From the early years of Sunday school, to the sermons we listen to, we likely have heard the saying ‘we are created in the image of God’ (Genesis 1:27). As Christians, we are told that because we have been made in the image of God, and we know full well that this is true, this then is the reason that makes us special. That because God is our creator, we can then know the essence of our identity and how this fits into our mission to share the Gospel with others.
Read MoreWe can learn quite a bit from the first miracle Jesus performed. Although it may not be his most recognized miracle - such as giving the blind their sight, allowing the deaf to hear, or raising the dead - it was still impactful, and even today, we can learn from it.
The Sabbath day of rest was a big deal in the Old Testament - in multiple places in the Scriptures, God instructs the Israelites on the importance of taking the seventh day of the week off from all work. It was a sacred commandment, a sign between God and His people, that they may know that He is the who sanctifies them. But, how is that relevant for us today?
Read MoreSometimes, people think I am a vocational missionary. It’s a simple mistake: after all, I’ve got the suitcases, passport, cargo pants and Chacos to look it. There are some stark differences between Christian international relief work and mission work, but I often receive comments like, “May God bless your mission” and “What you’re doing is kingdom-work.” Sometimes these words, kindly meant, lead me to wonder: are we, in the Church, shirking our own responsibility to make disciples?
Read MoreFor many of us, it appears we seem to be in an unending, tumultuous, and painful wilderness of trials, disappointments, and heartbreak. Deep down in the hearts of His people is the desperate need and yearning for refreshment and revival of soul and spirit. Scripture tells us this life-changing healing can only come from the presence of the Lord.
Read MoreI love theology. Honestly, I really love theologically sound Christians who care about what the bible actually says and not what they want it to say. I find it difficult to find media that I can follow and ingest that aligns with truth. Especially podcasts, the majority of Christian podcasts seem to focus on self-obsession, hustle culture, self-promotion, and twisting scripture to fit personal agendas. I always feel nervous turning on a “Christian” podcast because I’m not sure what “truth” they are choosing to preach.
Read More“If you don’t use it, you lose it!” We’ve all heard that phrase before. It usually revolves around different skills like being able to play a sport well or speaking a different language fluently. As an immersion teacher, I can usually tell when one of my students speaks Spanish outside the classroom because when they communicate, it’s typically effortless.
Read MoreLet’s just go ahead and get this out of the way: It’s been a hard year. With all that’s happening, it’s easy to want to just finish this year on auto-pilot. But what if 2020 is actually an opportunity for us to grow in our faith?
Read MoreDoubting Thomas was one of Jesus’ disciples. He is put in that box of "doubter" throughout history for one thing: doubting Jesus' resurrection. Yet, we can learn much from Thomas' life and ministry.
Read MoreAre you in a rut with your Bible reading? I’ve been there, sweet friend. Because of that, I thought I'd write a little about what I've been reading in the Bible recently. This past weekend found me in the book of Amos, and I'd love to show you a little of what jumped out at me.
Read MoreIt is said that a ship traveling even one degree off course can end up on a completely different continent. Traveling from San Francisco to L.A. one degree off will cause you to end up 6 miles off course, and from San Francisco to Washington D.C. would have you end up in Boston. One degree seems so trivial, but stay the course long enough, and you end up on a path to a completely different destination than you may have originally hoped.
Read MoreThe word theology sounds pretty daunting to understand. It’s a word we try to avoid and steer off into another topic which we may feel a little bit more comfortable with. When we think about the word ‘theology’ we tend to think about Biblical academics, Christian history, and a lot of other subjects that we may think that is too difficult or irrelevant to jump into.
Read MoreThe simple thought of introducing myself to a room full of people makes my heart race. Even though this is something I have done countless times, it never gets any easier. I usually go over what I’m going to say to introduce myself in my head, and it usually ends up being something short and sweet with the possibility of getting a bit awkward.
Read MoreAs I was writing out Scripture the other day, I settled in Philippians 2:12-18. I'm going to write it out for you because I love the passage in its entirety, but if you have a Bible, open up on your own and read it in your version. Any time we can open up the word of God on our own, we need to do that, even if it's on a screen in front of us. Here are some things the Holy Spirit taught me through the study of this passage.
Read MoreWe serve a God who is omnipotent. Omnipotence is the quality of having unlimited or very great power. This means His power is unmatched - He created everything and everyone that previously existed and currently exists. This aspect of God's character is all over the pages of Scripture.
Read MoreEven the most committed and strong of God’s servants may at times experience discouragement, depression, and a desire to withdraw from their calling. I’m encouraged to know that the mighty Bible hero Elijah also experienced this and succumbed to his human weakness subject to fear and vulnerability.
Read MoreI don’t think there has ever been a point in my life that I wasn’t apart of a church family. I honestly love attending a church service on a Sunday morning. It’s so uplifting and encouraging to see so many other people love and worship Jesus with you. Attending church is definitely been something I want to do, rather than something I have to.
Read MoreI love the book of Psalms. Over the last few weeks I have found myself going there often when I reach for my Bible. I love to read them, because you can hear the intensity with which the writer writes. They’re very raw and vulnerable—just like we are sometimes when we’re at our worst or lowest.
Read MoreSeveral times in my life - for one reason or another - I have found myself in seasons during which I didn’t take communion. I moved and didn’t have a church home. I was travelling every weekend. Or I just felt disconnected from God
Read MoreDo you know who is saying this? It’s surprising how many confessing Christians have never heard this scripture. This was spoken by Jesus Christ, the one our entire faith rests upon. In the slew of social media platforms, blogs, podcasts, magazines, and literature, his name sometimes gets cut out. God has a much larger platform presence than Jesus Christ.
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