The Significance of Language: Why Christians Should Be Mindful Of What They Say
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” These words, spoken by Ralph Waldo Emerson, reveal the importance of the topic today. If you haven’t guessed yet, the topic is speech or language. When most pastors, Sunday school teachers, or devotionals talk about what we as Christians say, their focus is typically on…
Read MoreThe Deciding Factor
Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Psalm 31:15 “My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” Matthew 16:17-18 “And Jesus answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son…
Read MoreThe Choice is Yours
In middle school, our Vice Principal always closed the morning announcements with this quote: “Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours.” I thought of this as a check on my attitude—that regardless of what happened in my day, I had a choice in how I viewed my circumstances, how I reacted, and whether…
Read MoreGrieving With Hope
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). Note that this verse does not…
Read MoreLiving in the Light of Light
Let the Light infuse your life. Like most modern technology, my phone contains features to make my life more convenient. One of those handy features is adaptive brightness. My phone automatically senses the ambient light around it and adjusts the screen’s brightness to match. This unsung feature spares my eyes from encountering blinding light in…
Read MoreStrengthened by Hardship
This week marks the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Regardless of how one views him politically, it is impossible not to recognize that everything his political opponents did to try to derail his run for office only seemed to make him stronger. From the former president being tried by Congress as a private citizen, to…
Read MoreA Decade of God’s Grace
This past weekend, we celebrated GraceWay’s 10-year anniversary, reminiscing over God’s abundant provision over the last decade. One of my best friends first invited me to GraceWay in June 2015 after meeting Pastor Brad on Capitol Hill. We had both just graduated college and were interning in DC for the summer. I’ll never forget that…
Read MoreSatisfied
Each year I go through the same exercise. I look back over the course of the previous year and think about the highlights and lowlights: the fun times with family and friends; the stressful and overwhelming times; the goals I accomplished; the goals I failed to meet; the answered prayers; the unanswered prayers, and so…
Read MorePronouns Matter
Isaiah 53:5-6 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity…
Read MoreChristmas Countdown
Watch for Christ’s Coming All right, all right, I’ll admit it: I talk to my TV. Yes, I know the characters can’t hear me. Yes, I know it’s pointless. But sometimes I can’t help but gasp in disbelief or comment when a character misses something that’s so painfully obvious from my comfortable point of view…
Read MoreOil and Water
We’ve all heard the expression, “oil and water don’t mix.” Most of us have probably seen, at some point, oil floating on the surface of water, perhaps in an elementary school science experiment or on images of horrific oil spills on the earth’s oceans. It is true that the density of oil and water are…
Read MoreFailure Isn’t Final: The True Story Behind ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
Hands down, the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of my top five favorite films. Featuring the iconic Jimmy Stewart, the movie portrays the main character George Bailey who runs Bailey Brothers Building and Loan. After his Uncle Billy loses an $8,000 deposit on Christmas Eve of 1945, George realizes criminal charges are…
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