We often worry about a lack of growth in the church. We wonder why there are so many empty seats or why this or that family stopped coming. But wondering often seems to be all we do. Instead of just wondering, though, maybe we need to take it upon ourselves...
The first part of the book of Ecclesiastes talks a lot about working to achieve something only to die and be forgotten. Solomon is lamenting how sad it is to think that nothing we do here on earth will be remembered or appreciated. And he’s right. It is sad to...
Wow! What a title! What a question! But in short, the answer is a resounding “No.” Or is it… The short answer is no, we don’t deserve salvation. We are all sinners in need of the Savior. The answer is also no because: We are sinners In the first chapter...
My Mom died of cancer when I was 4 years old. While my Dad was an amazing father and took very good care of my sister and me, there was always something missing in my life, and that was female affirmation. Any female teacher that I had became a substitute...
“Grace” is a word that’s thrown around a lot in the religious world. Maybe people think about how God’s grace gives them power to do what they are unable to do on their own. Or perhaps they remember how the grace of God gives them what they don’t deserve to...
The Great Commission is the term given to the command that Jesus gave to His disciples just before He ascended to heaven. We find this in Matthew 28:19-20, where Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of...
When a church adds new members, it’s a very special time. The church is adding to its body, and the new members have a new family. Sometimes, especially if a church is large, it can be challenging for new members to connect and feel like they belong. So what can...
There seems to be lots of different information about spiritual gifts in the Christian world, so it can be confusing, especially if some of the ideas conflict. We’ll explore spiritual gifts and their purposes in this article. But before we get started, I highly recommend that you read 1 Corinthians...
What is success? Most people will tell you that it’s about making money and having a big house and a brand new car. Some think that graduating college with a degree and landing your dream job defines success. Still others say that success is about having good relationships, lots of...
Years ago as part of a discipleship class I was taking, I read a book (don’t remember the name) that used the analogy of how we like to keep Jesus close to home. He said we have no trouble saying prayers before mealtime at home or while lying in bed...
