Roughly seven years ago, the entire world mourned the death of South Africa President Nelson Mandela. 2020 marks 30 years since Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize. His presiden... read more
I’m off the grid. Well, sort of. I quit social media. I’m no paragon of virtue in this. I found myself in a constant state of tension, ready to get angry whenever one o... read more
Wikipedia says the only thing visible on Earth from space is the Great Wall of China. My husband says it’s our house at Christmas.
It’s so lit up, he swears he c... read more
The “calculus” of gratitude is a quite difficult math to master. I wonder why that’s so true? Could it be that we feel such entitlement instead of humility when w... read more
We continue our thoughts today about gratitude, using Moses as a springboard. He’s at the lowest point in his life, having escaped Egypt with a bounty on his head. Now he&rsq... read more
Thankfulness is a big deal in the Bible. In fact, it’s one of the specific things that God says is His will for us (1Thessalonians 5:18). I’ve learned in my own life th... read more
Our theme this week is gratitude, and right now I’m thinking of things I’m grateful for, like a newborn with his hand wrapped tightly around my pinkie… birthday ... read more
Hopefully we truly recognize God’s sovereign power over the world. It’s because of this power that we bring ourselves before Him with prayer and petition, knowing there... read more
I think we struggle around the idea of authority in our culture today in part because of our emphasis on personal autonomy. Whereas sovereignty is ultimate power over self and othe... read more
Hopefully, times of doubt and struggle draw us closer to the Lord, but what happens when our struggles cause us to try to supplant God’s authority instead?
In the book of Ex... read more
Lately, the world has felt quite heavy. For me, prior to COVID, everything was going pretty smoothly. In the months that have followed, however, life has felt heavier, harder, and ... read more
We have spent the last several weeks challenging ourselves to really explore and appreciate some incredible attributes of God—that He is glorious, holy, righteous, and worthy... read more
We’ll end this week where we started: considering the object of our worship. Thinking on this passage in Revelation we’ve been studying this week, imagine what John has... read more
Last spring, something happened that none of us could ever have predicted. We worshipped in our homes for 12 weeks due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Week to week, we waited. How lon... read more
The Gospel propels our deepest worship, and THIS is the Gospel: You and I were separated from God, dead in our sins, but God, who is rich in mercy and grace, made us alive when He ... read more
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to officiate a couple of weddings on back-to-back Saturdays. Both couples had to work through planning a wedding during Covid-19, and yet, th... read more
Have you ever stopped to consider what makes Sunday morning worship different from a concert or the roar of a crowd in Rupp Arena? I’ve been in many raucous crowds and have s... read more
As I heard recently on Southland’s Defined podcast for women (you can listen to all of Southland’s podcasts here), there is a difference between believing in God and be... read more
Have you ever had to fill in for someone else? Occasionally, I help out by answering the main phone line here at the church, and I’m always a little nervous. There are a few ... read more
If you have had the opportunity to eat at any of your favorite restaurants since COVID started, you may have noticed some big changes—other than just fewer customers and the ... read more
If I asked you to describe yourself, what words come to mind? Tall? Good cook? Outgoing? Student? Grandparent? Woman? Gardener?
The possibilities are endless really! We can find s... read more
Have you ever seen those memes that list funny reasons why a toddler is crying? Examples include not letting them eat a battery, not letting them touch a lit candle, not letting th... read more
This week my goal has been to help us start our days sitting at God’s feet and meditating on His holiness. As we get a clearer, more accurate view of God other things regain ... read more
During 2020 I think a lot of people have been asking the same question: Where is the Lord in all this?
Isaiah likely had a similar question. The phrase that starts chapter 6 simpl... read more
This week we are going to be hanging out with the Old Testament prophet Isaiah as he does his best to describe an absolutely indescribable scene!
When you’re reading the Bib... read more
Have you ever thought about how different you are from God?
Look around the world we live in—He made that. You and I, we’re just made from the dust. Our life is like a... read more
God’s holiness does not merely speak to his purity. It’s the fact that He is in a league of His own. His all by himself-ness. He is not at the top of the all-time gr... read more
I was in a conversation with some pastors the other day about people we know and dearly love who live with destructive addictions. While we lamented just how difficult and almost i... read more
I watched a fascinating show the other night about our universe. To say it was amazing is an understatement. Supernovas and black holes are far from my expertise, but it was incred... read more
On Monday, we focused on a passage of scripture that records Moses’ request to see God’s glory. It was a bold and naive request that was partially granted when God had ... read more
My favorite seasons of the year, in order, are summer, spring, fall, and winter. Winter is a distant fourth. It might be my childhood spent in Central Florida, or that I’m a ... read more
The verse above will serve as the centerpiece for our time together this week. The entire glory of God is incomprehensible, but we’ll put our focus here because there is noth... read more
