The Gift of Praise
As we walk through this holiday season and find ourselves alone or in a hospital room, with no gifts to give or receive, or partaking of a very meager meal, how do we praise God in the midst of it? Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. –1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 This year as we enter the holiday season, it may seem to occur at a particularly difficult time, when many
Embracing Hard Conversations: A Journey of Faith and Healing
In a world where past traumas often dictate our present, Dr. Brad Johnson's journey offers a beacon of hope. From overcoming personal adversities to inspiring others through his urban fiction series, "Hard Conversations," Dr. Johnson's story is a testament to the power of faith and healing. The Journey of Faith: Dr. Johnson's path to faith began at 19, a pivotal moment that transformed his life. Despite growing up in church, it wasn't until college that he truly experienced God, finding solace
Facedown in the Dust
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. -Psalm 18:6 What doesn’t kill you will try again. Have you heard that? It could have described King David’s life. Persecuted, betrayed, feeling abandoned by God, he could have turned in despair against his Creator. Instead, in great gratitude to God, he uttered the above words in Psalm 18. But read the words before them that
Forgetting God
Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! -Psalm 36:5–7 Let’s say you’re going through a challenging time—you pray constantly, and God delivers you and answers your prayer. What do you do after that? Many jump for joy at the answer to their prayer and promise God they’ll never forget what he has done. But then, after
Father God: The Family Privileges
In our fast-lane world, God—the quintessence of what is truly important—is increasingly obsolete, out of mind, and out of the picture. He just doesn’t fit in. Obsessed with anything but God, our attention has been diverted from the big questions: how we got here, for what purpose, and where we’re going. We’ve traded the issues of God’s existence, sovereignty and purpose over all of life for the perishable. It’s when we discover that the things we’ve surrounded ourselves with can’t help us
Easter: The Day Death Died
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will
Bleak Saturday: New Life
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -Galatians 2:20 Yes, on Saturday, for the disciples, the future looked very bleak. Their beloved Master had been brutally crucified and now lay resting in the tomb. They believed his message and had hope for some ultimate resurrection. But, unlike us, they
Good Friday: What’s Good About It?
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? –Psalm 22:1 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity
Holy Week at Starnberg International Church – Join Us!
In this season, we learn the value of waiting. The longer we wait for something, the more we have to trust it will arrive and the more we have to trust that the waiting process is happening for a reason. Waiting helps us deepen our faith and heighten our listening and desire for God. Rather than giving up or turning away from good things like chocolate, coffee, or some other pleasure, it is probably more spiritually productive in the season
Giver or Taker
Giver or taker? Which one are you? God is the biggest giver in the Bible. His gift to us is the gift of salvation. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The Bible clearly defines who God wants us to be—a giver. It is not only pleasing to God to give and serve, but it is also the Christian’s job description and a way
