The old man greeted me kindly and offered a cup of coffee as I entered his home. He and his wife were members of our congregation, but due to health issues they hadn’t attended in years. Eager to get to know them, I accepted the offer for coffee and took a seat at...

How is Jesus fully God and fully human? I do not think I understand it well, and I cannot explain it well with big theological words. But maybe, as a mama, I feel some sort of understanding when I think of him in his final moments, caring for his mama. My mind, with...

Why did Joseph wake Mary in the middle of the night and tell her to gather her things quickly so they could flee to Egypt? Jesus was in danger. The forces of darkness were intent on killing him. A spiritual battle was engaged. The enemy of our souls had reason to fear...

Who understands forgiveness best—the forgiver or the forgiven?  A betrayed husband (call him TK) wandered in rage, tears, thoughts of revenge, and prayer throughout the night. In the morning, he found himself heading to church, which was his practice. It had started...

Friends and partners in mission: The author of Hebrews writes, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for” (11:1-2). The author continues by pointing to examples of how the...

It has been challenging for women to gather in person this year, due to COVID-19. Some feel lonely, unable to fellowship, contribute, or safely meet with others. Others feel overly taxed, doing double-duty at work, church, and home. But you can be involved, whether...

I have long thought that John 1 gives us a simple and concise example of how we are invited to follow Jesus in making disciples. In this chapter we see Jesus identified as the long-awaited Messiah. He is the Word of God incarnate, that is, in flesh and blood, who has...

I have always reminded myself that Christmas is about the birth of the Savior, not about Santa Claus and the presents. Easter is about the suffering, death, and resurrection of that Savior, not about the Easter Bunny and the jellybeans. While I enjoyed those other...

The crowd cried out, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will...

The planet Venus is known as the Morning Star. It circles the Sun faster than the earth and often appears in the east just over the horizon before dawn. As the earth rotates it gives the appearance that Venus is leading the sun, bringing the light, to the earth. In...

The idea of a Kingdom of Darkness attempts to describe the ongoing reality of the devil’s work on earth. This includes demonic activity and the sinful thoughts, words, and actions of humanity. We are a fallen people always being led astray by fallen angels. Yet, most...

If you type the words “the unforgivable sin” into a google search bar, you will be promptly drowned in several hundred articles on the subject. Apparently, there’s something here that weighs on the minds of many a Christian googler! If you scroll a bit through the...