Christians! We are
God Alone is Worthy I wonder if, like me, you have a favorite book, movie, or place that is just
Hope of the Everlasting Kingdom I’ve recently been thinking about how being part of the body of Christ through the