Category: Bible study

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. This bold and risky proclamation shouted to the world that the thirteen American colonies were no longer under British rule but were “free and independent states.” Today, fireworks, parades, and cookouts will mark the day, and...

Thirteen years ago, on June 28, 2012, my friend Amy Peterson posted, “If you truly believe that God is in control and that He has not left the room: PLEASE stop using the following phrase about today’s weather/political/spiritual/financial climate, ‘I am scared about what is going on.’ You have...

I enjoy my morning coffee (and sometimes an extra in the afternoon, and a bedtime hot chocolate or herbal tea). I’ve collected a variety of mugs over the years, each with some sentimental meaning. Every one of them reminds me of a person, a place, or a moment that...

Throughout history, good people, even faithful Christians, have found themselves on every side of every conflict or debate. Sometimes tensions run deep, even between family members, friends, and within the church. In addition to escalating political and global events, society grapples with issues of identity and belonging. Often, the...

For the past several years, my son has spent his birthday away at camp.  We often celebrate before he leaves or when he returns. For birthdays at camp, the female counselors gather around the male campers and sing Happy Birthday to various other tunes (this year it was the...

Relationships can uplift us, teach us, or test us — sometimes all at once! Fortunately, we have the greatest wisdom for every relationship in the Word of God, specifically in Romans 12:9-21. Here, the apostle Paul offers some of the best relational advice you’ll ever find! In my study,...

Our family recently spent a week revisiting Colorado Springs. Fourteen years have passed since we lived in the area. While driving around the city, we recognized a few landmarks, but many had faded from memory. Much has changed, for our family and for many of the places we once...

When we lived and worshiped in Germany, a twenty-something pregnant woman walked into the church building. People often came into our building, since our congregation met in the middle of downtown. Even parts of her story were not unusual. The baby’s father had recently deployed to Afghanistan. She was...

Let me preface this conversation with a confession: I have not been successfully “taking every thought captive” lately (2 Corinthians 10:5). Some of my words have been the opposite of wholesome talk, useful for building up (Ephesians 4:29).  This week, my daughter had ballet every day for the summer...

Two years ago, I took on the task of revamping the curriculum for the 3–4-year-old class at our congregation. In some ways, this job was easy – I had several years’ worth of already created supplies in a filing cabinet and a few boxes from both my mother and...