Songs about Heaven

Songs about Heaven

Oh, the wonder and glories of Heaven! Do you long to go there? The Bible often speaks of the place where God dwells. Jesus told His disciples that He was going to prepare a “place” for them (John 14:3). We know as Christians that we are promised an eternity dwelling...
Choose Joy Daily in Every Season

Choose Joy Daily in Every Season

Who is the most joyful person you know? Stop—don’t keep on reading. I want you to think about the most joyful person you know. How do you feel when you’re around them? Why We Must Choose Joy Daily In the providence of God, I was to teach Philippians 1 with the title...
Faith and Unity Can Turn Things Around

Faith and Unity Can Turn Things Around

What I’ve learned about the power of faith to repair what’s broken in our confused and divided nation. “How do we turn things around in this country?” That’s a question I hear quite often, coming from folks of all ages and points of view. You may have muttered the...
Five Key Concepts for Trauma-Informed Ministry

Five Key Concepts for Trauma-Informed Ministry

Trauma, while not universal, is quite common. In The Trauma Tree: Going Beyond Survival, Growing Toward Wholeness, we look at the difference between big T Trauma and little t trauma. Big T Trauma is what comes to mind when we think of PTSD. Post-traumatic stress...
The Power of Story: Remembering with God

The Power of Story: Remembering with God

You and I have a story that began long before we were born. In Psalm 139:15-16, the psalmist writes, “You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was...
Forgetting the Past: Embracing the God of the Future

Forgetting the Past: Embracing the God of the Future

The God of the Future: Moving Beyond the Past I wonder if sometimes we continue to worship the God of the past and don’t recognize the God of the future. Because God exists in the future—he was in our yesterday, but he’s also in tomorrow. It makes sense that God...
Making Jesus’s Geography Meaningful

Making Jesus’s Geography Meaningful

Jesus was not only a master teacher but also a gifted outdoor instructor.  He often put his nature-filled classroom to work leaning into its physical geography, human geography, and natural history.  But Jesus used geography in another way as well.  He taught in...
Fresh Bible Engagement Ideas for Every Day of the Week

Fresh Bible Engagement Ideas for Every Day of the Week

Why Bible Engagement Ideas Matter Outside Sunday Service On Sunday mornings, between 8 and 11 a.m., you may have somewhat of a captive audience as you stand at the pulpit, leading your congregation through a worship service. But after the service, once church members...