Encouraging Words

The Sesame Street producers posted a video of Elmo’s father, another fluffy reddish monster of some kind, urging parents during the confinement to take moments for themselves. “Breathe,” he said, even while Elmo called “Daddy, daddy, come here” a half dozen times off screen. Elmo, always age three, needs lots of attention. So do churches. […]

Read: Ezekiel 20:40-42 God’s nation, divided, was carried into exile in several waves. But the story, throughout these cycles, was of one truth: a people who were called by God to be his own had spent too many years and lifetimes away from God. Only exile would bring them to their knees in repentance and […]

The loss of nearly everything reveals the true value of what you have left. Fifteen years ago, the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina took away homes, family photos, and heirlooms, along with the necessities of everyday life—furniture, dishes, towels, sheets, electronics, toys—gone in an instant. When New Orleans Seminary families dressed in hazmat suits to salvage […]

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 ESV) As I listened to “Coronavirus and Christ” by John Piper, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of […]

“Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:10 NLT) My church’s mission team has been meeting weekly via Zoom since the shelter-at-home order began. We’ve been looking for opportunities to serve others, but this is a particularly hard time to serve the […]