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 will strike. Yet that is not the world we live in. And as we grapple with this existence, […]

  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 sky, changing colors as they travel across the varying landscape, fuel for the fire charging from brush to tree. It is heart […]

  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 see Jesus feasting with His followers. There is a constant returning to the table, all in the name of seeking God’s presence. In a […]

  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 examples. We find what truly erodes our contentment: envy, pride, entitlement, selfishness, disappointment, and especially relevant in today’s society — […]

  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 meant? We long to be like the worker described in 2 Timothy 2:15, “who does […]

  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 which our prayers seem to bounce. God can feel terribly far away. When we are deep […]

  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 to swallow the instruction to wait. It can feel as though the world is passing us by. What […]

  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 church in America by Christianity Today. So, like the insurance commercials you’ve seen, “they know a thing or two because they’ve seen a […]

  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 beyond our own measure. There is no place we can wander that His grace will not go. There is no […]