Topic > Spiritual Growth
Mary: A story of great faith
Being the mother of Jesus must have been an incredible honor for Mary. Watching her Savior grow up must have filled her with joy. Join us as we listen to how Mary learned obedience as we dive into Luke chapter two.
A dramatic encounter between Gabriel and Mary
Imagine that day, when out of the blue, a young girl in a small town in Israel is visited by none other than the angel Gabriel, and he proclaims to her: “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son . . . and He will be called Son of the Most High.” What can we learn from Mary’s response?
A balanced perspective of Mary, the mother of Jesus
When it comes to Mary, mother of Jesus, people often react to her in extremes. One group downplays her significance, and another group exalts her in a way that Scripture does not necessarily support. Let’s honor this woman of God and learn some lessons Mary has to teach us in this new series.
How To Have Peace
The Kamppi Chapel of Silence in Helsinki, Finland, stands out in its urban setting. The curved structure, covered with wood, buffers the noise from the busy city outside. Designers created the chapel as a quiet space and a “calm environment for visitors to compose themselves.” It’s a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Many people long for peace, and a few minutes of silence may soothe our minds. But the Bible teaches that real peace—peace with God—comes from His Son. The apostle Paul said, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through…
Learning to Die 1,000 times every day
My left eye hurts and keeps on tearing probably because I’ve been given the wrong prescription for my spectacles. I’m thirsty from walking around all day running errands for my dad.
Discover an invitation from Jesus
Saying life is messy is an understatement for most of us! So is it possible for us to have peace about our life only when everything gets in order? Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled . . . trust Me.”
I Can’t Stop Sinning: What Should I Do?
I’ve just joined a squash club and I’m starting to think it was a mistake. For one, the membership, courts, new shoes, racquet, and balls are expensive. Secondly, every game reduces me to a sweaty mess—surely it must be unhealthy to sweat that much in one 40-minute window.
Pencil Battle
As I learned to write my letters, my first-grade teacher insisted that I hold my pencil in a specific way. As she watched me, I held it the way she wanted me to. But when she turned away, I obstinately reverted the pencil to the way I found more comfortable.
I thought I was the secret winner in that battle of the wills, and I still hold my pencil in my own peculiar way. Decades later, however, I realize that my wise teacher knew that my stubborn habit would grow into a bad writing practice that would result in my hand…
Eulogize the Living God
In 2005, when American civil rights hero Rosa Parks died, Oprah Winfrey counted it a privilege to eulogize her. Oprah said of the woman who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in 1955, “I often thought about what that took—knowing the climate of the times and what could have happened to you—what it took to stay seated. You acted without concern for yourself and made life better for us all.”
We often use the word eulogy to refer to the words spoken at a funeral. But it can also refer to other situations where we give high praise…
My Way
Two small boys were playing a complicated game with sticks and string. After a few minutes the older boy turned to his friend and said crossly, “You’re not doing it properly. This is my game, and we play it my way. You can’t play anymore!” The desire to have things our own way starts young!
Naaman was a person who was accustomed to having things his way. He was commander of the army of the king of Syria. But Naaman also had an incurable disease. One day his wife’s servant girl, who had been captured from the land of Israel, suggested…
Transformed Hearts
During the early 1970s in Ghana, a poster titled “The Heart of Man” appeared on walls and public notice boards. In one picture, all kinds of reptiles—symbols of the vile and despicable—filled the heart-shaped painting with the head of a very unhappy man on top of it. In another image, the heart-shape was clean and serene with the head of a contented man. The caption beneath the images read: “What is the condition of your heart?”
In Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus explained what pollutes a person. “The things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile…
Not Saying Goodbye
Francis Allen led me to Jesus, and now it was nearly time for Francis to meet Jesus face to face. I was at his home as it grew time for him to say goodbye. I wanted to say something memorable and meaningful.
For nearly an hour I stood by his bed. He laughed hard at the stories I told on myself. Then he got tired, we got serious, and he spent his energy rounding off some rough edges he still saw in my life. I listened, even as I tried to sort out how to say goodbye.
He stopped me before I…
Why I Came Out Of My Comfort Zone
Written by Sukma Sari Cornelius, originally in Bahasa Indonesia “There is no comfort in growth zone, there is no growth in comfort zone.” I cannot help but think about pearls when I read this statement. The beautiful gems are formed not in the midst of comfortable situations. Instead, they are formed from many layers of […]
Grace in Our Hearts
A few years ago, four-star General Peter Chiarelli (the No. 2 general in the US Army at that time) was mistaken for a waiter by a senior presidential advisor at a formal Washington dinner. As the general stood behind her in his dress uniform, the senior advisor asked him to get her a beverage. She then realized her mistake, and the general graciously eased her embarrassment by cheerfully refilling her glass and even inviting her to join his family sometime for dinner.
The word gracious comes from the word grace, and it can mean an act of kindness or courtesy, like the…
