At twenty-five years old, Phil Vischer had a simple goal. He wanted to blend the love of his faith with his love of filmmaking. Each profitable VeggieTales video meant he could afford to delight children with a new Bible-inspired story. Then his goal got bigger. Captivated by the concept of adopting a goal so big, […]
Faced with eviction from the only home they had ever known, Adam and Eve were escorted out of their garden paradise. Adam remembered the warning words of God: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in […]
The theme of reconciliation is as old as humanity itself. Because of sin, humans damaged their relationship not only with God but also with their neighbor. Because of the Fall, communion between Adam and Eve was lost, giving rise to individualism. Both covered themselves with fig leaves, which they had not needed before: “I was […]
In the last “Spotlight” we examined Revelation 21 and the new creation that began in Christ and the ministry of reconciliation. This time we focus on the new covenant. Just before Paul communicates that reconciliation is a God-given ministry and that we are ministers of God (2 Corinthians 5:18; 6:4), he writes that God has “also […]
Waving her arms around isn’t enough. The movement must be clear, timed, and the same as in practice sessions. This is the role of my cousin, Rachel, a classical music conductor at a local church. With a small baton in her hand, she methodically guides her musicians to play a distinct way and brings everyone […]
As a Sabbath school teacher who prays regularly about instilling confidence in my students, I recently had a “God moment.” He revealed people in my life who have true, meaningful confidence. In prayerfully meditating on these lives, I realized that one thing was always present: a committed earthly father figure who invested time working with […]
Recently while I was reading Psalm 42, verse 4 took on new meaning for me. It reads: These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. This […]
One of the unsung “gifts” of the churches of God is fellowship. To be more specific, food. What I mean is eating: We eat well. And what a glorious gift that is! Don’t you agree? Not enough Eating well is not a gift to be taken for granted. Many years ago while visiting a […]
Is the Sabbath a “shadow”? A recent BA article said it was. A shadow is a shaded image cast by light rays striking a body or object. In biblical study, the words type and shadow can refer to a person, event, or item that serves as a pattern, preview, or lesser image of a later, […]
If I teach you the love of nature — to respect all living things by being kind to animals strangers, and friends — Yet . . . don’t teach you about God, I’ve taught you simply compassion not hope. If I show you the beauty of the ocean — to notice its vastness by exploring […]
