Resources by Debbra Stephens:
Behold the Family of God
She clung to life with a fierce diligence. It was as though she refused to leave this life before having one last opportunity to see her daughter. To speak important last words. Some would say she willed her heart to keep beating. But those of faith would say it was the grace of God granting...
Debbra Stephens
The World Needs Your Words
“How have you experienced God working in your life?” the Bible class teacher posed. I recall a growing lump in my throat, as I tried to choke out words. The gratitude welled up, the tears pooled, but the words didn’t come. Overcome by the grace of God, I could not yet speak of it. Words...
Debbra Stephens
The Loss of a Child and the Perpetual Comfort of Nain
There is a pain unimaginable to some . . . yet brutal reality for others. The wound? The one inflicted by the agonizing loss of a child. We grapple for comforting words, struck dumb for a response. Offering an attentive ear is likely better. Our silent presence often proves preferable. It’s then we need to...
Debbra Stephens
Do You Know What You’re Asking for Your Kids?
Mothers can be bold. Unabashedly so. When it comes to our kids, it’s easy to assume the sky is the limit—and we don’t flinch in asking for it. Unfortunately, that sometimes carries over into our prayer life, as we make our requests known before the Lord. But do we always know what we are asking?...
Debbra Stephens
Tired of Living as Predictably as a Facebook Advertisement?
Headlines were buzzing with the announcement. Facebook had introduced a new metric that would significantly revamp their algorithms. I imagined shifty eyes of a techie scouring screens, pounding out a complicated formula on lettered keys. Crouched in shadows, beyond a labyrinth of cubicles, programming bits to track our every cyber-click. Or is my overactive imagination...
Debbra Stephens
Contrasting Measures
Judging by the standards of the world often seems the natural thing to do. I reckon it’s a timeless trait of all Jesus followers—because occasions of just such a response is recorded for us in the gospels. There were times the disciples of Jesus passed judgment using worldly values as their standard. When we come...
Debbra Stephens
Two Halves That Make a Perfect Whole
“What happens in Small Group, stays in Small Group.” Agreed, but maybe that statement requires a qualifier. The group I met with on Sunday evenings for over 18 years fed both body and soul, mind and spirit—because after our group discussion we always shared a meal. We would talk Jesus . . . Scripture ....
Debbra Stephens