Blog: October 2023

As we begin our Fall Focus on Missions, listen to the heart of these mission leaders.  Can you feel their pulse of love for Christ? “Expect great things from God.  Attempt great things for God” (William Carey). “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered but a command to be obeyed” (J. Hudson Taylor). “I never made a sacrifice” (David Livingstone). “I have a firm conviction that I am immortal until my work is done” (Lottie Moon). “If God has called you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king” (Jordon Groom). “Some ...

Christ’s arrest and betrayal remain some of the darkest accounts we read in the Scriptures. The sinless Savior experienced rejection at the hands of His closest friends, knowing the darkness of death He would soon encounter in the hours that followed. The recurring theme that resurfaced throughout each unfolding event was that Christ foreknew all that would come next, yet He took to the cross for our salvation anyway. The all-knowing Jesus recounted to His disciples the deceitfulness of not only the chief priests and elders, but also of His ...

I’m feeling an odd dissonance from flipping channels between baseball and warfare.  From “it’s just a game” to life and death.  Same TV—just different channels.  It’s all very jarring. Maybe I’m the problem, and I should just watch one or the other.  Or neither, or nothing:  so much spin and sensationalism in cable news, and such triviality getting all fired up over a game. But, stepping back, there may be reasons to expose yourself to at least a measure of both the heavy and the light, the serious and the playful.  After all, there’s a ...

In our Prayer Gathering this week, we read Scripture passages on God’s heart for the world—for all peoples, every tribe and tongue.  And as we did, the Lord was grabbing my attention: Psalm 67:1-7:  “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (vv 3, 5).  Not some—but all of them. Luke 10:25-37:  In Jesus’ Good Samaritan story, the crossing of ethnic and religious barriers of hate with compassion for the hurting depicts God’s love for the lost (John 3:16).  No clan or class or category of sinners is too far gone ...

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John all recounted Christ’s anointing in the last days before Passover. As Christ, His disciples, and friends all gathered to remember what God had done for His people so long ago, Mary anointed Jesus. We continue to celebrate the legacy of her worshipful act, just as Jesus proclaimed we would. What was the significance of Mary’s extravagant offering? Why did Christ declare that she would always be remembered for the affection she displayed for her Lord? While Judas’ eyes were blinded by his own greed, ...

In a recent round of Wordle, I got zero letters right in row one when I tried “ABOUT,” but with the word “SHINE” in row two I got three letters right—and in the right places:  “S _ I _ E.” What would you guess next?  It has to be a five-letter word with “S” first, “E” last, and “I” in the middle spot.  I tried “SPIKE.”  But both “P” and “K” were wrong.  Next I tried “SLIME,” and I almost hit the jackpot—both “L” and “M” were correct letters but in the wrong places.  Which meant the right word had to be “SMILE.” This prompts me to ask:  ...