READ: PROVERBS 25:15; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-8; 1 PETER 3:15-16 Have you ever heard of ginseng? It’s a valuable plant used in a lot of health foods. And those who grow ginseng need to have a lot of patience. While many seeds will sprout within a week or two, when you plant ginseng seeds, they can [...]

READ: ACTS 2:40-47; GALATIANS 6:9-10; EPHESIANS 4:1-16 Have you ever heard Christians talk about “doing life together”? It can be hard to understand exactly what this looks like. But I got to experience it in a variety of ways this week. I have some friends in my church who, like me, are married with young [...]

READ: EXODUS 14:14; 33:22; ISAIAH 42:13; ZEPHANIAH 3:17 "Go to the boulder!” He did not yell over the noise of the battle, but Rhyn heard, and without even having to look for the rock he had sent her to, she knew exactly where to go. So Rhyn ran to it. It wasn’t a very big [...]

READ: PSALM 46 I never thought I would have to let go and say, “It is well with my soul,” like the old hymn. I never thought I would have to learn to be okay with the storms in my life. I prayed for God to take them. I begged Him to change things and [...]

READ: JOHN 13:1-17; EPHESIANS 5:1-2 Have you ever seen a child imitating an adult? It can be so cute to watch a small child try to mix pretend food in empty pots, imitate a parent’s expression, or repeat a phrase they haven’t fully mastered yet. That’s how kids learn. They imitate the people they see. [...]

READ: EXODUS 20:8-11; MARK 1:21-22, 32-38; EPHESIANS 2:4-10 Imagine this: Cars zoom by as you sit on the side of the road. You hope no one you know sees you stranded, your car out of gas. You can’t believe you forgot to fill up the tank! Your brother even reminded you this morning. In humility, [...]

READ: PSALM 103:1-5; REVELATION 21:1-6 When was the last time you had a cold? Maybe you have one right now. They can be so annoying, but the process of healing from a cold can point us to an amazing truth about Jesus. Even though sickness invaded God’s good world when humans chose sin, God created [...]

READ: MATTHEW 1:23; 28:20; MARK 6:45-54; EPHESIANS 4:2 As I stood at the lake’s edge, I was observing a genuine SOS moment. A young family member—I’ll call him Ford—had just received a kayak for his tenth birthday. He loved to be on the water, so a kayak seemed a fitting gift for him. Since our [...]

READ: PSALM 116; LUKE 17:11-19; REVELATION 4:6-11 Have you ever considered how much difference the words “thank you” can make? The Samaritan healed of leprosy in Luke 17 seemed to know the power of these words. While on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus met a group of ten men who were social outcasts because of [...]

READ: LUKE 5:27-32; 18:9-17; ROMANS 5:6-11; 1 JOHN 2:1 The small chapel was an inconspicuous building tucked along a side street off of Main. The leaders on the mission trip hadn’t mentioned the little church, but they had told the students it was okay to explore the area in the evening after dinner as long [...]