Every spring the world pauses—some briefly, some deeply—to acknowledge what many call “Easter.” For Christians, especially those of us striving simply to be New Testament Christians, the focus is not on a holiday but on a historical reality that reshaped all of nature itself: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.The New Testament never commands an annual […]
Spring has officially sprung! One of the great things about living where we do is that we are given the opportunity to witness the changing of the seasons. Every season has a purpose, and each one is filled with its own beauty. Though we may enjoy winter’s snow, and summer’s warmth, many prefer the less […]
When Scripture speaks of sin it does not do so as if it were a minor flaw or a series of unfortunate mistakes. The primary Hebrew word for sin means to “miss the mark.” It is important to note that it is the mark that God Himself has set, and not other people for the […]
What is the gospel? When the New Testament speaks of the Gospel it uses the Greek word that would be pronounced “euangelion,” a word which simply means “good news.” We can all agree that the world is always in need of good news – and there is no better than the message of the Gospel!In […]
We tend to imagine that the things which shape a life must be grand — dramatic moments, major decisions, or unmistakable turning points. Yet Scripture reminds us that God often works through what seems small, unnoticed, or ordinary. Jesus speaks of mustard seeds and widow’s mites (Matthew 13:31–32; Mark 12:41–44). Paul reminds us that “your […]
Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman in John 4 are some of the clearest teachings in Scripture on what God desires from His people when they come together to worship: “The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such […]
Aesop’s fable “The Wolf and the Lamb” gives us a striking image for Christian reflection. In the tale a lamb drinks quietly at a stream until a wolf appears, bent on finding any pretext to attack. The wolf levels absurd and impossible accusations—claiming the lamb muddied the water, insulted him long ago, and committed other […]
Tomorrow is President’s Day. If you are like me, you probably don’t give it much of a second thought until you realize the mail didn’t run or if you needed to go to the bank and forgot that they were closed. Nevertheless, a study of the American presidents can be fascinating, and perhaps one of […]
There was once a young man who decided to take a nighttime walk through his village after a fresh snowfall. Though the air was cold, he found the stillness of the evening and the quiet that snowfall brings to be peaceful. The ground was perfectly blanketed and undisturbed, and the lights from the houses and […]