Articles | July 2020

  • Inundated

    Devotionals | July 31, 2020

    Have you ever been held captive by information-induced paralysis? You are not alone, we all have. We become so focused on gaining relevant knowledge that we forget to seek wisdom. Previous generations had much less information than many of us today, but they had the wisdom to seek God’s wisdom and perspective. Let their wisdom remind you to do the same. You can count on God’s wisdom, regardless of the amount of information you have. Will you?

    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7

  • Better Than Biscuits

    Blog | Kim Rider | July 30, 2020

    A friend on social media shared this story:

    A while back I read a story of a visiting pastor who attended a men's breakfast in the middle of a rural farming area of the country.

    The group had asked an older farmer, decked out in bib overalls, to say grace for the morning breakfast.

  • Forgiving Like Jesus

    Devotionals | July 29, 2020

    Jesus’ parable of the unmerciful servant is about forgiveness. Today—two millennia after Jesus spoke—this parable still finds its mark. God’s deep love for wayward sons and daughters is always available to all who desire it. Yet, we, His people, far too often offer stingy forgiveness that trickles from hearts of stone. Who do you struggle to forgive like God forgives you?

  • Sacred Surgery

    Blog | Sheryl Giesbrecht | July 29, 2020

    The historical surgery took place on February 15, 1921. Dr. Kane applied local anesthesia to his patient and cut through skin and tissues, found the infected appendix, removed it. The patient assured the medical team he experienced minimal pain and discomfort. The patient’s name? Dr. Evan Kane. The patient and the doctor were one in the same person.

  • Trust

    Devotionals | July 27, 2020

    Trust is essential in all relationships—with God and with those around us. (No one voluntarily follows people they do not trust.) God went to great lengths to show us that we can trust Him, and He continues to build trust with us day by day. We build trust in the same way: one person and one interaction at a time, keeping our commitments and reflecting Jesus-like compassion and character. How can you build trust with others?

    Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. – Psalm 84:12

  • Unsettled Times

    Devotionals | July 24, 2020

    Unsettled times often linger longer than we wish. Like the disciples who lived in fear and confusion as Jesus was being tried and crucified, we wonder when and if the nightmare will ever end. When will things go back to the way they were? Instead of longing for the days of the past, God calls us to look for His presence here and now. Remembering who He is and whose we are steadies our hearts and transforms our perspective.

  • A Time for Everything!

    Blog | Karen McGuire | July 23, 2020

    There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time

  • Prepared

    Devotionals | July 22, 2020

    We don’t choose the times in which we live. But we know the One who does. God has determined that this is our time in His world and in His story. He has placed us here to accomplish His purposes in and through us. The Spirit has gifted and empowered us to love and serve people. To testify to a different way to live. Through His presence, we become a living testimony to Jesus’ love and the transformation He brings. We are sent into the world to be His hands and feet, to bring healing and peace and hope. This broken world needs us to love, live, and lead like Jesus.

  • Singular Focus

    Devotionals | July 20, 2020

    Erecting idols is not as common a practice today as it was long ago. But idols don’t have to be physical sculptures. They may be immaterial: pride, prestige, respect, success, vanity. Physical manifestations of idols might be reflected in an obsessive desire to look young, naming a building after oneself, or insisting on possessing the latest electronic gadgets. Jesus lived a life of simplicity and service, with a singular focus of worshiping and serving God. What keeps you from doing the same?

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