At the ACC after-school tutoring program a few weeks ago Pastor David casually mentioned to me that he and Sobeyda were going to be hosting a refugee family from El Salvador. My heart jumped with excitement...what an opportunity for ACC to show the love of God! I also was encouraged by their willingness to share their living space with strangers, knowing they give so much already as a Pastor and Counselor. The next day Carolina and her almost 11 year old son Onandy arrived....
In this three-blog series, are looking at 2 Peter 1:3-11 to learn how believers can grow in their relationship with Christ. In the first blog, I focused on the power for spiritual growth. In the second blog, I wrote about the process of growth. In this blog, I'd like to explore why spiritual growth is so important. In verses 8-11, the Apostle Peter describes four benefits...
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In this three-blog series, we are looking at 2 Peter 1:3-11 to explore the ways believers grow in their relationship with Christ. In the first blog, I focused on the power for spiritual growth. In this blog, I want to talk about the process of growth. Peter describes the process of growth in verses 5-7: "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodnes...
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How do Christians increase in character and virtue? What makes their relationship with Christ grow in depth and authenticity? Why are some believers so fruitful in their spiritual life? How did they get that way? 2 Peter 1:3-11 is an amazingly helpful portion of scripture when it comes to answering these questions. In these verses, the Apostle Peter explains, the power, t...
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There is a famous photograph taken in 1937 that records the launch of a newly built ship for the German navy. In the picture, hundreds of shipyard workers have their arms extended in a Nazi salute. If you look closely at the photo, however, you will find one man with a smirk on his face, standing with his arms folded defiantly across his chest. The worker has been identifi...
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According to Scripture, God clearly wants his people to call on him in prayer (Matt. 7:7-8; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2). But have you ever wondered why God wants us to pray? The Bible describes God as all-knowing, all-powerful, and never-failing in his love. So, if God knows what's best for us, has unlimited power to work in our lives, and loves us dearly, why does he require us...
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In recent years, a growing number of people from conservative Christian backgrounds have been questioning the faith commitments of their youth. Sometimes identifying as "exvangelicals", these people often share publicly about the process of deconstructing (and sometimes abandoning) their faith. Generally what leads people to take these steps is their deep disillusionment w...
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Since the days of the early Church, Christians have taught that abortion is ethically wrong. Though not all Christians hold this view today, it is still the conviction of many believers that, in most situations, the lives of the unborn should be protected. Why do Christians hold these beliefs? Do they simply want to deprive women of their rights? Do Christians have hang-up...
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We are looking at practical instructions the Apostle Paul gave us in Philippians 4 to help us fight for joy during difficult times. In part one of this blog series, we examined the importance of prayer. In part two, we discussed the need to fill our minds with life-giving thoughts. The third practical suggestion Paul gives for pursuing joy is to put into practice those th...
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We are looking at practical instructions the Apostle Paul gave us in Philippians 4 to help us fight for joy during difficult times. In part one of this blog series, we examined the importance of prayer. The second practical suggestion we are given is to fill our minds with life-giving thoughts. It goes without saying that if you are filling your mind with garbage, you ...
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In Philippians 4:4, the Apostle Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" The verb "rejoice" in that sentence is in the imperative mood. That means this is a command. We are commanded to experience joy. How can you command someone to feel a certain way? That does not seem fair. How can we control our feelings? Paul's words seem especially un...
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