Love compels us. That’s what Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians. But what does it compel us to do? Well, it compels us to love God and to love neighbor. And the best way to do both of them is to tell people about Jesus. And Paul actually shows us the way one...
Spiritual growth can be slow, but it’s worth the effort
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. These traits, listed in Galatians 5, make up the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit, the evidence of being followers of Jesus. Who doesn’t want to have these attributes defining their...
Lean into Jesus
Judas had seen Jesus. He had been with Jesus. He had heard Jesus. He had seen Jesus raise the dead and walk on water and heal people. He had seen Jesus do all these amazing things and yet Judas betrayed him. He ended up in the night. (That’s such a powerful line in...
The happiest place on earth? It’s not Disney.
Where’s your happy place? The beach on a warm summer day? A quiet spot at the coffeeshop where you can read uninterrupted? A party where the conversation and food are flowing? The Washington Post recently analyzed some data about where people are most happy, and the...
Jesus’ word to those who have wandered and want to return
You’ve strayed from Jesus. Now what? Are you hesitating to turn to Him because you’re not sure how (or if) He will receive you? Maybe you think He’ll be disappointed, stern, angry. Maybe you think that He won’t even want you back. Don’t believe it. Jesus once told a...
The one New Year’s resolution that should be on your list
Looking for the best New Year's resolution of them all? The Apostle Paul already wrote it: "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." That's what he told the church at Corinth in one of his more pointed letters....
How a Bible-reading plan can transform your spiritual growth
I have never been a huge fan of Bible-reading plans, those yearlong lists that take you through the entire Bible in a year. Truth be told, I’ve not been a fan because I’ve been so bad at using them. Year after year, I’d pick one out and then get days and weeks behind...
Taking in and writing scripture, a sentence at a time
Imagine ... Sitting at a table with a portion of scripture on one hand and a pen and paper in the other, copying out each word, each line, verse by verse. This is no exercise for a medieval monk cloistered by candlelight in a dark monastery somewhere, but rather...
One way to slow down and listen for God
I find it hard to slow down. I really do. It's a hectic world we live in, and I love to stay busy, but it really is important that we slow down at times. It's important that we take time for rest and time to meditate, and one of the ways we can do that is with God's...
The most musical Sunday of the year
Sunday was our annual Music Sunday worship service, when we hear the Christmas narrative through Scripture and song. Here are some scenes from the day, which also included our annual Christmas-cookie event between the worship services.