Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous!

Have you ever faced something that felt too big for you?

Maybe it was a hard test at school, a fight with a friend, or something scary happening in your family.

Sometimes we face situations that make us think, “I don’t know what to do!”

That’s exactly how a man named King Jehoshaphat felt when his enemies surrounded him. But instead of panicking… he started praising.

King Jehoshaphat was the ruler of Judah. One day, messengers came running to him with terrible news:

“King! A huge army is coming to attack us! There are too many to count!”

The king could’ve freaked out — but he didn’t.

He called everyone together and prayed out loud:

“God, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

And you know what? God answered.

Through one of the prophets, God said,

“Don’t be afraid. The battle isn’t yours — it’s Mine.”

So the next morning, Jehoshaphat got everyone ready — but he didn’t put the biggest soldiers in front.

He put the worship team!

Imagine that: instead of shields and swords, they marched out with music and praise.

They sang,

“Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever!”

And as they praised, something incredible happened —

God confused the enemy armies, and they started fighting each other!

By the time Jehoshaphat’s people arrived, the battle was already over.

They hadn’t even lifted a sword.

God had completely fought for them!

Thankfulness isn’t just for after the battle — it’s a weapon you can use in the battle.

When life feels hard, don’t just worry — worship.

When you don’t know what to do, thank God anyway.

Because when you choose praise over panic, you make space for God to move.

Remember: the same God who fought for Jehoshaphat fights for you, too.

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous!

Have you ever shared something small — like half your sandwich, a few dollars, or some of your time — and later realized it made a big difference?

Sometimes the little things we do for others open the door for big miracles.

That’s exactly what happened to a woman in the Bible who decided to bless someone with what she had.

There was a woman who lived in a town called Shunem. She and her husband didn’t have much, but they were kind and generous.

One day, a prophet named Elisha came through their town. He often traveled around teaching people about God, and the woman noticed he didn’t have a place to stay.

So she invited him in for a meal. Every time he came through town after that, she made sure he had food to eat.

Then she had an idea — she told her husband, “Let’s build a little room on the roof for him! We can put in a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp so he has a place to rest.”

It wasn’t fancy, but it was what she could offer — and she gave it gladly.

Elisha was so touched by her kindness that he prayed for her to be blessed.

He told her she would have a baby boy — something she never thought could happen.

And just like that, God did a miracle!

Years later, that same child became very sick and died — but the story doesn’t end there.

The woman didn’t give up. She went straight to Elisha and said, “I know God can fix this.”

Elisha prayed over the boy, and God brought him back to life.

A double miracle — all because one woman used what she had to bless someone else.

When you bless others with what you have, God can do more than you ever imagined.

You don’t have to be rich or have everything figured out — just be willing.

God can turn small acts of kindness into big miracles.

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous!

Have you ever seen someone get something you wanted — maybe your friend got a new phone, someone else got picked first, or a classmate got a higher grade — and you felt that little twist inside that says, “Why not me?”

That feeling is called jealousy. And if we’re not careful, it can steal the joy and thankfulness right out of our hearts.

In the Bible, there were two brothers named Cain and Abel.

Both wanted to bring an offering to God. Abel brought his very best — the best parts of the firstborn animals from his flock.

But Cain only brought some of his crops — not his best.

God was pleased with Abel’s gift, but not with Cain’s, because Abel gave with a thankful heart.

When Cain saw that God accepted Abel’s offering and not his, jealousy started to grow inside him. Instead of asking God how he could do better, he got angry.

He compared himself to his brother instead of being grateful for what he had.

That jealousy grew and grew — until one day, it turned into something terrible. Cain hurt his brother, and his jealousy cost him everything.

If Cain had stopped and said, “God, I’m sorry. Help me give You my best next time,” things could have been so different.

But jealousy blinded him to what really mattered — his relationship with God and his brother.

Jealousy blocks gratitude.

When you’re focused on what someone else has, you forget how blessed you already are.

Instead of comparing, celebrate.

Be thankful for your gifts, your journey, and your blessings — because God made them just for you.

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous!

Have you ever taken a picture to remember something special — like a birthday or a big win?

The Israelites didn’t have cameras, but God told them to make a special “photo” of their own — with rocks!

After God helped His people cross the Jordan River on dry ground, Joshua told them to take twelve stones from the middle of the river.

He said, “Stack them up as a reminder of what God has done.”

The people in the Bible didn’t have phones or cameras.

But God still wanted them to remember the amazing things He did.

So He told them to make a special “photo” of their own… using rocks.

The stones were like a giant, real-life reminder:

“Hey, don’t forget—God did this. God made a way. God was faithful.”

Every time they saw that pile of stones, they could remember:

We were stuck.

God rescued us.

He brought us through.

We all need “stones of remembrance” in our lives.

Maybe for you, it’s:

• A time God answered a prayer.

• A moment He gave you peace when you were scared.

• A friend He brought into your life.

• A time He helped your family when things were hard.

Don’t forget the blessings God has already given you.

When you start to feel worried or afraid about what’s next, you can “look back” and remember:

If God helped me before,

He can help me again.

The same God who made a way for them… is with you today.

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous!

Have you ever wanted more — maybe a new game, a new phone, or something someone else has — and forgot to thank God for what’s already in your hands?

It happens to all of us. Sometimes we get so focused on what’s next that we miss how good we have it right now.

A long time ago, God rescued the Israelites from being slaves in Egypt. He promised to take them to a new land — a place full of blessings.

But on the way there, they had to travel through a big, hot desert.

There wasn’t a drive-thru or grocery store anywhere — so the people started to complain, “We’re hungry! We should’ve stayed in Egypt!”

Even though they complained, God still took care of them.

Every morning, when they woke up, something amazing was on the ground — thin flakes that looked like bread. It was called manna.

It was sweet, and it was just what they needed every single day.

But after a while, they got tired of it. They started saying, “We want something different! We don’t want manna anymore!”

They forgot that it was a miracle — food straight from Heaven!

It’s easy to look at what we don’t have and miss the miracle that’s already in front of us.

Don’t miss today’s blessings because you’re wishing for tomorrow’s.

When your heart is thankful, what you have becomes enough.

God gives us what we need every day — and that’s something to be grateful for.

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous!

Have you ever felt like you were stuck waiting for something to change — maybe waiting for a prayer to be answered or for life to get better?

Waiting can be really hard, especially when it feels like nothing’s happening.

But even in the waiting, God is still working.

In the Bible, there was a man named Joseph.

He loved God and always tried to do the right thing — but one day, he was thrown into prison for something he didn’t even do.

Imagine that.

You try your best to be good, and still end up in a place that feels dark, lonely, and unfair.

That’s how Joseph must’ve felt.

But here’s what’s amazing: even in that prison, Joseph kept trusting God.

He didn’t give up. He helped others, and God gave him favor — even in that difficult place.

Joseph didn’t know how long he’d have to wait, but God was using that season to prepare him for something greater.

When the time was right, Joseph’s waiting ended — and God brought him out and into his purpose.

Waiting isn’t easy, but it’s never wasted.

Just because you can’t see what God is doing doesn’t mean He isn’t working.

Sometimes the hardest seasons grow the strongest faith.

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous!

Have you ever been so hungry that you just couldn’t wait to eat? Maybe you skipped breakfast, and by lunchtime, you were ready to eat anything.

That’s kind of what happened to a guy in the Bible named Esau — except his hunger didn’t just cost him lunch… it cost him something much bigger.

Esau and Jacob were twin brothers, but Esau was born first. Back then, that meant Esau had something called a birthright — a special blessing and inheritance given to the oldest son.

It meant leadership, land, and God’s favor for generations. It was a big deal.

One day, Esau came home from hunting, starving. His brother Jacob was cooking a pot of stew, and it smelled so good.

Esau said, “Quick! Give me some of that stew!”

Jacob saw a chance and said, “I’ll trade you — my stew for your birthright.”

You’d think Esau would laugh and say, “No way!” But he didn’t.

He said, “I’m starving — what good is a birthright if I die of hunger?”

So he traded his blessing for a bowl of soup.

It sounds crazy, right? But sometimes we do the same thing.

We give in to temptation for something that feels good right now and forget about what really matters later.

Maybe we trade honesty for a quick lie to stay out of trouble.

Maybe we trade purity, kindness, or obedience to God just to fit in.

Those choices might feel good for a moment, but they can cost us big blessings down the road.

Don’t trade what’s valuable for what’s temporary.

When temptation comes, remember: the enemy loves to offer “quick bowls of stew” that look satisfying — but God’s blessings are worth waiting for.

Hold on to your faith. Don’t sell out your future for something small today.

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous! Have you ever been in a situation where you felt pressure to fit in — maybe everyone around you was doing something you knew wasn’t right, and you didn’t want to be the only one to stand out?

It’s not easy to go against the crowd, but sometimes following God means standing firm even when it’s hard.

Today, we’re talking about three brave young men who did exactly that — and how God showed up in the middle of the fire.

A long time ago, there was a king named Nebuchadnezzar who built a giant golden statue. It was huge — taller than a building! And the king made a rule: when the music played, everyone had to bow down and worship it.

Anyone who refused would be thrown into a blazing furnace.

Now, three young men — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — loved God and followed His ways. When the music played, everyone else bowed down… except them.

They stood tall.

The king was furious. He gave them one more chance and said, “If you don’t bow, you’ll be thrown into the fire.”

But they answered with courage:

“We don’t need to defend ourselves. The God we serve is able to save us. But even if He doesn’t, we will not bow.”

Wow — that’s real faith.

The king was so angry that he made the fire seven times hotter and threw them in. The flames were roaring, but then something amazing happened.

When the king looked into the fire, he saw not three men — but four!

The fourth looked like “a son of God.”

God was right there with them in the fire.

And when the men came out, they weren’t burned, their clothes weren’t damaged — they didn’t even smell like smoke!

Sometimes God doesn’t take away the fire — but He promises to be with you in it.

When life feels hard, when people don’t understand your faith, when standing for God feels lonely — remember this: you are never alone.

God stands with you in every “fire” you face.