Transcendence
We cannot truly belong to Christ if we try to earn our salvation.
Spiritual Decluttering: Sparking Joy That Lasts
There’s something refreshing about having a new baby right around the start of a new year. My second child, Declan Clark, was born almost three months ago on November 17, 2018. I enjoyed a (mostly) slow-paced maternity leave thanks to my servant-hearted husband and our ever-helpful families and friends. Taking advantage of the slower pace, […]
Acts of Service Aren’t Enough, Thankfully
Growing up, my elementary school implemented a merit system. Every staff member carried around little yellow pieces of paper called “bobcat awards” that motivated students to voluntarily complete acts of service. When a student had collected enough, he or she earned a lunch period spent in the “bobcat room” (the band room) complete with a […]
Who Aren’t You Loving, Christian?
When I think of Jesus’ parable of the “good Samaritan”, an image of Larry the Cucumber wearing a boot as a hat comes to mind. But, the parable is much more meaningful than a bunch of vegetable characters throwing shoes and pots back and forth until one decides to be kind to the other. Jesus’ […]
The Power of #ServantLeadership
In our click-bait world of tips, tricks, and top-ten lists, #servantleadership is one aspect of leadership that often gets shuffled to the sidelines. Intricate topics—like creating brand ambassadors, promoting individual growth, embracing work/life blend, fostering corporate culture, cultivating employee development, and SMART goal setting—tend to dominate the leadership conversation. While these topics are indeed valuable, […]
What’s in an Ordinance?
The Church of God (Seventh Day) has observed two ordinances since our inception in 1858. We have always baptized new converts by immersion in water, in the name of Jesus. But our observance of the Lord’s Supper service evolved from “whenever” to annually. Unfortunately, our observance of the Lord’s Supper service has been beset by […]
Christ-Centered Rest on Sabbath is for Pastors, Too
Exhausted from a long, demanding day, Joseph feels his body begin to release stress and his mind struggle to let go of its seemingly endless list of responsibilities. It’s almost Sunday, he tells himself. Maybe I’ll finally get a chance to rest. The sad irony is that this is a relatable situation for many pastors, ministry leaders, […]
The Leadership Conversation: Why Should We Care About Culture?
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: we are in the world, but not of the world. This popular sentiment of our Christian sub-culture (taken from John 17) has come to imply that the Church and the rest of the world cannot and should not mix. We are not of this […]
Receiving the Gift of Rest
Exhausted from a long, demanding day, Joseph feels his body begin to release stress and his mind struggle to let go of its seemingly endless list of responsibilities. It’s almost Sunday, he tells himself. Maybe I’ll finally get a chance to rest. The sad irony is that this is a relatable situation for many pastors, […]
Leadership Essentials: Christ-Centered Character
We all remember the childhood game Follow the Leader. Whatever the leader does, you do. Wherever the leader goes, you go. We all understand leadership from an early age. We experience all kinds of leadership examples in our lives especially in the form of Christian leadership. While there are a number of characteristics vital to […]
