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 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...
Keep Reading
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...
Keep Reading
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...
Keep Reading
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 ...
Keep Reading
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...
Keep Reading
According to the New Testament, the gospel message rises or falls on the historical reliability of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Luke wrote that Jesus gave his disciples "convincing evidence" that he had risen, and that God provided "proof of [the gospel] to everyone by raising [Christ] from the dead" (Acts 1:3; 17:31). The Apostle Paul considered it ridiculous for any...
Keep Reading
The Gospel of John tells us that during the last supper, Jesus excused himself from the meal, clothed himself as a servant boy, found a towel and a basin of water, and scooted around on the floor washing the disciples' feet. The washing of feet was a common act of hospitality in 1st century homes, yet the task was considered so undignified that, according to rabbinical tra...
Keep Reading
During each week of Lent this year, we are posting an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. Today's post comes from John Chrysostom (305-407) the archbishop of Constantinople. This excerpt comes from one of John's sermons, titled "Dead to Sin". John Chrysostom: We must remember that we deal with a c...
Keep Reading
Today's post comes from a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon, a Baptist pastor in London in the 1800's. The sermon, based on Habakkuk 3:2, addresses the need for spiritual revival in the church. In this portion of his talk, Spurgeon points out that one aspect of revival involves the Spirit's work in the conversations of individual Christians. Charles Spurgeon: Pay atten...
Keep Reading
During each week of Lent this year, we will be posting an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. Today's post comes from the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, an English professor at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the mid-20th Century. In this excerpt, Lewis writes about the way God uses diff...
Keep Reading
