Confidence. We know it when we feel it. We know it when we see it in others. But where does confidence come from? For the writer of Isaiah 50, his confidence comes from knowing the Lord, from serving the Lord.

By Joanna Epp, a junior environmental science major from Newton, Kan. THIS WEEK’S THEME: Blessed THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURES: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 21:1-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66; Matthew 27:11-54   DEVOTIONAL: For many people, Lent is a time of fasting from something. From social media to meat, people choose to “give up” all sorts of things. However, it … Keep reading »

Daily my Lazarus is restored to life when I see restoration of prairies, Environmental Protection Agency’s super fund sites being cleaned up and people growing their own food.

No matter how low we sink, once we turn to God for help, we are no longer alone. Instead, the dark places and moments in our lives offer us an opportunity to enter into a conversation with a living God of forgiveness.

If we are standing upon the rock and remember that the Holy Spirit of God is inside of us, nothing can shake our ground, because our hearts will be focused on God.

“Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones, now hear the word of the Lord.” It is one of the most powerful and enduring of all biblical images.

The spirit is life! The spirit that led Jesus into the wilderness for 40 days, the spirit that raised to life Lazarus, the spirit that called the lame man to take up his mat and walk, the very same spirit that leads me in my humble approach to resemble anything pertaining to the word of God.

It’s so tempting to try to control, to jump ahead to try to grasp the life-binoculars and stand on our tip-toes to see over everyone else, straining our eyes and ourselves to see our own way through life.

As we trudge through the final days of winter toward the light and hope of springtime, may we continue to be fascinated by the light of Christ and fascinate others with our encounters.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.