The beginning of marriage is exciting, but it's also challenging--particularly when you realize your spouse's habits, expectations, and dreams are much different than your own. And when children enter the picture, everything else goes out the window as we just try to get by. But when we clothe ourselves with the character of Jesus, we can learn to navigate difference and conflict so that we're able "to love and to cherish" one another for a lifetime.
The season of Christmas lays bare the deepest longings of our heart, and in a world of violence, division, and suffering, we’re desperate for hope. In the 8th century BC, the prophet Isaiah spoke of the birth of a ruler who would establish peace and rule with justice and righteousness, and who continues to give us hope today.
Though we're familiar with the word, we don't think much about what it means to say "amen" at the end of a prayer. When we say "amen" to God's will in our lives, we may fear losing control, but we gain immeasurably more by allowing God's loving desires to be realized in us.
For some moments, "Wow" is the only word we can muster. Yet we find it difficult to stop and notice the beauty of the world around us. When we practice stillness with God and cultivate our sense of wonder, we can experience the glory of God that suffuses the world and gratefully pray, "Wow!"
We all want to be more grateful, but it's often difficult. Yet when we recognize that everything we have is a gift from God, we can't help but feel grateful. And as we develop a rhythm of thanking God, gratitude fills us with joy and changes the way we experience the world.
Is the New Testament reliable? Rev. Brandon Blacksten explores the challenges of the New Testament's origins and consistency, and concludes that, ultimately, we can trust the New Testament account of the Good News of Jesus.
We all experience worry—sometimes to the point that we can't think of anything else. But our worries can tell us what we truly treasure. Jesus teaches that when we learn to treasure what God treasures, we can let go of worry and find freedom.
When building something, we start with the instructions, but instructions can't tell us how to deal with every situation. By exploring one of the most well-known sets of instructions—the Ten Commandments—we discover a pattern that shows us a way of life that's based in love.
At some point, we all realize that what got us here will not get us where we need to go. Jesus' disciples faced that situation when he ascended into heaven, and he gave them a mission that was beyond anything they had ever done before. Their response teaches us how we can respond when we enter uncharted territory.
Every day, we are bombarded by voices that compete for our time, attention, and our hearts. In a sea of competing voices, how do we discern the one voice that leads to abundant life?
