READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27; 1 TIMOTHY 3:1-9 Have you ever wondered what pastors do when they’re not preaching, visiting people in hospitals, or doing other pastoral things? Some people seem to think pastors study and read the Bible all the time. While pastors do study more than most people because they teach God’s Word at [...]

READ: EPHESIANS 6:18-20; PHILIPPIANS 2:12-16; 1 PETER 3:15-16 As Christians, we’re called to share the good news of Jesus with others. And this is a wonderful thing—it’s an honor to be entrusted with such a task. But have you ever been around somebody telling others about Jesus in a way that just doesn’t seem all [...]

READ: GENESIS 1:20-31; ISAIAH 11:6-9; ROMANS 8:18-25 How do you feel about spiders? Many people have strong opinions about these web-making creatures. They often inspire fear or disgust. But the reality is, although some spiders’ venom can cause pain or illness to humans, most spiders are harmless to large beings like us. In fact, there [...]

READ: MATTHEW 12:34-37; ROMANS 5:1-11; 1 JOHN 4:16-19 We all know the feeling. We’re going about our day and something happens—a difficult conversation, a snag at school or work, a major food spill on our clothes, forgetting our lunch, etc. When something happens to mess up our plans or efforts, it’s like a bump that [...]

READ: PSALM 32:1-5; ROMANS 6:12-14; 8:1-4; 1 JOHN 1:9 Do you ever feel down and defeated by things you’ve done that were wrong? Do you find yourself asking God for forgiveness several times before you really feel forgiven? If so, you’re not alone; we all feel this way sometimes. But there is good news. Once [...]

READ: PSALM 77:10-15 Have you ever made a scrapbook? Whether in digital form or with paper pages, scrapbooks can be a creative way to remind us of the people we love and the things we learn as we go through life. Thinking about scrapbooks can help us understand an important part of our relationship with [...]

READ: PSALM 124:6-8; LUKE 12:22-31 As Valeria and Galena sat in the courtyard, working away at some handicrafts to sell at the market in the next town over, Galena watched the setting sun and pondered their situation. The famine continued with no signs of letting up. Their parents had died several months ago, and the [...]

READ: 3 JOHN 1:5-8; ROMANS 15:7; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-6; EPHESIANS 4:1-6 In God’s family, we will encounter people who have different backgrounds, experiences, personalities, likes, and dislikes than ours. And this is a beautiful thing! But it can be challenging as we seek to learn from and be kind to each other through the differences. [...]

READ: JOSHUA 23:14; 1 PETER 1:3-9; 2 PETER 1:2-4; 3:9 Imagine this. You’ve just arrived at the best theme park in the state. You’re ecstatic to finally have enough money to be here—and you wouldn’t even be going if you hadn’t found a coupon for half-price tickets. But when the woman at the ticket booth [...]

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-17; EPHESIANS 4:20-32; COLOSSIANS 3:5-17 Closet clean-outs can be so satisfying. Getting rid of clothes that no longer fit can help make space for the things we really need—and like—in our closets. Instead of a cluttered and chaotic closet bursting at the seams with clothes that don’t really suit us, we see [...]