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Little by Little

I started running back in 2018, and lately I’ve been sharing a little more about my running journey. I really enjoy running, but I wasn’t able to run for the last three years. It’s been really nice to finally get back out there again.

When I first started back in February, it was hard. I look back now at my pace, and it took me a long time just to do a little bit, but I’m really glad I started anyway. I’m the type of person that when I jump into something, I go all in. I want to move fast, progress fast, and do more right away. But this year, when I started running again, I told myself, “I really need to take my time,” because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing too much too soon.

Honestly, it was hard to hold back sometimes. I felt like I could do more or go faster, but I’m glad I took my time. The Bible talks about in Ecclesiastes how there is a season and a time for everything, and how God makes everything beautiful in its time.

When I first started back running, it wasn’t beautiful. It would take me almost 45 minutes to run three miles, which for some people might even be a walking pace. But that’s where I was, and I’m thankful I didn’t let comparison discourage me or make me want to quit.

Now, I can run three miles much faster than that, and it only happened because I allowed my strength and fitness to come back little by little.

That phrase, “little by little,” reminds me of Exodus 23:30, where God says, “Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”

I love that verse because sometimes we want everything to happen immediately. We want instant growth, instant strength, instant results. But God often works little by little because He’s growing us in the process. Sometimes we are not ready yet for the full thing we’re asking for, and growth takes time.

This is a lesson I’ve had to apply throughout my whole life.

When I wrote my book from 2021 through 2023, I had to write it little by little too. I was homeschooling, still new to homeschooling, and I didn’t have large chunks of free time. I didn’t release my book until 2024, but little by little adds up.

Whatever feels overwhelming to you right now, start little by little.

Maybe you have a huge room you need to declutter. Work on it for 5 or 10 minutes, then come back tomorrow and do another 5 or 10 minutes.

Maybe you want to organize the 24,182 pictures on your phone. Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and organize a few at a time.

We live in such an all-or-nothing society, and sometimes that mindset can become part of our personality too. But the truth is, you can accomplish a lot little by little.

I hope this encourages you today.

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

So whatever feels insurmountable to you right now, just know that with the help of the Lord, and with the willingness to keep moving forward little by little, you can do it. You can make progress, and you can see success.

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Grace for the Race

Last week, I wrote about running our own race and staying focused on the path God has marked out for us. But during that same 10K race, something happened that stayed with me long after I crossed the finish line.

As I was running, I saw a woman walking in the opposite direction, crying.

I don’t know her story. Maybe she got hurt. Maybe she realized the distance was more than she expected. I truly don’t know the details, and this is in no way meant to shame her.

But seeing her walk away from the course made me think about how easy it can be in life to feel like turning around and giving up.

Sometimes life feels overwhelming. Sometimes we hit seasons where we think, “I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

Maybe it’s your finances.
Maybe it’s your marriage.
Maybe it’s parenting, ministry, work, or just the weight of life itself.

Paul encouraged believers over and over again to keep going. In Galatians 6:9 he writes:

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

I love that verse because it acknowledges something important:
Sometimes you will feel tired.

But tired doesn’t always mean it’s time to quit.

One thing I love about races is that all throughout the course there are water stations. And it always amazes me how they seem to appear at exactly the right moment, right when you feel like you really need one.

When you’re running, stopping briefly at a water station doesn’t mean you failed the race. It doesn’t mean you quit. It simply means you needed to refresh yourself so you could keep going.

And I think Jesus is that for us.

Jesus said:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Sometimes what we need is not to give up.
Sometimes we simply need rest.
We need to pause, regroup, pray, worship, breathe, and spend time in the presence of God.

The goal isn’t to push ourselves until we completely fall apart. The goal is to stay in the race.

2 Peter 1:3 reminds us that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. That means whatever season we are facing, God will provide the strength, grace, wisdom, and endurance we need to keep moving forward.

So if you’re tired, rest.
If you’re weary, go to Jesus.
If you’re discouraged, pause at the water station.

But don’t give up mid-race.

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Run Your Race

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is found in 1 Corinthians 9:24–27. Paul writes:

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win. All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I’m not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself might be disqualified.”

Part of my goal for this summer is to let some of you get to know me a little bit better, and one of my favorite things in the world is running.

I started running in 2018, and over the years I’ve completed a few half marathons and even a marathon. I had to take a couple years off because of some different life circumstances, but this year I’m finally back to running consistently for the first time in three years, and honestly, it feels amazing.

There’s just something about being outside in God’s creation that brings me peace. The quiet. The movement. The fresh air. It clears my mind and settles my spirit in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it yourself.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran my longest race of the year so far, a 10K. The event also included a 5K, a half marathon, and a full marathon. Those races started before ours, so by the time we got onto the trail, runners from all the different distances were already spread out along the course.

At one point, I saw someone already turning around and heading back toward the finish line, and for a second I thought, How are they already that far ahead of me?

Then I remembered… they weren’t running my race.

They may have been part of the half marathon or the marathon. Their turnaround point was different than mine because their course was different than mine.

And immediately I felt the Lord speak something to my heart:

Stop comparing yourself to people who were never assigned your race.

How often do we do that in life?

We look around and think:
“They already bought a house.”
“They’re married.”
“They have kids.”
“They’re traveling.”
“They seem further ahead.”
“They’re doing better than me.”

And before we know it, we feel behind simply because we’re measuring our journey against someone else’s course.

But God never asked us to run their race.

He asked us to faithfully run ours.

We are not competing with other people. We are not competing with other ministries, organizations, or platforms. Our responsibility is simply to run the race God has marked out for us, and to run it well.

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:23:

“The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord.”

That verse has grounded me so many times.

When I feel behind…
When I feel uncertain…
When I wonder if I should be further along than I am…

I remind myself that if my life belongs to God, then He is ordering my steps.

Not because I’ve earned it through perfection or performance, but because I belong to Him.

That means every step matters.
Every season has purpose.
Every delay, every stretch of growth, every quiet season, every new beginning, God sees it all.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:26:

“So I run with purpose in every step.”

That’s what I want my life to look like.

Not distracted.
Not constantly comparing.
Not discouraged because someone else appears farther ahead.

I want to run with purpose the race God has given me.

Paul also says:

“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.”

If I’m honest, there are plenty of mornings when I don’t want to run.

I don’t want to get up early.
I don’t want to run when it’s cold.
I don’t want to look at my training schedule and realize I have seven or eight miles ahead of me.

Sometimes I’d rather stay on the couch and watch a movie.

But training teaches you something important:
You don’t always do what you feel like doing. You train yourself to do what you should do.

And I think spiritually, that matters too.

So many people are overwhelmed because they’re focusing on everybody else’s calling, everybody else’s success, everybody else’s timeline.

But maybe the better question is simply:
What should I be doing right now?

Not ten years from now.
Not what someone else is doing.
Not what social media says your life should look like.

Just:
“What has God asked me to do today?”

Micah 6:8 says this:

“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

That’s it.

Run your race.
Do what’s right.
Love mercy.
Walk humbly with God.

And trust that if He ordered your steps, He knows exactly where He’s leading you.

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Directed, Not Distracted

I was reading this morning in the book of Mark, chapter 1, verses 35 through 39. This is toward the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

It says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed, ‘Everyone is looking for you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.”

Jesus went off to be by Himself to pray, as He often did. The disciples found Him and said, “Everyone is looking for you.” There were expectations. People needed Him. People wanted Him. There were things to do.

But before He responded to people, He met with God.

The disciples had expectations of what Jesus should be doing and how He should be moving. But Jesus didn’t let the expectations of others determine His direction. He got His instructions from the Father first.

And because of that, when they came to Him, He already had clarity. He told them they needed to move on. That wasn’t random. That came from time spent with God.

For me, this is why having a morning routine with the Lord is so important.

And when I say morning routine, I’m not talking about skincare, workouts, or getting everything ready for the day. I’m talking about time with Jesus.

As believers, our lives should be in line with the Word of God. Ephesians 5:1 says to be imitators of God. That means we follow the example of Jesus.And Jesus got up early. He spent time with His Father. He received instructions for the day.

But a lot of times, we wake up and immediately start receiving instructions from everyone else.

We check our phones. We look at our schedules. We think about what we need to do, who needs us, what’s expected of us.

And before we know it, our day is already being directed by everything and everyone around us.

But what if we stopped first?

What if we took time to ask God, “What do You want me to do today?”

Because the truth is, I don’t know what I need for the day.

But He does.

No matter how busy the day is, I make time for this every morning. Because I don’t want to move based on pressure, expectations, or habit.

I want to move based on His instruction.

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When Stillness Feels Hard

Just a few minutes ago, I finished one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

In 2021, I ran my first, and possibly only, marathon. If you don’t know, a marathon is 26.2 miles, and it was very hard. In 2024, I released a book that I worked on for three years. For half of that time, I didn’t even have a laptop and had to write on my phone. That was hard too.

But the hard thing I just did was something that has always been difficult for me, and still is. I sat in silence for five minutes.

Silence is really hard for me. I like to talk. I like noise. I’m one of those people who has the TV on all day, even if it’s just a screensaver. Most of the time I’m listening to something, a podcast, a teaching message, or music. I just don’t really like silence.

But I’m working on incorporating times of silence with the Lord every day.

I have no problem spending time in His Word. I have no problem watching encouraging messages. I have no problem singing worship, writing, or journaling. But to just sit still, be quiet, and do nothing is so hard for me.

And yet, we see so many examples in Scripture where Jesus went off to a solitary place, an isolated place, to be alone. To sit with God.

That’s what I’m learning right now. To sit with Him. Not always asking Him for things, or telling Him about my day, or processing all my thoughts out loud. But just sitting and listening, being open to anything He might want to say.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

I’m in a season where I’m coming out of a lot of movement and a lot of activity. And now, that movement is intentionally slowing down.

There’s a line from the Sound of Music where a character says that “activity suggests a life filled with purpose.” And I think that’s how I’ve lived for a long time, always moving, always doing, always filling the space.

But I’m learning something new.

I’m learning that stillness is not wasted. That quiet is not empty. That stepping back does not mean losing purpose.

Sometimes, the most faithful thing you can do is stop.

There are situations and seasons you cannot plan your way out of. No matter how much you think, organize, or prepare, it won’t be enough.

And in those moments, the invitation is simple.

Be still.
And know that He is God.

Be still, and wait for His instruction.

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Don’t Let the Crowd Silence You

I was reading in Matthew 20 about the two blind men sitting on the side of the road as Jesus was passing by.

They couldn’t see Him, but they heard that He was coming. And they knew, this is my moment. This is my chance. This is the One who can actually help me.

So they started crying out, “Lord, have mercy on us.”

And the crowd immediately tried to shut them down.

Be quiet. Stop yelling. Don’t bother Him.

But I love what the Bible says next. It says they only shouted louder.

They didn’t let the crowd silence them. They didn’t let the opinions around them quiet their need. They knew what they needed, and they knew who could meet that need.

And then it says something powerful.

When Jesus heard them, He stopped.

When they cried out, Jesus stopped.

Sometimes we can feel like we’re in such a great need, and nobody around us can help. No solution, no person, no resource can fix what we’re dealing with. That’s where these men were. The crowd couldn’t help them. The people around them couldn’t change their situation.

Only Jesus could.

And when He calls them over, He asks a simple but deep question:

“What do you want Me to do for you?”

I think about that sometimes. If Jesus asked me that today, what would I say? What would you say?

It’s easy to throw out surface-level answers, but when you really stop and think about it, what is the real need?

These men didn’t hesitate.

“Lord, we want to see.”

They knew exactly what they needed from Him.

And Jesus, full of compassion, touched their eyes, and instantly they could see.

But what stands out to me most in this story is not just the miracle, it’s their persistence.

They refused to be silenced.

There are times in life where it’s appropriate to be quiet. But there are also moments where you cannot afford to stay silent. Moments where you have to go against the noise, against the pressure, even against what people around you are saying, and cry out to Jesus anyway.

Because the crowd isn’t your answer.

The crowd can’t heal you.

The crowd doesn’t carry what Jesus carries.

So don’t let the crowd silence you.

If you’re in a place of need, cry out to Him.

If you’re desperate, cry out louder.

If everything around you is telling you to be quiet, that may be the very moment you need to speak up.

Because when you cry out to Jesus, He hears you.

And He still stops.

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A Different Kind of Clean

I was reading Matthew 23, where Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders, the Pharisees and others who were interpreting the law of Moses. He doesn’t hold back. He calls out how everything they do is for show, how they elevate themselves above others, and then He reminds them of what really matters.

“The greatest among you must be a servant.” (Matthew 23:11)

“Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

He goes on to say that while they are careful to follow the law, they are neglecting what matters most: “justice, mercy, and faith.” (Matthew 23:23)

But what really stood out to me was this:

“You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy, full of greed and self-indulgence… First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean too.”

Matthew 23:25–26

“Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:28)

As I read this, it made me think about something very practical. I am in a season of spring cleaning right now, going room by room, getting rid of things that no longer serve us, donating what I can, throwing things away, and reorganizing what’s left.

And it hit me, how easy it is to do that in our homes, but not in our hearts.

It is easy to let things build up inside. Pride, greed, bitterness. Just like clutter in a room, those things do not just disappear. They sit there until we deal with them.

So while I am spring cleaning my home, I am also asking God to help me spring clean my heart.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23–24)

We live in a culture that puts so much emphasis on the outside. Looking put together. Wearing the right things. Presenting ourselves well. And while those things are not wrong, they can easily become the focus.

But God looks deeper.

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

And the truth is, when we look honestly at our hearts, we need Him.

“The heart is deceitful above all things.” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6)

We cannot clean our hearts on our own. Real cleansing only comes through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

So this has become my prayer in this season: that I would not just focus on the outside, but that I would take time to sit before God with an open heart, willing to receive His correction and His refining.

To let Him deal with what is inside first.

Because when He cleans the inside, the outside follows.

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Make it Enough

There’s a popular movie from the 90s, the best decade ever, with a scene where the main character’s mom sends him to the store. He looks at the money she gave him and complains that it isn’t enough for what she asked him to buy. She looks at him and simply says, “Make it enough.”

Have you ever felt like what you have just isn’t enough?

I was reading in Matthew 14:13 about when Jesus feeds the five thousand, and it led me to a simple but honest question.

I am not even talking about finances necessarily. Maybe you feel like you do not have enough time in the day to do the things you would like to do. Maybe you feel like you do not have enough energy to do the things you need to do. Or maybe you feel like you do not have the capacity to serve the way you want to serve. You are doing the best you can, you are doing what you can, but it still feels like it is not enough.

As I was reading this story, it really encouraged me. There were large crowds that had come out to see Jesus, and they were hungry. The disciples even encouraged Jesus to send the people away so they could go into the villages and find food for themselves. But Jesus responded in Matthew 14:16, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

This story is told in all four Gospels. In one account, a disciple finds a little boy with a small lunch. In Matthew, when Jesus tells them to feed the people, they respond in Matthew 14:17, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

They were stating a fact. What they had was not enough.

And that is often where we stop. We see the facts, and we feel defeated.

But Jesus did not stop at the facts. He gave them instructions.

First, He said to bring what they had to Him. When we feel like we do not have enough, what we do have needs to be placed in Jesus’ hands. I think about waking up in the morning and saying, “Lord, I have things I want to do today. Maybe I did not sleep well, maybe I feel tired, but I give this day to You.”

Then Jesus had the people sit down on the grass. He created order. He made a plan.

If you feel like you do not have enough, that may be true, but it is not the end of the story. Look at what you do have and give it to the Lord, then take a moment to organize. What actually needs to be done today? Maybe instead of trying to do twenty things, you only need to focus on three. Jesus paused and brought structure before the miracle.

Finally, Jesus took the loaves and the fish, looked up to heaven, and blessed them. He gave thanks for what was already in His hands.

That is a reminder for us to thank God for what we do have and trust Him to make it enough.

Matthew 14:20 says, “They all ate and were satisfied, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.”

Because the disciples were obedient in giving what they had to Jesus, it became more than enough.

If you are in a season where you feel like what you have is not enough, I want to encourage you to give it to Jesus.

He will make it enough.

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Take It Off: Criticism and Hypocrisy That Cover the Gospel (Week 5)

Scripture references: Galatians 5:14–15, 24–26; Matthew 7:3–5; Titus 1:16; Ephesians 4:22–24; Romans 12:2

I ended the message with a picture that has stayed on my mind:

We get saved.
We take off the old self.
We put on the new.

But over time, we start layering things over the gospel until it becomes hard to see.

This week is about two layers that can quietly become part of our “Christian outfit” if we aren’t careful:

  • criticism
  • hypocrisy

Criticism: when we lead with correction instead of Christ

Correction has a place. Truth has a place. Discernment has a place.

But criticism is different.

Criticism is when our default posture becomes:

  • picking at flaws
  • highlighting what’s wrong
  • speaking judgment faster than mercy
  • tearing down more than building up

Paul warned the Galatians:

“If you bite and devour each other, watch out… you will be destroyed by each other” (see Galatians 5:14–15).

That’s not just about arguments. That’s about a culture of criticism.

And Jesus addressed it directly:

Why focus on a speck in someone else’s eye when you have a log in your own? (see Matthew 7:3–5)

Jesus wasn’t saying “never help people.”
He was saying we can’t become blind to our own hearts while being obsessed with everyone else’s.

Because a critical spirit doesn’t just hurt others; it slowly makes love feel optional.

Hypocrisy: when we say “Jesus” but live like we don’t know Him

Hypocrisy isn’t “imperfect Christians.” We all grow. We all repent. We all stumble.

Hypocrisy is choosing a double life:

  • singing worship but refusing forgiveness
  • talking grace but withholding mercy
  • claiming surrender but living in secret rebellion
  • presenting holiness publicly while excusing sin privately

Titus says, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (see Titus 1:16).

That is sobering.

The call: take it off

Ephesians says to “put off your old self… and put on the new self” (see Ephesians 4:22–24). Romans says we’re transformed by the renewing of our minds (see Romans 12:2).

And Galatians tells us what this looks like in real life:

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (see Galatians 5:24–26).

This is not about perfection.
This is about direction.

It’s about refusing to let anything cover up Jesus in our lives.

The simplest closing question of the whole series

If someone watched your life for one week, without hearing your words, would they still be able to tell:

Jesus came.
He lived.
He died.
He rose.
And He’s coming back.

Because church, the world needs to see the one gospel.

Not Jesus plus opinions.
Not Jesus plus traditions.
Not Jesus plus division.
Not Jesus plus criticism.
Not Jesus plus hypocrisy.

Just Jesus.

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Division: When the Church Fights, the Gospel Gets Muffled (Week 4)

Scripture references: Galatians 3:26–29; Galatians 4:17; Mark 3:25; Romans 16:17–18; John 17:20–23

Division doesn’t always start as hatred.

Often it starts as preference.

Then preference becomes position.
Position becomes pride.
Pride becomes separation.

And separation becomes a witness to the world that says:

“Jesus can save you… but He can’t unite us.”

Paul directly confronts the unity issue in Galatians:

“There is no longer Jew or Gentile… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (see Galatians 3:26–29).

The gospel creates a new family. A new identity. A new belonging.

So when division takes center stage, it’s not just relational damage, it’s a gospel distraction.

Division is a strategy

Jesus said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (see Mark 3:25).

That’s true in homes. It’s true in marriages. It’s true in churches.

And division doesn’t have to be loud to be effective. Sometimes it’s whispered:

  • “Don’t trust them.”
  • “That church is off.”
  • “Those believers aren’t serious.”
  • “We’re the only ones doing it right.”

Paul even warned that some teachers try to “shut you off” from healthy influence so you’ll pay attention only to them (see Galatians 4:17). That’s a control tactic and it fractures the body.

What division looks like in real life

Division can look like:

  • arguing over nonessential doctrines
  • splitting over preferences instead of truth
  • making secondary issues primary issues
  • speaking against other churches and leaders
  • creating “us vs. them” inside the body of Christ

Romans warns believers to watch out for those who cause divisions contrary to the teaching they’ve learned (see Romans 16:17–18).

Not everyone who divides is bold and obvious. Some divide by constant suggestion, constant suspicion, constant critique.

Jesus prayed for our unity

This matters so much that Jesus prayed for it (see John 17:20–23). He connected unity to witness so the world would know the Father sent the Son.

That means division is not just a church “problem.”

Division is a mission problem.

When the church is busy fighting, we stop reaching.

Next week we’re going to land this series where it gets very personal: criticism and hypocrisy. Because sometimes the gospel isn’t hidden by what we believe, but by how we live.