A personal lesson in humility. by Sarah Schwerin The day was perfect. From my home office window, the midday sun shone on the bushes out front. A car drove by on the subdivision street. I typed away on my laptop, finishing up an article I’d been writing. Only a couple of items remained on my […]

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by Emmanuel Selestine For ages, we have seen rulers rise up, enjoying a place of authority and gaining riches as they oppress the people they should be serving. But as King Jesus knelt to wash the disciples’ feet, we see a different type of leader — a servant leader, one who would eventually lay His […]

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by Michael D’Auleiro A spiritual journey is intentional. It isn’t about following a specific path or counting steps, but rather purposely surrendering to God’s will. We don’t remain idle. Instead, we keep our hearts open to the call for action and respond when guided.  ​How trustworthy one must be to free-fall into the unknown. At […]

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by Loren Gjesdal Was the apostle Paul ever wrong? We owe much of our theology to Paul’s Spirit-breathed exposition of the gospel. Yet there was one time when Paul just might have been wrong. He wrote off a young man, but praise God, Barnabas did not. Barnabas may not have authored any books in the […]

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Luke — and the believer’s proper position. by R. Herbert Not surprisingly, humility is displayed in all the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. For example, although we tend to think of Matthew as the Gospel of kingship — the Gospel that frequently alludes to the messianic kingly role of Christ — Matthew also records many […]

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The role of confession in Christian renewal. by Denise Kohlmeyer From an early age, confession was encouraged as part of my religious upbringing. I often felt embarrassed to go to confession, though, thinking I was a horrible person for needing to do this. And I had to do confession publicly by walking through the church’s […]

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Learning humility in the Christian walk. by Tiffany Watson One of the greatest challenges Christians face is the tension between relying on themselves and surrendering to God. In a world that constantly values independence, personal success, and control, it’s easy to trust in our own abilities and plans rather than seek God’s guidance and will. […]

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by Stephen R. Clark Fires can be fun to be around, but the smell of smoke that gets in your clothing and hair can really stink. It can’t be avoided either. When you get close to any fire, you’re going to get smelly. It’s the same way when we hit a hot spot in life […]

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Sometimes we need a lower view of ourselves in ways we do not realize. by R. Herbert When we think of the biblical concept of rest, we probably think first of the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11) or Jesus’ words to His disciples: “Come . . . and rest a while” (Mark 6:31, ESV). But beyond commanding and encouraging […]

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by Jon Drury My friend Steve’s stepfather liked to say, “My way or the highway!” He had become a father to three boys, ages nine, six, and four, after marrying their mother. Due to alcohol and abuse experienced from his own father, this man ruled with a heavy hand.  “The worst was when he hit […]

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The pastor is accountable first to God and then to the congregation. It is tempting to choose a candidate who can serve the people. A more mature approach is to choose someone who serves God by caring for the flock and teaching them how to make disciples. The following method is a proven process. 1. […]

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Beneath this water rushes past the mud of a broken soul, separated from life, dead.  My fall from glory was only my imagination, a crown of leaves I called gold,  eating bitter fruit and calling it sweet until it grew into a void I could no longer deny — wretched.  Beneath this tree, blood seeped […]

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