Once For All
By Stuart Powell Many people see wooden fences as a nice accent in a rustic setting. Ranchers may use them to contain their livestock. But there is a problem with wooden fences: they are temporary....
View ArticleManifestations
By Stuart Powell God used visible signs throughout the Old Testament to confirm the message of his revelation; three examples included the rainbow, the tabernacle, and feasts. When people of faith...
View ArticleSuffering
By Stuart Powell Is the fruit of suffering bitter or sweet? How should we approach the anguish we encounter in life? Many times suffering is the exclamation point of wrong decisions. We suffer a...
View ArticleGrapes of Peace
By Daniel Schantz “The blossoming [grape] vines spread their fragrance” (Song of Solomon 2:13). The grape juice our churches use for Communion was developed by Thomas Welch, a Methodist minister,...
View ArticleRemembering Amazing Things
By Stuart Powell Asaph son of Berechiah was a Levite musician (1 Chronicles 15:17) credited with writing Psalm 77. He lived in the time of Israel’s prosperity under Kings David and Solomon. Yet this...
View ArticleCommunion in a Socially Distant World
By Michael C. Mack If you were to look up the word communion in a dictionary, you’d see it defined as “intimate fellowship or rapport.” It comes from the same word as community or communication or...
View ArticleA Global Pandemic—We Were Made for This!
By Michael C. Mack During times of crisis, the church has typically responded sacrificially for the good of society. Over the last several weeks we’ve seen ample evidence of that happening today....
View ArticleThe Science of Memory
By Jon Wren As modern science learns more and more about the human brain, some of the biggest findings have centered on memory. New research is helping us understand not only how we remember things,...
View ArticleRedefined Perspective
By Stuart Powell How is God’s goodness displayed in COVID-19? What benefit does God intend from viruses? In “The Good that Viruses Do” from the Annual Review of Virology for 2017, two scientists...
View ArticleGatherings
By Stuart Powell When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will...
View ArticleThe Time
By Stuart Powell John’s Gospel shares a conversation that occurred the Sunday before Jesus’ crucifixion which is often overlooked in the festive inauguration of Holy Week. Jesus replied, “The time has...
View ArticleHis Mother Stayed Near
By Stuart Powell Many Galilean women followed Jesus during his ministry. We don’t know all they did. Some likely helped with cooking. We know others provided financial assistance for Jesus and his...
View ArticlePerspective
By Jon Wren One evening more than 2,000 years ago, Jesus and his followers huddled in a house in Jerusalem and shared a meal we now call Communion. We don’t have any details about what the house...
View ArticleThe Pledge
By Stuart Powell In many American schools, a student’s day starts by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. We publicly recite the pledge to our flag and republic to proclaim our trust in those we’ve...
View ArticleSafely Across the Bridge
By Adrienne Feldmann A young family went on a summer getaway to Chicago. They spent a long day walking up and down the Magnificent Mile—the city’s premier shopping district—and honestly, the kids did...
View ArticleThe Conqueror
By Stuart Powell Julius Caesar led his Roman troops to victory at the battle of Zela in 47 BC in what is now northern Turkey. Details of the battle are relegated to history scholars and trivia buffs....
View ArticleHas-Beens
By Stuart Powell The term has-been is a demeaning way to describe the diminished status of once-popular personalities—athletes who can no longer compete, actresses who have not aged well, singers...
View ArticleApplication
By Jon Wren Did you know Google receives more than 2 million job applications each year? Of those applicants, only about 0.02 percent are hired—after up to 29 different interviews! Harvard University...
View ArticleReligion
By Jon Wren Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m spiritual, but not religious” or, “I’m not into organized religion”? We’ve probably all heard it; maybe we’ve even said it! In matters of faith, there...
View ArticleDeclaration
By Stuart Powell In the late 18th century, a colonist began writing a manuscript that summarized the political unrest of his time. He produced a startling declaration read aloud in a political hall in...
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