READ: PSALM 119:89-96; LUKE 24:13-27; JOHN 20:30-31; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:20 Did you know that you are a biblical interpreter? Whether we know it or not, all of us interpret the Bible when we read or listen to it. We bring our own experiences, assumptions, opinions, and perspectives to the text, and all of that forms [...]

READ: JOHN 6:37-40; EPHESIANS 1:3-14; COLOSSIANS 1:9-14 Four months after Marmalade came out of the darkness of his stair home, he found his forever home with me. Last night, as he lay on top of me, loud purr rumbling, I thought about how we are all very much like Marmalade. When we live apart from [...]

READ: PSALM 91; 1 PETER 2:9-10, 24-25 Sunlight cascaded through green leaves as I descended the stairs at one of my favorite parks off the shores of Lake Michigan. Suddenly, a furry flash of orange and white darted underneath the steps in front of me. Getting on my hands and knees, I peered into the [...]

READ: PSALMS 19:1-4; 139:14; ISAIAH 40:26 There have been so many moments in my life as a Christian when I’ve doubted the existence of God. Praying just seems silly—like talking to the air. But I have moments when God reveals to me just how plausible His existence is. One especially vivid time happened about a [...]

READ: JOHN 20:26-29; 1 PETER 3:8-17 As we navigate life, we often hear persuasive voices, each one bringing its own opinions and biases. And sometimes those voices deny the gospel. In 1 Peter 3:15, believers in Jesus are called to be prepared to hear and respond to these voices, but how do we prepare to [...]

READ: PSALM 133:1; EPHESIANS 4:1-6; 1 JOHN 4:19 I got the part; now I needed the costume. At age eleven, I tried out for the role of mascot for my school. The judges picked me, and I prepared to entertain the crowd at football games alongside the cheerleaders. The school didn’t provide a uniform, so [...]

READ: DEUTERONOMY 11:10-25; 31:8 What kinds of changes have happened in your life so far? Maybe they’ve been small changes, like transitioning to a different school building when you reached a certain grade. Maybe you’ve gone through large changes, like your family moving or someone close to you getting a divorce. In the Bible, the [...]

READ: MATTHEW 23:1-12; LUKE 22:25-26; JOHN 13:1-17, 34-35 Wyran, kitchen servant in the palace of Ardh, studied the king’s table, ensuring that not a single grape was out of place. King Terrian had insisted that everything be perfect for his guest. For months, the territory had echoed with praises for the ruler of the distant [...]

READ: PSALM 139:7-12; ISAIAH 41:9-13 When we’re little, all kinds of things scare us. Maybe we’re afraid of the dark and we need the comfort of a nightlight. Maybe we don’t want to get on the rides at the fair without a parent or older sibling beside us. When we’re young and afraid, we gladly [...]

READ: PSALM 148; LUKE 19:36-40 The towering oaks, And every blade of grass, Have all spoken. The clouds in the sky, And the birds in the trees, All reply— “Great is He!” Great is the One who made us, Great is the God of gods, Great is the One who loves, And has determined the [...]