Do we see sanctity of life as a whole picture? Do we see all the different sides and pieces of what it really means to be pro-life? Or do we only care about one? Here are some things we can do to promote the sanctity of human life......
At Christ Church, our ministry year has been especially rewarding......
My family had an odd Thanksgiving tradition. When my siblings and I were little, the night before Thanksgiving my parents would gather us into the smallest room in the house that we could all fit in (usually the laundry room), turned off the lights, sat on the floor, and lit a couple candles and we had a small meal of crackers, dried fruit and beef jerky....
Common grace is any blessing of any degree, short of salvation, that the sin-cursed world enjoys at the hand of God....
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. This is a sadness in our world that has gripped many. Will and Lauren Young have been impacted by pregnancy and infant loss. Lauren has given us permission to repost some of her reflections on ways we can come alongside those among us who are grieving in this particular way. Here are five things NOT to say to someone who is grieving, and five things TO SAY to someone who is grieving: ...
Praying out loud together takes practice, and requires effort to work through the discomfort and distractions, but it is unquestionably a habit that will strengthen each of our individual spiritual walks as well as our communal faith....
In Genesis 1, we read about God creating the universe out of nothing. The creation of the world is said to take place over a span of six creative “days.” For centuries, there has been discussion and debate about how to interpret the “days” of Genesis 1. This discussion has only intensified in the past 200 years as modern scientists, especially in the areas of physics and geology, almost unanimously affirm that the universe, and the planet Earth, are extremely old (14 billion years or so for the universe and 9 billion years or so for planet Earth). What are we to make of these discussions?...
What are churches doing to preserve the lives not only of the unborn, but also of the poor, the orphan, the widow, the hungry, and the immigrant? Are we guilty of “neglecting or withdrawing lawful and necessary means of preservation of life” for some, while we advocate for the lives of the unborn? Our country needs vocal defenders of the unborn, but it also needs active Christians working against “whatsoever tends to the destruction of the life of” anyone....
What is social justice? Should Christians advocate for social justice? Is it even a term that Christians should use?...
A huge thank you to everyone who helped to make our basketball camp such a big success. We had over 50 kids attend every day. We had leaders, teachers, coaches and youth helpers all working together to make it a great week! We look forward to expanding it and improving it to bring in more children from the community next summer. ...
For the Christian, “yous” should matter. We need to reject how our language has trained us to think and reprogram our brains to recognize the “yous’s” and the “y’all’s.” That way our faith will become less about “me” and more about “us,” less about each individual and more about the beautiful community God is building....
Thank you to everyone who supported us, whether that be financially or through prayers, we know that this was your mission field just as much as it was ours....
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” (Ps. 19:1-4)...
Is the god of comfort reducing the one true God into a fluffy religious cushion in your life? Is the god of recognition robbing you of opportunities for joyful, self-sacrificial ministry? What other household gods have you brought with you into the church and into your life as a Christian? Where are they lurking, waiting to twist your priorities, warp your thinking, and corrupt your relationships? Household gods like recognition, comfort, control, and even happiness know how to dress up nice so they look harmless. They can hide in plain sight while they bring ruin to our souls. ...
Do we really believe that God answers our prayers? Jesus says in Luke 11:13 that “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Jesus promises us here that God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him. And along with the Holy Spirit, God the Father gives his children every other good gift that we ask for. ...
“The man of our time is losing the power of celebration. Instead of celebrating, he seeks to be amused or entertained. Celebration is an active state, an act of expressing reverence or appreciation…Celebration is…giving attention to the transcendent meaning of one’s actions.”...
Thy mercy my God is the theme of my song, the joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue. Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last, hath won my affection and bound my soul fast. - John Stocker...
There is never a completely satisfactory answer to explain what we have been through or are going through. But Jesus doesn’t offer the lesser light of earthly answers, instead he unfailingly offers us the glorious, healing Light of His presence - and He always satisfies. ...
Church planting at a high rate is the best way to keep up with population growth and the best single way to actually reach the de-churched, unchurched and spiritually starved. ...
Adherence to the Gospel and the ethic of Jesus may lead us further into minority status, but it will also help cement the beauty and truth of Christianity into the hearts and minds of many who have never experienced the reality of the love of God. ...
Lauren Young is a wife to Will and mom to two beautiful boys on earth (Matti and Sammy) and three precious babies in heaven (Hope, Jonah, and January). She is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys writing, reading good books, cooking new recipes, and playing piano. She lives in central Texas now but was born and raised in Georgia. She and her husband are now in the adoption process and can't wait to see what God has in store for their family....
There is much more in the way of evidence, but suffice it to say at this point that the best explanation for what happened to Jesus Christ, why the Romans never found his body, why millions of people have given their lives to his service, is because what the Scriptures say happened actually did happen. Jesus was raised from the dead. It is true. It is credible. It is verifiable. And if it is true, it changes everything. ...
Humans have always loved stories. We love to watch victory snatched out of the jaws of defeat, to see the forces of light fight back the darkness, to see the hero emerge triumphant after he or she has endured many trials. We love to see the princess rescued, the dragon defeated, and the treasure found....
Much like the feeding of the five thousand with the five loaves and two fish, when Christ gives us himself, it doesn't look like much at first, but it is amazing how it multiplies when we give thanks and keep breaking off pieces to pass to the next person. ...
The purpose of our Mercy and Justice team is to present opportunities to the people of Christ Church to follow Jesus in reaching across the divisions of our society to share the gospel, to show love, to serve, and to be good neighbors to those in our community who may resemble the Samaritan woman of John 4....
The season of Lent begins today with Ash Wednesday. Lent is the 40 day period (excluding Sundays) before Easter each year that Christians have historically set apart as a time for deep and consistent reflection on the cross, in preparation for the celebration of Good Friday and Easter. ...
True rest means placing our trust in Christ's goodness and power. It means knowing that I get to rest, delighting in the joy of Christ's presence while he does all the heavy lifting....
I love Personality Tests. I have always found them to be a fascinating way to learn more about myself and to learn more about other people. There is certainly the risk of making unfair assumptions about people based on their Myers-Briggs profile; but in general I believe they are helpful tools for us....
You can assume most people in your life - neighbors, family, friends, co-workers - will gather to watch the game somewhere. This presents a great opportunity for Christians to love their neighbors....
Do we see sanctity of life as a whole picture? Do we see all the different sides and pieces of what it really means to be pro-life? Or do we only care about one? Here are some things we can do to promote the sanctity of human life......
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