Discovering God's Heart | New Covenant Life

Is God Real? The Decider vs. The Seeker

March 26, 2026October 4, 2025 by Tonia Woolever

A great majority of souls fall into one of two categories: decider, or seeker.

The Decider

The Decider stands in his or her own authority and “figures out” if there is a God. He consults books and teachers and considers all manner of things in the world to weigh the question.

The Decider forms in his mind the idea of what this God will be and act like, and measures his conclusion against this ideal. Therefore, the answer ultimately comes from within that soul.

The Decider’s stance is, “I decide if you exist, God.”

Are You Curious About God?

March 26, 2026April 28, 2023 by Tonia Woolever

You should be. God is the most fascinating, wonderful, wise, faithful being ever. If you are curious about God, you should stop every other pursuit for a season, and discover Him for yourself.

But I get it — I was once that person who held God at arm’s length — for fear He would ruin my pleasure in life. If he existed at all. At times, I wasn’t sure about that either, though the sheer beauty and brilliance of the created world we live in kept me from settling into full-on atheism.

The Parable Of The Unknown Father

March 17, 2026May 1, 2020 by Tonia Woolever

A familiar parable Jesus told is found in the gospel of Luke. It is usually referred to as the parable of the prodigal son, but I think a better name would be the parable of the unknown father. Why give it a new name? Because the main point of the story is actually about the …

Christianity: A Family With A Real Father

March 21, 2026April 3, 2020 by Tonia Woolever

The Apostle Paul prayed the most tender prayer over you: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may …

Unexpected Gifts

March 17, 2026January 29, 2020 by Tonia Woolever

I write this sitting in the window seat by windows wide open… one of my favorite things. There is no breeze, only a perfect soft stillness. Miracle of miracles, I am neither too hot nor too cold. My view is filled with a green yard and bushes who declare with their colorful blooms, “What winter?” …

Wait For It

March 17, 2026December 18, 2019 by Tonia Woolever

I sit on the deck with tea watching dawn arrive. The coastal breeze is soft and slightly salty. I’ve talked with you, worshiped to some music, prayed for my beloveds, asked for wisdom and new strength for the day. When the tea is done, I get up to begin my busy day. Then you say …

Who Is This God, Really?

March 17, 2026December 16, 2019 by Tonia Woolever

There are stories in the Bible that make you uncomfortable at the least, and at the most, are almost terrifying. Stories that, if you weren’t already convinced about the loving-kindness of the Lord, could make you wonder who God really is. We usually don’t focus on such stories at Christmas time, but there is one …

Giving The Double

March 21, 2026November 27, 2019 by Tonia Woolever

One of my favorite teachers and authors on the Old Testament is Malcolm Smith, a pastor who shares my passion to understand and teach on the new covenant relationship God offers us in Christ. In his book, “The Lost Secret of the New Covenant,” Pastor Smith devotes a chapter to God’s promise that in the …

Tenderly, He Says

March 17, 2026November 25, 2019 by Tonia Woolever

As I read my Bible, I am always on the hunt to discover the heart of God. Not just the history, the rules, or even the promises — wonderful as they are — but things that reveal the core of God’s being. Also, when we start getting close to Advent, I have two things on …

Psalm 107: Rescue and Redemption

March 17, 2026October 23, 2019 by Tonia Woolever

Psalm 107 is one of those places in Scripture that feels much like a freeway mixmaster to me, where three or four highways crisscross in layers, each loaded with humanity in motion, hurrying somewhere. In a relatively short span of Scripture we witness the intersection of: People being driven by circumstances beyond their control People …