Tag: faith

Declaration of Independence Quote:“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” Scripture:“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them.”— Genesis 1:27 Reflection:Few lines in American history have been quoted more often than the Declaration’s claim that all are created equal. It is one…

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” When Paul reflects on Timothy’s faith, he doesn’t begin with Timothy. He begins with Lois and Eunice. Before Timothy became a leader in…

Scripture:“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”— Philippians 3:20 Reflection:Christian nationalism is powerful in part because it offers people things they deeply want: belonging, clarity, strength, continuity, identity, and the comforting feeling that their side still matters. In anxious times, that is no…

Scripture:“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…”— Philippians 2:9–10 Reflection:Jesus is Lord, but he is never the mascot of a nation. That is worth sitting with for a while. We are often tempted to recruit Jesus into causes, tribes, movements, and identities that already matter…

Scripture:Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world…”— John 18:36 Reflection:Jesus stands before Pilate, the representative of imperial power, and says something the church must never forget: “My kingdom is not of this world.” He does not deny that he is a king. He denies that his kingdom is built the way earthly kingdoms…

Pip: If you’ve ever wondered whether your faith is a subscription service you can cancel when the benefits dry up, Eric McCrea has been writing directly at that question all week on Weekday Word. Mara: The posts this week press into what it actually means to follow Jesus rather than consume him — covering church…

Scripture:“But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”— John 5:40 Reflection:There is a real difference between admiration and relationship. You can admire a preacher, a teacher, an author, or a leader from a distance. You can read their books, quote their words, imitate their style, and still not know…

Scripture:“Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”— Matthew 12:50 Reflection:Jesus says something in Matthew 12 that sounds startling at first. His mother and brothers are outside, and when he is told they are looking for him, he answers by pointing to his disciples and saying that…

Scripture: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me…”— Matthew 10:37 Reflection:Family is one of God’s great gifts. Most of us know that in some way. We know the blessing of being loved, named, fed, protected, shaped, welcomed at the table. Even when our family stories are complicated, there…

Scripture “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing.”— Isaiah 43:18–19 Reflection There is a kind of remembering that strengthens faith. We remember God’s faithfulness. We remember the stories that formed us. We remember the people who taught us how to pray, how…