Jim Graff

Growing up, I often viewed prayer as a last resort. Not on purpose; it was just natural for me to try figuring things out on my own first. In college I realized: prayer was not designed to be our last option. It was designed to be our first. God is a miracle-working God, and He […]

When I was a kid, my mother often asked, “Jimmy, do you know what happens to those poor at paying attention?” “What, Mama?” I’d reply, though I could recite the answer from memory. “They become poor in life,” she’d say. As annoying as it was, the phrase carried great truth. Several times over the decades […]

When Jesus began His ministry on earth, people formed many ideas about who He was. They called Him a good person. A gifted teacher. A respected rabbi. An anointed miracle worker. A God-ordained prophet. While these were accurate descriptions of titles He bore, they were not all-encompassing. It was only those who recognized Jesus as […]

Shortly after both my parents died, my siblings and I visited their home to go through their belongings. We each picked several keepsakes to take with us. They laughed at my first pick—the cookie jar. I picked that jar because it represented sweetness to me. Mom always stocked it with her town-famous cookies, and I […]

Activity is the beginning of accomplishment. Dreaming is fun, but it’s not until we actually do something about those dreams that they have the potential to come to pass. James 2:17 talks about this when it says, “… faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” It’s always diligence to do what needs done that leads […]

I like to think of courage as fear that has said its prayers. It’s moving forward when it’s hard, knowing there is something worth fighting for on the other side of the tough place you’re in. We find incredible examples of courage all throughout Scripture, but one of my favorite examples is not one specific […]

St. Augustine said, “The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.” Pretending to be perfect is exhausting, but when we understand we’re all sinners in need of a Savior, that’s when true life-change begins. As believers, our goal should be to live with integrity, understanding that it’s not about perfect actions, […]

Meek is not a word most of us use regularly. Perhaps that’s because of how it’s often misunderstood. The American way of thought seems to label meek as weak, but nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus displayed meekness better than anyone, showing us that real meekness is both tender and tough. Think about […]

C. S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” The Apostle Peter wrote on humility too in 1 Peter 5:5-6: “…All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, […]

When we first moved to Victoria, our family only consisted of Tamara, Michael and I. We bought a house but didn’t have much to fill it with! So, for Christmas that year, Tamara’s parents bought us a stereo cabinet. The next day, I spent hours putting it together. After several tries, I finished the wooden structure, and it was time to install […]