One Sunday afternoon Uncle Jack and Aunt Earlene invited Ma, Doug, and me over to their place. Jack said he had something important he wanted to tell Ma about. Grandma was there too. As Jack recounted the story, Aunt Earlene passed beers around to the adults while Grandma poured big glasses of lemonade for us […]
16 Verses on Faith in the Bible
Are you a new believer? Just starting the Christian walk and not sure what faith looks like? Are you looking to increase your faith in God? The Bible, the inspired Word of God, provides the reader with guidance about what faith looks like in the believer. Can you imagine a world where followers of Jesus […]
Creatively Following Jesus
Following Jesus is an inherently creative act. There are principles—discipleship, obedience, service—but how to implement them is left up to us, with wisdom and guidance from the church. Those popular What Would Jesus Do? bracelets from the 1990s were a silly but often helpful reminder of what it would mean for the divine Savior to […]
Here’s Why Invisibility is Not the Same as Insignificance.
You are not called to be noteworthy or special or more successful than your peers, or to be more successful than an earlier version of yourself, or to hustle your way into a better life. You are called to look more like Jesus in each new season. That’s what it means to move forward even […]
Why This Corner of My Home is a Holy Place
THERE IS A CORNER IN MY READING ROOM where I store my issues, the things I often try to hide from God and others. If I find that I’m craving esteem or recognition in an unhealthy way, and if, in that craving, my ego has started maniacally planning all the ways I can get it, […]
There is hope in every moment….even when you’re at the end of your rope.
The setting could not be more familiar to me. The cast of characters, although always changing, somehow remains constant in reminding me of Home. The conversation always starts the same: “My name is Sharon, and I’m an alcoholic.” On this day I sat in the familiar circle of chairs in the musty church basement, smelling […]
Life After a Layoff
This article was originally published in the Disciple Journal. I live with my husband and three children in a worn-out, 170-year-old house on a lake in Maine. Sometimes I’m afraid I love this place so much that I wouldn’t be able to let it go. That fear has been part of my struggle since my […]
A Playlist for Peace
Oh peace be still You are here so it is well Even when my eyes can’t see I will trust the voice that speaks Peace, peace, yeah Over me – “Peace, Be Still” by The Belonging Co. While sadly and frustratingly this is still an uncertain and anxious time for many people, we believe in […]
The Three-Step Journey to Solitude: Hush, Listen, Be
This article was originally written by Arni, a pastor in India. When we try to enter solitude, we usually have many noises—outside and within—that must first be gently hushed. Ideally, we go to a place that is quieter, without great distractions such as people coming in and out, loud noises, phones, or beeps. A retreat […]
How to Pray: Praying When God is Silent
This blog is written by Jarrett Stevens, author of Praying Through: Overcoming the Obstacles That Keep Us from God. — Jesus knew the value of silence. He did not run from it; he ran after it. The Gospel writers make sure that we get that silence was a part of how Jesus prayed through his […]
How to Pray When Praying Is Hard
Today’s blog is written by Jarrett Stevens, author of Praying Through: Overcoming the Obstacles That Keep Us from God. — I’ve been a pastor for over twenty years, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the following: “I just don’t know how to pray.” “I didn’t grow up doing this kind of […]
How to Pray: How to Make the Lord’s Prayer Your Prayer
Blog brought to you today by Jarrett Stevens, author of Praying Through: Overcoming the Obstacles That Keep Us from God. — I have a friend who sums up the Lord’s Prayer this way: “Simply pray, and pray simply.” Don’t overcomplicate it. Don’t smother it in “should.” Don’t make it some sort of spiritual competition with others. […]