Along the muddied banks of the Jordan, thin reeds, the color of sage, reached toward the sky, bending gently in the breeze. A silver mist clung to the water’s surface, and as the sun pierced the clouds, the haze glistened in the morning light. I would have preferred solitude, being alone with my thoughts and […]
The story is told of a busy father who wanted to occupy his toddler so the boy wouldn’t distract him. The father tore a world map into several pieces and sent the little boy to his room to put it back together, instructing him not to return until the job was done. Surprised by his […]
Cosmos and cosmetic — two words that don’t seem to have much in common but share a common Greek root. The Greek word has two primary meanings: order and beauty. While these ideas might seem disparate to us, in Greek they were closely related. Things in proper order, like the cosmos, were beautiful. Beautiful things […]
Jerusalem, ad 33. The fledgling church had been given a mission, a call that would challenge social norms, upend religious traditions, and identify her members as a group of radicals. It was a call they ran from. Yes, the disciples had seen Jesus resurrected. They had heard Him speak and watched Him ascend. But that […]
Is it possible to experience a church environment with singing, reading Scripture, preaching, and celebrating every Sabbath, without fully experiencing the lordship of Jesus Christ? “Really?” you say. “How could you not know the Lord Jesus?” Jesus on the sidelines isn’t so far-fetched! Did you know that happened in the first century? The church community […]
My friend visited a church recently and was told that she wasn’t saved if she didn’t speak in tongues. What does CoG7 teach about this subject? Speaking in tongues, one of nine spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, figures prominently in the Church’s communication of the gospel to new peoples and languages (Acts […]
Is the Holy Spirit a force or a person? What does CoG7 teach about the Spirit of God? The historic view of “Trinity” holds that the Holy Spirit is a divine person with all the attributes of God — Father and Son. Each of the three, then, has the full divine nature and substance […]
