Melissa Campbell

Melissa is the co-founder and director of Revive Ministries. She is also a writer, speaker and co-host of the Experience Revival Podcast. Melissa has a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from the Austin Graduate School of Theology and spent 12 years church planting in Oregon with her husband, Jason. She has over 20 years of ministry experience, leadership development, event planning, and small group discipleship. She enjoys hiking and kayaking the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two teenage daughters. Melissa has a passion for helping others experience God’s kingdom and desires to equip God’s people for their calling.

  • Purposeful Living

    Encouragement for the Soul

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    Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” – Proverbs 16:24

    We live in a world with increasing lack of personal interaction with others. Sure, we may speak to others via text or on social media, but we have fewer and fewer opportunities to truly be encouraged by the presence and words of another.

    I’ve recently been studying the power of words and have found that words have more power than we sometimes realize. As kids, we learn to quote the common phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” While this may be a witty defense, it simply is not true. Words are powerful. They have the ability to inspire someone toward greatness, to spur someone on to take action, or to completely crush us.

    We all need the life-giving power of encouraging words in our life. They lift us up when we are feeling discouraged, they keep us going when we want to give up, they touch our heart and renew our spirits.

    “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”

    Proverbs 12:25

    My junior year in college, there was a time that I was completely overwhelmed by my course load and just life in general. I was dealing with a recent heartbreak, way behind on several projects, and my grades were in free fall. I was so anxious I couldn’t sleep and I started feeling depressed and defeated. When I realized I would likely fail that term of classes, I went to my dad for help. He took a look at my syllabi, and I braced for the bad news that there was no redeeming my situation. He looked me in the eye, smiled and said, “This is very doable. All we need is a plan. We’ll plan to work, and work the plan.” Tears filled my eyes and suddenly I felt hopeful again. My mind felt clearer and my heart lighter just hearing those simple words of encouragement. With my dad’s help, I was able to successfully complete the term with passing grades and gained a new perspective and tool for when life gets overwhelming, “This is doable. Plan to work and work the plan”. It’s an encouragement that I now share with my kids when they feel overwhelmed.

    Even in our day to day lives we can get discouraged: when a project at work is overwhelming, or you are going on the 6th day without sleep because you have a sick kid at home, or you begin to question your ability as a parent when your teen slams the door once more. It’s in these moments, that we are at risk of listening to the lies of discouragement that creep in and try to keep us down.

    Because of this, it is important to be connected to a community of people who will cheer you on and support you and be a source of encouragement for you. We need to surround ourselves with people who will be a source of encouragement for us–who will speak life and truth into our soul, who will remind us of God’s grace and truth when we forget.

    Author John Maxwell is known for saying, “Encouragement is like oxygen to the soul, and everyone needs it.”

    This week, consider bringing an encouraging word to the people you encounter. Even the smallest compliment or encouraging word, or simple smile could mean the world to someone. And don’t forget to encourage yourself. Speak God’s truth and grace to your own soul when you are feeling hard on yourself. Speak to yourself like you would a cherished friend, one who is beloved by God.

    And remember our ultimate encourager, the one who is our greatest champion and number one fan…our Heavenly Father. Through His Spirit and His word, we can be reminded of His great love for us and that we are His beautiful masterpiece!

    “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

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  • In The Word, Purposeful Living

    You Can Do This!

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    Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” – Hebrews 12:1-3

    Last week we talked about setting some faith goals that will help you seek the Lord and grow in our faith more this year. One thing I have found over the years is, that when you set out to accomplish a new goal, especially one that involves growing your faith, you must be prepared to face some difficulties and obstacles. Satan likes to get us off our game, especially when we are first starting out.

    When these obstacles come, it is easy for discouragement to set in and we give up before we really get started. Even with my best planned efforts, sometimes I get discouraged when the change I want doesn’t happen as fast or in the way I had hoped for. The author of the book of Hebrews seems to be speaking right into this type of situation. He is encouraging us with these verses in chapter 12 to not give up–the reward of our efforts will be worth it!

    When I start to get discouraged, I sometimes find encouragement from others who have gone before me. I can tell myself, “Hey, if my friend Suzie can do it, maybe I can too!” Knowing others have conquered something that I want to conquer helps me stay the course. Their victory over the finish line or through a difficulty, helps me remember that there is victory waiting for me too.

    Encouragement can only take us so far; we must also get serious about the goal. We need a steadfastness that says, “no matter what, I’m committed to making this happen.” Verse one says that we are to throw off everything (not some or just a little, but ev-er-y-thing!) that is hindering our faith and growth in the Lord, especially the sin that can entangle us like a vine and pull us away from God. Part of the “no matter what…” is to be willing to let God take away the things that are not helping us but hindering us in reaching our faith growth.

    Once we have removed what’s hindering our progress toward the goal, we persevere. We need perseverance because obstacles will appear in our path and we will sometimes lose sight of where we are headed. Things will be going well, and then you or someone in your family gets the flu or you go on vacation or you have out-of-town guests visiting and you get thrown off the path toward your goal. It’s in these challenges that we must rely on God’s strength and the encouragement of others to persevere when the going gets tough.

    We can overcome with perseverance when we have our eyes on the prize–stay focused on the goal. In the goal of faith, we keep our eyes set on Jesus. Not only is He our example but He is our guide. He has gone before us and endured more than we can possibly imagine but has made it to the other side, victoriously! He truly is the author and perfecter of our faith.

    So, while there may be times that you start to grow weary, do not give up. Stay the course and keep running that race to the finish line! You can do it–you got this! And more importantly, God’s got you!

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  • Purposeful Living

    Seek the Lord in the New Year

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    Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” – Psalm 105:3-4

    Okay, so we are now two weeks into the new year. If you are like me, you have set some new goals for yourself and started the new year super excited to achieve them. Maybe you’ve even been chanting, “This is the year!”

    For me, this is the year that I want to conquer early mornings! You see, I am not a morning person. My bed is warm and cozy and my eye lids would rather not open until the sun is up (which this time of year, is fairly late!). But for years now, I have had a desire to get up before my family and have some time in the early morning to spend with the Lord. I can picture it now: the house is quiet and peaceful, I’m sitting in my comfy chair by the fireplace, curled up in my fuzzy blanket, sipping on my chai tea while I’m spending time with my Lord.

    And, while, yes, over the years I have still found a way to make time with God happen, I have always looked longingly toward that early morning picture. It just seemed out of reach. I recently came to realize that the main thing that has gotten in the way of me achieving this goal, has been the “I can’ts”. The “I can’t get up that early because I just not a morning person.” Or the “I can’t function that early so I would be unproductive.”

    I am determined this year to stop limiting myself with the “I can’ts” and have the courage to say, “with God’s help, I can!” While I know it will be hard at first, with possibly many difficult, half-awake mornings, I believe that I can get to the other side and reach my goal of that vision I have for my mornings. I know that if I can persevere through the hard stuff at the beginning, I will get to the place where it isn’t so hard and I will reap the fruit of my persistence in seeking the Lord.

    Maybe you have set a goal to seek God more this year too. If you haven’t yet, what is one goal you can set that will help you grow in your faith and relationship with God this year? Whether it is to have time with God each day (even if it is only 15 min), to be in God’s Word, to pray more often, go to church consistently or finally check out that small group bible study, God will bless your efforts. Any goal that draws you closer to God is a good goal! And I have found that when I put my faith first, my other goals in life tend to fall into place as well.

    So, what is that one faith step that you have not taken because of the “I can’ts? If you are willing to trust God and give Him that “I can’t”, he will turn it into something beautiful. He will strengthen you to do what you didn’t think was possible and grow your faith in the process.

    I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Phil 4:13

    It is our hope that by the end of this year, you will be able to look back and see growth in your faith and a list of ways you have been stretched, trusted in God and experienced Him more fully. May you find joy in seeking the Lord this year!

    P.S. If you have a faith goal that you would like us to pray about for you, please email us or comment below and let us know. We would love to be praying and encouraging you in your walk of faith!

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  • In The Word, Knowing God

    Something New

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    This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters…“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland..to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. – Isaiah 43:16, 18-21

    Each new year brings a sense of a fresh start–an opportunity to hit the “reset button”. Whether you are a resolution maker or not, the new year is an opportunity to leave behind the things of the past, whether bad habits or simply bad memories, and look forward to new possibilities.

    This past year was one of those difficult years for my family. It was wrought with several physical ailments and the loss of loved ones. While there were also many good memories made and many wonderful things to be grateful for, it was one of those years that we are glad to leave behind.

    I love this verse because it is a reminder to me that God, my God, the God who parted the sea so His people could find a way through, is asking me to leave behind those things that are not of Him and not dwell on what has been, but rather focus ahead on what He has prepared before me. God is always in the business of making all things new. As we shift our perspective, we can see the new things he has before us.

    If you are feeling like you are coming out of the wilderness of last year; take heart, he is making a way through that wilderness and bringing His living water to the wasteland. His hope springs up before us! We are His chosen people, who He is making new each day–His beloved. He delights in making all things new and providing for His people.

    As we go into this new year, my prayer is that we can have eyes that see all that God is doing around us; that we will see His wondrous works springing up before us. We have a new start in Jesus. He is our hope and our future!

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  • In The Word

    Merry Christmas!

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    And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’”

    Luke 2:8-11

    The long-awaited day is here! In this verse we see that the shepherds are going about their life and duties, when the most amazing thing happened. An angel appeared with an important message, and they were the first to hear the good news! For 700 years since Isaiah first prophesied the coming of the Messiah, the people of God have been anxiously waiting for the Messiah to come. The Good News that they have been waiting on in faith for generations has finally arrived.

    Can you imagine what the shepherds were feeling at this moment? Afraid? Overwhelmed? Overjoyed? Relieved? Honored? They were considered societal nobodies, just ordinary people who worked outside and smelled like sheep. Despite this, they were chosen to become the first messengers of God’s good news.

    In the Christmas song “O Holy Night,” the second line says: “Long lay the world, in sin and error, pining. ’Til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.” This line is so amazing! It is in the moment that Jesus is born, when He appears in the world, that our soul recognizes it’s worth. How wonderful that God would become flesh for us–to exchange heaven for earth and endure hardship, pain, loss and all this broken world offers. But He came for us! God’s great love sent Jesus for our sake because we are His beloved.

    Father God, we are filled with such joy on this Christmas day knowing that you brought to us the best gift of all–Jesus! Thank you for your great love for us and for sending your Son to redeem us. We are filled with such joy over the good news of Christ!

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  • Knowing God

    Awaiting the Savior

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    “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” – Isaiah 9:6-7

    The book of Isaiah was written during the time of the Prophets, 700 years before Christ’s birth. For the Israelites awaiting a Messiah, these names (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace) gave them a glimpse of their Savior, long before He was born. They foretold of a time that was to come, a promise of a world made right. How difficult it must have been for the Israelites to have to experience such a long time of waiting expectantly for this promise to come true.

    Waiting is hard and when we’ve been waiting a really long time for something, we can begin to grow restless and feel like we have to make it happen. It is easy to grow weary and start doubting God’s faithfulness and provision.

    Let me let you in on a secret…God has a plan. He always has. His plan was set forth from the moment Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, He had a plan even before time itself existed. Jesus’ birth set in motion God’s plan to secure our future with Him.

    Even when things seem hopeless and waiting seems to never have an end, we must remember that God has a plan and He is busy working that plan in His time. Our times of waiting are an opportunity to lean into God more, build our faith and exercise our trust and dependence on Him. The best way to accomplish this in the midst of the waiting is to look toward hope. One of my favorite quotes on hope is by Melissa Kruger, she says “Future hope brings present joy.”

    The word “hope” has lost its meaning in our language today. A lot of times when we use the word “hope,” we use it like “I wish”. For example: “I hope it will rain.” But real hope is to trust in a person or outcome that you’ve been assured of. There is no one better to put our hope in than in God and in His goodness, for He is trustworthy. He keeps His promises. We can trust, knowing that God has got us and He will work all things to bring good. He has a glorious future awaiting us.

    So while we are not the Israelites awaiting the first Christmas, we are still awaiting the Savior to return to set all things right. We are waiting for Him to finish the work He began that first Christmas day.

    When He left this earth, He promised He would return for us and finish what He has started. This promise is our future hope. We can rejoice today because of what God has done in the past in sending His son to earth, and we can rejoice for what is yet to come.

    As we experience this time of advent, the season of anticipation of our Savior, allow your heart to be filled with His peace, knowing God is here with us, in the waiting. He has not forgotten you or His promise. Because of this, we can overflow with joy for what God has awaiting us–the hope of His glorious future!

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  • Heart Stuff

    Peace Beyond Understanding

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    And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

    Philippians 4:7

    Sometimes in life we find ourselves in situations that just don’t make sense. When life takes a turn we weren’t expecting like a sudden job loss, a broken relationship, or a loved one who falls ill. During times like this it can feel like our world is out of control and the chaos of emotions threaten to overtake us. How do we find the peace we crave in the midst of these situations?

    I have looked to this verse in Philippians many times when my life has been turned upside down. This verse brings me comfort because it speaks directly into these circumstances. It says that God gives us a kind of peace that transcends all understanding. It’s the kind that doesn’t have to make sense. As we allow God into our situation, He guards and protects our hearts and minds with His peace.

    Is there a tender part of your heart that you need God to guard? Do you need God to bring His peace to calm your anxious mind? He will show himself faithful in protecting your inmost heart and mind. Take the mixed up and messed up of life and lift it up to God in prayer. Whatever you are facing, He is there to carry you through it.

    Almighty God, when we are facing a situation that is beyond our understanding, we need your loving peace to guard our hearts and minds. We lift up to you our circumstances and and know that we may not always have the understanding we crave, but you promise to carry us through it because of your great love for us. In Jesus name, Amen.

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  • Knowing God

    Help When We’re Weary

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    Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

    Isaiah 40:28-31

    Tired and weary. No matter what season of life you are in, it is easy to get caught up in the busyness. We have deadlines at work or at school, people in our home that we need to take care of, children that require our attention, and don’t get me started on the laundry list of to-do’s (not to mention the actual pile of laundry)! Whew!

    Sometimes we are simply weary because life hands us a stressful situation and we are completely spent emotionally and physically because it consumes all our attention and energy.

    When I try to navigate this life on my own strength, I eventually end up feeling tired, weary, hopeless and alone. The truth is that we are not alone. God is there right there ever present, waiting to give you His strength when you feel you have nothing left to give. All we have to do is let Him. As we turn our attention toward the One who created the ends of the earth, we can be filled with hope because we know He can accomplish through us what we cannot on our own.

    As you face you daily busyness and stresses, take some time each day to let God fill you with His strength so you can face whatever the day brings. As we lean on Him and allow His power to sustain us each day, we will find that we are filled with a renewed strength and hope. God’s got you!

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  • Purposeful Living

    Perfect Peace

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    You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

    Isaiah 26:3

    I don’t know about you, but when I wake up in the morning, my first thoughts are anything but peaceful. Like a rushing river, my mind is swirling with a million thoughts and worries–a financial crisis; a project at work I need to finish; a problem to solve; I’m running late and ran out of clean clothes; I’m having conflict with a family member; and what awful thing will I find out happened in the world when I turn on the TV or look at my phone?

    For many of us, these thoughts come flooding in the moment we open our eyes. This is precisely when we must stop, be still, and welcome God’s presence into the midst of our crazy. His presence brings a perfect peace as we dwell there, as we trust in Him with each part of our day.

    So as you go about your morning routine, allow your mind to stay focused on Christ. Give him all those things that flood your mind; all your worries, doubts and fears, give him your busy day and all your tasks. As we do that, we are putting our trust in Him to work in these things and carry our burdens. Only then do we get to receive the perfect peace that comes through trust in our Savior.

    When we acknowledge his presence at the beginning of each day, we get the blessing of experiencing his peace throughout our days. How would your day go differently if you took time each morning to recognize his presence and keep your mind focused on his perfect peace?

    Lord Jesus, we welcome your presence in my lives each and every day. May we think of you first when we open our eyes. We know you are here with us right now and we give this day and all its challenges to you.

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  • Purposeful Living

    Running Together

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    Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

    Hebrews 12:1-3

    Have you ever been in a race before, whether it was competitive or just for fun? Or even a hike with an awesome destination at the end? You start out with lots of excitement and energy but somewhere along the way, you begin to get tired and lose steam. What started out as smoothly, begins to get rough as you start taking it one step at a time. Along the way in life, we can feel like this too. This life has its ups and downs and twist and turns, but we keep walking forward in faith.

    When we encounter times where walking forward is difficult, remember, just like the sidelines of a race, we too have a crowd cheering us on. We can look to those who have gone before us in faith. We can look ahead and see how they have made it through the finish line and know that we can too. Isn’t it amazing how the example of others can give us hope and spur us on to keep going? We have our friends, family and community of believers to rally around us and encourage us.

    As I read this section of the book of Hebrews, I almost can picture the author like the coach who is giving us a pep talk halfway through our race. He says, “You can do it! Keep going and don’t let anything get in your way of finishing the work God is doing in you through faith.”

    So how do we keep from getting off track? The coach in Hebrews gives us three ways:

    1. Throw off, get rid of, actively get away from all the things in your life that keep you from living the life God has for you. Maybe you are carrying a heavy burden that you need to give to the Lord because it is slowing you down and making you weary. Maybe you are stuck in a trap of sin that has entangled you. Sometimes something as small as anger or bitterness toward someone can take root like a vine across our path and cause us to stumble. This where we need to do a heart check. What’s been creeping in that shouldn’t be there? Bitterness, doubt, fear, pride? All of these things keep us focused in the wrong place (ourselves and our present circumstances).
    2. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, looking always toward him. He is waiting at the finish line and is the one who will help us get there. He knows what it is like to face trials and difficulties in this life and yet he ran the race with joy. He can help you too! If you are running a race and you start looking to the right or the left instead of in front of you, you will either start running in that direction or you may end up flat on your face. Either way, you won’t get to where you are supposed to be. The best way to stay focused on the finish line is by staying close to Jesus in prayer and by reading God’s word.
    3. We don’t just have the people who have gone before us, but we have the community of believers that we need to embrace and to encourage us. Seek to be be surrounded by those who live also by faith whether through a small community group at your church or with a couple of close friends. Allow them to run alongside you. “Two are better than one, for if one falls, they can pick the other up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

    We each have a different path to run, a different story God is working out, but we all have the same finish line. The one that ends in the arms of the Father. Jesus is there to guide us through this life toward the finish line. He knows the way to true life, because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

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