December 19, 2025
The Christmas Gift
Italian missionary Dot Elliot shares a reminder about the greatest gift of all and tells the story of her first Christmas in Italy.
Articles for tag: Gratitude
December 8, 2025
TWO DEATHS
The focal point during this sacred time of remembrance is the death of our Lord on the cross. As we meet around his table we are in essence commemorating two deaths: Jesus dying for our sins and we, as believers, dying to our sins.
November 24, 2025
Gritty Gratitude
We can’t literally count all our blessings, for there are too many to list. But with childlike awe, why not give it a try?
November 17, 2025
THANKING AND THINKING
This meal of Communion says grace to us each time we take it. Think of all Jesus has done for you and give thanks.
November 5, 2025
When It Comes to Evangelism, Start with Why
If our focus is primarily on what (telling people about Jesus) or how (training and tactics), the work of evangelism can feel forced and uncomfortable. But once the why sinks in, everything changes.
September 8, 2025
FEED ON CHRIST
If you have been on a hunger strike from Jesus, seek his forgiveness for your neglect, and come again to his table today.
July 24, 2025
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF
As we take these emblems of Communion, let us do so with deepest respect and reverence for the Son and his sacrifice.
October 31, 2024
Living on Gratitude Street
Thanksgiving is far more than an American holiday. Gratitude Street winds its way through all of God’s Word. Grace and gratitude, double first cousins, are deeply rooted in the heart of God and Scripture.
August 12, 2024
August 18 Application | The Other 90 Percent
Grateful generosity should be a joyful rhythm in a believer’s life.
March 18, 2024
March 24 Application | ‘Communion: More Than a Routine’
Throughout history, Christ’s followers have placed high value on the Lord’s Supper. Whatever else takes place in our weekly worship gatherings, the bread and the cup focus attention on the central facts of our faith: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. . . .
Something Extraordinary
Jesus already knew our dilemma; that is why he came to our world. . . .
January 8, 2024
To Do ‘In Remembrance’
Our remembrance of Jesus at Communion is very different from other actions we do in memory of someone . . .
June 12, 2023
June 18 | Application (‘Appreciate What You Have’)
Do you ever take God’s blessings for granted? At times, your daily work may be frustrating and monotonous, but are you thankful to have a job? Are you glad your family members are around even with their irritating quirks? . . .
January 30, 2023
Obeying Regardless of the Consequences
Jack Cottrell wrote, “The ultimate test of Christian faith and love is the willingness to obey regardless of the consequences” . . .
December 25, 2022
A Block of Wood: A Reflection on Christmas, Expectations, and Gratitude
I don’t know what I was expecting. What lofty Christmas dreams did 3-year-old me cherish in my heart that would make the giant, handmade, wooden kitchen my grandfather lovingly built for weeks in his spare time seem like garbage on Christmas morning?
May 8 | Application
I’m a sports fan, but I’m alarmed by the swift expansion of sports betting. Gambling is addictive and it threatens the integrity of athletic competition. . . .
March 14, 2022
March 20 | Application
We can’t live in the past. Our relationship with God shouldn’t rely on a nostalgic preoccupation with the way things used to be. But we shouldn’t forget the past. . . .
January 31, 2022
Masks
With Jesus, we don’t need to wear a mask. Even if, out of habit, we try to wear one in his presence, he can see past the camouflage and deep into the recesses of each human soul.
April 5, 2021
Jesus, As He Really Is
When you see Jesus face-to-face, “as he really is,” what will be your declaration of worship?
March 1, 2021
Mar 7 | Application
My first “minister’s office” was a small corner room. . . . My office contained a gas heater, a rotary phone, and a mimeograph machine I cranked by hand to print the weekly bulletin. One of my weekly tasks was burning trash in a barrel. . . .
