Faith Columns

How is your Christian walk going? Do you represent Christ well?  How well do you control your thoughts? Do you show honor to your spouse, your pesky neighbor – or that slow driver? Every hour – every minute – we delay in recognizing and repenting of whatever sin we’re guilty of, we move further away…

Are you in a good place in your relationship with your spouse, children, siblings and neighbors? Or do you make poor choices that affect these relationships?  Are these same bad decisions affecting your relationship with God?  Why do we give in to these behaviors, even when we wish we didn’t? Is it because we don’t…

Have years of depression caused you to believe God no longer has a purpose for you? Are you convinced your dreams of success will never come true? Do you fear you’ll never have healthy relationships again? I’ve been there. So depressed that I couldn’t possibly envision God using me as a blogger and newspaper columnist….

Do you have a trustworthy person or a small group of people with whom you can transparently share your struggles? Or is the thought of being accountable regarding your choices (especially your sinful behavior) way too intimidating? When I first heard of the concept of accountability, I knew I needed it. Over time, it became…

I love America. I know you do too. I wonder, though, if we, as a nation, have become too independent.  This July 4, as we think about how much our nation needs God’s presence and direction, I’d like to ask you to pray for the United States to become more dependent.  I’m not minimizing the…

You heard the best sermon about faith last Sunday. And now, less than a week later, you feel like you’ve let God down because you’re afraid. To make matters worse, you feel like you can’t be honest about your feelings to your church friends. But being afraid doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a weak Christian. Life…

Have you ever been afraid someone you love would stop loving you? Maybe you’re struggling with insecurity. Perhaps you haven’t been very loving yourself. Or maybe it’s been a long time since you’ve been your “best self,” and you’re afraid someone you care about is going to give up on you. This week’s verse speaks…

When you blow it – I mean, when you really mess up big time – do you hide from God? Sometimes I do. What if, instead of feeling like a failure and slinking away in shame when we give into temptation, we looked at ourselves the way God looks at us: as His much-loved child?…

Jesus left a perfect existence to live among us in a wicked world. In the face of rejection, threats, and jeers, He healed the sick, preached the gospel and expressed the Father’s love to and for humanity. Even moments before His death, as He hung on the cross, bleeding and struggling for every painful breath,…

After I battled depression and an eating disorder for more than two decades, many (including mental health professionals) believed I might never get well. My hope was fading. Then the phone rang. “Hi, Sheryl,” my sister Kathy said. “I want you to live with me until you get back on your feet.”  Tears of gratitude…