I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Live in the Kingdom

Molinda Hern March 29, 2025

The Ordinary Series – Part 2 The kingdom of heaven wasn’t meant to stay behind stained glass windows. It was meant to walk into living rooms. To show up in office break rooms. To interrupt grocery store runs. To bring light into dark places and hope into broken hearts. And the ones who carry it? They look a lot like you and me. Carpenters. Fishermen. Business owners. Moms. Students. Retirees. Ordinary people who listened for the Spirit’s nudge—and obeyed. That’s how the early church turned the world upside down. And that’s how the kingdom still comes—when we choose to live it out in the ordinary. When Jesus declared, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17), He was announcing something radical. Heaven wasn’t far off—it was near. Not just a someday promise, but a present reality. He didn’t just talk about it—He embodied it. Through healing the sick, forgiving sins, casting out demons, and teaching truth with authority, Jesus brought the reality of heaven to earth. The King had come. And where the King is, the kingdom reigns. But He didn’t stop there. Jesus commissioned His followers to bring that kingdom to others. “All authority in heaven and on earth has

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I Choose Today to Open the Door to More

Molinda Hern March 20, 2025

One of my favorite things is to have a meal with family and friends. For a long time, I had wanted a big round table—one where everyone could visit easily, rather than being limited to just the people sitting near them at a rectangle table. A few years ago, I finally got my table and have put it to good use! For our Bible Study group, we share a meal together each week before we have our study. We sit around our large round table, relaxed, sharing stories, sharing our desires, hopes, and sometimes our pain. We bond over each other’s experiences; we laugh together, cry together, dream together. We open up our hearts to each other and give a glimpse of ourselves. Sharing a meal with them is an intimate time of connection around this large round table. One of my favorite times of my week. Have you ever had that experience with your family and/or friends? Does it bring a smile to your face and joy in your heart like it does mine? Now, imagine that same warmth, that same connection—but with Jesus Himself. Jesus wants this type of opportunity with you too. He said it Himself in

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I Choose Today to Practice

Molinda Hern March 8, 2025

The other day I was watching the show Amazing Race. The participants were challenged to learn a dance from another culture and then perform it in front of judges who would determine whether or not they got all the steps and nuances correct. They would pick an instructor to teach them what they needed to know. But it wasn’t until they went out to preform the dance, did they understand where they needed to practice some more. Watching their instructors was not enough, they needed to practice and refine their skills to succeed. This reminds me of what Paul says in Philippians 4:9, where he encourages us to put into practice what we’ve learned in our faith. “Keep putting into practice all you have learned and received from me-everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” Just like the contestants on The Amazing Race, we can’t just watch others live out their faith—we have to step out and do it ourselves. We can read the Bible, listen to sermons, and learn from great teachers, but at some point, we have to apply what we’ve learned. And just like those contestants,

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I Choose Today to Refuel

Molinda Hern March 6, 2025

Anyone who has ever driven a car knows the tension of watching the fuel gauge dip lower and wondering, Do I have enough to make it? Maybe you’ve even miscalculated, convinced you could push just a little farther—only to end up stranded, waiting for help. Looking back, the reason for not stopping to refuel often boils down to I didn’t have time. But that logic quickly falls apart when we realize that running out of fuel actually cost us more time, energy, and stress than simply stopping would have. The same is true in our spiritual lives. If we don’t take time to refuel, we risk running on empty—pushing ourselves until we are drained, anxious, or worse, unable to move forward in what God has for us. Even though I study God’s Word, listen to sermons, podcasts, and teachings to equip me for writing and speaking, I can’t rely on those things alone. If I don’t take intentional time to personally refuel with God—to be filled with His Spirit, wisdom, and power—I’ll find myself depleted, running on fumes, and unable to fully step into what He’s calling me to. Even Jesus, while fully God, operated in complete dependence on the

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I Choose Today to Build in Faith

Molinda Hern March 4, 2025

A little while back, a pastor friend of mine wrote a sermon about the faith of Noah. He pointed out that Noah is listed in the “Hall of Fame” of Faith: “It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before.” — Hebrews 11:7a (NLT) Noah had great faith because he obeyed God—building something that had never been seen, built, or even imagined—simply because God said to. Noah obeyed and built the ark. What’s remarkable is that the ark’s design stood out from every other ancient boat. Unlike boats meant for navigation, the ark was built for survival, not direction—it had no rudder, no sails, no way to steer. It didn’t need them, because God was in control of its course. We don’t need to steer when God is leading. At that time, rain had never even fallen (Genesis 2:5-6 suggests the earth was watered by mist). Yet, Noah obeyed. He built a massive ship for a phenomenon he had never seen, purely on faith in what God spoke to him. Even when we don’t understand, obedience is our part—God

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