Tag: difficult times

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Hang on and Don’t Let Go

In the trials of life, our faith shows its true colors

When you face trials, suffering, illnesses, problems in your marriage or with children, do you turn away from God? Do you blame Him? What about when you are guilty of sin? Does the shame of letting God down make you hide from Him like Adam and Eve did? What about now with the pandemic Coronavirus? Do you panic or lean on God and trust Him? It is when the trials of life come that our faith shows its true colors. In the trials is when we need to hang on to God and don’t let go.

Israel did not hang on to God

Israel’s greatest and most repetitive sin was turning away from God and towards idolatry. God expects us to serve Him alone. We should refuse anything that lures us away from God. In fact, we should cling to Him – hold fast – not ever let Him go. But what does it mean to “cling to God?”

Hezekiah knew to hang on to God he had to hold fast to God’s commandments

In 2 Kings 18:5-6, we find that Hezekiah “trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord: he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.” Clinging to God, means clinging to His commandments, even in a world where they want to toss those commandments out the window and live however they want. Clinging to God means trusting Him – even when you’re not sure of what God is up to and when you can’t see how He is working in your life. Clinging to God means you never stop following Him even if you’re the only one walking in His footsteps.

Because Hezekiah was faithful to hang on to God, the Lord was with him

Because Hezekiah clung to God, verse 7 tells us that “The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.” Clinging to God isn’t always easy. Sometimes it calls for us to stand up against the norm to do what God says – even if it seems crazy at the time, like building an ark no where near water when you don’t even have an idea of what rain is. Sometimes, clinging to God is going where He sends you even if you have no idea where “where” is but it means leaving everything and everyone behind to go there.

Do you hang on to God in difficult times?

So what do you do in the trails, difficult times? What do you do when you’re guilty of sin? What do you do when God calls you to stand up for Him, even when it means standing up against the world? Do you run into His embrace and cling to Him, willing to follow Him no matter the cost? If not, then consider if you are like Israel and creating idols by putting something before God.

God, may we cling to you every moment of every day. May we boldly stand up for you, proclaim your holy name and follow your commands, even in a world that would quickly and easily toss You aside. 

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Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template

Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.

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Download our Free 2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan

We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.

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Bible Reading Plan Download

Download our Free 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan

With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!

One Year Bible Reading Plan

Download our Free Self-Care Wheel

The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.

Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.

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This week’s new Christian Tees designs:

Blessings from Head to Toe

Let’s start a pandemic of blessings by praying a blessing over everyone you meet. Our “Blessings” design is meant to do just that. We’ve created this design in four different choices.

Blessings from Head to Toe
Blessings from Head to Toe – Hearts
Get the “Blessings” shirts and products here
Get the “Blessings – Hearts” shirts and products here
Blessings from Head to Toe – Roses
Blessings from Head to Toe – Floral
Get the “Blessings-roses” shirts and products here
Get the “Blessings – floral” shirts & products here

Graduating Seniors

For all the seniors celebrating graduation in a few months. Includes Jeremiah 29:11. If you have a senior graduating, this design makes a great gift.

Graduating Seniors
Find the “Graduating Seniors” shirts and products here

Here are some of our favorite designs

  • Godfidence
  • Anything is possible
  • With my song I will praise Him
  • All Things New
  • Joy of the Lord
  • Way Maker
  • Walk by Faith
  • Script Unstoppable God
  • Print Unstoppable God
  • Unstoppable Force
  • Steps of a Good Man
  • Something New
  • Seek and Find
  • Revive Us Again
  • Resist the Devil
  • Raise a Hallelujah
  • Path of His Commands
  • Prayer Warrior
  • Beloved- Mr and Mrs
  • Mr and Mrs – God’s Plan
  • Man of God
  • He Left 99 for Me
  • Cast All Your Cares
  • Giants
  • Faith over Fear
  • Faith Can Move Mountains
  • Don’t Worry
  • Don’t Quit
  • Created to Praise
  • All things are Possible
  • What the Lord Requires
  • Living for the world to see Jesus
  • Face Masks now available!
  • All things are possible
  • Run with perseverance
  • Revive Us Again, Lord
    Revive us again, Lord

New in the Teespring Store: The Prayer of Blessing

We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store.

God instructed the Israelite priests to pray the prayer of blessing every day over the people. The prayer is found in Numbers 6:24-26. Hang the canvass in your home or carry the mug, tote bag, or water bottle and let the prayer of blessing impact all those who you meet throughout the day.

Find the canvas print here

We’ve also put this design on a poster, coffee mug, a stainless steel water bottle, phone cases, and a few other products.

Need some music to get you through the day? Check out one of our Playlists on YouTube

Click here for the Contemporary Christian Playlist
Click here for the Southern Gospel Playlist
Or Click here for the Hymns Playlist

You can also watch our animated devotionals on the YouTube Channel

Click here to watch the animated devotionals

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars by Julia M. Bruce

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

  • Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
  • Conversation Starters.
  • Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
  • Romance Builders.
  • Relationship Builders.
  • Personal reflections.
  • Date ideas.
  • Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

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Bible Studies, Bibles, Books & More

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Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.

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Trusting God or Self? (Jeremiah 17:5,7)

by Julia Bruce
CEO, Author, and Conference Speaker

Trusting God- even in difficult times

Trusting God when everything is going right in life is easy. But what about when horrible things happen? What about when there is pandemic and racial unrest? What about when the world around us walks further and further away from God? Do you still reach out to a hurt and lost world and help them bear the unbearable burdens they face? In your most difficult and heartbreaking moments are you still point people to Christ because you have a hope and peace that the world doesn’t understand?

Trusting Self or Trusting God

The prophet Jeremiah recorded the Lord’s words in chapter 17 about both the man that trusts in himself, who God says is cursed, and the one who is trusting in God, who God says is blessed.

In verse 5, the Lord says: Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.”

In verses 7-8, the Lord says to Jeremiah: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

Trusting God leads to Hope

The blessed man (or woman) not only trust in the Lord, but their hope is in the Lord. In our English language when we use the word hope it carries the connotation of a “feeling of desire for a certain thing to happen.” It’s like us Floridians saying “I sure hope it snows on Christmas” but knowing the likelihood of that happening is very slim…and slimmer the more south you go. Biblical hope is something totally different. It is a hope that is a confident belief and expectation in the truths and promises of God. 

Biblical hope not only desires something in the future – it expects it to happen and is confident it will happen based because God said it would happen. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 we find that those who hope in God find “a firm foundation” and are able to “take hold of the life that is truly life). That firm foundation is built on the power, provision, promises, and personality of God. We know that God is capable of doing exactly what He says He will do because nothing is impossible for Him (Genesis 18:14, Luke 1:37). We know that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). God can make a way to provide when there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19). He is the one who helps us (Isaiah 41:13).

God is 100% trustworthy. We know that He cannot lie. He doesn’t make a promise and then change his mind. He doesn’t speak but then does not act. God fulfills every promise He makes. (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2). His personality – or His character – is who He is. He is not just merciful – He is mercy. He is faithful. God is good. He is righteous. He is love. God is justice. He is strength. He is comfort. And we can trust Him. Our firm foundation is solid and trustworthy and that is why He is our hope and we can put our trust in Him.

Trusting God leads to Blessings

God said to Jeremiah that the person who trusts in the Lord is blessed. He or she is like a tree that is planted alongside of a river with a strong and deep root system. In Revelation 22:1, John wrote that an angel showed him the river of the water of life that flowed from the throne of God and the Lamb. In John 7:38, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'”

Watered by the Living Water

As a Christian, when we are trusting God, our roots are being watered by the living water of Christ. As we dig into God’s Word, meditate on it, and apply it to our lives, our root system becomes more firmly entrenched in the nurturing soil of the Bible.

A tree with a strong root system is able to withstand calamity. The “hurricanes” of life can blow through but when our spiritual root system is firmly and deeply buried in the promises of God, we will withstand the storm. We will have no need for fear or anxiety, because we know that God works all things out for our good (Romans 8:28) even if we don’t understand it right now.

It doesn’t mean we don’t grieve a loss or feel the effects of the storm. We will still feel the wind whirling around us and hear it howling at ever corner. But as we stand on the solid foundation of Christ, we are able to still praise God in the storm and trust that His promises are true. Even in the middle of the storm, our leaves will stay green and we will keep producing the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The shrub in the desert

However, if we back up a few verses in Jeremiah 17, we find that God also said to Jeremiah that when we trust in ourselves and our own strength, our heart departs from the Lord and this person is cursed. (Jeremiah 17:5). God likens this person to a shrub in the desert, dry and parched. He is so thirsty that he isn’t able to see good when it does come. All he can expect is to “inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, which is not inhabited.”

Parched without any Living Water

God created us with a soul that is always seeking Him. But when our trust is not in God, it is parched and without any living water. Desperately seeking the living water, we turn, instead, to every cesspool of the world to try to find what our soul is longing for. We will turn to sexual relationships, drugs and alcohol, pornography. Or we might turn to things not as bad, such as money, careers, political power, or family.

However, none of these things will satisfy the thirst of our soul. And because these are the things we have placed our trust in, when the storms of life come the things of the world will fail us. These things to do not provide soft, fertile ground for our roots to sink deep. In the desert, the ground is dry and hard and the tender roots of plants find it difficult to break through the hard ground so they can be nourished. Even if a plant or shrub springs up, it generally will die quickly because it is not being nourished. It’s roots are very shallow and when a storm comes, it is uprooted and blown away.

So which is more like you? Are you more like blessed man who trusts in the Lord and whose hope is the Lord. Or are you more like the man that departed form the Lord and is parched in a dry and weary desert? If you’re not sure which is more true for you, then think about how you react when the storms of life show up. It’s easy to trust God when everything is going well. But where our trust is when life becomes unbearable will show our true loyalty – are you trusting in your own strength or do you trust in the Lord?

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New in the shop this week:

Give Thanks

Our Fall Designs

  • Autumn Vibes
  • Fall for Jesus – He never leaves
  • Thankful plaid pumpkin
  • Pumpkin Spice Season-Hello Fall – Happy Fall Yall
  • Cutest ‘lil Pumpkin

Yes! We have Christmas designs, too!

  • Joy to the World
  • Holly Jolly Christmas
  • Sleigh Bells Ring
  • Merry Christmas

Here are some of our favorite designs:

  • I’m only talking to Jesus today
  • Known Loved Worthy Enough Chosen Child of God
  • Revive Us Again, Lord
    Revive us again, Lord
  • Walk by faith
  • Grace wins
  • 2021 Trailer – All things possible – Be still – It’s fine
  • Large view 2021 Trailer – All things possible – Be still – It’s fine
  • Way Maker
  • Walk by Faith
  • Script Unstoppable God
  • Print Unstoppable God
  • Unstoppable Force
  • Steps of a Good Man
  • Something New
  • Seek and Find
  • Revive Us Again
  • Resist the Devil
  • Raise a Hallelujah
  • Prayer Warrior
  • Beloved- Mr and Mrs
  • Mr and Mrs – God’s Plan
  • Man of God
  • He Left 99 for Me
  • Cast All Your Cares
  • Giants
  • Faith over Fear
  • Faith Can Move Mountains
  • Don’t Worry
  • Don’t Quit
  • Created to Praise
  • All things are Possible
  • Air Force
  • What the Lord Requires
  • Test positive for faith
  • Test positive for faith
  • Living for the world to see Jesus

God, Love, and Marshmallow Wars

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

  • Scripture to memorize and meditate on
  • Conversation Starters
  • Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages
  • Romance Builders
  • Relationship Builders
  • Personal reflections
  • Date ideas
  • Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

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 Join the community of couples on Facebook who are committed to intentionally growing their marriage and learning how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.

Bible Studies, Bibles, Books & More

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Everything Christian for less!

Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.

Christianbook Distributors Search:
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Get a head start on your Christmas Shopping at Christian Book Distributors

Only 8 weeks until Christmas!

Christmas Store

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A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 
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Quotes from the Self Care Blog Series

345 faith familyThe quote above is from Part 21 of a blog series by Julia Bruce on Self-Care for people in ministry. Read the blogs here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22.

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growing into our future

Be a part of our future and join Phase 1 of our land & building campaign through buymeacoffee.com. For the cost of a coffee, your tax-deductible gift can help make an eternal impact to the kingdom of God as we lead the lost to Christ, help Christians develop passionate relationships with God, and help couples reignite their marriages. Give either a one time contribution today or set up a reoccurring monthly gift.

  • Every gift will be acknowledged on our “Donor Wall” on our website. Just  leave your name the way you wish it to appear in the message box as you make your gift.
  • Every $50 gift will receive a free signed copy of Julia’s book, “God, Love & Marshmallow Wars”
  • Every $500 or more gift will receive the “God, Love & Marshmallow Wars” Couples’ Event for their church with Julia’s speaker fees waived (host site is still responsible for travel expense and other costs of the event).

give now

teespring spreadshop logos

We have a new product line of Christian apparel and gifts available in our Teespring Store and our new Spreadshop Store. You’ll find tee shirts, hoodies, tanks, socks, leggings, tote bags, mugs, iphone cases and more. All proceeds go to the advancement of Wellspring Christian Ministries. Thank you for helping us grow!

Click here to view the Teespring store. 

Click here to view the Spreadshop Store which has a 15% discount through August 9, 2019

Cover_mHave you seen Julie’s new book: God, Love and Marshmallow Wars? This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel

book now summer and fall

Looking for a speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
Book with us now.

Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.

Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.

With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities.

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fill out the online form here.
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Or call us at 904.524.8073