The Way of Love

What does it take to be truly loving to others? And how can we make sure that our online interaction is pleasing to our Savior?

The Peace Jesus Offers

Peace is a reality few people experience these days. But in the midst of our chaotic world, God offers a peace that goes far beyond human understanding. This hope of peace lies at the heart of the story of the Bible.

Because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the garden of Eden, all of us are born in need of a…

The Community of Believers

Community. What does that word bring to mind? Jesus prayed that the community of believers would be known for unity, joy, growth in truth, and urgency of mission (John 17).

UNITY. “Protect them . . . so that they may be one as we are one” (v.11). Jesus asked the Father to let unity be a defining mark of the church.…

The Benefits of Worship

The Westminster Shorter Catechism of Faith states, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” To glorify God—that’s worship! To enjoy Him forever—that’s the all-encompassing reward that includes these specific benefits:

Forgiveness. True worshipers recognize God’s holiness and accept His forgiveness (Romans 5:1; 1 John 1:9). Through worship they are purified.

Guidance. Those who honor God will be given wisdom…

Name Above All Names

To encourage me to assimilate as a first generation Mexican American, my parents rarely spoke Spanish in our home and used the English version of my middle name for my school registration. Weary of struggling to belong, I applied for a state identification card when I turned eighteen. I wanted to use my first name, Xochitl, and explore the beautiful…

The Trinity—Three Gods or One?

The Bible teaches that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. God is one Being who has existed eternally as three distinct, not separate, persons. As distinct persons, each functions in His own unique manner. The Father is the Originator, the Son is the Agent, and the Holy Spirit is the Applicator. Each…

When Mercy Meets Justice

Should he tell? Would he complain? The student at an elite Manhattan high school worried how to respond to abuse from a onetime friend. The classmate often called him ugly racial names—to his face. Another shared a photo of him around school, the caption calling him a “monkey.”

Trying to focus on his school work, he vowed to ignore the humiliation.…

God is Love

God is love in His very nature and His love is revealed in many ways.

IN CREATION. His voice is on the rolling air; we see Him in the rising and setting of the sun. In the singing of the birds and in the love of human hearts, the voice of God is present.

IN HIS WISDOM. God created us out of His overflowing…

United to God Through Christ

Throughout the centuries, people have grappled with the amazing mystery that believers enjoy union with God through Christ. For instance, Bernard of Clairvaux, a twelfth-century French monk, used the ordinary things of life to explain this wonderful truth. He noted how a drop of water seems to disappear into a glass of wine, taking on the wine’s flavor and color.…

What is Love?

When a group of young children were asked, “What is love?” they gave some thoughtful and some hilarious answers:

“Love means everybody has a family,” said four-year-old Adam.

Six-year-old Jasmine said, “Love is when you tell a boy you like his shirt, and he starts to wear it almost every day.”

Another child replied, “When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over…

Jesus, Our True Shepherd

For generations, the Rebanks family has tended sheep in Northern England. In his remarkable book The Shepherd’s Life, James Rebanks recounts how their family cut a farm out of marginal acreage overrun by rushes and thistles. Only hearty shepherds can do this type of work. The Rebanks work hard to keep their Herdwick sheep alive through the long, dark winters…

Experiencing the Real Joy of Christmas

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds, 
and enlarge my mind;

Let me hear good tidings of great joy, and hearing,
believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose, 
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;
 
Place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer’s face, 
and in him account myself delivered from sin;
let me…

A Family in the Sheepfold

Usually, every December, malls, public places, and houses come alive with Christmas decorations. Christmas carols reverberate everywhere. Shops offer discounts in anticipation of Christmas and New Year shopping sprees.

Churches also hold various activities to celebrate the season, such as Christmas celebrations, charity fundraisers to help the needy, and special outreach events to share the gospel. Christmas and end of…

Christmas Amidst the Pandemic

In 1914, Europe was in the midst of World War I which had brought devastation, despair, and sorrow. 

But in the midst of the war, something unexpected happened. On the eve of December 25, there was a ceasefire between a small group of soldiers from opposing sides, who, only hours before, had been killing each other.

Why? The soldiers in both trenches…