In Genesis 2:9 we first hear about the tree of life. We don’t know too much about it, other than that it is the midst of the garden of Eden and that Adam and Eve are barred from it after the fall, lest they eat from it and live forever. The tree, now hopelessly out of reach, seems capable of bestowing eternal life. So from Genesis 3 onward, the tree of life is a symbol of what we’ve lost, an...
One of the very first hymns I learned was called “Standing on the Promises.” Through its Sousa-like rhythmic drive, the hymn underscores the power and strength inherent in the promises of God. They provide a firm foundation to stand upon through any storm or calamity. They bind us to the Lord and embolden us to persevere throughout life’s difficulties. The following stanza illustrates this...
In a society overflowing with negative messages about physical appearance and personal worth, children’s body image is an urgent issue. Children need to know God made their bodies and made them special. Parents and caregivers have the privilege and opportunity to help children understand that God crafted them with care and intentionality. This is foundational for shaping an accurate, biblical...
In a recent conversation, a parent from my church recently gave words to an unspoken fear that I’ve heard from an increasing number of parents: “I feel like I’m sending my kid out into the world, just them against the culture.” We as youth workers often wrestle with that same concern. Given the secular drift in our culture, it can be easy to feel like it’s us versus the world, and our kids are...
When we think of our Christian testimony, we tend to think of something that happened in the past. We tend to view this as a slice of history, the story of our initial submission to Christ. Few realize that our testimony is a living, breathing reality; a story that continues to be written throughout our walk with Christ. It is a living history that is growing, with pages added to the book every...
