BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

Episode

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  2168 When You’re Desperate 30.07.2026 23mnt

  Maybe you’re living out a story that doesn’t look like you imagined. You had dreams, you had desires, you had plans … and your life seems to have fallen flat. You’ve been left wanting – left waiting – left wondering. When will things change for you? How much longer do you have to wait? What if what you want will never happen? Then what? Will you just be miserable? Or what if it does change? What if your waiting is over. What if the very thing you’ve always wanted is on it’s way to you now, it’s literally happening. Then what? Will you finally be happy? One thing I know for sure – we’re in a continual pursuit of what we think will make us happy, and that mark constantly moves. Most of us literally woke up surrounded by answers to the very prayers we once prayed. Yet we didn’t wake up feeling like we have it all. The mark moved. The distant land of happiness is still just out of your reach. But you tell yourself when you finally get there life will be so good. It’s almost like the end of the rainbow. It looks like it’s just right over there. Like you can walk right to it. But when you get there, the end of the rainbow has moved on you, so you never quite arrive. Within our Bible is the story of a woman who waited well. A woman who was brutally honest with God instead of faking her way through it. And a woman who finally got what she wanted and shows us precisely what to do then. That woman is Hannah. Her story is found in 1 Samuel chapters 1 and 2. Hannah was married to a man with one of those really hard to pronounce names, so we will just call him E. E had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah was the one E really loved, but Peninnah was the one who had given him children. Verse 5 says, “The Lord had closed her womb.” Why wasn’t she able to have children? It’s actually very clear. The Lord had closed her womb. Now of course to us that doesn’t seem fair. Why? That’s what Hannah was asking as well. And guess what? God didn’t fault her for asking. He doesn’t find fault in our asking either. You can ask God why. Why are you left waiting? Why has your life turned in a direction you would have never asked for? What do you have to do to get this to change for you? Here’s what I notice in these stories in our Bible – if our questioning is directed to God, it is always handled with care and powerful resolve. God always makes a way, or He reveals how His way is for a greater purpose. It’s never left unresolved. He answers. But the issue becomes when we’re turning to anyone or anything other than God for solutions to our problems. In your wait – in your struggle – in your trial – who are you bringing your questioning to? Where are you going when you are seeking? Those self-help books are not your answer. That relationship isn’t your answer. That promotion isn’t your answer. That number on the scale isn’t your answer. That next accomplishment isn’t your answer. Your answer is God. Hannah could have become bitter. She could have become resentful. She could have given up on God altogether. Instead, she ran to Him. At this time in history, once a year you could go up where the priest was and offer a sacrifice and worship the Lord. Yes, just once a year. Every year when Hannah would go to worship the Lord, there E’s other wife would be as well. And there, Peninnah, the wife with children, would poke at her. Verses 6-7, “Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.” Every time Hannah went to worship God, she was only reminded of what she didn’t have. Reminded of what she wanted but still lacked. Reminded of her struggle, her short-coming, and her future that looked nothing like she had imagined. Year after year. Prayer after prayer. Disappointment after disappointment. But you know what she didn’t stop doing – she didn’t stop going to worship God. She didn’t sit in her hurt, wallow in her disappointment, and give up on God. She kept going to worship. Even when this awful woman would be there. Even when she was reminded of what she didn’t have. SHE KEPT GOING TO GOD. Girl, whatever you’re waiting on, you keep going to God. Don’t let anyone discourage you. Don’t let anyone or anything get in your way of going to God. Now, this part of the story shows us our most important move. Verse 10, “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.” She didn’t hold it in. She didn’t pretend like she was okay. She let it all out. She was desperate before the Lord. Jamie Macdonald has a song called Desperate. Girl, cry out those words to God if you’re waiting for him. Don’t hold it in. Don’t pretend like you’re okay when you’re not. I’m at the end of myself and I’m Tired, I’ve tried all that I know to do Right now it’s just by a thread but I’m I’m hanging on to you I’m running out of hope I need a miracle And if I ever needed you, it’s right now Oh God, I’m desperate Down on my knees Send help from heaven ‘Cause that’s what I need Redeem this wreckage Restore my peace I’m not asking, I’m begging Lord, come through for me I need heaven and I’m Desperate Get desperate before God. Hannah was so desperate before God, praying, begging, crying, the priest thought she was drunk. No, Hannah wasn’t drunk, she was desperate. Girl, let yourself be desperate for God. Stop trying to hold it all together. Stop pretending you’re okay. Stop with the facade. Get real before the Lord. If you’re not fine, stop saying you are. Somewhere along the way we’ve gotten the idea that faith means pretending we’re fine. Hannah would disagree. Faith isn’t pretending you’re okay. Faith is bringing your honest heart before a faithful God. God can handle your questions. He can handle your tears. He can handle your disappointment. He’s not intimidated by any of it. And perhaps this is what you need to hear today—you don’t have to fake contentment while you’re waiting. God isn’t asking you to pretend you don’t care. He’s asking you to bring what you care about to Him. Notice what happened after Hannah prayed. She didn’t immediately become pregnant. Her circumstances hadn’t changed. God hadn’t yet answered her prayer. But here’s what she did after she cried out to the Lord – verse 18, “She went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” Something shifted in Hannah. She no longer carried this burden. She had left this in the hands of God. Let me tell you something—whatever you’re waiting on, whatever you’re hoping for, whatever you’re desperate for—it is perfectly held in the hands of God. PUT IT THERE. And when you do, your circumstances may not change immediately, but you can feel different. You can feel lighter. You can live better. At that point, nothing had changed, but Hannah had. She walked into God’s presence carrying her burden, and she walked out having left it there. I wonder if that’s what God is inviting some of us to do today—not to stop wanting what we want, but to stop carrying what He has invited us to surrender. You don’t have to know what God is going to do next. You simply have to know where to go while you’re waiting. Go to Him. So how does the story end? Well, it’s easy to say the story ends with God giving Hannah what she had begged Him for. Verse 20 says, “So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.'” The end of the rainbow? No. This isn’t the end. Let me tell you what Hannah did after she got what she had waited for so long. Let me tell you what she did when the Lord answered and her story changed. Verse 27, Hannah goes to worship the Lord and she once again prays, “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I GIVE HIM TO THE LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” In chapter 2, her prayer continues, “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. I delight in your deliverance.” Who is Hannah worshiping? The Lord. And here’s where we often mess up—God gives us what we asked for, our prayers are answered, we’re living in His blessing, and that thing becomes our god. Our focus shifts to what God gave us instead of the God who gave it to us. Whatever God does for you, make sure you give it back to Him. Don’t let your blessing take the place of the Blessor. And maybe that’s been God’s invitation all along. When you don’t have it—trust Him. When you’re waiting—trust Him. When He says no—trust Him. When He says not yet—trust Him. And when He says yes—trust Him still. Hannah teaches us that contentment isn’t found in finally getting what you’ve always wanted. If it were, she would have ended her story in chapter 1 holding Samuel in her arms. Instead, she begins chapter 2 with her hands lifted in worship. Her greatest joy wasn’t that she had a son. Her greatest joy was that she had her God. Perhaps that’s the secret of contentment. It’s not found in getting the life you imagined. It’s found in knowing the God who is writing your story. Whether you’re in chapter 1 weeping bitterly or chapter 2 singing joyfully, He is still worthy. He is still good. And He is still enough. So bring Him your waiting. Bring Him your questions. Bring Him your disappointments. Bring Him your answered prayers. Put it all in His hands and leave it there. Because the greatest gift God will ever give you isn’t what comes from His hand—it’s His hand itself. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2167 The Gift Below 29.07.2026 19mnt

  Last week we talked about valleys and mountains. Valleys being those dreaded low places in life, and mountains being those beautiful highs. We all want to stay in our mountaintop experiences, but we can’t. Do you remember why? Because nothing grows on top of a mountain. If you go high enough, the view is breathtaking, but the air is too thin for anything to grow. And that’s the way we are. The highs are beautiful, but we’re not growing when we’ve reached the pinnacle. God wants His girls continually growing. Don’t you realize there is so much more potential in you? God loves you so much, He won’t allow you to remain in a place where that potential becomes stagnant. So, to the valleys we go. The valley is where everything grows. Down here, sis, in these trenches, is where you grow. God’s greatest desire isn’t simply for you to be happy or comfortable. It’s for you to know Him, trust Him, and become the fullness of who He created you to be. Can you see that? Your valley isn’t evidence that God has forsaken you—it’s often evidence that He hasn’t. He loves you entirely too much to leave you standing on that mountaintop. Where would I be if I hadn’t struggled with my health and faced death? Where would I be if I hadn’t gone through financial disaster and lost it all? Where would I be if I hadn’t been crushed on this journey to the point of wanting to quit? Where would I be if my family hadn’t endured seven years of division and separation? Would I be happier? Actually, no. Would I be further along? Absolutely not. Without those hardships, those struggles, and those deep valleys, I wouldn’t have discovered I could really trust God. I would still be so full of myself—convinced my success was something I had earned. I would think the house I owned, the car I drove, and the clothes I wore defined me. I would have missed the miracle of waking up to another day of life. I would still be standing on my mountain, looking down on those who were struggling, quietly assuming they must have done something wrong while I had somehow done everything right. Thank You, Lord, for not leaving me there. Because on that mountain, I would have missed the sweetness of humility. I would have taken so much for granted. I would have remained trapped in my performance, my striving, and my self-importance. And perhaps most tragically of all, I would have walked through this life with knowing ABOUT God, but not really KNOWING him, not really TRUSTING him, not really LEANING on him, not really changed by him, and not really truly LOVING him. Here, in the middle of those struggles and hardships, I found something I never would have discovered on the mountain: He didn’t leave me here. He’s growing me here. So why am I coming back around to this valley teaching? Quite simply, because that’s exactly where the Holy Spirit led me this morning. And I believe this message isn’t just for someone out there—it’s for someone listening right now. Here’s what He put on my heart… Someone woke up today feeling incredibly alone. Someone is dealing with people who are exhausting, difficult, and beyond their ability to change. Someone is married to an unbeliever and wondering how much longer they can carry the weight of that burden. Someone is watching their aging parents face decisions they never wanted to make, navigating circumstances where every option feels impossible. Someone is crying out for their prodigal, wondering when they’ll finally come home. Someone is facing financial devastation and doesn’t know how they’re going to make it. Someone is standing in the middle of a mess they cannot fix, no matter how hard they try. Someone is walking through the darkest wilderness season of their life and quietly wondering, “Am I ever going to get out of this?” Sis, if that’s you, I want you to hear this clearly: You are not forgotten. You are not abandoned. You are not stuck in a place where God cannot reach you. The same God who meets you on the mountaintop is the God who walks with you through the valley. And maybe, just maybe, this valley isn’t where your story is falling apart. Maybe it’s where God is growing something in you that could never grow anywhere else. So for you, my sweet sister, God knew you would be listening today. And for you, He asked me to remind you once again of the growth in the low places. The fruit you will produce because of your time in the valley. Remember those fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Yes, here in the valley of loneliness. Here in the valley with difficult people. Here in the valley with an unbelieving spouse. Here in the valley with aging parents. Here in the valley with your prodigal. Here in the valley with no money, messes you can’t fix, and this dreaded wilderness—God is drawing closer and closer to you. Why? Because it’s here that you realize you need Him. It’s here that you hit your knees. It’s here that you draw near to Him because He is your only way, your only refuge, and your only hope. And James 4:8 promises, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” This is the valley of closeness. This is the valley of abiding. This is the valley of dependence. This is where your prayers change from rushed and routine to desperate and real. This is where His Word becomes more than words on a page—it becomes your daily bread. This is where worship becomes your warfare and peace becomes your victory. This is where you stop asking, “Lord, how do I get out of this?” and begin asking, “Lord, what are You growing in me here?” This is where you discover that Jesus really is enough. And isn’t that what we’ve wanted all along? Not merely a better life, but a deeper one. Not merely God’s blessings, but God’s presence. Not merely a mountaintop experience, but a relationship so intimate that we can whisper, “Whether I’m on the mountain or in the valley, it is well with my soul.” Sis, don’t waste your valley wishing you were somewhere else. God has fruit growing here that couldn’t grow anywhere else. One day you’ll stand on another mountaintop and realize you didn’t get there in spite of your valley – you got there BECAUSE of it. Yes, what’s growing in you HERE will take you to greater places next than you’ve ever imagined. This is where you learn a deep abiding faith and trust that creates a HOLY YES to God’s next invitation. An invitation you would dismiss if you didn’t first grow here in this valley. An invitation to higher ground which you would have been to afraid to accept if you wouldn’t have see the hand of God in this low. Grab your Bible and open it to 2 Corinthians. This is a book written by Paul as he was suffering greatly. He was being beaten, being imprisoned, facing constant turmoil and threats, all because he knew Jesus, he loved Jesus, and he was spreading the teaching of Jesus. He’s not writing about these things for pity, he’s sharing of his valley because he’s personally experiencing the growth and change within. Chapter 1, verse 8-9, Paul writes, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure and we thought we would never live through it.” Okay – let’s pause right there. Is that how you feel? Are you questioning how you’re going to live through this? Do you feel crushed? Do you feel overwhelmed? Do you feel you simply don’t have the ability to continue in what you’re going through? Yes? KEEP READING!!!!!! The next thing Paul says is “BUT AS A RESULT …” Underline that. Highlight it. Circle it. Draw arrows to it. Paul is saying this horrendous valley he went through, uncertain he could even make it through produced a result. It caused something in his life. It wasn’t meaningless. It was all for a purpose. What resulted? “AS A RESULT, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.” And what this says is if God can raise the dead, if he can defeat the most final of all finals which is death itself, then he can bring life, bring hope, bring light back to whatever hard, dark, overwhelming, and too far gone thing you’re dealing with. Through this valley, through this hardship, through this thing you question if you’re going to be able to even make it through, something is going to shift and you’re going to change. That change is you will STOP RELYING ON YOURSELF AND LEARN TO RELY ONLY ON GOD. Jesus says in Matthew 19:26, “For with God, all things are possible.” Not without him. You’ve tried that. BUT WITH GOD – have you tried that yet? WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. This is you learning to rely only on God. I love to study different translations of a scripture to really understand it. Using the Bible app, I have my preferred translations set to NLT, NIV, TPT, and MSG. Then, when reading a specific scripture in the app, I can just hold down on it, then hit “compare” and it will show me that exact verse in all those different translations. If you’re not using that tool, try it. So, for example, that same scripture, 1 Corinthians 1:9 in the MSG translation says this, “As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. WE WERE FORCED TO TRUST GOD TOTALLY.” Well doesn’t that explain this season of your life? This wilderness, this hardship, this struggle. This isn’t because God has forsaken you here – this is because God is working here. He’s growing you. He’s literally allowing the best thing that could ever happen. What’s that … he’s allowing you to experience first hand that you can trust him totally. God knows most of us wouldn’t just naturally trust him totally. God knows we will have to experience that impossible situation for ourselves, come to the very end of ourselves, sit in the mess without a way to fix it, and then call out to him. And when we call out to him, he comes running! He comes running with power that can strengthen you, give you peace, and bring every dead thing back to life. And then you know – YOU CAN TRUST GOD TOTALLY. As a result of your low valley, you are learning more about God than any class could ever teach you. And perhaps the greatest gift of all won’t be what God DID FOR you in the valley. It will be what He did IN you. HE GREW YOU! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2166 Know His Voice 28.07.2026 20mnt

  Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Here’s what Jesus didn’t say – “Only a select few, super spiritual will hear my voice.” No, he said, “My sheep listen to my voice.” Jesus calls himself our Good Shepherd. What does that mean? In ancient Israel, a shepherd wasn’t just the owner of sheep – a shepherd was the one who lived with the sheep. His entire life was dedicated to his sheep. He slept near them at night. He protected them from danger. He led them to green pastures to eat and water to drink. The shepherd of this day knew each one of sheep individually. He knew which one was stubborn. He knew which one was prone to wander. He knew which one would lollygag and get lost. He also knew the dillydallyer that would inevitably get stuck in a ditch somewhere. A shepherd wasn’t like a cattle rancher driving a herd from behind. A shepherd led from the front and the sheep followed him. My friends, THAT’S OUR JESUS. He could have called himself anything. He could have called himself the General of the Army of followers. He could have called himself King. He could have given himself a crown of immeasurable value. But instead, he chose to be a shepherd to his sheep. To lovingly stay close. Shepherds in Jesus’ day would often bring their sheep into a communal sheep pen at night. Several flocks would be together in one place with one gatekeeper watching over them. The next morning multiple shepherds would come to collect their sheep. There weren’t separate sections. They weren’t color coded. The shepherd simply called his sheep. And his sheep got up and followed him. The others didn’t move. Can you imagine the noise? Hundreds of sheep. Multiple shepherds calling out. Yet somehow each sheep knew which voice belonged to the one they trusted. They knew because they had heard it thousands of times before. They learned their shepherd’s tone, their shepherd’s call, their shepherd’s character. Their shepherd wasn’t a stranger to them – the other voices were. A shepherd would continaully speak to his flock while leading them. He wanted his sheep to know his voice so if they wandered, they would return. A study was once done testing a flock of sheep to see how they recognized their own shepherd above anyone else trying to lead them. Thinking perhaps it was the scent of their clothes or their appearance, they dressed another man in the shepherd’s clothing and had him call to the flock of sheep. They would not listen. But their own shepherd, in completely different clothing could call out, and all the sheep would come running to his side. There was one thing they recognized – one thing they followed – HIS VOICE. Jesus doesn’t say his sheep will always make the right decisions. Sheep are generally rather ignorant and they continually get themselves into perdicaments where only their shepherd can rescue them. But what matters is his sheep know his voice. They know when he calls. They know when he directs. But I know the question we all have – DO I REALLY HEAR GOD’S VOICE? Am I good enough to know when it’s him guiding me? The sheep has no qualification here. The sheep just naturally know. The work is of the shepherd. The sheep simply listen. And isn’t that our problem – sometimes we’re simply not listening. We live in a world that is so busy and loud that we can’t hear our shepherd. We’re so quick to turn to anyone and anything that might give us immediate answers. We’ll turn on a podcast, we’ll call a friend, we’ll look for a sign, we’ll seek anything for a little guidance, but we won’t get still. We won’t get quiet. We won’t just sit with our shepherd and be close. So we miss it. Can we hear him – YES. We are sheep and the one thing we have the ability to do is hear our Shepherd. We don’t have the ability to figure things out on our own. We don’t have the ability to navigate our own way. We don’t have the ability to fix or change things. But we have the ability to listen and hear the voice that guides us. But we often don’t because we’re won’t … We won’t be still. We won’t be quiet. We won’t wait for his voice. Here’s what we often do – “God please speak to me. Tell me what to do.” While God is saying, “Would you please just spend time with me?” When an audiable voice becomes more important than a close relationship, we’ve missed the point. The sheep weren’t just wanting the voice of their shepherd to make them feel more confident. The sheep wanted the closeness of their shepherd because it was their way of life! What if instead of asking God to speak to us, we begin by saying “God, I just want to draw near to you.” The goal isn’t to get better at hearing voices. The goal is to spend so much time with Jesus that you become familiar with him. When you’re familiar with him, you’ll know his ways. You’ll know his rhythm. And when he speaks, you will KNOW it’s him. Relationship produces recognition. Ask anyone who truly receives the promptings of the Lord and his clear directions and I guarantee you they have a RELATIONSHIP build from a foundation of TIME spent with God. When you spend time with the Shepherd, you become familiar with his voice and you won’t be fooled by other voices – including your own. Relationship changes our ability to recognize Him. Our Good Shepherd says in John 10:5, “My sheep will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” And that’s our problem. We’ve spent too much time with strange voices. We’ve wandered off into flocks we don’t belong in with shepherds who are not our own. So we’ve gotten confused. The voice of the world is no longer a stranger to us – it’s so familiar that we don’t run from it. Social media is loud. Our own voice of fear and shame and comparison has been listened to so often that it’s just normal for us to do the stupid stuff our own mind comes up with. We’ve crowded out the voice of our shepherd and that’s why we’re confused. So what do you do? TURN OFF THE NOISE. GET BACK TO YOUR SHEPHERD. Where do you find your shepherd? Verse 4 tells us, “When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” HE’S AHEAD OF YOU. Look forward. Don’t look back. Don’t wander in circles. He is in front of you, making a way, clearing the path for you. Wherever you’re walking today, Jesus has already been there. This isn’t about asking Jesus to hurry up and catch up with you – this is about looking up and seeing where he is in front of you. What if today we changed our prayers a bit. What if today we prayed, “Jesus, where are you already going? I simply want to follow you.” It’s never about the sheep charting their own way. Sheep aren’t bucketlist destination diving out there. They’re following where the shepherd leads and finding the most perfect green pastures along the way to enjoy. The shepherd was already going great places, the sheep simply had to follow. I assure you, Jesus, your Good Shepherd, is going to better places than you have ever imagined. His plans are higher, better and bigger than anything your human/slash/sheep mind could ever dream up. If you will just follow him, you’ll get to experience the most beautiful things this life has to offer. Jesus, where are you already going? I simply want to follow you. Are you already going over here to this new job opportunity – I want to follow you. If you have something else in mind, then Jesus I don’t want to wander off into fields of my own. I want to stay close to you. I’ve decided I’m just following Jesus. His voice is heard when I stay close. His voice is heard when I am still and quiet. When I stay close, I don’t have to wake up every morning worrying if the voice I’m hearing is my shepherd. If I’m close, then I know. But if I’ve been scrolling all night, watching countless videos, reading the posts of strangers, then I am confused. I’ve drawn close to strangers and their voices may be calling me. Girl, get yourself back to Jesus. Stay close to him. That is truly your answer. Shut out everything else. The sheep don’t follow because they understand everything. They follow because they trust the One who is speaking. We tend to put all the pressure on ourselves. What if I miss him? What if I make the wrong decision? What if I’m just making this up? All while Jesus is saying, “I’m a shepherd. This is what I do!” He knows how to lead sheep. He isn’t intimidated by stubborn sheep. He isn’t surprised by wandering sheep. He isn’t confused by lost sheep. That’s His specialty. The pressure isn’t on the sheep to become brilliant navigators. The pressure is off because we have a brilliant Shepherd. The shepherd is speaking to you. He’s calling you to just go where he goes. Decide now you simply want to follow your Shepherd. Friend, perhaps you’ve made hearing God’s voice far more complicated than Jesus ever intended. He didn’t say His sheep would have extraordinary wisdom. He didn’t say His sheep would never wander. He didn’t say His sheep would always make the right decisions. He simply said His sheep know His voice. If you’ve wandered, come back. If you’ve grown confused, come back. If you’ve filled your mind with stranger’s voices, come back. He’s not disappointed that you’re returning. He’s a Shepherd. This is what He does. He goes before you. He calls your name. He lovingly leads. And all He’s asking of you today is what sheep have always done—simply follow. Jesus, where are You already going? I simply want to follow You. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2165 That’s God’s Grace 27.07.2026 17mnt

  Have you ever questioned if God really likes you? We’ve been told over and over again that Jesus loves us … but does he like us? Is he pleased with us? How does he see us when we fail? When we struggle? When we wander? I met a beautiful woman at our Colorado Retreat named Stevie. Stevie is this strikingly woman with black hair, a huge smile, tattoos, and rides a Harley. Honestly, she’s pretty cool. At Retreat, Stevie shared her testimony so boldly and courageously that you couldn’t help but listen. She said she had been married, then after divorce she went wild. She did everything wrong. She ran from God and ran into a wild way of living that took over her entire life. She drank way too much, she partied, she slept around. But then, she said it was if God just snatched her up and said, “My girl, that’s not the life I have for you.” And THAT is the perfect image of how God looks at us when we’re failing, when we’re struggling or when we’ve wandered. He looks at you as HIS GIRL. You are never NOT his girl. You are his beloved, his masterpiece, his chosen. There’s nothing you can do that changes that. No matter how far off track you’ve gotten and no matter how twisted your life has become, you’re still his girl. And you know what he wants to do … he wants to just snatch you up from that. You know what that’s called? THAT’S CALLED GOD’S GRACE. When instead of getting what you deserve, you get forgiveness before you even ask for it. When instead of being left to your own ways, you get lifted up out of it before you ever even sought it. Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” Who’s the Son – that’s Jesus? What did he come for? To seek and save the LOST. Who are the lost? The ones who are failing – the ones who are struggling – the ones who have wandered. And the ones who don’t even realize they’re failing – the ones who are so wrapped up in performance that they don’t realize how far they’ve wandered. Jesus didn’t come waiting for lost people to stumble upon Him. He came looking for them. Girl, Jesus is LOOKING for you. And what will he do when he finds you – he will snatch you up and cover you with GRACE. Grace is God coming for you when you’ve done nothing to deserve it and everything to convince yourself He shouldn’t. Grace is God’s love moving toward you before you ever think to move toward Him. Grace is God giving you what you could never earn because Jesus paid for what you could never afford. Here’s an image of GRACE: Imagine you’re stranded in the middle of the ocean. Grace isn’t someone standing safely on shore yelling, “Swim harder!” Grace jumps into the water… swims to you… pulls you onto the rescue boat… wraps you in a blanket… and carries you home. You contributed nothing to your rescue except your need. Whatever you’ve done, wherever you’ve strayed, no matter what you’ve been thinking, saying, doing or not doing … there’s GRACE FOR THAT! For most of my life, grace was something that was never personal to me. To be honest with you, I felt I didn’t really need it. I’ve been married to my one and only high school sweetheart for 31 years. I’ve literally never been drunk in my entire life. I’ve never tried a single drug. I’ve been the picture of the good girl. And what grace is really needed for a good girl? I performed for my approval. My success would vouch for me. Grace is for the ones who just can’t get it right on their own – and I was really getting it right all by myself. For real – that was the voice in my head. That’s what I told myself, and that’s what I believed. And then I went and messed it all up. I prayed a prayer I had no idea would completely wreck me. I prayed that God would search my heart. I wrote a devotional on Psalm 139: 23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” But you see, I wasn’t doing it because I thought I needed it – I thought you needed it. But, I mistakenly prayed it too. And with access of my heart granted, the Holy Spirit began a revealing work within me that made me sick of my own self. I saw how incredibly self-righteous I had become. I saw how twisted my pursuits had become and how wrong I had been. Everything I did carried the label of God, but there simply wasn’t a lot of God beneath the label – there was self. And here’s the part that slayed me – GOD HAD ALLOWED ME TO DO IT. I had sat behind a microphone for years, professing Jesus, but my own life wasn’t fully surrendered. I had played the part, but my part was a show for a stage. I had built this entire thing, and I had done it so wrong for so long. I had lead so so so wrong. AND YET GOD ALLOWED ME TO DO IT. He never struck me with lightening. He never brought it all crashing down. No, actually continued to let it grow. I walked in success I didn’t deserve. And he waited for the surrender of my heart. That’s GRACE. Grace is God coming for you when you’ve done nothing to deserve it. Grace is God’s love moving toward you before you ever think to move toward Him. Grace is God giving you what you could never earn because Jesus paid for what you could never afford. There’s been a grace over my life through all these years of getting it really wrong. There’s been a grace over my life that I simply never asked for because I didn’t know I needed it. God searched my heart, and he found some really ugly things in there. But instead of punishing me, he began reshaping me. Instead of canceling me, he called me. Instead of condemning me, he gave me a holy conviction and the special strength to change it. Just as there’s grace for Stevie who made a mess of her life with some epically bad choices – and there’s grace for me, the girl who thought she never really screwed up bad enough to need grace …. well, there’s perfect grace for you too, my sister. JESUS LEFT HEAVEN TO RESCUE US!!!!! He didn’t wait until we called out to him. He didn’t wait for us to realize we needed him. He didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up and turn our lives around. Nope, he came for us first. THAT IS GRACE! And you know what I’ve really come to realize, Grace isn’t God just giving you a second chance. Grace is really God giving you a whole new life you could have never earned. You want a new life? A life lifted up from this mess you’ve been living in? A life that breaks free of the chains that have held you back? A life that’s bigger and better than anything you could have imagined? LET GOD’S GRACE CATCH YOU. Girl, just let him snatch you up. God has made a relentless decision to pursue YOU. A relentless decision to rescue YOU. A relentless decision to forgive YOU. And a relentless decision to transform YOU. When God looked at Stevie, he saw his girl who he would turn into an evangelist that would reach people with the raw truth of how God never gives up no matter what we do. When God looked at me, he saw his girl who he could humble and use as a vessel of humility to remind people of just how patient our God while we fiddle fart around not even knowing we need him. When God looks at you, he sees his girl who is worthy of being pursued, worthy of being rescued, worthy of being forgiven, worthy of being made radically new. And right here today, HE IS SNATCHING YOU UP AND CALLING OUT, “MINE – SHE’S MINE!” Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2164 Destination – Jesus 24.07.2026 18mnt

  God has promised He has good plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11), but wouldn’t it be nice if He included turn-by-turn directions? I mean REALLY nice. Not some vague “trust Me” and “walk by faith” business. I want GPS. I want step-by-step instructions complete with an arrival time and the occasional heavenly notification saying, “There’s a problem ahead. I’ve found a better route.” And if we’re being really honest, I’d also like Him to show me where all the potholes are, who I should avoid, and whether or not this particular problem could perhaps be skipped altogether. Is that too much to ask? I’ve learned there are two kinds of travelers in this world. First, there’s the planner. I present to you my husband as Exhibit A. He plugs in his destination, then immediately zooms out to study the entire route. He knows which highways he’ll take, approximately where he’ll stop, and could probably tell you which side of town he’ll be approaching from. Then he zooms in to study the intersections and lane changes. After reviewing the route for a solid five minutes, he calmly begins driving without the voice prompts because he has become one with the GPS. Then there’s the other traveler. We’ll call this one the follower. I present to you…me. Actually, I don’t even qualify as Exhibit B. Let’s call me Exhibit L. L for Lost. Perpetually lost. I don’t know where I am, I don’t know where I’m going, but strangely, I’m never really stressed about it. Here’s how I roll. I plug in a destination. Let’s say the TJ Maxx. I don’t really care which TJ Maxx. Any one will do. I don’t stop to consider which side of town it’s on or how many toll roads are involved. If the GPS lady picks one, I trust her judgment entirely. Then I do something that absolutely horrifies my husband. I just press START. That’s it. No studying. No planning. No zooming in or zooming out. We’re just going. Then I pull out of the parking lot in whatever direction seems easiest while my GPS gets her bearings. Is it the correct direction? Typically, no. Is it even remotely helpful? Also no. But soon enough, that sweet little lady comes through my speakers and says, “Make a U-turn.” Yo-kay! Let me whip this baby around and let’s get to the TJ Maxx. Friends, which traveler are you? Here’s what I know. Whichever one you are, you’re convinced you’re right and the other one makes absolutely no sense. And isn’t that exactly how we approach our lives with God? Some of us want the five-year plan. We want the destination, the route, and every major intersection highlighted before we’ll take the first step. Others of us are saying, “Jesus, if you’ll just show me what to do before lunch, we’re making progress.” But regardless of which traveler you are, we’re all asking the same question. What’s the way? Jesus answered that question in John 14:6 when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Notice He didn’t say, “I’ll SHOW you the way.” He said, “I AM the way.” And I wonder if we’ve missed just how profound that is. Jesus isn’t simply giving directions to God’s good plans for your life. Jesus IS God’s good plan for your life. He’s not merely the GPS helping you arrive at your destination. He is both the Guide and the Destination. We keep asking God, “Show me where we’re going!” And He’s saying, “I’m right here.” Honey, if you know Jesus, then you know the way because HE IS THE WAY. He’s the way you’re going to survive this heartbreak. He’s the way you’re going to make it through this diagnosis. He’s the way you’re going to overcome this addiction. He’s the way you’re going to begin again after failure. And He accounts for all the wrong turns. Have you ever noticed your GPS doesn’t throw a fit when you miss your turn? It doesn’t sigh dramatically and announce, “Well, that’s it! You’ve ruined everything! You’ll never make it now!” No! It simply says, “Recalculating.” Friend, can I tell you something? God has been recalculating your life since the day you were born. You haven’t surprised Him once. That divorce didn’t surprise Him. That addiction didn’t surprise Him. That diagnosis didn’t surprise Him. That bad decision didn’t surprise Him. He’s never once looked at your life and said, “Well, I certainly didn’t see THAT coming.” While we’ve changed directions, Jesus NEVER has. Romans 8:28 is still true. God is still working ALL things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He doesn’t run out of routes to redeem your story. He allows U-turns. And when you’re convinced you’ve gone too far in the wrong direction, He simply whispers, “Recalculating.” You don’t need to know the whole way. You simply need to know the One who is the way. ——————- But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He’s not only the way, He’s the truth. Isn’t it funny that we’ll trust a complete stranger with an Australian accent to get us across town, but we struggle to trust Jesus with our eternity? We trust Siri. We trust Google Maps. We trust Waze. But when Jesus says, “I’ve got another route for you,” suddenly we’re skeptical. Why? Because the route doesn’t look true. The route to freedom looks like surrender. The route to strength looks like weakness. The route to greatness looks like serving. The route to life looks like dying to ourselves. The truth is, God’s truth rarely looks like the world’s truth. Friend, there are voices giving you directions every single day. Social media has directions for your life. Your fears have directions for your life. Your past has directions for your life. Your feelings have directions for your life. Your wounds have directions for your life. And Satan most certainly has directions for your life. The question isn’t whether you’re listening to a voice. The question is WHICH VOICE is leading you? Jesus says you’re chosen. The enemy says you’re forgotten. Jesus says you’re forgiven. The enemy says you’re disqualified. Jesus says you’re being made new. The enemy says you’ll never change. Jesus says you’re more than a conqueror. The enemy says you’ve already lost. Honey, somebody is lying. And Jesus has never lied. Know the truth so well that every lie immediately sounds like the wrong voice giving wrong directions. ________________ Finally, Jesus says, “I am the life.” Notice He didn’t say, “I’ll GIVE you a life.” He said, “I AM the life.” We spend so much of our lives chasing life. We think life is found in losing the weight. In getting married. In having the baby. In making more money. In retiring someday. In getting the promotion. In taking the trip. In finding the relationship. And so we keep moving the finish line. “I’ll finally be happy when…” Except when we get there, we simply create another “when.” Jesus says, “No sweetheart, LIFE isn’t found there. It’s found here. It’s found in Me.” Life isn’t waiting for you 40 pounds from now. Life isn’t waiting for you after the divorce is finalized. Life isn’t waiting for your prodigal to come home. Life isn’t waiting for your circumstances to improve. Life is available to you right here, right now, because Jesus is here right now. Stop putting your life on layaway. Stop waiting to start living someday. Stop surviving until circumstances improve. Jesus didn’t come so you could merely exist. He came that you may have life and have it abundantly, to the full, overflowing, BIG! (John 10:10). ————– So maybe you’ve been asking the wrong question. You’ve been asking WHERE when Jesus has been saying WHO. Where am I going? To Jesus. How am I going to make it? With Jesus. What should I believe? Jesus. What was I created for? Jesus. What’s God’s plan for my life? Jesus. We’ve been asking God for directions while He’s been offering us a relationship. My sister, Jesus isn’t merely showing us the way to some future destination. He IS the destination. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. So let’s get going. Just press START. Will there be wrong turns? Absolutely. Will there be delays? Probably. Will there be seasons when you have absolutely no idea where He’s leading you? Most certainly. Will there be times you find yourself sitting on the side of the road wondering what in the world God is doing? Oh, girl. Without a doubt. But here’s what I know after all these years of following Jesus—I have never once regretted trusting Him with the route. I have regretted my own directions a thousand times. I have regretted my detours. I have regretted my delays. I have regretted grabbing the wheel and trying to become my own GPS. But I have never regretted following Jesus. So where will He take us? I don’t know. But I know who will be walking beside me every single step of the way. And really, that’s enough. Quit worrying so much about where you’re going and pay attention to Who you’re going with. Follow Jesus. Trust the next instruction He gives you. Because when Jesus is both your Guide and your destination, you can never truly be lost. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. And He’s really, really good at recalculating. We’ve changed directions a thousand times. He never has. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2163 Just Be Caught 23.07.2026 16mnt

  This week, I watched a simple video of a man in a suit with a strong Irish accent explain something so beautifully and so clearly. He talked about how easily we twist salvation into being faith plus works. He posed one question: If you were to die tonight and stand at the gates of Heaven, how would you explain why you’re there? He said if you answer that question in the first person, you’ve already gone wrong. Because I believed. Because I had faith. Because I trusted. Because I did good things. Because I served. Because I stopped doing bad things. Nope. You’ve made it about you. Your way to Heaven never started with you. Look at the thief on the cross. Remember the one hanging beside Jesus? Jesus told him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” And so he was. Just like that. This man was a criminal. He wasn’t baptized. He wasn’t in a Bible study. He never served in children’s ministry. He never got his life cleaned up. He had no opportunity to prove himself worthy. And yet, he made it to Heaven. Imagine the angel guarding Heaven’s gates asking him, “On what basis are you here?” And all he can say is, “The man on the middle cross said I could come.” My friends, that is our only answer too. The Man on the middle cross. It’s not about the Scriptures I’ve memorized, the good works I’ve done, or the sins I’ve walked away from. It’s all about the cross. If I take my eyes off the cross, then suddenly my salvation depends on me. And if your salvation depends on you, it will always lead you to one of two places—absolute despair or horrible arrogance. You’ll either never feel good enough, or you’ll start believing you’re better than everyone else. Both are lies. Keep your eyes on the cross. You are not saved as a result of anything you have ever done or will ever do. You are saved solely because of what Jesus accomplished on that middle cross. And here’s the beautiful thing—your relationship with your Creator isn’t the result of your performance either. You’ve been offered a relationship with Almighty God because of His relentless pursuit of YOU. Grace didn’t simply save you. Grace has been pursuing you all along. The Bible is filled with story after story of God’s pursuit of people who had strayed. People who had failed. People who had royally messed up their lives. People the world had written off as too far gone. And Jesus? He pulled up a chair at their table. He pursued them. Relentlessly. From the moment you were born, God has been pursuing you. Now maybe you’ve spent most of your years running. Yep, me too. Not necessarily running from God, but keeping myself so busy, distracted, and self-sufficient that His knocking went unnoticed and unanswered. And yet, He pursued me. Aren’t you grateful God doesn’t give up easily? Because if He did, how long ago would He have given up on you? How many times have you ignored Him? How many times have you chosen your own way? How many times have you settled for comfortable when He was offering abundant? And still, here He stands today. Offering again. “Will you let me in?” “Will you let me help you?” “Will you draw close to Me? I’ve been drawing close to you all the days of your life.” This is His relentless pursuit of you. And even during the times you’ve given up on yourself, He hasn’t. He has never backed down. God. Still. Wants. You. Psalm 139:7 says: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!” You can’t outrun Him. God loves running rebels. He sent His Son on a search-and-rescue mission for YOU. His mission was to seek and save the lost and bring you close to the Father. And that’s still His mission today—to keep bringing you in. Could that be why some of this has been happening in your life? Could the lost job, the financial struggles, the health scare, the crisis, the stress, and the worry be part of God’s relentless pursuit of your heart? Not because He’s punishing you, but because He’s pursuing you. Or perhaps He’s about to show you His power through it all so you’ll never doubt His presence again. If you’ve been running, stop. Just stop. And let Him catch you. That’s my prayer for you today—not that you’ll try harder or do better or become more impressive. My prayer is much simpler than that. Be caught today. Let Him wrap you in His love. Let Him strengthen you. Let Him shield you. Let Him provide for you. Take your refuge in Him. Many years ago, my life seemed to be falling apart. We had run out of money. Our business had dried up. Every light we saw at the end of the tunnel turned into a freight train heading straight for us. I had come to the end of my rope. One day, I sat down on my couch and surrendered. And He caught me. He and I sat on that couch and wrestled it out. I was angry. I was scared. And God was faithful. That day changed my life. God’s relentless pursuit through it all had finally captured my heart. This is where we often get it wrong. We think God primarily wants us to do something for Him. Yes, He calls us to action. Yes, He calls us to be His hands and feet. But don’t twist that. He doesn’t NEED anything from you. Your performance isn’t required. Your trophies aren’t necessary. Your winning record isn’t impressive to Him. More than anything else, He wants YOU. He wants to catch you. He wants you to stop running and simply run to Him. He’s got you. I promise He does. Elevation Worship has a song called Jireh that begins with these words: I’ll never be more loved than I am right now. Wasn’t holding You up, so there’s nothing I can do to let You down. It doesn’t take a trophy to make You proud. I’ll never be more loved than I am right now. Those words get me every single time. Maybe because I’m the girl who has always feared being a disappointment. Maybe because failure has haunted me more times than I’d like to admit. But there’s such freedom in knowing I can’t let God down because I wasn’t ever holding Him up. God isn’t impressed by my trophies, so He’s not disappointed when I don’t win them. And I couldn’t possibly be more loved than I am right now. Maybe you need to hear that too. There is nothing you could do that would make God love you more than He already does. You don’t have to perform for Him. Your failure hasn’t distanced Him. Your weakness hasn’t surprised Him. Your wandering hasn’t stopped Him. He loves you. He loves you so much that after all these years of your running and your trying and your striving and your bright ideas, He is still pursuing you. The fact that you’re hearing these words today is once again evidence of His relentless pursuit. You. Precious and priceless you. The one and only you. He sees you and knows without a doubt—you are worth pursuing. You have not escaped His Spirit. You have not gotten away from His presence. Through it all, He has been right beside you whether you recognized Him or not. You’ve been caught from the fall. You’ve been captured from the running. You’ve been chosen by grace. And when the enemy whispers that we’re not enough, that we’ve failed too many times, wandered too far, or missed our chance, may we remember our answer has never changed. If someone were to ask us, “How did you get here?” the answer isn’t because I was good enough. Or faithful enough. Or disciplined enough. Or because I finally got my life together. It’s much simpler than that. The Man on the middle cross said I could come. The Man on the middle cross pursued me when I was running. The Man on the middle cross caught me when I fell. The Man on the middle cross paid what I could never pay and opened what I could never open. And one day, when I take my final breath here and my first breath in eternity, if I’m asked, “On what basis are you here?” my answer will still be the same. The Man on the middle cross. That’s it. Not my trophies. Not my performance. Not my victories. Not my failures. Not my story. His. And until that day comes, may we stop settling for a comfortable life when God has a great big, beautiful life waiting for us. Not my way, Lord, but Yours. May you be drawn deeper into the life He created for you, all by His grace. And may you stop running long enough to discover you’ve been pursued all along. May you be caught today. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2162 God of Both 22.07.2026 20mnt

  Life is full of mountains and valleys. One day we’re standing on the mountaintop, taking in the view and thanking God for how good life feels. The next, we’re walking through a valley we never saw coming, wondering how we got here and how we’ll ever make it through. That’s life. No one gets a permanent address on the mountaintop, and no one stays in the valley forever. We all experience seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow, seasons of abundance and seasons of struggle. There are moments when we feel strong, confident, and full of faith, and there are moments when we’re tired, discouraged, and simply trying to take the next step. The mountains and the valleys are both part of the journey. Does this mean we hate the valleys and only live for the mountaintops? If so, we’re wasting much of our lives. It’s like the person who chooses misery all week long and only lives for the weekend. Or the person who is continually chasing greener grass, only to get there and find it’s always greener somewhere else. They’re waiting for life to begin when life has been happening all along. Sometimes I wonder if we’re guilty of doing the same thing spiritually. We endure the valleys and merely survive them while we wait for God to get us back to the mountain. We decide the mountaintop is where God is blessing us and the valley is where he’s forgotten us. We assume one is good and one is bad. But what if we’re wrong? What if God never intended for us to love one and despise the other? What if he designed both? God is in control of all things, so why does he allow these low valleys in life? Why doesn’t he take us to the mountaintop experiences and let us stay there? Why not total bliss all the time? Why can’t everything just be good and stay good? My husband and I have often joked over the years of raising three kids that when the rare moment comes along when all three are doing great at the same time—with no problems—we hold our breath. Experience has taught us it doesn’t last long. It’s our mountaintop. It’s bliss. It’s rare. We know we’re here, but we also know we probably don’t get to stay here. Before long, back down into the valley we’ll go with at least one of them. Have you ever noticed that’s the way life seems to work? We just can’t keep things at their very best for very long. The job is good, then the job is hard. The marriage is happy, then the marriage is struggling. Our bodies are healthy, then suddenly they aren’t. The bank account is full, then an unexpected expense arrives. We finally catch our breath, and then life takes it away again. The mountains are beautiful, but they’re temporary. The valleys are difficult, but they’re temporary too. And that’s not a flaw in God’s design. It’s part of it. If mountaintops became permanent, we would begin to worship the view instead of the God who brought us there. If valleys never came, we would never learn surrender and trust. The mountain gives us perspective, but the valley gives us depth. God has never promised us a life of uninterrupted mountaintops. What he has promised is something far better—His uninterrupted presence. He’s God on the mountain, and he’s God in the valley. He isn’t waiting for you at the top. He’s walking with you wherever you are. And perhaps that’s the invitation—not to spend our lives trying to escape the valleys or cling to the mountains, but to learn to look for God in both. 1 Kings 20:28, “The LORD says, ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.” If you just pluck this one scripture out, it won’t make sense. So, let’s study the context and see what God is telling us. Israel are God’s people who seek him and trust him. They have enemies constantly trying to defeat them. One of those enemies is the kingdom of Aram who’s King is Ben-Hadad. The Arameans greatly outnumbered the Israelites, yet the Israelites had just defeated them in battle. As the Aramenas were trying to understand their battle and how they could have lost to an army so beneath them, they came to the conclusion it was because of the Israelites’ God. Verse 23, they said “Their gods are gods of the mountains. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them in the valleys, surely we will be stronger than them.” With that in mind, the Arameans planned their next attack on God’s people in a valley. A valley, a low spot, where the Israelites’ mountaintop God would have no reign and no power. They didn’t doubt God’s existence, they doubted his authority over both the mountain and the valley. BUT THEY WERE WRONG! Our LORD isn’t just a mountaintop God. He’s not limited by good experiences and positive outcomes. He’s not just in the highs – he’s in the lows. His jurisdiction is not limited by location or circumstance. And this is why the LORD said in verse 28, “Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.” Essentially God is saying, “You’ve seen me work on the mountain, NOW WATCH ME WORK IN THE LOW VALLEYS TOO!” This is a lesson not only for the enemy, but for God’s people. “Stop thinking I will only give you victory up here, I can work in the lows too!” This was more than God winning a battle, this was God revealing himself. What? You think God has boundaries? You think there’s somewhere he doesn’t rule? Somewhere out of his reach? Somewhere his power isn’t effective? Something too hard or too big and beyond his dominion? You think there’s a place God can’t give victory. GIRL, JUST WATCH HIM. Today, we often live exactly as the Aramean’s who thought God was only the God of the mountain. We believe: God is with me when my marriage is good! God is with me when my body is healthy! God is with me when the money is there! God is with me when all the kids are doing well! God is with me when my prayers are answered! Yes, he’s with me … I can see him … look at all this goodness in my life! I’m on the mountaintop! But life doesn’t stay there, and soon we’re in a low valley and we begin asking: Where is God? Why isn’t he helping me? Has he left me? Did I do something wrong? Is he punishing me with this deep dark valley of hardship and struggle? And really what we’re wondering is if God stayed on the mountain and he’s not with us in the valley. But I want to give you one memorable fact that will stay with you forever. NOTHING GROWS ON THE MOUNTAINTOP. Have you ever climbed a really tall mountain – I’m talking a legit mountain. Have you noticed the higher you go, the thinner the air gets. And as you continue the climb, it just becomes rocky. No trees. No fruit. No grass. No flowers. The view is remarkable and it feels great to stand on top of the mountain, but NOTHING GROWS UP THERE. That, my friends, is life. You don’t grow in your moutaintop moments. When everything is so perfectly good, you’re not growing. And that’s why God doesn’t leave you up there. He lovingly brings you back down to the valley because in the valley is where YOU GROW! Trees grow in the valley. Fruit is produced in the valley. Flowers are in abundance in the valley. It’s the low places where we grow. I find it interesting that God could have simply prevented the second battle altogether. Instead, He allowed Israel to go right back into another fight. Why? Because there was something about Himself He wanted revealed that could only be revealed in the valley. God isn’t better on the mountain. He’s simply different there. The mountain may reveal His majesty, but the valley reveals His faithfulness. What God is showing us is regardless of the place we are in life, regardless of the highs and lows, he is the LORD over every place. Just as the mountain doesn’t make him God, neither do the valleys of life diminish him. He is just as present, just as powerful, and just as soverign in the lowest and hardest of valleys in your life as he is on the highest and most victorious mountain. I have a beautiful friend currently battling a relentless and ugly cancer. This cancer has dragged her through one heck of a dark valley. But here in this valley, she has discovered God’s presence unlike ever before. She has learned He is her only hope. She has learned peace that doesn’t make sense. She has learned full surrender and unwavering faith. That’s what valleys do to us, and I have to believe that’s one of the reasons God allows them. He reveals Himself in such personal and powerful ways. Perhaps her mountaintop moments will come and she will stand whole, healthy, and healed with a long, beautiful life ahead of her. Oh, how I pray she experiences that. But here’s what I know—she won’t grow up there. She’s growing down here. And maybe that’s why God doesn’t allow us to permanently live on the mountaintops. We would enjoy him there, but we wouldn’t NEED him there. We would celebrate him there, but we wouldn’t CLING to him there. It is in the valley where we discover he really is enough. It’s in the valley where we learn he wasn’t kidding when he said he would never leave us or forsake us. It’s in the valley where we find his strength made perfect in our weakness. It’s in the valley where we discover his peace isn’t dependent on our circumstances and his goodness isn’t diminished by our suffering. Mountaintops are where we often celebrate God. Valleys are where we come to know him. So perhaps we’ve had it wrong all along. Perhaps the goal isn’t to spend our lives desperately trying to escape the valleys and cling to the mountains. Perhaps the goal is to stop asking, “How do I get out of here?” long enough to ask, “Lord, what are You revealing here?” Because He’s still the LORD here. The valley has never been outside of his jurisdiction. It has never been beyond his reach. It has never been beneath his attention. And just as He told the Arameans thousands of years ago, I believe he is still saying to his people today, “You think you’ve seen me work before? Just watch me work here too.” So, if you find yourself standing on a mountaintop today, breathe it in. Thank him for the view. Celebrate the joy. Receive it as a gift. And if you find yourself in a valley today, don’t despise it. Don’t assume you’ve been abandoned there. Don’t waste this season merely trying to survive it. Look for him there. Because he isn’t just waiting for you on the next mountaintop. He’s already standing beside you in the valley. He is the LORD of both. Don’t spend your life trying to escape the valleys or trying to cling to the mountains, but learn to look for God in both. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2161 Not Over Yet 21.07.2026 20mnt

  What do you do when it’s over? Not when it’s hard. Not when it’s uncertain. Not when things could still work out. What do you do when it’s OVER? When the divorce papers are signed. When the prodigal still hasn’t come home. When the doctor’s report confirms your worst fear. When the bank account is empty. When the addiction wins again. When what was already bad somehow gets worse. What do you do when you’ve prayed, believed, hoped, waited, and fought … and the situation is now lying in a grave of impossibility? Because if we’re honest, every one of us will face something that feels dead. A dead dream. A dead relationship. A dead opportunity. A dead hope. A dead part of ourselves. Life happens. Hell attacks. Hearts break. And there are moments when we simply cannot see a way forward. Maybe that’s where you are today. Maybe you’ve reached the place where you’ve stopped asking, “How will God do it?” and you’ve started wondering, “CAN God do it at all?” If so, I want to remind you of something that has never changed: Our God is not stopped by the grave. The grave is where human ability ends, but it is not where God’s power ends. In fact, throughout Scripture, God has a habit of showing up where things appear most hopeless. When Sarah’s womb was too old. When Israel was trapped at the Red Sea. When Ezekiel stood in a valley of dry bones. When Lazarus had been dead four days. When Jesus Himself was placed in a tomb. Again and again, God steps into situations everyone else has declared finished. Because what is impossible with man has never been impossible with God. Matthew 19:26 says: “With God all things are possible.” And hidden inside that one sentence are three life-changing truths. With God. All things. Are possible. 1. With God. Not without him, but with him. Whatever you’re going through, are you going through this WITH God? Or are you trying to do this on your own? Are you pushing through with your own strength, looking for your own answers? Are you relying on someone else, but that someone else isn’t God? You will fail and so will everyone else. This is ONLY WITH GOD. So, how do you do this WITH GOD? You seek him. You talk to him. You read his word. You fill your life with nothing but God, then every area of your life is under his power. I’m talking about the music you listen to, the friends you talk to, the books you read, the things you watch. Have you heard that song, “Dusty Bibles”? It says: We got dust on our Bibles, brand-new iPhones No wonder why we feel this way We walk with our eyes closed, blind leading blind folks And I’m done with those idols and dusty Bibles Is there dust on your Bible? Yeah – no wonder why you feel this way. You’ve been trying to do this with WITHOUT God, and my friend, it simply won’t work. Looking back on my own journey, I realize just how patient the Lord has been with me. I tried to do this without him for so many years. I even used him to make my things grow. But it wasn’t about him, it wasn’t for him, and it wasn’t really with him. And yet, he allowed me to do it my own way. He didn’t strike me with lightening. He didn’t even publicly shame me. But what he did do, is he allowed me to create my own messes and struggle. And through his gracious allowance of struggle, I finally came to realize I don’t even WANT to do this without him. Is that where you are? Are you finally seeing through God’s gracious allowance of messes and struggles that you no longer want to do this on your own? Are you finally at the point of surrender in your life where you’re truly praying, “God, if you’re in it, I want it … but if you’re not, I don’t.” Yes, girl, this is learning to do life WITH GOD. And with God, ALL THINGS … 2. All things. Not just some things, but truly all things. This means the things that have always been too big and too hard. The things that seem too far gone, too late, too hopeless. The things that are buried, without life, without a future. That’s ALL things. There has never been a moment when Jesus looked at a situation and said, “Well, that’s beyond me.” Cancer isn’t beyond Him. Addiction isn’t beyond Him. A prodigal isn’t beyond Him. A broken marriage isn’t beyond Him. A shattered heart isn’t beyond Him. Death itself isn’t beyond Him. In fact, one day Jesus walked directly into a funeral procession and completely interrupted it. Luke 7:11-15, “Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.” The funeral was already under way. They were walking this young man’s body to the grave. His life was over. And not only his life, but his mother’s life. Notice the detail is given that this woman was a widow and this young man was her only son. In this culture, that meant not only grief, but this meant desperation. Yes, it was the death of a child, but it was also the absolute crash of her future. Without a husband or a son, she was left without care and faced a life of extreme poverty. And when Jesus became aware of this need, His heart overflowed with compassion. No one asked Him to step in with His power. No one expected Him to change the situation. But His heart responded to her broken heart. The miracle began because Jesus was moved by compassion. Jesus sees what nobody else sees. He sees the tears you hide. He sees the burden you carry. He sees the disappointment you don’t talk about. He sees the thing that keeps you awake at night. And just as His heart overflowed with compassion for that widow, His heart is moved by your pain. He’s not indifferent. He’s not distant. He’s not unaware. He is responding. The miracle—YOUR miracle—begins with the compassion of Jesus. Now understand the true significance of this scene. The body isn’t being carried in a closed coffin; it’s more like a wooden stretcher. The young man is likely wrapped in burial cloths. Under Jewish law, touching something associated with a corpse brought ceremonial uncleanness. Everyone else was moving away from what was dead. Jesus moved toward it. Everyone else saw a corpse. Jesus saw an opportunity for resurrection. Everyone else saw an ending. Jesus saw a beginning. Without even being asked, Jesus walks right up to the body and touches him. Not a coffin as we imagine, but an open stretcher where the dead man is lying. Yes, that’s our Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, we see Him touching lepers, touching the sick, and touching the dead. And never once did the uncleanness spread to Him. Instead, His life spread to them. That’s what happens when Life Himself shows up. “With God all things ARE POSSIBLE.” 3. Are possible. ARE POSSIBLE. Not probable. Not likely. Not easy. Not immediate. But possible. Because the possibility doesn’t depend on you. It depends on God. And if God is involved, the story is never over. If God is involved, the grave never gets the final word. If God is involved, what appears dead today may be alive tomorrow. Yes, your too-far-gone situation. Your without-hope circumstance. Your dead dream. Your untouchable mess. Your shame. Your struggle. Your brokenness. When it is brought to Jesus and touched by Him, it can receive His life. I assure you this is your answer. That thing you’ve been struggling with for years and seem powerless to change—it needs the touch of Jesus. That relationship everyone has given up on and left for dead—it needs the touch of Jesus. That habit you keep fighting but never seem to defeat—it needs the touch of Jesus. That dream you buried because disappointment convinced you it would never happen—it needs the touch of Jesus. That part of your heart that has grown cold, weary, and numb—it needs the touch of Jesus. The same Jesus who walked into a funeral procession and interrupted death is still interrupting impossible situations today. Then Jesus spoke these simple words: “Young man, I tell you, get up.” And death had to let go. The young man sat up. He began to speak. Life rushed back into what moments before had been lifeless. What if the thing you’ve declared dead is only waiting for the voice of Jesus? What if the story isn’t over? What if God is not standing at a distance from your impossible situation, but is already walking toward it? What if the marriage isn’t beyond Him? What if the prodigal isn’t beyond Him? What if the diagnosis isn’t beyond Him? What if the dream isn’t beyond Him? What if your story isn’t over? The widow thought she was walking her son to a grave. She had no idea she was walking him into the presence of Jesus. And maybe that’s where you are today. What feels like a funeral may actually be the setting for a resurrection. Because our God has never been intimidated by dead things. He speaks to dry bones and they rattle back to life. He stands before Lazarus’ tomb and calls him out. He steps into a funeral procession and sends everyone home stunned. He walks out of His own grave on the third day. And He is still the God who brings life where everyone else sees death. So don’t bury what God is still breathing on. Don’t abandon what God is still working on. Don’t give up on what God hasn’t given up on. Because with God… ALL THINGS… ARE POSSIBLE. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2160 Powerful Not Pitiful 20.07.2026 15mnt

  Here’s my prayer for you today: May you be led by what is in you, not by what is around you. Because what is around you is loud. Distractions. Drama. Disappointment. Fear. Bad news. Negative people. The invitation to live a small, defeated, mediocre life is everywhere. But daughter of God, you were never created to live looking down. Downcast. Downtrodden. Down in the dumps. Down is not your direction. And here’s how I know: Because of what is in you. Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” Then just a few verses later, Romans 8:15 says, “You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.” Did you catch that? God’s Spirit lives in you. Not beside you. Not near you. Not occasionally visiting you. In you. The mountain-moving, sea-parting, chain-breaking, prison-shaking, death-defeating power of Almighty God lives in you. Let that sink in. Because the enemy works overtime trying to make you forget it. He wants your attention on your failures instead of your Father. He wants your focus on your flaws instead of God’s power. He wants you obsessing over your weight, your money, your job, your house, your image, your circumstances—anything that keeps your eyes off the greatest reality of your life: The Spirit of God lives within you. If you’re consumed by what you see in the mirror, you’ll forget what Jesus placed inside of you. If you’re focused on your problems, you’ll forget you already have access to the power to overcome them. If you’re drowning in negative thoughts, you’ll start believing you’re stuck. But you’re not stuck. You’ve just forgotten what’s in you. The Spirit of God has already given you power to rise. Power to heal. Power to overcome. Power to keep going. Don’t sacrifice your power by entertaining pitiful. I know I’ve done it. I’ve had seasons where I focused more on my problems than my power. More on my circumstances than my Savior. And every single time, I felt defeated. Because when I play pitiful, I stop walking powerful. So let me ask you: Have you been focused on your problems? Have you been rehearsing your disappointments? Have you been sitting in self-pity? Because here’s something I learned a long time ago: You can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you cannot be both. (Thank you Joyce Meyer.) At nineteen years old, I suffered a massive stroke. I was unable to walk or talk. While I was in the hospital, my newlywed husband kept my family away. He told them I was okay. At the time, I couldn’t understand why my mama and daddy weren’t by my bed. But he understood something I didn’t. Pity would have paralyzed me. Pity would have kept me in that bed. Pity would have convinced me I was a victim instead of a victor. My parents would have given me pity. So my young husband pushed me. He challenged me. He refused to hand me pity. And today I walk, talk, and live whole because I was offered God’s power instead of people’s pity. So why would we choose pity now? Girl, pity never looks good on you. But God’s power? That looks absolutely beautiful on you. Because of the Spirit living in you, defeat is no longer your identity. Mediocrity is no longer your calling. Fear is no longer your master. You don’t wake up expecting less. You don’t settle for surviving. Jesus didn’t die so you could live a little life. He came that you might have life—and have it abundantly. So stop sitting in pity over everything that’s wrong. Not when the Spirit of the Almighty lives in you. Oh no. You have every reason to get excited about today. Every reason to expect good things. Every reason to believe that what stands before you is smaller than the God within you. Why? Because God’s Spirit lives in you. You are not controlled by your feelings. You are not a slave to fear. You are a daughter of the King. And daughters of the King don’t walk through life defeated. They walk with authority. They walk with confidence. They walk knowing who they belong to. So remember this today: Nothing you face is greater than the Spirit within you. You are not helpless. You are not hopeless. You are not stuck. And if you feel that way, you’ve believed a lie that was never yours to carry. Don’t buy what the enemy is selling. A daughter of the King should never settle for the leftovers of a defeated devil. Remember what’s in you. The same power that spoke the universe into existence lives in you. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. The same power that shattered prison walls and broke chains lives in you. The same power that turned water into wine lives in you. That means life is in you. Healing is in you. Freedom is in you. Victory is in you. Change is in you. Hope is in you. Power is in you. So don’t let what is around you make you forget what is in you. The circumstances are real. The challenges are real. The obstacles are real. But none of them are greater than the Spirit of God dwelling within you. That Spirit does not make you a fearful slave. That Spirit makes you a daughter. He brings you into the family. He places a crown upon your head. He declares, “You belong.” So straighten your crown, girl. Life may have knocked you around, but it has not changed who you are. You are chosen. You are loved. You are redeemed. You are a daughter of the King. And the power of Almighty God lives within you. So today, be powerful. Not pitiful. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2159 In the Name of Jesus 17.07.2026 24mnt

  There are probably things you do every day without really knowing why you do them. Think about it. When we meet someone new, we shake hands. But why? The original purpose was to show that your weapon hand was empty and that you came in peace. Most of us aren’t checking each other for concealed swords anymore, yet the handshake remains. We do it because it’s what we’ve always done. Or take Daylight Saving Time. Twice a year, many of us change our clocks and grumble about losing an hour of sleep or it getting dark too early. Ask the average person why we still do it, and most aren’t quite sure. We just know it’s time to change the clocks again. Even the phrases we use have outlived their original purpose. We still say, “Hang up the phone,” even though most people haven’t hung a phone on anything in decades. And let’s be honest—tapping the “End Call” button just doesn’t have the same satisfaction as slamming down a receiver! One of my favorite examples comes from a friend of mine. Every holiday, she cut the end off the ham before putting it in the oven. One day I asked her why. “Because that’s how you’re supposed to do it,” she said. I told her that’s not the way I do it. Unsatisfied with that answer, she asked her grandmother why she taught her to cut the end off the ham. Her grandmother laughed and said, “Because my baking pan was too small.” For 50 years, a tradition had been passed down from generation to generation, long after the too small baking pan no longer existed. It got me thinking: How many things am I doing simply because I’ve always done them? How many things have I been taught that I’ve never really stopped to examine? And then one practice came to mind. Prayer. More specifically, ending a prayer with the words, “In Jesus’ name, amen.” Do you do that? I do. Since I learned to pray as a teenager, I have ended my prayers that way because that’s what I was taught to do. It’s what I heard in church. So I said it too. “In Jesus’ name, amen.” But have you ever stopped and asked yourself why? Why do we pray in Jesus’ name? Is it simply a religious phrase we attach to the end of our prayers? Like a Christian version of saying “goodbye”? Or is there something deeper happening? What authority are we invoking when we pray in Jesus’ name? What did Jesus mean when He taught His followers to ask in His name? And what difference does it make when we truly understand it? Girls, let’s dig deeper together. Because when you understand what you’re saying, why you’re saying it, and whose authority you’re standing in, prayer becomes far more than a routine. It becomes powerful. And when understanding meets faith, prayer changes. The simple answer of why we pray in Jesus’ name is because Jesus told us to. John 14: 13-14, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” As Jesus is explaining to his disciples that he is about to die and no longer be with them in physical form, he says in John 16: 23-24, “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” Yes, Jesus told us to pray in His name. But if that’s all we understand, we’ve missed the deeper meaning.” This isn’t like cutting the end off your ham because your grandma’s old baking pan was too short 50 years ago. This isn’t continuing something that no longer really applies to our lives today. This is of paramount importance still today – we pray in the name of Jesus. We ask the Father in the name of Jesus. But has it become nothing more than words you add to the end of your prayer – or are you REALLY approaching the Father through Jesus? 1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity – the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” Jesus is our mediator. A mediator is someone who stands between 2 parties and brings them together. Think of a negotiator helping 2 people who are separated by conflict find reconciliation. Here’s the truth – we’ve screwed up. Every single one of us have fallen so short of the glory of God. We could never stand in his holy presence. Sin caused Adam and Eve to be kicked out of the garden, and we’ve been separated since. No matter how good we may try to be, in our own human effort, we simply cannot bridge that gap. The distance between us and our holy, perfect God is massive. Only the cross could bridge it and make a way for us to God. Jesus literally stepped into the middle for us. Because Jesus is both fully God and fully man, He represents both sides. His life sacrificed and blood shed for us then makes a way for us to come into God’s presence. We are for real coming to God in the name of Jesus. Our name isn’t good enough. Only the name of Jesus grants us access to God. But, I must admit, I’ve treated Jesus more like my heavenly mail carrier at time than my savior. Here’s my prayer request, Jesus, deliver this to God for me. Put your stamp of approval on this and maybe God will move for me. Is that what Jesus has become to you? You pray in his name because he’s the stamp for your letter to be delivered to God? Oh Jesus, please forgive us. JESUS IS THE REASON WE HAVE ACCESS TO GOD AT ALL!!!!!! When we pray “in Jesus’ name” we’re acknowledging this important fact – I’m not coming to God based on my goodness, my worthiness, or my achievements – I’m coming to God because Jesus has made a way for me! This is NOT a magic phrase that unlocks heaven – although we have sometimes treated it that way. The power is not in just saying the words, “In Jesus’ name”. The power is the holy One behind the name. Jesus himself has said, “She’s with me – she has access.” So now we show up in God’s presence through prayer and we acknowledge, “I’m only here because Jesus says I can be.” Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “Come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” There’s only one way you can do that – back up a verse and you’ll see – it’s because Jesus is our High Priest. In the Old Testament, the high priest was the one person appointed to represent all the people before God. This one person stood in the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity. Once a year, the high priest would enter into the presence of God and offer sacrifices for their sin. If an ordinary person went into the place within the temple where God’s presence was, they would be struck dead. Only the high priest could enter. Now, we are told WE (yes me and you) can come boldly to the throne of God. We have access. We can talk to God directly. How? Because we have a High Priest who is Jesus. When you come to God in the name of Jesus, you’re remembering Jesus has already gone before you making it possible for you. As our High Priest, Jesus continually represents us before God. And knowing this can transform your prayers. We don’t have to end our prayers with a phrase we repeat out of habit – we can say it with understanding. I’m praying under the authority of Jesus. I’m approaching the Father through Jesus. I am accepted by God because of Jesus. “In the name of Jesus” isn’t a closing phrase – it’s a declaration of faith. It’s a reminder that every prayer reaches the Father because Jesus stands in the gap and makes a way for us to come near. JESUS IS THE REASON WE HAVE ACCESS TO GOD AT ALL!!!!!! The miracle isn’t that God answers our prayers. The miracle is that we are invited to pray at all. Have you ever prayed a prayer, even ended it with “in Jesus’ name,” and it didn’t get answered? That really causes us to struggle, doesn’t it? It’s easy to take Jesus’ words, “Ask anything in My name, and I will do it,” and twist them to mean that as long as we add His name to our request, it’s guaranteed to happen. What a dangerous little game we can play there. We must always remember that God sees what we do not see. He holds ETERNITY while we are stuck in the right here and now, wanting immediate answers, immediate relief, and immediate results. We see today. God sees forever. We see the request. God sees the outcome. We see the closed door. God sees what is standing behind it. Sometimes the most loving answer God can give is “yes.” Sometimes it is “wait.” And sometimes it is “no.” Not because He isn’t listening. Not because Jesus’ name lacks power. Not because our faith is too small. But because a wise Father is answering from an eternal perspective while we are praying from a temporary one. Praying in Jesus’ name is not giving God our agenda and expecting His signature at the bottom. It is bringing our requests under His authority, His character, His wisdom, and His will. When I pray in Jesus’ name, I am essentially saying: “Lord, this is what I desire. This is what I hope for. But more than anything, I want what You want. If this request honors You, advances Your purposes, and aligns with Your will, then let it be so.” That kind of prayer requires trust. It means trusting that when God says yes, He is good. When God says wait, He is good. And even when God says no, He is still good. The power of praying in Jesus’ name was never found in getting everything we ask for. The power is found in knowing that the One who hears us sees the whole picture—and we can trust Him with the answer. So why do we pray “In Jesus’ name”? Why do we end our prayers in this way? Well maybe we didn’t know before, but we know now! John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. NO ONE can come to the Father except through ME.” He’s not the mailman of heavenly requests – he is the reason for our access at all. He is the only way to our Father God. If we don’t come to God in the name of Jesus, we simply don’t get there! The next time you pray and say, “In Jesus’ name,” don’t let it be empty words. Remember what you’re really saying: “Father, I am not standing before You because of my goodness. I am not approaching You in my own authority. I am here because of Jesus. I belong to Him. He made a way for me. And I’m only here because Jesus says I can be.” Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2158 The Lord Jesus Christ 16.07.2026 17mnt

  In Scripture, there is great significance behind a name. A name was much more than a label or a way to identify someone. Today, names often carry little significance beyond what sounded good to our parents at the time. We choose names from baby books, family traditions, or popularity lists. Most people never stop to ask what their name means. It’s simply what people call us. Take me, for example. I’m Pamela. You’ve known me as Pamela for years. You’re probably not sitting there wondering about the deeper meaning of my name. Honestly, I’ve carried this name for over fifty years and had to look it up myself. It means “all sweetness.” I’ll let my family decide whether that’s accurate! But the names in our Bible are of great meaning. Mother’s didn’t pick names based on an internet list of popularity. Names were given to reveal a person’s identity, character, reputation, purpose, and sometimes even their destiny. Names carried meaning, and they often told a story. If you were given a bad name from birth with a bad meaning. Poor kid. Imagine being given a name that meant “sorrow,” “fool,” or “no mercy.” Every introduction would become a reminder of a negative identity. In biblical times, names carried such weight that a person could spend a lifetime either living into that identity or fighting to overcome it. We also see throughout Scripture that when God gave someone a new calling, He would sometimes give them a new name to reflect their transformed identity. Their new names signified that God was doing something new in their lives and inviting them into His greater purpose. That name carried a calling and an identity. Here on this podcast, we spent a few weeks studying the names of God found in our Bible. Through those names, we gained a deeper understanding of His character, authority, power, and love. We encountered Him as: YHWH, the self-existent and covenant-keeping God Adonai, our Lord and Master Elohim, the Creator El Shaddai, God Almighty Yahweh Rapha, the Lord who heals El Roi, the God who sees Abba, our loving Father Jehovah Jireh, our Provider Yahweh Shalom, our Peace The Good Shepherd who faithfully guides and cares for His people What became clear through that study is that God’s names reveal who He is. They unveil His nature, His attributes, and His relationship to His people. Every name teaches us something about His character and His work. So if names matter this much throughout Scripture, and if God’s own names reveal His character, then we should expect the name of Jesus to be overflowing with meaning. Yet many of us hear “Lord Jesus Christ” so often that we stop hearing it altogether. It becomes a familiar phrase. But to the first-century believer, every word in that name carried enormous significance. “Lord Jesus Christ” is not merely a title. It is a declaration. It announces His authority, His mission, and His identity. A few months ago in Venice, Italy, my friend and I knelt beside a woman who spent her days lying face down on the streets begging. I’ll never forget the moment she looked up at me and said in her language, “Jesus Cristo?” Immediately, there was recognition. Immediately, there was connection. Immediately, there was hope. We didn’t share the same language. We didn’t share the same culture. But we shared one name. The name above every name. The Lord Jesus Christ. What is this name … The Lord Jesus Christ? 1. LORD: This word Lord was originally spoken in Greek as Kyrios. Kyrios means master, owner, one who has authority. When Jesus said in Matthew 28:13, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth”, he’s showing that he is the Lord. He has all authority – not some authority, not a little authority. ALL authority. And where is this authority? In both heaven and on earth. He’s in charge of everything. All things everywhere in heaven and on earth are under his divine authority. We call Him Lord because there is nothing above Him, nothing outside His authority, and nothing beyond His rule. So, when you pray to make Jesus the Lord of your life, that’s what you are affirming – Jesus is over everything in your life. He has ALL authority and you bow down to him. Quite honestly, at 15 years old when I prayed and asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life, I had no idea what that actually meant. Now I know. And so do you – He is Lord, he is master, he is above all with ALL authority. Do you believe that? Is Jesus your Lord? 2. JESUS: What a holy and sacred name chosen by God and delivered through an angel. In Matthew 1: 20-21, an angel came to Joseph and told him that his fiance Mary had conceived a child through the Holy Spirit. The angel said, “She will have a son, and you are the name him JESUS, for he will save his people from their sins.” That’s the very meaning of the name Jesus – Yahweh saves. The name announces his life mission – To save sinners, to reconcile humanity to God, to defeat death, to bring God’s kingdom. In this time, everyone knew the meaning of the name Jesus. It was pronounced Yeshua in Hebrew, Yahweh saves. Who is Yahweh? He’s the God who always has been, and the one who made a covenant with his people to save them. Jesus is the fulfillment of that covenant. Jesus SAVES US! Before Jesus ever preached a sermon, performed a miracle, or went to the cross, His mission had already been announced through His name. Do you call on the name of Jesus knowing he is the son of God sent to save you? Do you know him as your absolute only answer, only way and only source? 3. CHRIST: In Greek, it is spoken Christos and means “Anointed One.” The anointing of oil signified God’s appointment of a specific person. When someone was called to a high position of power such as a priest or King, they were anointed. So, to call Jesus CHRIST, Christos, it says this is God’s anointed one. God’s chosen one. The one God has called to a high position of power. In Hebrew, this word was Messiah. For centuries, Israel waited. Generation after generation looked for the promised Messiah. Prophets spoke of Him. Kings anticipated Him. The faithful longed for Him. Then Paul declares with one word: Christ. The waiting is over. The Messiah has come. He is the promised one. He holds the power of God and is on an appointment. Jesus is the King who’s rule will never end. He holds the eternal kingdom. That’s who our Christ is. So now, when we put all these names together as 1 Corinthians 1:3 does, “Call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” we see the full picture of our Jesus. The order is important. First, he is Lord – the exalted sovereign ruler. Then he is Jesus – the man sent to save. And finally he is Christ – the appointed and promised Messiah King. Together, the Lord Jesus Christ proclaims fully who he is. He is God. He is man. He is savior. And, he is ours!!!!!!!!!! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2157 Live Different – Fruits Part 16 15.07.2026 19mnt

  Under the direction of the Spirit and his inner influence, you live DIFFERENT. Absolutely nothing changes a person like the Spirit of God. This is change from within, change at the very core of who you are. It is lasting change that makes you into a radically new person. The Holy Spirit leaves nothing untouched, nothing undone, nothing unchanged. Gradually and continually God’s presence within you reshapes your heart, renews your mind, and aligns your life with his purposes. As cliche as it may sound, it’s true – JESUS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! The old self is made new. You receive a new way of thinking, new desires, new priorities, and a new perspective on life. What once controlled you no longer defines you. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”” Yeah – that’s real!!!! As this transformation takes place, different fruit naturally begins to appear in your life. You are no longer producing the works of the flesh; instead, the life of Jesus is begins flowing through you. And that’s really what we’ve been studying – It’s less of you and more of Him. That’s what FRUIT is. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And the beautiful thing, it all happens so naturally. This isn’t a matter of your extreme effort to try and be better – this is all because of the Holy Spirit at work within you. The fruit of the Spirit is the visible evidence of an invisible presence. It is proof that God is changing you from the inside out. You are simply not who you once were, and the fruit your life now produces shows it. Remember when we began this study all the way back in episode #2141? We created two columns. On the left was the column labeled “Without the Holy Spirit” from Galatians 5:19-21. On the right was the column labeled “With the Holy Spirit” from Galatians 5:22-23. That left column was the list of yuck. It’s what naturally grows in our lives when we’re left to ourselves. When we follow our own desires, allow the world to become our primary influence, and ignore the leading of God, we drift to the left. We don’t have to strive for it. We don’t have to work at it. The acts of the flesh come naturally because they flow from our fallen nature. The list was difficult to study because it’s painfully familiar. We’ve seen it in our own lives. We’ve watched it unfold in the lives of people we care about. We’ve witnessed the damage it causes. Deep down, we know Paul wasn’t describing “those people.” He was describing what happens to ALL people apart from the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. All people, including us. There’s an inward battle taking place, and eventually that inward reality produces outward evidence. That’s why Paul begins with sexual immorality, impurity, and lustful pleasures. How many homes have been broken, marriages destroyed, and lives derailed by those acts of the flesh? Good people become entangled in destructive choices. They didn’t wake up one morning intending to wreck everything. It happened gradually. The seeds were planted, watered, and allowed to grow because they followed the desires of the flesh instead of the direction of the Spirit. That’s life on the left side of the page—life without the Holy Spirit’s influence. Then Paul moves to idolatry and sorcery—our pursuit of meaning, security, answers, and power apart from God. We take the sacred place in our hearts that belongs to God alone and fill it with substitutes. We trust things more than God. We seek things before God. We look to people, possessions, experiences, success, or substances to satisfy needs only God can meet. No one has to teach us how to do that. Our flesh naturally gravitates in that direction. We self-medicate. We chase escapes. We look for shortcuts. And before long, what we thought we controlled begins to control us. We arouse the ugly demon of addiction and end up with a life that looks a whole lot like hell. My friends, that’s life without the Holy Spirit. That’s where the flesh leads. That’s life on the wrong side of the page. That’s life in the yuck. But Paul isn’t finished. The list continues with hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Notice how much of this list destroys relationships. The flesh doesn’t just corrupt us personally—it fractures families, divides churches, ruins friendships, and turns people against one another. Wherever the flesh is leading, unity suffers and people get hurt. And perhaps the most gut wrenching truth of all is this: None of these things require effort. Left to ourselves, this is the direction we naturally drift. The works of the flesh are not learned behaviors as much as they are revealed behaviors. They expose what happens when self sits on the throne and God is pushed aside. Hell’s marketing strategy is to make the left side of the page look more fun, more free, and more desirable. But the truth is, life without the direction of the Holy Spirit is hell on Earth. It’s not freedom, it’s bondage. All that looked desirable quickly turns to destruction. This proven reality we’ve seen play out in countless lives makes the right side of the page in contrast so beautiful. Life WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. Life under the influence of God. Galatians 5:22-23 shows us what happens when the Holy Spirit takes His rightful place in our lives. Instead of the works of the flesh, there is the fruit of the Spirit. Instead of destruction, there is transformation. And it looks like this: Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-Control That’s MORE JESUS flowing through us. Less flesh. Less world. Less “left side” and more “right side.” The Holy Spirit is steadily, faithfully producing something new in us. These qualities begin to grow naturally as we walk with Him, changing not only what we do, but who we are becoming. The works of the flesh are things we do because of who we are apart from God. The fruit of the Spirit is what grows because of who God is within us. Fruit is evidence of life. An apple tree doesn’t strain to produce apples. It produces apples because that’s its nature. In the same way, when the Holy Spirit is alive and active in us, spiritual fruit begins to appear. Not perfectly. Not overnight. But steadily. Consistently. Supernaturally. Love starts replacing selfishness. Joy starts overcoming despair. Peace starts calming anxiety. Patience starts slowing anger. Kindness starts softening harshness. Goodness starts reshaping motives. Faithfulness starts creating consistency. Gentleness starts replacing forcefulness. Self-control starts winning battles that once seemed impossible. This is what the Spirit does. This is the miracle of transformation. He doesn’t just change our destination; He changes our character. He doesn’t simply forgive us and leave us as we are. He renews us from the inside out. Now let’s look at the final sentence in Paul’s teaching on the fruit of the Spirit. After listing all these qualities, he says: “There is no law against these things!” At first glance, that almost sounds unnecessary. Well, of course there isn’t a law against love. Of course there isn’t a law against kindness or goodness or self-control. Why would Paul even need to say that? Because throughout the book of Galatians, Paul has been addressing people who were obsessed with rules, regulations, and religious performance. They believed spiritual maturity came through keeping laws. They thought holiness could be achieved by trying harder, performing better, and following more rules. Paul is making a point. You will never legally work your way into the fruit of the Spirit. No law can make you loving. No rule can make you joyful. No regulation can produce peace. No amount of external pressure can create genuine patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control. Laws can restrain behavior, but only the Holy Spirit can transform the heart. The law can tell you what is right, but it cannot give you the power to live right. The law can expose sin, but it cannot produce fruit. Only the Spirit can do that. And when the Spirit produces these qualities in a person’s life, no law is needed because the very purpose of the law is already being fulfilled. A person walking in love doesn’t need a law telling them not to harm their neighbor. A person walking in self-control doesn’t need a law warning them against excess. A person walking in goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness is already living in a way that honors God and blesses others. Paul’s point is that the Spirit accomplishes what the law never could. This life of following Jesus is not primarily about trying harder to be better. It is about surrendering more deeply to the One who can actually change us. And that’s really the lesson of the fruit of the Spirit. The goal was never to memorize a list. The goal was never to grit our teeth and manufacture more patience or force ourselves to be more loving. The goal is to stay connected to Jesus, yield to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to produce in us what we could never produce on our own. Because when the Spirit has His way, the flesh loses its grip. The old life begins to fade. And little by little, day by day, the life of Jesus becomes visible in us. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2156 The Fruit of Self-Control – Fruits Part 15 14.07.2026 21mnt

  Here it is—today we study the final fruit of the Spirit. And isn’t it just like God to save a grand lesson for last? The one fruit every one of us knows we desperately need: Self-control. In mentoring women to pursue their God-given goals and live the life they were created for, I hear this all the time: “Pamela, I just don’t have any willpower. I have no self-control.” Have you ever said that about yourself? But let’s stop and ask a deeper question. Is that really true? Can someone who has been filled with the Holy Spirit truly say they have no self-control? I believe that’s one of the enemy’s favorite lies. It’s a limiting belief designed to keep us striving in our own strength instead of living from the power already at work within us. It’s a lie that makes us buy our own excuses and settle for a little life, all while we were created for a BIG Life. The very presence of God living within you PRODUCES self-control. Let me show you how I know. Most of us refer to Galatians 5:22-23 as the “fruits” of the Spirit—as though Paul is giving us a basket filled with different kinds of fruit. Maybe you’re naturally patient but struggle with kindness. Maybe you have joy but not peace. Maybe you have love but not self-control. It’s like saying, “the basket I was given has grapes, but no strawberries. I just have to struggle through this life with never getting strawberries because I wasn’t given any.” But that’s not what Paul wrote. Look closely. He doesn’t say, “The Holy Spirit produces these fruits.” He says, “The fruit of the Spirit is…” Let’s read it for ourselves, Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces THIS KIND OF FRUIT in our lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Fruit is singular. Paul isn’t describing 9 separate fruits we can pick and choose from. He is describing one Spirit-produced life that reveals itself in 9 beautiful expressions: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Think of it like sunlight passing through a prism. It’s one light, yet it displays many colors. If a prism has sunlight, then it has all the colors. There’s not one defective prism just lacking pink. There’s not another just lacking yellow. They’re all there if the prism has sunlight, just turn it to see. The fruit of the Spirit works much the same way. It is one supernatural life produced by the Holy Spirit, expressed in multiple ways. That changes everything. Self-control isn’t an isolated virtue reserved for naturally disciplined people. It isn’t a personality trait. It isn’t something God gives to a select few while withholding it from everyone else. Yet somehow we believe only the super fit get self-control. Only the ones losing weight, or saving money, or with a clean house have self-control. Only those who consistently meet their goals have self-control. Isn’t that what you’ve believed? And haven’t you dismissed yourself at some point because you just don’t have the same self-control they do? Girl, don’t let the enemy twist this. Don’t let him convince you that you’re lacking the fruit. Are you a believer and follower of Jesus? Have you placed your faith in him and surrendered your life to him? Yes? Then you have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. God’s presence dwells within you. And just like when sunlight hits the prism, all the lights are present when you turn it – all 9 expressions of the Spirit are growing in you! You’re not missing one. You weren’t just left out. Self-control is part of the very character the Holy Spirit is growing in EVERY believer – and that means YOU. Self-control is growing in you right along side love and joy, and peace and patience, kindness, goodness and gentleness. Now, does that mean every Christian demonstrates perfect self-control? Of course not. Fruit grows. No one plants an apple tree on Monday and expects a harvest by Friday. Growth is gradual. It is cultivated. It is nourished. It matures over time. The question isn’t, “Do I already have perfect self-control?” The better question is, “Am I yielding to the Spirit who is producing it in me?” That’s an entirely different conversation. You may feel like someone who lacks self-control because you’ve looked at your failures more than God’s promises. But your failures don’t define what the Holy Spirit is capable of producing. If you belong to Christ, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. That means the seed of self-control has already been planted. The issue isn’t whether God has given it. The issue is whether we’re allowing Him to cultivate it. This life isn’t about gritting our teeth and trying harder. It has always been about surrendering more deeply. Now, let’s study self-control and see what it really means. The Greek word translated as ‘self-control’ means power and strength within. What this means is the Holy Spirits gives every believer an internal ruler stronger than external temptation. No matter what temptation you’re facing, there’s an internal ruler stronger! There’s a power within you that can turn away, resist, and overcome. Y’all this past weekend I was at my Mama’s house and she made her award winning, best thing you’ve ever eaten in your whole life, blackberry cobbler. She had gone out and picked the fresh blackberries herself. She had made her secret pie crust that’s thick and perfectly flaky and buttery. Then, she made homemade icrecream to go with it. BUT I am committed with a healthy meal plan right now that does not include cobbler or ice cream, dad-gum-it! So, how do you think I did? Do you think I was able to withstand the temptation of this culinary perfection? You bet your butt I did, and here’s how – I HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN ME and I KNOW THERE’S AN INTERNAL RULER STRONGER THAN THAT TEMPTATION. (I just have to listen to the right voice.) Does God really care if I eat mama’s blackberry cobbler and homemade icecream? Nahhh, I don’t think so. But I do believe God cares about my health because this body is a vessel for his Holy Spirit. And I do believe he cares about the commitments I make and my willingness to tap into the power he has given me to follow through with those commitments. What the Holy Spirit is growing within us isn’t the absence of desire. (I still really wanted a very large bowl of that greatness.) What the Holy Spirit is growing within us is proper rule OVER DESIRE. It’s the internal governor that says, “You don’t have to do every little thing you feel like doing. You don’t have to get everything you think you want. You don’t have to have immediate gratification. You’re not a victim to your every desire. Yield to God’s power within you.” 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” That’s what God has given you. Now it’s up to you to abide in him and surrender to the power he has put within you! Before Jesus saved us, our flesh ruled. We set on our throne, our desires issued commands and our minds justified them. Our bodies obeyed. But with Jesus we have the Holy Spirit, now we’re under a different command. There’s a different ruler on the throne. Jesus sits in authority. The Spirit empowers new desires. And yes, our flesh still speaks, but it is not longer the king. Self-control is evidence there’s a new king governing our heart and life. We become a new person with the fruit of the Holy Spirit growing in us! Now, understand this, the Holy Spirit does not merely hand us extra strength. He reshapes our loves. God’s commands come with God’s enabling grace. The Spirit writes God’s law on our hearts, creating new desires that increasingly align with His will. As we grow in Christ, we don’t just have stronger disciple, we actually grow to WANT WHAT GOD WANTS. The deepest direction of our heart is changing!!!!!! You can’t will yourself into that change – that’s a direct result of the Holy Spirit working within you. Now here’s what I hope you’ll never forget – Self-control is not about becoming a stronger version of you. It’s about becoming a more surrendered version of you. The world says, “Try harder.” Jesus says, “Abide in Me.” The world says, “Get more disciplined.” The Holy Spirit says, “Walk with Me.” Maybe you’ve spent years telling yourself, “I just don’t have any self-control.” Maybe you’ve believed that’s just the way you are. Maybe you’ve looked at other women and thought, “They’re disciplined. They’re organized. They’re healthy. They’re financially wise. They have self-control…I just don’t.” Sweet friend, that’s not your identity. If you belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit lives within you. And if the Holy Spirit lives within you, then He is producing His fruit within you—including self-control. The question isn’t whether God has given it. The question is whether you’ll believe it’s there…and begin partnering with Him instead of arguing with Him. Every time you’re tempted to quit… Every time you want to say something you’ll regret… Every time you want to give in to fear… Every time you want immediate gratification instead of God’s best… Pause. Remember who’s on the throne. Remember there is an internal Ruler who is stronger than every external temptation. Then choose to listen to His voice instead of the voice of your flesh. Will you still have moments where you fail? Absolutely. But failure is no longer your identity. It’s simply another opportunity to turn back to the One who is faithfully growing His fruit in you. Fruit doesn’t grow because we strain harder. Fruit grows because it stays connected to the vine. Jesus said in John 15, “Abide in Me.” He didn’t say, “Impress Me.” He didn’t say, “Perform for Me.” He said, “Remain in Me.” That’s the secret. As you remain with Him, the Holy Spirit keeps doing what only He can do. He changes your desires. He renews your mind. He strengthens your resolve. He reminds you of truth in the moment you need it. He gives you power to say “no” to what steals life so you can say “yes” to what leads to life. And one day you’ll look back and realize something remarkable. The things that once mastered you… don’t anymore. Not because you finally found enough willpower. But because the Spirit of God has been faithfully transforming you from the inside out. That’s the fruit of self-control. Not a life of white-knuckled striving. A life that is increasingly ruled by Jesus. And isn’t that what we’ve been studying all along? Self-control is simply Jesus ruling where our flesh used to. That’s the fruit the Holy Spirit is growing in you. So don’t leave here saying, “I need more willpower.” Leave here saying, “Holy Spirit, have more of me.” Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2155 The Fruit of Gentleness – Fruits Part 14 13.07.2026 19mnt

  As God’s presence takes up residence in you and becomes your guide, that harsh outer shell begins to break away. The walls you’ve built crumble. And what grows like fresh ivy taking over that old exterior is GENTLENESS. Gentleness is not weakness, nor is it passive. This word translated into ‘gentleness’ was used to describe a powerful horse that had been trained. The horse doesn’t lose it’s power when trained, it learns discipline. Gentleness is one of the most misunderstood Fruits of the Spirit because many people hear the word and think “weak,” “passive,” or “timid.” But in Scripture, gentleness is actually controlled strength under the direction of God. God never seeks to take away your strength, he works to direct your strength with discipline. When your strength is submitted to God, you receive gentleness. Then, just like a well trained horse, you are powerful with a purpose. Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the Holy spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, GENTLENESS. You don’t produce this kind of controlled strength and discipline on your own, it grows when you surrender your life to God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Remember, the horse doesn’t train itself – it submits itself to training. It doesn’t relinquish it’s strength, it surrenders its strength to direction. God isn’t asking you to be weak and incapable – he’s working in you to make you stronger than you ever imagined! He’s training you for great purposes. Jesus describes himself in Matthew 11: 29 as “humble and gentle at heart.” Humble and gentle – they go together. This is how God’s Spirit works within us. First, he humbles us to help us see who we are without him. From that inward humility grows gentleness, changing how we treat others. Humility is the root, gentleness is the fruit. The life surrendered to Jesus is humble like him, and grows in gentleness. Was Jesus ever without strength and power for a moment? Never! Yet, his gentleness was all his strength under control and all his power held in discipline, as he hung on the cross to die. Gentleness allowed him to fulfill his purpose. So, are you called by God to be harsh and rigid? Absolutely not. Are you designed to be the angry one – the destroyer – the one who tears things down? No, his spirit prodcues GENTLENESS in you. Your strength will never be stronger than it is when it is submitted to the training of the Holy Spirit. Gentleness doesn’t need to dominate or control. Gentleness doesn’t need to win every argument. Gentleness is strength restrained with discipline, under the direction of God. I love spending time in Bali. The Balinese people are truly some of the most humble and gentle people on earth. On my most recent trip, my drive Panji taught me that in their culture, the angry and demanding person is not the strongest person, in fact they are the weakest person. Anger is seen as weakness. Power trips are seen as failure. Humility and gentleness are true strength. Seeing this lived out by an entire culture is one of the most refreshing things I’ve ever seen. AND THEY ARE WITHOUT JESUS. They have to work to produce that on their own. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit living in us, naturally growing GENTLENESS, so why on earth do we fight it? Why are we trying to be the boss? Why are we trying to gain control? Why are we trying to force or manipulate? Why are we so angry and unbridled? Girl, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT DO HIS WORK IN YOU. LET HIM GROW GENTLENESS FROM WITHIN YOU. Here’s how God’s gentleness grows within you. First, the Holy Spirit begins to expose any harshness. You start noticing your impatience. You become aware of your tendency to get defensive. You see your controlling tendencies for yourself. You hear your own angry voice and you grow to dislike it. This is holy conviction, and it’s the work of the Holy Spirit in you. This is how change happens! As you lean into the work of the Holy Spirit, you begin to see how God changes people so much better than your force ever could have. You begin to see how your anger was never necessary. You understand how your ploy for control was always making things worse. Now, with this awareness, you grow in trust and dependence of God. The more you grow in trust, the more Christ’s character is formed in you. As you walk with Jesus, you begin naturally walking like him. The gentleness of Jesus begins to grow within you, reshaping you from the inside. Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” Looking back, my best parenting was always gentleness. Every time I was harsh or angry, I generally made things worse. What my husband has needed was gentleness. The Holy Spirit is growing gentleness within you – yes, let it be evident to all. Gentleness is strength under control. Gentleness reflects the heart of Jesus. Gentleness makes restoration possible. Gentleness is evidence of the Holy Spirit growing in you. As God’s presence takes up residence in you and becomes your guide, that harsh outer shell begins to break away. The walls you’ve built crumble. And what grows like fresh ivy taking over that old exterior is GENTLENESS. Have you ever noticed an old wall covered in ivy? This is such a picture of the Holy Spirit transforming us. Imagine an old stone fortress. For years it has stood alone. Thick walls. Cold stones. Sharp edges. Built for defense. And maybe those walls were necessary at one time. They were built after betrayal, disappointment, criticism, fear, rejection, or loss. They kept enemies out—but they also kept love from freely flowing in and out. Many of us become emotional fortresses without realizing it. Then Christ comes to dwell within us. He doesn’t begin by demolishing the fortress with explosions. He begins by making it unnecessary. The walls just aren’t necessary any more. Then, like ivy taking root in the cracks, His Spirit quietly begins to spread. At first, the ivy seems insignificant. You still react sharply sometimes. You still become defensive. You still protect your pride. Yet something new is growing within. Something is changing. Season after season, the ivy grows. It softens every hard line. It reaches places no hammer could. It finds tiny cracks where grace can enter. Eventually people no longer notice the fortress first—they notice the living green that covers it. That is gentleness. Not the absence of strength. Strength clothed in life.The goal is not to become more gentle by sheer effort. The goal is to abide in Christ. As His presence fills every room of your heart, His gentleness quietly overtakes the old cold walls of self-protection. That is the quiet miracle of the Holy Spirit. Gentleness is one of the clearest signs that this transformation is taking root. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2154 The Fruit of Faithfulness – Fruits Part 13 10.07.2026 18mnt

  Faithfulness isn’t something our culture celebrates very much. We celebrate talent, success, influence, and achievement. But heaven celebrates something different. Heaven celebrates faithfulness. In the life of someone not under the influence of the Holy Spirit, faithfulness is a constant struggle. But in the life of someone filled with the Spirit, faithfulness begins to grow naturally. It becomes part of who they are. Galatians 5:23, “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: Love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS …” Again, it’s a fruit. It’s not something we strain for, it’s something that grows within us and is naturally produced in our lives when we are abiding in Jesus. Faithfulness is a translation of the Greek word ‘pistis’ which means, reliability, trustworthiness, fidelity, loyalty and dependability. Yip, all the things you would look for in a partner – that’s what God naturally GROWS in US! But faithfulness is born out of trusting God. BECAUSE we trust God, we can be absolutely steadfast. We can stay the course and continue forward no matter what because of our unshakable faith in God. Without God, we waiver. With God, we are faithful. Faithfulness isn’t flashy. It rarely gets applause. It’s the behind-the-scenes commitment no one notices. Faithfulness quietly keeps promises. It shows up long after the excitement has faded. It finishes what it starts. It stays when circumstances become difficult. It keeps loving after feelings change. It keeps serving after recognition disappears. It keeps trusting when prayers seem unanswered. Lasting faithfulness is impossible without Jesus. We may keep a promise here and there through sheer determination, but only the Holy Spirit can produce a life marked by consistent faithfulness. When you have Jesus, an unfaithful life feels so incredibly wrong in every sense. The Holy Spirit lovingly refuses to leave us comfortable in unfaithfulness. He convicts us, stirs our hearts, and keeps drawing us back toward obedience. The gift of the Holy Spirit won’t let us sleep when we are being unfaithful. The Holy Spirit will stir us up, poke at us, and leave us in a state of complete unrest when we’re unfaithful. Thank you Lord, for not leaving me like I was! Once again, recognize this is a character of God, not of humans. Adam and Eve lived in paradise. There was no sin, no brokenness, no pain. God gave them one command—just one—and they couldn’t keep it. That’s the story of humanity. Left to ourselves, we aren’t naturally faithful. We wander. We quit. We compromise. We break promises. We fail. But God is different. Deuteronomy 7:9, “The LORD your God is indeed God. He is the FAITHFUL God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” God has never broken a promise. He’s never abandoned a plan. He’s never walked away from His people. God is faithful. It’s who he is and what he does. **Now here’s the miracle… The faithful God now lives in you. Think about that. The God who has never broken a promise… The God who has never abandoned His children… The God who always finishes what He starts… lives inside you through His Holy Spirit. So it only makes sense that His faithfulness is beginning to grow in you too. So you know what you absolutely MUST do – Stop introducing yourself by your old nature. STOP excusing yourself as someone who simply can’t finish what you start. That may have been the old you, but remember the Spirit of God is now working in you to make you NEW. You’re not who you once were, you’re becoming more and more like Jesus with the character of God reshaping you. Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful. Maybe you’ve never stuck with anything your entire life – okay – but it doesn’t have to continue that way. Something new is growing now. With the power of the Holy Spirit, let me tell you exactly who you are becoming: You’re becoming the girl who is obedient when no one is watching. Yes, you’re proving you can be trusted with little, so now God is going to trust you with much! You’re becoming the girl who is faithful in her relationships. You keep your commitments and you remain loyal – no matter what. You’re becoming a girl who gives her best even when no one is watching. You work with your whole heart in all you do, as if you’re doing it for God himself. You’re becoming that good and faithful servant. Maybe not always successful, but that’s never what Jesus asked for. He honors your faithfulness over your success. You’re becoming the girl who can wait. The girl who can trust even when the answers don’t come. You’re living out Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold tightly to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” You trust God, so you faithfully wait for the fulfillment of his promises over your life. Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful. And let me tell you something, your life now feels different with the fruit of faithfulness growing in you. You’re stable. People trust you. You live so much deeper now, stronger now, healthier now. And most importantly, your faithfulness reflects that genuine character of God and people are continually catching a glimpse of Jesus through you. Yip, every time you show up because you said you would – every time you keep going and don’t give up – every time you keep your promises – every time you give your best effort – every single time, you’re shining Jesus to this world. When people know they can count on you, when you are known to keep your word, when you are consistent and steady, when you are unwavering even under pressure, when you are still there even when life gets hard, when you finish the things God asked you to begin, when you stay instead of walking away …. THAT’S THE FRUIT OF FAITHFULNESS GROWING IN YOUR LIFE. That’s the power of God in you! Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful. Faithfulness looks like Abraham and Sarah trusting God’s promise for a baby for decades. Faithfulness looks like Joseph as a slave, Joseph as a prisoner, and Joseph in power with the same unshakable character. Faithfulness looks like Ruth out gathering what little food there was, doing what she could do to survive and care for her mother-in-law, when she stumbled into the field of a rich man who would love her. Faithfulness is Mary, a teenage virgin willingly accepting a miraculous pregnancy that would turn her whole world upside down. Faithfulness is Jesus – walking out his calling and purpose all the way to the cross, eyes always on the Father. Faithfulness – you are being called to it. Faithfulness – it’s being produced in your life through a power so much greater than you. You’re growing in faithfulness and it’s changing you. Recognize this change. Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful. Challenge for Today: “Be Faithful in the Small Things” Choose one area where you can intentionally practice Spirit-produced faithfulness today. Here are a few ideas: Keep every promise you make today—even the small ones. Arrive early for every commitment. Complete a task you’ve been postponing. Spend your planned time with God, even if you don’t “feel” like it. Encourage someone you’ve committed to pray for, and then actually pray for them. Follow through on something without seeking recognition. As you do, pray: “Holy Spirit, make me a faithful person. Form in me a character that reflects the unwavering faithfulness of Jesus. Help me to be trustworthy in the little things, steadfast in difficulty, loyal in relationships, and devoted to You. May my life proclaim Your faithfulness to everyone I meet.” The Holy Spirit delights to produce that kind of steady, enduring faithfulness— one faithful choice at a time. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2153 The Fruit of Goodness – Fruits Part 12 09.07.2026 18mnt

  When we are under the influence of the Holy Spirit, our very character changes. From within, we become different. Girl, you’re simply not who you once were. Have you noticed as you change and grow it almost puts a spotlight on our loved ones who are NOT. Maybe someone you love is NOT under the influence of the Holy Spirit and they seem to be stuck in old way … well, they are. When you invite the presence of God into your life HE makes you new. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” This means if someone DOESN’T belong to Christ, they’re still the same old person living the same life. Their answer is not to try harder – their answer is to surrender their life to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit change them from within! So, here we are as surrendered souls being made new. We’re being reworked from the inside so we’re becoming different, growing different fruit in our lives. Naturally, when the inside has changed, the outside begins to change as well. Today we study the next fruit produced in our life under the influence of the Holy Spirit – GOODNESS. The Greek word translated into goodness has a root word meaning good, upright and excellent. When the suffix is added, it turns into a character trait. The full meaning of this word “goodness” means to have moral excellence, an upright heart, integrity and goodness in action. And where does this goodness come from? Only ONE source – this is God’s goodness flowing through us. This is not self-produced goodness. This isn’t a 10 step program to change your heart and realign your morals. This isn’t being kind, doing nice things, changing your morals – this is God himself expressing HIS character through your surrendered life. This is simply the goodness of God himself dwelling within, transforming you, and then naturally flowing out from you. When you surrender your life to God, HE makes you good. If you’re struggling with a twisted heart or mind, there’s ONE who is in the business of untwisting – that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. And every single one of us have gotten a little twisted. Life in this world has a way of doing that. Human nature is a twisting. We simply can’t live well without God’s influence and direction. This is NEVER a matter of you being a better person than someone else – this is always a matter of God’s almighty work within you. Without God, you would be one twisted girl living in utter darkness – and that’s just the humbling truth. The Holy Spirit changes our character to GOODNESS. He aligns our morals with God’s. He teaches us to do what is right even when no one is watching. He grows our desires in the direction of integrity. We don’t do that ourselves. Girl, if there’s goodness in you, that’s a work of God, not of you! This fruit of goodness is a growing of WHO YOU ARE. It’s an external proof of the internal transformation happening. God is GOOD. His power is good. His ways are good. His plans are good. And when your soul is surrendered to Him as Lord and He is in control of your life, then He is living inside of you, making you good. It starts with Him and flows into you. This isn’t an act of willpower on your part; this is an act of surrender. This isn’t an achievement; this is a transformation. Goodness is the overflow of abiding in Christ. The fruit isn’t something you force—it is something God grows as you remain connected to Him. Goodness starts with God. Goodness flows into you. Goodness grows through you. Goodness blesses everyone around you. If you take GOD out of GOODNESS, you are left with o-ness. If you’re trying to make yourself be good without the power of the Holy Spirit working in you, you may achieve good behavior for a while, but you’ll never produce godly goodness. Only God can produce God’s character. GOODNESS IS GOD’S CHARACTER. We try to be good without God and we just end up exhausting ourselves trying to become by effort – but this goodness is only produced through surrender to God. Do you want to be better? SURRENDER! Then the fruit of goodness will naturally grow! Jesus shows us what the goodness of God within looks like in action. Acts 10:38 puts it simply, “Jesus went around doing good.” The character of goodness always produces goodness in action. The more the Holy Spirit works his goodness in you, the more your actions align to those of Jesus. Girl, you’re going to be going around DOING GOOD! What if your entire life became about going around just doing good! You want to represent Jesus to this world – go around doing good! Let God’s goodness flow through you onto everyone you encounter! Ephesians 2:10 says we’re created to do the good things God planned for us. Doing good things doesn’t save us – But the goodness of God growing in us naturally has us going around doing good things! Think about that – do you notice that in your own journey with God? The more you grow in Jesus – the more you learn and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit – the more he has you going around doing good things! How radically cool is that? THAT’S THE FRUIT OF GOODNESS GROWING IN YOUR LIFE! So today, don’t leave our time together thinking, “I need to try harder to be good.” Leave thinking, “I need to stay closer to God.” Fruit never grows because the branch strains harder—it grows because it stays connected to the vine. The closer you live to Jesus, the more His goodness becomes your goodness. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself speaking with more integrity, loving more deeply, giving more generously, forgiving more freely, serving more joyfully, and doing good almost without thinking about it. That’s the Holy Spirit transforming your character. Girl, this world doesn’t just need more nice people. It needs more people so surrendered to Jesus that His goodness overflows into every conversation, every decision, every relationship, and every ordinary day. So stay surrendered. Stay connected. Stay under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Then go around doing good, because everywhere the goodness of God goes, darkness loses ground and people catch a glimpse of Jesus. And really that’s what it’s all about – show the world JESUS! Every act of goodness points beyond us. Every kind word, every generous act, every choice of integrity, every quiet sacrifice becomes another opportunity for someone to catch a glimpse of Jesus. So let His goodness grow in you, flow through you, and reveal Him to the world. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2152 The Fruit of Kindness – Fruits Part 11 08.07.2026 16mnt

  In our study of the fruits of the Spirit, we’re understanding this isn’t a list of attributes to strive for, it’s not a checklist for being a follower of Jesus, it’s the tangible results that grow in our lives when we’re connected to God. FRUITS of the Spirit. Fruit grows. Fruit is the natural outcome of a healthy tree. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence living within us, and that Spirit changes our heart. And very naturally without force, when our heart changes, our behavior changes. We start seeing things and people differently. We start responding differently. Our priorities shift. And even our very character is changed. With the Holy Spirit, we naturally begin to grow in love, in joy, in peace and in patience. Now the next literal change we can see as the Holy Spirit works to change our hearts, we grow in KINDNESS. Galatians 5:23, “The Holy Spirit produce this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness …” The Greek word translated into kindness is chrēstotēs. This word means being a blessing wherever you go. It is more than just a smile, it is an intentional act that benefits others. This is a disposition, meaning WHO YOU ARE. Who you are is blessed and what you do is be a blessing – that is the true meaning of kindness as a fruit of the Spirit. Kindness is a focus on others that continually asks, “How can I help? How can I lift their burden? How can I bless?” Kindness takes the focus off self and sees the needs of others. When kindness sees a need, it springs into action – not for how it makes them look, but for how it makes others feel. Acts of kindness reveal the kindness of our God. Did you know scripture calls God KIND? Psalm 145: 13-20, listen to this description of our God – “The LORD always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with KINDNESS. The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The LORD protects all those who love him …” Y’all, that’s OUR GOD! He is so genuinely KIND. He blesses us beyond measure. As a recipient of his kindness in the Holy Spirit, we then begin to grow that same kindness from within. It becomes who we are. We are blessed to be a blessing. Everywhere Jesus went, kindness followed. Think about it. He touched lepers when no one was willing to even stand next to them. As a woman caught in adultery was about to be stoned to death, he drew a line in the sand and defended her. He stood in a hungry crowd of thousands and decided he would feed them their next meal. As he hung on the cross dying the most painful death imaginable, he forgave. Kindness wasn’t something Jesus occasionally did – it was who he was. And we’re called to be more and more like Jesus. We can’t be like Jesus without being KIND. Kindness moves. Kindness responds. Kindness steps right into the messy need and gets their hands dirty. As kindness grows within us through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will no longer be able to just walk by anymore because we’re too busy. THAT’S CHANGING. The fruit of kindness changes what we see. Instead of seeing interruptions, we see opportunities. Instead of seeing differences, we see hurting people who God loves. Instead of seeing ourselves as better, we see ourselves as a vessel that carries a blessing, and that blessing is to be poured out! Imagine three people walk into a room where someone is hurting. The first person says, “I’m praying for you.” That’s compassion. The second person says, “God is with you in this.” That may be goodness. The third person says, “I brought dinner. I’ll watch your kids. I’ll mow your yard. I’ll sit with you.” That’s chrēstotēs KINDNESS. Kindness doesn’t just merely notice pain. Kindness enters it. In this world, our hearts naturally become impatient and critical. Life can make us harsh and suspicious. We can begin building our walls and our judgments. But the Holy Spirit starts tearing down those walls. The work of God’s presence living within us softens our hearts again. Here’s the thing, when you know you have been overwhelmed by totally undeserved kindness from God himself, then you can’t help but turn around and show undeserved kindness to others. If you’re amazed by the sheer kindness of Jesus, then you can’t remain indifferent toward people. Kindness changes who you are! Kindness at work within you has no limits. The Holy Spirit wants to grow kindness is you that changes absolutely everything you do. Suddenly you’ll notice the way you talk is kind. The way you drive is kind. The way you parent is kind. The way you lead is kind. They way you follow is kind. Kindness will permeate everything about you and everything you do. God’s kindness toward us becomes God’s kindness through us. It’s one of the clearest proofs that Jesus is changing your heart! As you walk with Jesus and grow in his Spirit, have you noticed yourself changing? It hasn’t been an overnight change, but a gradual growth. You don’t see things the way you used to. You can’t just walk by what you used to walk by. You’re moved by the needs of people now. You hurt when they hurt. You’re no longer serving from a self-seeking position, but a heart that has been transformed by the love of Christ. His Spirit is teaching you to love what He loves, to value what He values, and guess what that is … PEOPLE. God loves his people. God values his people. Now his Spirit teaches us to do the same. What once seemed like an interruption now becomes an opportunity to show compassion. What once felt like a burden now becomes a privilege to carry. This is the evidence of spiritual maturity—not perfection, but transformation. As God continues His work in you, your life begins to reflect His kindness, His patience, His mercy, and His grace. The more you abide in Him, the more His character is formed in you. Others may not notice every small change, but over time they begin to see Jesus in the way you speak, the way you forgive, the way you serve, and the way you love. Keep walking with Him. He is faithfully shaping you into the person He created you to be. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2151 The Fruit of Patience – Fruits Part 10 07.07.2026 18mnt

  Patience is actually NOT something you lack when the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Patience is something that naturally grows within you and is produced in your life. It’s a byproduct of the presence of God. Just as an apple tree naturally grows apples, as God’s girl, you naturally grow patience. So why do you feel like you’re lacking it? Why do you still get frustrated in the waiting? Why do you still rush and push and force? Did you not get patience? The Spirit produces; but we still participate. Yes, the Holy Spirit changes our desires and empowers obedience, but God’s Word also repeatedly calls believers to “LET the Holy Spirit guide your lives” (Galatians 5:16) and to “FOLLOW the Spirit’s leading” (Galatians 5:25). If you’re not letting the Holy Spirit guide you and if you’re not actively following His leading, then you’re simply not experiencing everything He wants to grow in you. If an apple tree refused to drink the water provided through the rain, do you think it would produce the fruit it was created to grow? Of course not. So girl, you have a role in this. As you surrender to the Spirit, stay connected to God, and choose His way over your old patterns, you’ll find His fruit growing in your life. God’s job through the Holy Spirit is not to completely override your personality. His work is to transform you into the fullness of His image as you walk with Him in that transformation. You still have a choice. Sometimes, you may still choose your old impatience. Here’s the great news: Even when you’re impatient, God is not. He is patiently extending the next invitation for you to depend on Him rather than your own strength. Again and again, He offers you a better way and lovingly waits for you to choose it. God will out-wait your stubborn era. He’ll out-wait your striving. He’ll out-wait your need to control the outcome. He’ll out-wait your fear that if you don’t make something happen, nothing ever will. And really, when you boil it all down, isn’t that how you feel? You seriously think you have to make something happen or nothing will ever happen for you. You think you have to somehow get control. You think you’re going to force this. Oh sweet girl, you’re simply not that powerful. God is not anxious about your timeline because He’s not limited by time. Time is a human constraint, not a Godly constraint. When God says in Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end. I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come.” – well, he actually means that. He has always been in every yesterday and he’s already in every tomorrow. Yes, he’s already there. He has always held the entire future in his hands. We’re stuck in today, but God is not. Peter probably explained it best when he said in 2 Peter 3:8, “But you must not forget this one thing: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” My friend, TIME IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR GOD. Your timeline is self-imposed, God is above your timeline. Even in the moments when he saw the very beginning of this for you, he was already at the very end of it too. God can do in 1 day what you and I could not do in a thousand years. And in God’s time, a thousand years is like a single day. Is God in a rush? Not at all? Has he called you to be? Not in the slightest. He has allotted your time on this Earth in advance. he knows precisely the number of days you have in this life. He has held every one of those days since the beginning of time. And as you live, he’s been teaching you to trust his timing. Can you look back and see how his timing is always perfect? Can you see how he moved mountains, opened doors, changed hearts, opened eyes, and collided worlds precisely in the best timing? Yes? He’s proven you can trust him with the timing of what is next too! But if you’ve been waiting for a while, you’re likely feeling a little anxious questioning when it’s going to happen. Your mind has likely been running off into ways you can just make things happen on your own. Don’t miss this, Sis – every delay becomes another opportunity to trust him. Every moment of waiting becomes another chance to let the Holy Spirit produce what you could never manufacture on your own. So the next time you catch yourself rushing, forcing, or growing frustrated, recognize the invitation. Pause and ask, “Holy Spirit, what would it look like to follow Your pace right now?” Woah – that’s powerful. Would you try that? Today, when you realize you’re rushing – when you realize you’re frustrated waiting in line – today when you’re trying to force things to move faster ask the Holy Spirit what it would look like to follow his pace. I bet you will feel a sense of calm rush over you. I bet all that tension in your forehead will release and your eyebrows won’t look so angry. I bet you’ll suddenly feel fresh breath fill your lungs and remind you of God’s presence. That’s what patience feels like. Patience isn’t something you’re trying squeeze out of yourself. It’s not a posture you’re trying to contort yourself into. You don’t have to beat yourself into patience. Patience is someone you’re learning to surrender to. That’s right, patience is a surrender to God’s unique way of working in the details and timing of your life. And the more you walk with Him, the more you’ll discover that patience isn’t just what He asks of you—it’s what He faithfully grows within you. I’ve always heard you should never pray for patience. Why? Because you’ll be given a dumptruck load of crap that goes wrong and takes too long so that you’re forced to be patient. Show me where that is in your Bible – it’s not there. But also notice this – Scripture never tells us to pray, “God, give me patience.” Instead, it tells us to walk with the Holy Spirit, who produces patience in us. The goal isn’t to chase the fruit – it’s to stay connected to the One who grows it. The growth of fruit happens slowly, not overnight. Apple trees don’t suddenly wake up one morning and say, “Woah, look at that full grown apple that appeared on my branches while I slept.” No, the growth happens ever so gradually and continually. That’s the way fruit grows. Patience is a slow-growing fruit. Perhaps it’s been growing so slowly in you that you haven’t even noticed it’s development. But look back and see the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Do you recover more quickly than you used to? Wow – that’s the fruit of patience growing in your life. Do you now pray instead of exploding? Yip – that’s the fruit of patience growing in your life. Do you actually apologize now? Hey girl, that’s growth right there! Do you trust God more deeply that you once did? Oh yeah, there’s the fruit of patience growing! Scripture is filled with faithful people who had to wait. Waiting for freedom. Waiting for a baby. Waiting for change. Waiting for victory. Waiting for healing. Faith doesn’t erase the experience of waiting. It changes HOW we wait. May you wait more like a girl who trusts the God who is in complete control. May you wait more like a girl who trusts her good, good Father. May you wait more like a girl who knows that what God has promised, He will be faithful to fulfill. May you wait with peace instead of panic, with expectation instead of anxiety, and with open hands instead of clenched fists. Because waiting isn’t wasted when you’re waiting with God. He’s working in the waiting. He’s shaping your heart in the waiting. He’s growing something in you and preparing something for you in the waiting. So don’t rush what God is asking you to trust. Don’t force what God has asked you to surrender. His timing has never been late, and His plans have never needed your panic to come to pass. Wait well, sweet girl. The God who holds your future is holding you, too. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2150 The Fruit of Peace – Fruits Part 9 06.07.2026 17mnt

  The fruits of the spirit are the direct results of God’s presence in our lives. It’s the natural byproduct produced from within us when God’s Holy Spirit lives in us. Today we study the 3rd evidence that grows like fruit on a tree. Galatians 5:23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, PEACE …” Peace. In Greek, Jesus would have often used the word ‘shalom’. It means completeness, wholeness, everything being as God intended it to be – nothing missing and nothing broken. So when Paul says the Holy Spirit grows peace, he’s not talking about someone who simply doesn’t get upset. He’s talking about a soul that has been made WHOLE by God. This is not a guarantee of an easy life. This is not peace that comes through an absence of trouble. Oh no, Sis. This is a peace that remains regardless of the trouble. This is a divine calm in the storm and a guard for our heart in the heat of the battle. The world says, “I’ll have peace when…” When the bills are paid. When the diagnosis changes. When my kids finally straighten up. When the relationship gets better. When life slows down. But the Holy Spirit says, “You can have peace now.” Not because everything around you is settled, but because the One within you is settled. Before facing the cross, Jesus tells his disciples that he is about to die and would no longer walk with them, but God would give them another Advocate who would never leave them. He is the Holy Spirit. God’s presence to live within them, teach them and guide them. Further describing this divine internal presence that’s so hard to understand, Jesus says in John 14:27, “I’m leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. There’s absolutely nothing you can do to produce this peace for yourself. There’s no meditation or deep breathing that brings this peace. There’s no soundtrack for this, no magical place on a mountaintop or hidden away in the woods. No, this peace isn’t found in the world or in yourself. It is ONLY through the presence of the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to work for it, you simply have to abide in Christ and this unspeakable peace grows. Peace isn’t pretending everything is okay. It’s knowing that even when everything isn’t okay, God still is. As I mentioned last week, while at our Lake Retreat, one of our really special BIG Life girls received the phone call that her husband had died. While her whole world is absolutely shattered and she has walked through this unimaginable and unexpected loss for the past week, something remarkable has happened. She has literally felt God strengthening her. When she can’t catch her breath, she says she can feel God breathing into her. In this time where nothing makes sense, not even the time of day, there is a settled peace living inside of her. My friends, that is the Holy Spirit. Have you ever experienced that level of peace? Peace that Philippians 4:7 says, “exceeds anything we can understand. Peace that will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” It’s a settled knowing from within when everything else is spinning out of control. It’s an anchor for your soul that holds you steady when the waves come crashing against you. But this peace isn’t reserved for times of trouble. This peace can be your constant. On the bad days and the good days. In the highs just as much as in the lows. You know when you need the peace of the Holy Spirit? … in the battle and in victory. In the storm and in the blissful sunshine. The truth is, without God’s peace, you can be sitting in the most beautiful day of life and be radically upset. Without God’s peace you can miss the goodness of the moment and be all stirred up about things that aren’t even a real threat. Are you in a reasonably good season of life right now? Did you wake up today without crisis or deep grief? Pause for a moment and think about that. You’re okay today. Your people okay are today. Let your mind settle in peace. You don’t have to manufacture the next thing to worry about. You don’t have to busy yourself. You can sit here in this peace and let it wash over you. PEACE CAN BE YOUR CONSTANT. When the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, this level of peace naturally grows in your life. You wake up with this peace. You walk in this peace. You are held steady in this peace. You move forward in this peace. You rest in this peace. And you know what else you do – YOU BRING PEACE TO EVERY TABLE YOU SET AT. Girl, that’s what your family needs! That’s what your office needs. That’s what your neighborhood needs. They don’t need you to be the one with all the answers and solutions. They don’t need you to be the one that takes charge and creates radical change. Actually what they need is for you to bring the gift Jesus brought to his disciples on the night before the cross. THE GIFT OF PEACE. Think about that – how can you offer the gift of peace today? It is a gift you can give because it’s growing in your life. Have you ever seen an apple tree straining and groaning trying to push out apples? No. It simply stays rooted. The fruit is evidence of the life inside it. That’s our job too. Stay rooted in Jesus. The Holy Spirit grows the fruit. If I’m an apple tree growing apples, I can easily offer you an apple. I can’t offer you a ribeye steak because that’s not what’s growing on my limbs. But as an apple tree, I can always give you an apple. And it’s really that simple. As God’s girl with the very presence of God within, you’re growing peace on your limbs. Peace during the good and peace during the bad. Peace in the storm and peace in the calm. You can always offer peace. It’s not your calling to bring the freak-out. Freak-out doesn’t grow in the life of a girl carrying around the Holy Spirit. It’s not your calling to bring the negativity. Negativity doesn’t grow in the life of a girl carrying around the Holy Spirit. It’s not your calling to bring the drama. Drama doesn’t grow in the life of a girl carrying around the Holy Spirit. It’s not your calling to spread fear. Fear doesn’t grow in the life of a girl carrying around the Holy Spirit. Your calling is to bring the peace. PEACE GROWS IN THE LIFE OF A GIRL CARRYING AROUND THE HOLY SPIRIT! Peace in your home. Peace in your office. Peace in your neighborhood. Peace in your car. Peace everywhere you go. Don’t be a thermometer that only reflects the temperature of the room. Be a thermostat that changes it. When everyone else is anxious, you stay steady. When everyone else is panicking, you stay prayerful. When everyone else is arguing, you stay peaceful. Why? Because you’re carrying the Holy Spirit. Every room you walk into has an atmosphere. Some rooms feel tense. Some feel fearful. Some feel angry. Some feel rushed. But because the Prince of Peace lives in you, every room you enter has the opportunity to become more peaceful simply because you showed up. Show up today and bring PEACE WITH YOU AS YOUR PLUS ONE! Hey girl, it’s me, plus PEACE today! I interrupt your chaos with God’s peace. I interrupt your stress with God’s peace. I interrupt your worry with God’s peace. Don’t confuse peace with being passive. Jesus had perfect peace—and He still walked straight toward the cross. Peace doesn’t make you weak. Peace makes you unshakable. Imagine what would happen if every daughter of God decided today: “Wherever I go, peace goes.” Into my marriage… peace goes. Into my parenting… peace goes. Into my workplace… peace goes. Into the waiting room… peace goes. Into the hard conversation… peace goes. Into the celebration… peace goes. Why? Because I carry the Holy Spirit. I don’t have to manufacture peace. I don’t have to chase peace. I don’t have to wait for peace. I carry Peace Himself. And wherever the Spirit of God lives, the fruit of peace grows. You are a soul who has been made whole by God, so you have PEACE. SHALOM. With God, everything is as it should be. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
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  2149 The Fruit of JOY – Fruits Part 8 03.07.2026 18mnt

  Joy is one expression of the life of Jesus growing within us. What exactly is joy? It’s deep, not surface level. It is permanent, not circumstantial. It’s a settled confidence, not a mood. It’s a spiritual strength, not a changing emotion. And this joy, according to Nehemiah 8:10, is the source of your strength. Joy is supernatural, not natural. The source of joy is God – not a personality type, not positive thinking patterns. No, joy is the result of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within you. The closer we remain to Jesus, the more joy grows in our lives. Not by force, not by will, but by connection. The world searches for joy through outside sources. We look in relationships, and we’re left disappointed. We strive for success, and we’re left stressed. We think joy is found in having money, then we realize we always want more. We look to entertainment and we’re left empty. We think joy is found on vacation, then the vacation ends and it’s back to regular life and where’s the joy in that? None. Joy is not found out here. So where is joy found? Psalm 16:11 tells us where joy is and it’s very clear. “In your presence, Lord, there is fullness of joy.” And because the Holy Spirit within us is the literal presence of God, we are carrying the SOURCE of JOY. It’s not out here in anything external, created or strived for, it’s right inside of us. It’s God in us! He is our source of joy. This is why it’s possible to have joy wherever we go, whatever we go through, regardless of circumstances – we carry the joy with us. We have the SOURCE – that is the presence of God. There’s a difference between happiness and joy. Some times are simply not happy times. Some times we hurt, some times we grieve. And yet joy remains. How is that possible? Joy depends on one thing – God within you. And guess what, he’s not leaving! So joy is always present regardless of the season or the circumstance. Happiness depends on what happens. Happiness changes hourly. But joy abides and survives tragedy. Even on the cross, Jesus was filled with joy. Even in agony, joy was within. Hebrews 12:2, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” With eyes set on the joy of fulfilling his purpose and completing his mission of saving YOU, he endured and he remained. He held the perfect power to take himself down from that cross at any moment, yet he remained, and he remained with the joy of knowing God’s goodness through it all. Jesus shows us how to endure, how to suffer, how to go through the very hardest of times. He doesn’t run. He doesn’t hide. He doesn’t try to change it. He endures it with joy set before him. God was right there with him, therefore he had supernatural joy to stay in the moment and fulfill his purpose. That’s what the Holy Spirit does in our lives – He helps us look forward knowing this is temporary and eternal promises are ahead. The Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s good plans and his perfect track record of fulfilling them. Joy is not the absence of sorrow – sometimes sorry and joy are present at the same time. The Holy Spirit teaches us to hold grief in one hand while still holding joy in the other. Here’s the truth, at any given moment, someone is having the absolute best day of their life. At that same moment, someone else is experiencing the absolute worst day of their life. And here we are in the middle of it all. What do we do with that? With the power of the Holy Spirit, we faithfully hold both. Last weekend at retreat, in the middle of all our fun, all our happiness, all our games, all our laughter, one of our BIG Life girls received the phone call that changed absolutely everything for her. Her husband had just died at home. He was gone and she was states away there with us. Oh the grief that overtook her. The pain that was palpable in the room. We fell to our knees with no words, only breathing out the name of YAHWEH. And let me tell you from that experience, I see how when life hits that hard, you want to be surrounded by people like that! You want your army of girls who can lay on the floor with you, then help pick you back up. You want your people who can pray with you and walk with you. Once we had her fully cared for and being escorted by the right girls back home, we were left in a house that had just held so much sorrow. What do you do after that? How do you salvage a weekend retreat when tragedy has hit for one among you? Well my friends, JOY IS STILL THERE. We had ourselves a real life lesson of holding grief in one hand and joy in the other. What did we do? We lived. We allowed God’s joy to well up from within us and we intentionally chose to create memories. The weekend was not wasted. That’s the reality we live in. If we’re waiting for perfect moments where everyone and everything is all good, then we spend our whole lives waiting while life passes by. We can hold grief with one hand and joy with the other. Jesus showed us how on the cross. 2 Corinthians 6:10, “Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.” We grieve with hope. We cry with confidence. We hurt without despair. The Holy Spirit gives joy that coexists with tears. The Spirit gives joy that coexists with tears. There’s this strange little verse in the Bible that sometimes doesn’t make sense – James 1:2, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” This isn’t a command to enjoy suffering – this is a reminder that we can rejoice because we KNOW God is accomplishing something through whatever we go through. We can set our eyes on the joy ahead, just as Jesus did. God is doing something good. We can trust that always. Whatever you may be going through, joy can grow here. Joy grows whenever eternity becomes more real than temporary pain. That’s how the Holy Spirit constantly lifts our eyes upward. There’s so much more than what we see and know here – we can count on that! And when we live in that awareness, joy grows. The joy of the Holy Spirit is not shallow optimism or denial of hardship. It is the settled delight that comes from knowing God, trusting His character, walking in His presence, and seeing life through the lens of eternity. As you abide in Christ and yield to the Spirit, this joy is not something you force—it becomes something the Spirit steadily grows within you, enabling you to rejoice even when circumstances remain unchanged. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com