Blog
The Certainty of God’s Love
by Stephen Coney “. . . God wanted to make the unchangeable character of his purpose perfectly clear to the heirs of his promise . . .” (Hebrews 6:17, ISV) It was the Fall of 1978 and I was sitting in our Ford Falcon with my little sister as our Dad drove us to an…
Read More
Spiritual Spursy
by Leslie Hall “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners,…
Read More
Covenant Love
“Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David”. (Isaiah 55:3, NAS95) I love pondering covenant: faithfulness to relationship. The preceding context to this verse speaks of a calling to repentance (without those words), but…
Read More
To Be His
by Karen Huber “But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to…
Read More
A Long Conversation
“It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:14, NAS95) I’ve had an extended conversation with God about calling and purpose. I did not recognize it in full at the start. At the outset, a question stood out: what in…
Read More
Called to Unity
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3, ESV) I’ve had…
Read More
Open Ears
by Fred Swartz “And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.” (Luke 7:35, ESV) My wife was talking recently as she has several times in the past about how much she dislikes phone calls now, at least for relatively mundane communication. Life with 7 children is, well, loud, so phone…
Read More
In Your Midst
by Karen Huber “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV) I went to church this week, though likely not the one you’re thinking…
Read More
With Us
by Doug Mitts …and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20 NIV11) I’ve had a long-standing conversation with the Spirit – one that I was mostly unaware of, but it kept repeating. I heard periodically, “I am…
Read More
Advent–God abiding with us
by Lena Larson “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8, NIV) Advent—the season we celebrate the miraculous moment when God came to live among us, when He shared our human existence. It’s one…
Read More