There is likely nothing more painful than the death of a loved one. I have conducted funerals for people I didn’t know, people I did know but had no special relationship with, friends who were very dear to me, and also my parents. E...

A young boy was in the lobby of the church with his dad. The boy saw a plaque on the wall with names on it and asked his father about it. Dad explained that it was a memorial plaque to honor the men and women who had died in the servi...

As a teenager growing up in a Lutheran church in Iowa, I enjoyed serving as an acolyte, which is a person who lights the candles at the front of the church as the service begins and extinguishes them at the end. It was a formal proces...

For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures … and if Christ...

This Spiritual Gifts Inventory was prepared by Chris Tornquist and is not intended to be an exhaustive survey, nor the only legitimate process to determine spiritual giftedness. It is only intended to be a guideline to get you started. ...

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8, New International Version I recently had a new roof put on our house and I am pleased with the r...

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. - Revelation 21:4 As followers of Christ, we long for...

When the bank balance is low and the wallet is nearly empty, the understandable result is stress. I’ve had those times in my life, and they are no fun. And while there is no quick fix to those long nights of sleeplessness and days of concern, we...

Author’s note: While we have no quotes from Joseph in the Bible, his experience was remarkable. The following is based on events described in Scripture, but it is only my personal perspective of what he may have been thin...

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generati...

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. – Jesus, John 16:33 The children’s song s...

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have set in place; What is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him?-Psalm 8:3-4 (NASB)...

Spokane and Father’s Day: Nearly anyone who has lived here knows they go together. That’s a pretty cool connection! And no matter who we are, we have a connection (biologically, at least) with our fathers. Being a good father is a tou...

“You have as much laughter as you have faith.” - Martin Luther I suspect that “Lord, help!” praying is more common than “Lord, You make me laugh!” praying. That is understandable when we take our needs to Him,...

“…weep with those who weep.” – Romans 12:15 Do you need a profound thought? Here it comes. Write it down. Memorize it. Print it and frame it on your wall. Ready? Here it is: “Pain Hurts.” Obvi...

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.Revelation 5:8...

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7, New Living Translation Jesus is very direct in His te...

You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. -James 4:2b-3 “Why pray?” is the cry of many people, and, if we are honest, perhaps we have found the...

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive ...

We had planned for our California vacation for months, back to one of our favorite spots, a small coastal town in the central part of the state. A charming small motel, just across the street from the ocean, big red Adirondack chairs facing the su...

I crave silence. I really do. My normal workday is non-stop talking and listening to people on the phone to assist them with their damaged house or car or boat, and sometimes listening to them scream and curse for various reasons. I talk with a...

It is a stunning thing for the God of the universe to invite us to come into His presence directly. The veil has been torn in two, the place into the Holy of Holies is now available to us. At our Concert of Prayer, unlike a ...

This guide has been developed to assist us to know how to pray and what to pray for, centering around our theme from Philippians 3:13b-14: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on...

In my first article, (which you can read here,) I looked at some of the biblical evidence for our need to be quiet before the Lord for our own spiritual health and growth....

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.” (Psalm 62:5) Noise. We usually don’t have to go looking for it. It finds us; constant pervasive sounds which surr...