Faith Columns

What keeps you from loving others the way you, yourself, crave to be loved? And conversely, what’s lacking in your life (or more accurately, in your heart) that keeps you from fully loving others the way they need to be loved? First John 4:19 (ESV) says, “We love because [God] first loved us.” The marvelous…

Do you remember how your heart ached when you were dating your husband or wife, and you had to go a whole day without talking to them? Circumstances kept you from connecting and you couldn’t wait until the next day so you could spend time with them again. Have you ever felt this way about…

As you reflect on your Christian journey, what choices from 2024 would you change? Where do you hope to grow closer to God in 2025? God wants you to have a great new year! And He has much He wants to say to you. In Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV), He tells us how to open the…

If you’ve already blown your New Year’s resolutions, I have a suggestion. Resolve to do only one thing this new year: Forgive your spouse for not being perfect.  Several years ago, while our Sunday school class discussed issues relating to married life, Bert said, “Our marriage isn’t perfect – ”  I couldn’t help but interrupt….

When we look at our adult children, we can become frustrated when they don’t behave more responsibly or exercise better judgment. When God looks at us, His children, He sees people who mess up and need guidance and correction on a daily basis. He sees people who sometimes fear we’ll never live up to our…

Carol, a client advocate at The Hope Center, a pro-life pregnancy resource facility, glanced up as the door swung open. A nicely dressed man in his early 20s hesitated, then pushed the door open the rest of the way. “Welcome to The Hope Center,” she said. “My name is Steve,” he said, taking a deep…

Is there a sin that keeps harassing you – the one you thought you’d conquered, only to find it creeping back? At first, only occasionally, but now, much more often. Should you go to God and repent – again?  Absolutely.  We must never believe that we can’t go to God again (and again) for the…

Has the loss of someone dear to you left a perpetual hole in your heart? Have the consequences of your poor choices convinced you that you’re a hopeless loser? If so, I have an encouraging verse to share with you: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every…

In the past, the day after Christmas was one of my least favorite days of the year. My feelings had less to do with saying goodbye to the “hap-happiest season of all” and more to do with how I lived the weeks leading up to Christmas Day. I’m ashamed to say that during these years,…

There’s a growing pile of presents under your tree, but what if someone informed you that you had a far greater treasure hidden in your home or backyard? Wouldn’t you search for it? And keep searching until you found it? Consider Proverbs 2:3-5 (ESV): “If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if…