The Meaning of Love of God “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9; emphasis added). A simple phrase—“the love of God”—appears 10 times in the New Testament. Twice, the phrase comes from […]

All of us have an issue with boasting. We do it every day—in our heads, in our hearts, and with our mouths. We too often boast in ourselves and in our gifts. Sadly, this disorder has often plagued God’s people. When Jeremiah prophesied, the average Jew was convinced that Jerusalem was untouchable, and, by implication, […]

Where did your story begin? Perhaps it was in a home wrought with chaos and conflict or in a family soon to be devastated by divorce. Maybe it begins amid a cycle of job-loss, mounting bills, frequent address changes, or an environment marked by addiction and abuse. The question is: If your childhood was marked […]

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the practice of delaying funerals became routine. Often postponed out of necessity, delayed funerals complicated the mourning process and created difficult conversations resurfacing months later. Indeed, by mid-2021, articles began appearing in major publications contemplating the awkwardness and grief attending the phenomenon of delayed funerals. A palpable sense was afoot that […]

The familiar car pulled into the church parking lot. As the driver stepped out, my stomach tightened and my heart raced. This churchgoer had a history of sharp words toward me, and I knew he had been involved in conflicts I’d mediated for others. My mind spiraled: “What is he going to say today? What […]

For years, I believed Jesus reserved His loving kindness for the obviously broken: the prodigals, the tax collectors, the sinners who knew they were lost. But then I read Mark 10. In Mark 10, the rich young ruler comes to Jesus sincerely, respectfully, and with remarkable confidence in his own obedience. “All these [laws] I […]