---

2 Samuel 13 records a story filled with moral ugliness. Does it involve the denizens of some pagan city? A bunch of social outcasts? No, the players in this story are members of the royal family of David, king of Israel.

Amnon, the eldest son of David, became infatuated with his beautiful half-sister, Tamar (David’s daughter by another wife). Although the Biblical text uses the ordinary, broad Hebrew word for “loved,” it is clear that Amnon’s main interest in Tamar was sexual. But she was off limits to him. As the king’s…

---

“It’s broke, Daddy. Please, can you fix it?”

 Our daughter, age four, handed me the little ceramic nick-knack, her face full of worry. It wasn’t anything of value, but to her it was priceless. As I took the broken object from her hand, I realized just how much that little brown-eyed angel relied on me. I thought to myself, She believes I can fix anything.

It has been said that a child’s conception of God is based largely on what he sees in his parents — because they’re the…

---

Sometimes the true test of a conviction comes when defending that conviction — or merely explaining it — causes someone else to view you as an enemy. When simply stating what the Bible says about an issue leads others to call you mean, repressive, or even un-Christ-like. When your efforts to teach someone the truth cause them to weep, not tears of regret or repentance, but the tears of someone who feels he is being treated unfairly. When a person paints you as being responsible for others’ heartache and suffering just because of what you…

---

The purpose of a doctor is to help sick people get well, not to make them feel good about being sick.

The purpose of a road map is to help us get where we need to go, not to make us feel good about being where we are.

The purpose of a plumber is to fix your pipes, not to make you feel good about having a leak.

Despite some modern exceptions, the purpose of schools and teachers is to educate children, not to make them…

---

Now, if you know the Plant City congregation, you might say we have plenty of Davids already! At present our number includes eight fine men by that name. Some of us have even joked about changing the name on our sign to “The House of David.”

But of course that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m referring to King David of Israel. He was not perfect, but God called him a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). This church, like every church, needs men and women like that. Specifically, every…

When we look back over the years of our lives we can see so much more, now, than we ever could when we walked forward step by step. Forward is a process, a steady one, and too often we grow tired and frustrated because we want to be there already. But where is there? Right before Jesus’ […]

“Don’t look back, you’re not going that way” I did a poll on Instagram to inquire about what topics ladies were interested in reading about for this week’s devotional email and someone responded with my favorite topic: focus forward. Naturally, and with huge bias, I decided to use it 🙂 What does “focus” mean to […]

“Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit.” – Amos 8:1 When “To Be Praised” first launched, it was November. The Earth had just begun to stiffen, and the cold air surrounded us as we sipped pumpkin flavored coffee and tea. It doesn’t seem that long ago. We had less than […]

If you build it, they will come. Last Saturday, To Be Praised hosted a Cinco De Mayo themed Chat & Chew. It was our first installment of the in-person Bible studies under the new name “the Hive”, but to be honest…a name is a name. The energy, the vibe, the encouragement, love, and sisterhood was […]

Join us for a two-hour chat + chew to engage the creative, intrepid, and brave woman of God. “the Hive” is a place where women nurture their power and create meaningful connections with other women. What to expect: -Cinco De Mayo themed catered lunch -Resources/worksheets to use during our discussion -Actionable takeaways on how to […]