“Move ON!” a little girl voice shouted from the porch. She’d been watching me weed then went inside. During that time, I’d moved down the flowerbed but doubled back, pulling stray weeds I’d missed the first time in the tangle of morning glory vines. When she came out, she saw me bending at roughly the same spot as when she’d
Through all this, Bono remains rock ‘n’ roll’s most effective spiritual provocateur. He sees every stage as a pulpit and every coliseum as a cathedral.
The church seems to be obsessed with numbers. We account for professions of faith, baptisms, membership and worship attendance, and these statistics for church health point to a crisis in the present and increasingly dismal view of the future. We seem to count everything. Even the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, made sure that every Methodist could be counted. However, it is my conviction
Scripture doesn’t describe causal prayer anywhere, but always about prayer that is a person emptying his or her heart to God of whatever emotions are there.
Kingdom-esteem leads to humility, because it involves recognizing that it’s not about us, it’s about what God has done for us.
God’s blessedness is already there, and we experience it when we seek God’s kingdom.
I like placing the deceased person’s story within the broader story God has been writing since the beginning of time.
Hell has dispatched some deceivers who are on the loose in your life!
Are our eyes as tuned to spiritual light as they are to physical light?
The joy God gives isn’t tied to happenstance, chance, or change. It is deeper, more lasting, and may even have some surprising components.
Epiphany is a season when Christians reflect on God’s revelation through Jesus Christ. But that revelation is not simply something we remember from the past. It also invites us to consider how Jesus is speaking to us today and calling us to participate in His mission. What Does It Mean to Live on Mission for Jesus? As I reflect on
“When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man — and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus
Scripture focus: I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. We look to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal. Psalm 123:1-2, NLT What Does It Mean to Lift Our Eyes to God? As we begin the
“Mary treasured up all [the words of the shepherds] and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19 Mary and the Shepherds: Two Responses to God’s Good News In Luke’s account of the birth of Christ, we see angelic messengers proclaim the newborn King. Shepherds, the first recipients of this Good News, share the message all over town. In what seems
Advent Reminds Us That Waiting Is Part of Faith This year for Advent, I’ve been drawn to the concept of waiting. I know that’s a normal Advent theme; in many ways, it is the point of Advent. We remember the centuries that the people waited for the birth of Christ. Now, we wait for His return. We wait. Advent teaches us to
Thanksgiving is near! I love that Thanksgiving precedes the Advent and Christmas seasons. It helps prepare us by reminding us of God’s goodness and posturing us to receive Jesus with gratitude; with humble hearts. Soon, we’ll hear our favorite Christmas music (some of you are already doing that, just couldn’t wait!), eat delicious food, and visit with family and friends.
Scripture focus: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17 – NIV) An English phrase I catch myself saying all the time is “I need to make time for this.” My intentions are
Scripture focus: As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you
In August Rev. Fedor Kim, our Regional Secretary in Russia, made a 16 hour journey from Moscow (around one thousand miles!) for a mission trip to serve the Roma people in the South Russia region. Rev Kim and Irina Mitina, one of the UM pastors who serves in this small village, hosted an educational camp for children. Rev. Kim spoke
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