Strengthening Faith, Love, and Hope
If you have recently faced any prolonged seasons of testing, challenge, spiritual battle, or temptation, I want to encourage you (and maybe even help save you from doubting your sanity). In the synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we are told that after Jesus’ baptism, He spent forty days in the wilderness fasting, praying, and … Continue reading Everything gets weird after forty days
Your have been pardoned, and your proof is written in the wounds of Jesus. I know it is Christmas time and we are supposed to be thinking about the birth of Jesus, but this past week, I have been gripped with a thought concerning His death. His death decreed our pardon, our forgiveness, and our … Continue reading Pardon written in the wounds of Jesus
In our anchoring Apostle’s Creed there is a statement of faith that often gets overshadowed by some of the weightier elements of the Creed, such as our general belief in God and our specific beliefs in Jesus Christ. It is the statement about the church. About three quarters of the way into the creed—after the … Continue reading Do you believe in the Church?
Are you a poised individual? Would anyone use the word poise to describe your mien and air, your manner and your bearing? Poise is a word that refers to elegance and grace in a person’s carriage. It is the state of composure that allows one to remain centered and upright in any given situation. Older … Continue reading Poised
Whose eye does an elite orchestral musician most want to catch, the audience’s or the conductor’s? For a brilliant symphony musician, audience applause is a desired outcome, but it is not the central aim. The focus is on following the conductor’s lead. What would happen to a violinist or a cellist who gazed at the … Continue reading The Audience or the Conductor?
Chris Jackson 