Toni Ford

By Toni Ford In the second chapter of Acts, we discover the first definition of the early church. Not only do we read about how it was formed but we see the qualities and characteristics that defined the New Testament church. Acts gives us the foundations of the early church. Acts 2:42-47 says, “All the

By Toni Ford Have you ever heard of the Book of Leviticus in the Bible? Some people might have heard of it, but like me, have not really spent much time reading it. In times past when I read Leviticus for my daily reading plan, I remember thinking that it was just a book written

By Toni Ford When writing Psalm 19, David wanted to emphasize God’s revelations of Himself in creation, scripture and the human heart. C.S. Lewis referred to this Psalm by saying, “I take this (Psalm 19) to be the greatest poem in The Psalms and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.” I have to

By Toni Ford Genesis 8 is a chapter of hope, encouragement and rest after tribulation. In this chapter, we read about Noah, his family and the animals who have been on an ark for over a year due to a flood that destroyed the entire earth and everything living on it. These were dark times

By Toni Ford This week’s devotion is actually one I saw written by Sylvia Gunter with “The Father’s Business.” Sylvia is an incredible woman of God and has written several books and Bible study curriculum. You can read more about Sylvia and her ministry at www.thefathersbusiness.com. I love Genesis 1:27 and personally believe it is

By Toni Ford I love the story of the lost sheep in Luke 15: 1-7, maybe because I can relate so easily to this story. Like sheep, we have a tendency to go astray and get lost because of our own foolishness. This is why sheep need a shepherd so that the shepherd can find

By Toni Ford There is something special about new beginnings. I love the thought of starting afresh and anew, making new goals and having fresh vision for the year ahead. I saw a quote posted on social media this past week by a man named Brad Paisley, which read, “Tomorrow is the first blank page

By Toni Ford Throughout the 43rd and 44th chapters of the Book of Isaiah, there is an emphasis on “God the Redeemer.” The word translated “redeem” or “Redeemer” is the Hebrew word for “a kinsman redeemer,” a near relative who could free family members and their property from bondage by paying their debts for them.

By Toni Ford During this Christmas season, I am reminded of Isaiah 9:6-7. This Scripture is one of the greatest prophesies ever foretold and serves as a great reminder for the true meaning of Christmas. Isaiah 9:6 proclaims not only the birth of Jesus (“a child is born”) but also His deity (“a son is

This week, my thoughts and readings in the Word kept taking me back to the importance of a name. Maybe, because this is the Christmas season and each year, in the midst of the business, of buying gifts, going to parties and preparing Christmas cards, I try to keep an awareness of the true meaning

By Toni Ford Have you ever received a “no,” or maybe a “no, not now,” response from the Lord concerning a prayer you had been praying for weeks, months or even years? This past week, our family experienced an answer like that. And although that answer at that moment made us sad and full of

By Toni Ford As I have been reading the book of Joshua this past month, I picture it being divided in three parts. The first part (chapters 1-12) is Joshua completing the first half of his commission. He had conquered the enemy and was now in control of the land and the cities the Lord

By Toni Ford Have you ever thought much about another person’s fragrance or noticed how the environment shifts when someone enters the room? According to Webster’s Dictionary, fragrance is defined as a “pleasant aroma or a sweet smell.” If someone were to ask us what type of fragrance we are, I wonder if most of

By Toni Ford The last five Psalms – 146 to 150 – are considered “hallelujah psalms” that focus our attention on praising the Lord. Psalm 146 begins with a vow to praise God throughout life and is filled with hope as a result of all God’s promises to His children. In this psalm, we are

By Toni Ford Deuteronomy is essentially Moses’ farewell address to a new generation. In chapter six, we find Moses reminding this new generation that they must never stop teaching the meaning of the laws to their children and telling the numerous stories of how the Lord brought His people out of slavery. One of the

By Toni Ford I believe it is safe to say that we have all experienced both defeat and victory at some point in our lives. If that is true, then how do we keep from staying in an attitude of defeat and how do we turn our mistakes into a victory? Henry Ford once defined

I love the book of Deuteronomy. If you ever need reassurance of who God is in your life, read this book! In the first chapter alone, we see so many characteristics of God’s faithfulness to care and protect His children. Deuteronomy 1: 29-33 (NIV) says, “But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked or afraid

By Toni Ford The church I attend just completed a series on prayer, as well as our bi-annual 21 Days of Prayer. During this time, we are all encouraged to readjust our focus on the Lord and let prayer be our first response and not our last resort. Our church provides a simple prayer journal

By Toni Ford Paul was a prisoner in Rome, and his friend Philemon, who had been one of Paul’s co-workers in ministry and a dear friend, lived in Colosse. Along with his wife Apphia, Philemon led a dynamic and growing house church in Colosse. Although Paul had never visited the church in Colosse, the one

By Toni Ford In the book of Joshua, we read about the story of God’s faithfulness to His people, and how by faith God’s people can overcome and experience life-changing deliverance. The book of Joshua is not only a fulfillment of God’s promise to His children but also an example of a man named Joshua

By Toni Ford The Book of Proverbs is, “the book of wisdom,” and has often been referred to as a “collection of collections.” Full of Biblical wisdom, Proverbs also raises questions of values, moral behavior, the meaning of human life and righteous conduct. King Solomon, the wisest, wealthiest, and most powerful man in history, wrote

By Toni Ford How many of you remember the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of bondage? Do you happen to remember who actually led the children of Israel into the Promised Land? It was Joshua, Moses successor. Moses led Israel out of bondage, but it was Joshua who took them into blessing. Moses

By Toni Ford John 8:32 says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” As a believer, we know that Jesus, is the ultimate truth, the definition of truth itself.  Jesus’ primary mission on earth was to set people free by helping them see, know, and believe the truth! However,

By Toni Ford People who know me know how much I love worship music. If you were asked the question of what helps you enter the Lord’s presence faster than anything, what would you say? Some would say praying, reading the Word, taking a walk or listening to a sermon, but for me it is

By Toni Ford In the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7, we read what is commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount. In chapter five, Jesus begins this sermon by introducing His followers to a superior way of living, which was a new way of the kingdom. Up until this time, the Jews primary standard

By Toni Ford Due to various circumstances in my life, lately I have found myself searching for wisdom more than ever. My pastor has been doing a series recently on the Book of Proverbs, which reminded me that one of the topics often covered in this particular book is wisdom. Several chapters in Proverbs was

By Toni Ford Have you ever felt like giving up? I am sure we all have at some point in our lives. Depending on their situation, some people have had to battle this thought on a daily basis. In the Gospel of Mark, we find a group of men that were faced with this same

By Toni Ford I am not sure if you have ever read many of the Psalms, but there are some incredible promises to the believer all throughout this book. Two of these beautiful psalms stood out to me this week, Psalm 111 and 112. Psalm 111 ends by admonishing us to fear the Lord and

By Toni Ford As I was thinking of a name for this article, I really didn’t want to use the word “hate,” mainly because it is such a strong word. This generation especially does not like to recognize that God has the capacity to hate. They would rather see Him as a soft-hearted God who

By Toni Ford Paul gives us a great challenge in Philippians 4:6 when he says, “Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing…” When I first read this verse, my first thought was “Yeah, right – how in the world do I keep from being pulled in different directions and worrying about