The part of the Christmas story that can sometimes be overlooked is that it was only the beginning. After Jesus’s birth, there were still thirty (probably very long) years of waiting until he started his ministry. It was another three years until his excruciating sacrifice was completed. Now, 2000-plus years later, some people still don’t…
“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.” (Luke 1:31-32 NIV) Mary was very young and not…
Last fall, like many of you, I felt tired of the circumstances of the world. I was grumpy with my family, fed up with wearing a mask everywhere I went, wondering if life would ever return to any semblance of normal. My mood was not good and not pleasing to God. One day, while complaining…
I was two years old when E.T. the Extraterrestrial was released in theaters. This sweet (if also sad and scary) story about a wayward alien and his friendship with a boy named Elliot was my first movie. As my Mom tells it, I reacted very little during the film. Because I was so little, she…
My two oldest kids are in ninth and seventh grade, so they can both attend the high school ministry at our church. One of them is not super keen on this activity, but I think it’s important to connect with other kids your age that share your faith. so I want him to at least…
If God has the power to stop bad things from happening, then why doesn’t he? This question is one of the toughest for Christians and non-believers alike to grapple with. It can be a source of confusion, a roadblock to deepening our faith and strengthening our relationship with him. Why worship anything or anyone who doesn’t…