If you attended Sunday school as a young child, it was an easy environment in which to proclaim your love for Christ. Your teachers, friends and parents all talked about Jesus, and identifying yourself as a Christian was easy and comfortable. Remember the lyrics to the children’s song, “This Little Light of Mine?” Your light was going to shine for him. And no one and nothing was going to blow it out. But as you grew up, shouting your love for Jesus from the rooftops may not have been as easy. There were other things to worry about, like fitting […]

  “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Every day, most of us are bombarded with new opportunities to take care of widows and orphans (James 1:27), feed the hungry (Isaiah 58:10), care for the poor (Psalm 82:3, Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 21:13, Proverbs 22:9, Proverbs 28:27, Matthew 25:34-46, James 2:14) , defend the oppressed (Psalm 10:18, Psalm 146:7, Psalm 103:6, Psalm 9:9), and reach beyond stereotypes and divisions (Luke 10:25-37). Although it is important to be aware of what is happening around us and of opportunities to serve, it […]

How do you respond when you see a man walking on the street between waiting cars with a sign stating “will work for food?” Is he seeking a handout to fuel his alcohol abuse or is he sincerely seeking help to change? Or what are your thoughts towards the single mom or widow who comes to church to ask for financial aid? In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, the early apostles, not wanting to be a burden to anyone gave this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” However, in Matthew 5:42, Jesus tells us to “Give to […]