Stephanie Massicotte

I was recently asked what it means to "fear the Lord." I admit, it seems like strange language! Elsewhere in the Bible, we're told that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), so why are we repeatedly encouraged to 'fear the Lord'? I'm glad you asked! In modern vocabulary, when we talk about "fear," we often mean "phobias." For example, I am afraid of spiders. I know it's completely crazy, and they can't hurt me, but I still have a deep fear of them. In fact, whether it's a shark or a spider, I have a sim[...]

In our modern-day, productive, fast-paced culture, we value and celebrate doing and achieving. But a story in the New Testament tends to challenge our status quo. This story questions our priorities and what we value. Once upon a time, long ago, Jesus was a guest in someone's home. Hosting anyone – let alone the Lord – is a lot of responsibility and work. This "hostess with the mostest" was named Martha, and no doubt, she must have been running around, greeting everyone, cooking and cleaning. Jesus wasn'[...]

Seasons make a huge difference. Here in Canada, you won’t want to go outside in a t-shirt in January, but you also won’t want to go outside with snow pants in July - both scenarios would be intolerable! Our Canadian seasons are drastically different, and we adjust accordingly – like all good Canadians do. King Solomon once famously said “For everything there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Spiritually, we also go through seasons. I recently heard an amazing teaching on spiritual seasons and how Go[...]

“The seed falling on rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.” Matthew 13:20-21 (NLT). I so admire people who are good gardeners and can grow just about anything! On the other hand, I had a reputation for killing just about any plant out there. But I decided during Covid to try to develop some gardening skil[...]

I’ve had fascinating conversations over the past few years with new believers or people who just returned to their faith after walking away for a few years. Often, their main question is, “What now?”; they struggle to figure out how to juggle their newfound love of Jesus with the baggage they carry, their doubts, and their other loves that aren’t all that ‘proper.’ It’s certainly a process; there’s no simple formula, and it’ll take time to figure it out. But the starting point always has to[...]

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV). I spent a solid 20 minutes trying to explain the concept of God's grace to someone who was terrified that if they made a mistake, God might smite them somehow. This had been a longstanding fear of theirs. Unfortunately, after I talked in circles for a while, my friend's face just showed confusion and mixed feelings rather than[...]

“Come to me. (…) Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30(MSG). Many years ago, I had a very vivid dream. I dreamed I was sitting on the ground among the branches of a bush in the middle of a forest. All was quiet until I heard footsteps from a distance. My view was obstructed by the branches and the leaves of my little sheltering bush, but I immediately knew that God was coming this way! All I could see were His feet, the hem of His flowing robe and His sha[...]

“I will bring him near, and he will come close to me - for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’ declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 30:21b (NIV). As human beings, we tend to go astray and seek out something other than God. In the Garden of Eden, we sought knowledge of a forbidden fruit. In the wilderness, we sought a man-made golden calf. And in the promise of a messiah, we sought a human hero to lead us... Long ago, the people of Israel had been given a great promise which inspired deep hop[...]

“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’” Joshua 3:5 (NIV) I was stunned the other day by a verse I read in Exodus. I was reading the story of Moses and the burning bush – a story I’ve heard countless times! And yet, this time, a small, unassuming detail really stood out to me. Here are the verses: “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here[...]

At face value, the word 'submission' usually sounds negative – especially in today's time and culture. And to be sure, in the wrong hands, submission can be an ugly and damaging thing. But God's ways are higher than ours, and His kingdom is upside down compared to ours. And in the same vein, this idea of submission is a pretty crucial in our walk with Jesus. In fact, I don't think it's possible to walk with Jesus unless we submit. Jesus Himself submitted to God perfectly in all things, so why should we not[...]