Journal

May Advent Focus Our Hearts on the Three Ways Jesus Delivers Us

Perhaps you, like so many, feel the hard-pressed nature of focusing on Advent this Christmas season. Events of this year have caused a refraction of attention — redirecting our thoughts to immed...

Longing for Wholeness in a Broken World

On every side we are bombarded with reminders of the broken world we live in. We walk through our days longing for assurance, desperate to know we are secure, safe, and that no evil or tragedy w...

God is Working Through the Fire

Have you ever witnessed the aftermath of a forest fire? Black, chalky tree trunks lay felled across the scorched forest. Maybe you have observed the actual devouring — flames reaching toward the...

3 Ways to Feast on the Word of God

The imagery of feasting sets an important backdrop for the Scriptures. The Old Testament tells of ceremonies and celebrations packed with significance, and numerous times in the New Testament we...

Discovering Contentment as We Turn Our Eyes Upon Jesus

Most of the time when we think of the antonym of contentment, the word discontentment comes to mind. Yet if we take the time to unpack the concept of discontentment, we discover more precise exa...

4 Ways to Approach God’s Word With Your Child

It is easy to feel at a loss when it comes to teaching the Word of God to a child. The task feels weighty and overwhelming. What if we say the wrong words? What if we miscommunicate what God mea...

When God Feels Far Away

There are certain seasons of our lives when it can feel like God is not listening. We can picture this barrier, a fortress built by the sorrows of life or our own doubting hearts — a wall off wh...

Waiting Well on God

Have you ever felt stopped by God — as if your momentum and enthusiasm was halted with an unexpected, “Wait”? When our eyes, minds, and hearts are fixed on only what we can see, it’s difficult t...

A Word of Hope From Jay Stocker’s Parents

My parents, John and Linda Stocker, ministered for over 50 years and pastored the same church, Resurrection Fellowship, for 32 years. At one point, their church was listed as the fastest-growing...

Grace Beyond Measure

So much found between the pages of Scripture is without measure — an unearthly rule beyond our grasp. A Savior’s unbound love that bound Him to a cross. Patience without wane. Grace, also, far b...

5 Scriptures and 5 Songs for Finding Peace From Anxiety

This world can be an anxious place to walk. While some grow up with anxiety as an ever-present, unwelcome companion, others find it infiltrating their days as they grow older. Once our soul and ...