With God’s Help—New Life
A faithful church grows not by human strength or pride, but by continually seeking God’s guidance and trusting Him to bring new life to both the congregation and the community.
Inspiration
Dispatches Del Camino
It is among the grandest churches in the world. It is one of the greatest achievements of man that took so long to build that architectural periods changed several times throughout its construction.
Even so, when you walk into Santiago de Compostela the first thing you see is not the cathedral. You neither see the gilded grandeur, nor the ornate.
The first things you see are pilgrims.
All Things Work Together For Good
In my previous two messages, I’ve shared the history of how Wisconsin Christian News came to be. Because we’re now praising the Lord for the start of our 27th year of publishing, I wanted to share with you what this journey has been like.
Dispatches Del Camino
Lugo, Spain, is a mini metropolis compared to the remoteness of the Camino Primitivo. For days we have been hiking in isolated mountains and faraway countrysides. It’s startling to see a city suddenly emerge from the landscape.
Dispatches Del Camino
Rain. It never stops coming. Rain, rain, rain. Sometimes it seems like all it does is rain.
It’s been raining for two days now on the Camino Primitivo. And there is no end in sight. Spanish news channels on television, which are wonderful media organizations whose reporters dress exquisitely, speak rapidly, and replay the same four news stories every six minutes, are predicting rain each day this week.
Uninspired
Even in seasons of mental exhaustion and spiritual dryness, God remains faithful, offering rest, grace, and quiet strength to weary hearts.
Dispatches del Camino
We find a table in the old Spanish café and order two cafés con leche. I order our breakfast by repeatedly tapping the menus and saying in English, “Uh, I’m sorry, I don’t know this word…”
My waitress finds my ordering technique amusing.
Make a Joyful Noise!
Worship is the way that we show reverence, respect, and love for our God. And music is one of the wonderful ways that we can worship!
When Pollen Preaches
What first seems like an aggravation can become a reminder that God is often at work through the very things we are tempted to resent.
“Which Color Do You Want?”
The little boy was already on this plane when we boarded. He has a backpack bigger than he is. And a stuffed animal. He is maybe seven years old.
We passengers can hear him talking to anyone within earshot. He is loud. He is chatty. He does not use an indoor voice.
The kid is nothing but friendly.
What’s Your Plumb Line?
Were the good ol’ days as good as we remember them? What do we worship in a secular world? We need to find a new plumb line.
Three Knots, No Excuses: The Lost Skill That Still Saves Lives
There was a time—not that long ago—when a man who couldn’t tie a knot was considered about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Today, we’ve got people carrying $1,200 smartphones, satellite GPS, and enough titanium gadgets clipped to their belt to look like a walking REI catalog… and they can’t tie a loop that won’t slip under load.
Bedside Manner: A Message from the Other Side
She helped people die. Or maybe you’d say she helped them transition to the other side—whatever that means. She’s not a big believer in “the other side.”
Either way, she’s been helping people pass away for a long time. She has seen more death than most.
Faith in the In-Between
In the silent, confusing days after the Crucifixion, the disciples wrestled with grief, fear, and doubt—yet God was already preparing the resurrection they could not yet see.
Ride ‘em Cowboy: Notes From a Grown-Up Little Boy
6 million Americans watched the historic event on television. The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, is estimated to return to Earth at 8:07 P.M. The little boy who lives inside me can hardly contain himself.
Paid in Full—And Then Some
Because Jesus declared tetelestai—“it is finished”—we can live in the freedom of a salvation that is fully accomplished, not partially earned.
Life Itself
This morning I started thinking about you. Mainly, I was thinking about what you’re going through right now. Whoever you are. I don’t know you. I don’t know anything about you. But in a way we know each other because you and I aren’t that different.
To the Person I’ve Been Watching; A Field Guide to the 8.3 Billion of Us
I like you. I like everything about you. I like your smile. Your teeth, no matter how crooked. Your physical shape, no matter which shape that is.
The Taste of a Triangle; Learning to Taste the World in Small Bites
We walked into a packed Waffle House. All booths taken. Two cooks and two waitresses running offense. “Let’s sit at the bar,” said Morgan.