We all want to love and be loved more deeply, but real love is hard and we often fail. The book of Hosea paints a picture of God’s love for Israel amid Israel’s disregard for God. Because of their disobedience, God’s love is intertwined with deep pain. And yet,... read more →
Jul
31
Jul
24
Jesus taught his followers, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Many of us, however, find our experience of petitionary prayer not nearly so mechanical. Indeed, sometimes we never get what we ask for, no matter... read more →
Jul
17
When we read the familiar story of Mary and Martha, we want to put them in categories—Mary is worshipful and calm and Martha is busy and frantic. However the story is more complicated than that, and likewise, we are called to be worshipful not just in the calm moments, but... read more →
Jul
10
When the lawyer was trying to test Jesus, he asked him two questions: “What must I do to have eternal life?” and “Who is my neighbor?” We know the answer to the second question—it is everyone God loves, and that is everyone! The answer to the first question is to... read more →
Jul
03
It was my fifth grade teacher who first told me to quit making a mountain out of a molehill. She meant that I was making things harder than they needed to be. We all do that sometimes—but God helps us to climb our mountains, sometimes bringing them to the ground... read more →
Jun
26
There is a lot of change happening in the world right now. Unfortunately, we don’t handle change well because it means losing something in order to gain something new. That loss can be incredibly painful. In moments of change, we need to be grounded and remember God’s promises and love,... read more →
Jun
19
As Christians we are not exempt from hurt or grief or suffering. We spend a lot of time searching for meaning, reasons or excuses when the realities of the world overwhelm us. Lamenting reality does not mean your faith is weak; rather it is strong. Hold tight to the hope... read more →
Jun
12
In recent years, our culture has become incredibly divided, and we surround ourselves with opinions that already match our own. We have suffered intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and have all but abandoned truth, wisdom, and understanding. But Christians believe that when we find truth, we find God. In order to... read more →
Jun
05
The Feast of Pentecost is all about the coming of the Holy Spirit in a new and powerful way into the world and into our lives. I know the spiritual can be strange and confusing, scary even, and it would be easier to avoid it. But remember that you were... read more →
May
29
When we grieve, we find solace and strength in our hope in eternal life. Our confidence that in Heaven God wipes away the tears of those who died comforts us. Scott Hozee affirms that comfort but also cautions that "biblical hope, Christian hope is no opiate, no excuse for passivity,... read more →