Spotlight Interview with Rick Lawrence on true discipleship: Following Jesus, not principles
When I say the word discipleship, what do you think of? Jesus tells us to go and make disciples. Well, what does that look like? I mean, did he pass out a curriculum? He was the pattern that, by living and walking alongside him and listening to him, they learned the character and the nature…
Read MoreTake a Summer Vacation WITH Jesus, not away from Him
Keeping Jesus at the Center of Your Summer Summer vacation means Vacation Bible School (VBS). We may remember participating in something like this as a kid, or with our kids. Or maybe we are volunteering for a week of VBS at our church or with our grandkids. Can you remember any of your favorite VBS…
Read MoreWrestling with Israel, and Wrestling with God
When Conversations About Israel Become Conversations About God Israel. What is it or who is it or where is it? Good questions. Let’s wrestle with it. Did you know that before Israel was a geo-political entity it was a people. And before it was a people, Israel was a person. And all along, Israel has…
Read MoreJoin the Culture Gardener Challenge this summer
Dear friends, It’s time to get gardening! Culture gardening. Let me explain. Consider the dominant metaphors for culture: melting pot, war zone or contest, stage, endlessly repeating cycle, or culture is likened to a house or a river. And while several of these have scriptural support, the primary metaphor God uses for culture throughout the…
Read MoreSpotlight Interview: Ray Ortlund finds good news at rock bottom
Where is God in our pain? When the bottom drops out and you finally discover a new rock bottom, is God really near to the brokenhearted? Is God there? Does he care? What is he doing? Why is he not helping me? If you have ever cried out in any of these ways, we’ve got…
Read MoreGod-mothers
God-mothers If you are not a mom, you might be tempted to tune out Mother’s Day. Or perhaps, the day is just about planning—with cards purchased and flowers ordered and reservations made. But don’t tune out. I am thinking of Mother’s Day cards that I gave to Ms. Mabry in the fifth grade and she…
Read MoreResource: What is justice?
Here’s a question recently posted by a Reconnect listener: What is justice? When God said we are to live a life of goodness, kindness, and justice (Micah 6:8), what does He mean by justice and how does that word differ from being good and kind? You have heard that the justice of God is going…
Read MoreSpotlight Interview: Ellie Holcomb reminds us that Spring Sings
Spring sings! Think about that for just a moment— all the ways in which Spring sings to us. Artist, author and musician, Ellie Holcomb joined me to talk about her new Easter children’s book, Spring Sings! The LaBerge family loves Ellie’s books already and we are excited to welcome this latest book, and the accompanying…
Read MoreThe Jesus Nut
Jesus is literally in the headlines: ‘“Jesus nut” could be the key clue in Hudson River helicopter crash.’” The story about the recent helicopter crash in Manhattan reads: A fist-sized piece of steel known as the “Jesus nut” could be a crucial piece of evidence in the horrific helicopter crash that killed a Spanish family…
Read MoreA Prayer for Palm Sunday: Turn our Eyes to Jesus
Turn our eyes upon Jesus, who indeed is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, and set our hearts on Him as He does for us what we could not do for ourselves – offer You a living sacrifice that is truly holy and acceptable in Your sight.
Read MoreSpotlight interview: A special conversation with Carmen’s mom, RuthAnn Melzer
My mom, RuthAnn, finished her career as a university professor. She’s a published author. She had a TV show on PBS for 14 years. She’s an accomplished person, but she came from a tiny little rural community in southern Indiana and spent her growing up years, with her family, as tenant farmers. They moved almost…
Read MoreNext Generation Discipleship Playlist
Updated March 2025 A playlist of for parents, grandparents, teachers, youth volunteers— really anyone who cares about the next generation. We know our kids and grandkids are facing a different cultural terrain than we did, but we believe Jesus is still Lord and the gospel is still good news. This playlist will help us be…
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