Posted by hlewis |
I have a dear friend who didn’t grow up in the church and decided to read the Bible to figure out his faith. I regret not suggesting he start with the New Testament and then go back to the Old — he got so bogged down by all of the laws and stories of God’s wrath that he never got to the stories of Jesus and God’s love and mercy. Much later we both went through a very difficult time, and…
Posted by rgarza |
There are many times that we go through challenges in our lives. We pray for guidance and to help us through those times. But is that enough?
I start my morning with prayer, giving thanks for what I have and what God helps me with. I then pray for my family and loved ones, and end with a prayer for myself. The prayer I ask is for guidance, protection, and many other personal thoughts. It’s…
Posted by svanbaale |
While this coming Monday is the federal holiday known as Columbus Day (also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in some states), did you know that the state of Kansas celebrates neither?
In case you have forgotten what you learned in history class, Christopher Columbus was a European explorer who set sail in August 1492 (remember the old rhyme, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…”?)…
Posted by lcooper |
Do you pray at a specific time during the day? Some people pray many times throughout the day, and others specify a certain time to pray.
Morning Prayers: People who pray in the morning feel good about starting their day off right. They look at prayer as a way to navigate their daily priorities. They ask God to help them manage their actions and speech. They may ask God for strength to handle…
Posted by jbrudvig |
Christianity continues to struggle with a spiritual identity crisis. Recently, the Pew Research Center reported that the number of Christians in the United States is expected to decrease to between 35% and 54% of the population by 2070. At the same time, people who identify as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular” could rise to somewhere between 34% and 52% of the population.
While…
Posted by hlewis |
There’s a song we’ve sung over the years at Salem titled “Blessings” that says, “What if Your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if 1,000 sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?”
It was written by Laura Story after her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor and their prayers for healing were not being answered.…
Posted by lcooper |
September is one of the busiest months of the year. In a strange way, it seems like the beginning of the holiday season. The retail stores are certainly trying to tell us that we better go to the stores and start buying things for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all at one time.
I don’t know about you, but this causes me stress. I am not ready for the holidays to be upon us in September.…
Posted by svanbaale |
Summer is almost over. School started a couple of weeks ago, and before you know it there will be a chill in the air. It is time to get all of those things on your summer “bucket list” done before you run out of time.
Kids started a normal school year for the first time since 2019. Masks are optional, classes are normal schedule, and activities are back in full swing.
A few weeks…
Posted by rgarza |
OPEN YOUR MOUTH WIDE AND I WILL FILL IT.
Psalm 81:1, Psalm 81:10-16.
If we allow that the summons to praise (Psalm 81:1) is a call to celebrate the kingship of the LORD, it is because He, and He alone, is God (Psalm 81:9-10; cf. Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
Psalm 81:10. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt.” We sometimes need to be reminded of what God has…
Posted by jbrudvig |
The end of August reminds me of the verse from Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
Though not yet autumn, the carefree days of summer are now behind us. Nature speaks this truth in manifold ways. The days are growing shorter, trees and shrubs are revealing hints of impending change, and the squirrels are quickening…