As we celebrate Christmas this year, we need to take a minute to hone in on Immanuel. God left heaven and came to earth to be with us—that’s a very big deal!
Yearly Archive:: 2013
From The Archives: A Lies Guide To Halloween
Every year as fall hayrides and pumpkins melt into haunted houses and jack-o-lanterns, I feel a little torn. As a Christian, should I find a not-so-scary way to participate in Halloween festivities? Should I sideline myself because there are some spooky elements? Should I let this holiday’s history as a Druid festival of the dead bother me or should I feel free to participate in the modern version of the holiday complete with fun costumes, hot apple cider, and my favorite treat, fun-sized Snickers?
What If I’ve Fallen Into Sexual Sin?
Sin is a snare, a trap. Once you step in it and it clamps shut, you can’t remove it. But Jesus isn’t helpless against it. And He isn’t surprised that you’ve fallen prey to the enemy’s lies or to the temptation of your own flesh. You are still precious to Him. If you’ve fallen into sexual sin or are considering that temptation, here’s what I’d like for you to do. . .
What To Do When Embarrassing Moments Strike
Embarrassing moments are many times completely unpredictable. They can range from getting a bad haircut, which has happened to me, to getting something stuck in your teeth and not realizing it until you get home. What can we do to prepare for these moments? Is there a way to handle them without feeling like we want to sink through the floor?
Finding Freedom From Porn
Pornography covers itself in a candy-coated package offering up promises like "Satisfaction guaranteed!" and "No more cravings!" At first, it seems to deliver those promises, but only for a short time. In the end you find yourself feeling disgusted by what you did and, at the very same time, strangely craving for more.
It’s Good To Be A Girl
The fact that I don’t fit most lists of what girls should be like has always caused me some angst. While my twin sister was playing house, I was pretending to be the boss. Other girls are so naturally sweet they come across like little cocker spaniels. I’ve always been a bit more like a bulldog. It’s not that I’m masculine, but I’ve spent plenty of years wondering if it’s okay to be me. Specifically, I longed to know if it was possible to be the kind of girl God wanted me to be if I had no desire to live in Barbie’s dream house.
Are You A Judas?
Are you busy doing things for Jesus without really loving Him? Are you telling others about Jesus but not truly delighting in His beauty?
Get Lost: Three Qualities Of A Girl Who Is Lost In God
I realize that a mother gives us the ability to have a healthy outlook on life—or an unhealthy one. She “fills the bucket with understanding.” I know my mom poured a healthy outlook into my life from day number one. I want to dip my bucket back into the deep well of truth, but my understanding has run dry. I’m forgetting how to have an outlook that presses me to the hard work of dipping down into the deep well. And I refuse to be a girl who cannot see purpose in the most difficult of circumstances. So I have declared it a summer of Me and Mom.
There’s A Hole In My Sidewalk
If you’re in a pit of sin, whether you’ve fallen in willingly or unwillingly, it’s so important for you to understand that you don’t have to stay there. But just like avoiding a hole in the sidewalk, it’s also important for you make the hard choices necessary to avoid the sin pit the next time it’s in your path.
Will You Take The Gospel Challenge?
Sharing the gospel is one of the greatest privileges that we have as Christians. We get to tell people about what Jesus did for them on the cross and how they can spend eternity with Him in heaven forever. What better news is there than that?