Easter Sunday has a special vibe about it. The church is fuller than normal. Everyone is dressed a little extra fancy. Voices have a little more oomph than they do during a typical worship service. The pastor gives his sermon a little extra polish. Families gather together for a special meal. The kids get hopped … Continue reading Resurrection Sunday Hope for a Tuesday Afternoon
Category: gospel
Love Even for Oppressors
Dividing the world’s population is easy: Salty cravers and sweet cravers. Avocado lovers and avocado haters. Conservatives and Progressives. Coffee drinkers and tea drinkers. Jocks and nerds. Oppressor and oppressed. That final category has received increasingly more attention in recent years. While none of us would ever want to admit to being an oppressor, historically, … Continue reading Love Even for Oppressors
God Is For You: No Matter Where, No Matter Who, No Matter What
With the Promised Land in their sights, the nation of Israel had begun their conquest. Two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, had been defeated. Now, King Balak of Moab, fearing he would be next, decided to take matters into his own hands. What he needed, he decided, was to call down a curse on this … Continue reading God Is For You: No Matter Where, No Matter Who, No Matter What
Your Deliverer Is Standin’ By
Joseph took his wife and her childAnd they went to AfricaTo escape the rage of a deadly KingThere along the banks of the NileJesus listened to the songThat the captive children used to singThey were singin' My deliverer is comin', my deliverer is standin' byMy deliverer is comin', my deliverer is standin' by1 Songwriter Rich … Continue reading Your Deliverer Is Standin’ By
He Was Forsaken That We Might Draw Near
Nearly 20 years ago, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ depicted in graphic detail the horror of the crucifixion, bringing to the big screen a depiction of the most agonizing, painful form of execution ever conceived. In fact, our English word excruciating, literally “out of the cross,” derives its meaning from this Roman punishment. … Continue reading He Was Forsaken That We Might Draw Near
Ours the Cross, the Grave, the Skies: Our Union with Christ Makes Easter Worth Celebrating
If you wrote one song every single day of the year from now until the year 2047, you would have written approximately the same number of hymns as Charles Wesley. Of course, when you write over 8,000 hymns, not all of them are home runs, but a few live on even today, nearly 250 years … Continue reading Ours the Cross, the Grave, the Skies: Our Union with Christ Makes Easter Worth Celebrating
I Am Thirsty
I had quite possibly the best summer job a college student could have. Basically, I got paid to get a fantastic tan (and some epic tan lines!). For five summers, I worked as a “flower girl” for the University of Wyoming. Our crew would spend a couple of weeks tilling several dozen flower beds, an … Continue reading I Am Thirsty
Without the Gospel…
Paul loved the churches he addresses in his epistle to the Galatians. Unlike his other letters, written to one specific church or person, Galatians’ audience was the churches of a given area—the area Paul and Barnabas covered on their first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). A lot of blood, sweat, and tears were shed on that … Continue reading Without the Gospel…
Enough Really Is Enough
The most important day in the history of Israel had finally arrived. It had been 480 years since God had parted the Red Sea and freed His chosen people from slavery. And now, nearly five centuries later, Yahweh had a temple. Of course, King Solomon built this wonder of the ancient world, replete with splendor … Continue reading Enough Really Is Enough
Clothed in the Armor of Christ
If you grew up in the church, you probably remember Sunday school or children’s church lessons about the armor of God. Perhaps you built a shield of faith out of a cardboard box or a sword of the Spirit from an old wrapping paper tube. Regardless of the base, foil was surely involved. Ephesians 6:10-17 … Continue reading Clothed in the Armor of Christ
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