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Macklann and Rose Basse serve as missionaries with Presbytery Mission International in Lom, Togo, West Africa. They started Africa Missions with Nations (AMN), a mission organization that trains future missionaries to plant churches and disciple Africans to care for the least among them. AMN's peculiar focus is to "encourage people to receive God's grace in Christ, share t...

This past Sunday, we began a series of sermons that will allow us to work through the Old Testament book of Joshua. Joshua tells the story of how God took a nation of refugees and gave them a home, how God took the Israelites from their tent city in the wilderness and brought them into Canaan, the Promised Land. The book of Joshua is both inspiring and challenging. It i...

We worship God because he is worthy of our adoration and because giving him glory is the main purpose for which we were designed. But there is a by-product of praise that is thrilling to contemplate. Praising God unleashes power in our lives and into our world. Singing of God's greatness is a powerful weapon in our spiritual war against the forces of evil. Psalm 8:2 say...

The Christian season of Advent revolves around the four Sundays that lead up to Christmas Day. Traditionally, Advent is a season focused on preparation. We remember the way God prepared Israel for the birth and ministry of Jesus, and we think about how God wants us to prepare for Christ's return. How often do you think about the return of Jesus Christ? His second coming...

Like many children, I was afraid of the dark when I was small. I slept better with a light on in the room. Apparently, even some adults find darkness frightening. A 2012 study in the United Kingdom found that almost 40% of the respondents were afraid to walk through their own home without the lights on and that 10% would not even get out of bed to go to the bathroom in t...

Seven times in the gospel of John, Jesus makes a statement about himself prefaced with the words "I am". He says: I am the bread of life" (Jn. 6) I am the light of the world (Jn 8) I am the gate (Jn 10) I am the good shepherd (Jn 10) I am the resurrection and the life (Jn 11) I am the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14) I am the true vine (Jn 15) These state...

In 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, the Apostle Paul addresses a specific financial situation faced by the early churches. Famine and persecution in Jerusalem had resulted in conditions of extreme poverty among the Christians there. Churches in other regions were being asked to send donations to help relieve the suffering of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Despite the spec...

The Bible is God's Word the uniquely reliable revelation of his heart, his truth, and his redemptive plan. Augustine of Hippo, the 3rd Century African bishop and theologian, wrote, "The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home." Because the Bible is God's Word, it is vitally important for Christians to develop habits that put them into regular contact with Scripture. ...

Over 55 million people in the United States hold a membership in a gym. Millions more find other ways to stay fit walking, jogging, bicycling, etc. As a nation, we are aware of the benefits of a physically active lifestyle. Exercise can help prevent heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer. There is another kind of exercise that is even more b...

From July 9-13, 2018, about 35 ACC volunteers descended on Van Alst playground, turning it into a space camp for our second annual Vacation Bible Club. We interacted with 30-40 kids at the playground, training them to be "astronauts" as we learned the story of God's creation through the theme of space. Through a repertoire of music, skits, Bible stories, games, crafts,...