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Have you ever felt a sudden desire to connect with God, so you open your phone and start scrolling through Christian influencers or 30-second devotional clips—only to feel your motivation vanish seconds later? Maybe you close the app and dive into your current game or social media scroll.  This, my friends, is what I call “spiritual snacking.”  It’s consuming small, easy doses of spiritual content without real depth or lasting growth. Paul describes something similar when he calls the people in Corinth spiritual infants: dependent on being fed, never maturing enough to feed themselves.  I’ll be honest—this is something I struggle with too. My goal in this post is to help you move from spiritual snacking to lasting spiritual growth , so you’re not dependent on tiny pre-packaged thoughts from others.    What Is Spiritual Snacking?   Let’s use a simple analogy: eating. It’s basic, and we all get it.  Imagine this:  You wake up, grab a cup of coffee, and call it breakfast.  Mid-morning, you grab a chocolate-covered granola bar.  Lunch? Potato chips because, technically, potatoes are healthy.  Mid-afternoon? Another cup of coffee.  Dinner? Instant noodles.  Bedtime snack? Crackers.  If you eat this way, you’ll feel temporarily satisfied, but your body isn’t nourished. You’ll wake up tired, sluggish, and unhealthy. I'm already cringing thinking about the headache I would have, the swollen joints - and the ever dreaded gut rot! Now think about spiritual consumption . It’s similar:  Listening to short podcasts or clips about Christian life.  Watching 1-minute videos with opinions on faith.  Reading pre-packaged devotionals in three minutes or less.  Watching sermons while doing a million other tasks without reflection or application.  These “snacks” provide temporary spiritual satisfaction—but they don’t lead to transformation.    Consuming vs Growing   Consuming   vs Growing   Passive intake of spiritual content  vs Active engagement with God’s Word and prayer  Focused on quantity, not depth  vs Intentional application to life  Feels good temporarily, leaves you hungry  vs Leads to transformation, deeper understanding, and spiritual fruit    Signs You’re Spiritually Snacking   You know Bible verses and can quote popular teachers, but haven’t experienced life change.  You feel “full” after a quick devotional but soon feel stressed or disconnected.  You avoid deeper spiritual practices like extended Bible study, disciplined prayer, or serving others.  I'm not saying that snacks are entirely bad, nor am I saying that this type of content isn't what we should be looking at on our phones - it's wonderful to have so many Christian voices and content creators adding to the voices in the world, and it's great to support them and to hear many different perspectives. But if I only eat instant noodles, I'll never learn how to actually cook . In spiritual terms, if you're only hearing or watching opinions of others and never learning the scripture yourself, how could you ever identify if a teaching is true or false? If you're speaking with someone broken hearted and searching for truth, is it more powerful to quote a video you saw once, or the words of the one who loved us enough to die for us? It is a wonderful thing to hear about Christ in online content, but once you meet him and say you want to know him, you need to go right to him , and not rely only on others telling you about him. Think of other types of relationships. Imagine back in college someone said to me, “There’s this guy named Josh. I think you two would hit it off! He works hard, loves biking, spends lots of time outdoors, and wants a big family.”  and my response was, “Wow, he sounds amazing! I’ll check back with you next week to hear more.” I could picture him in my mind, imagine conversations with him, and admire all the qualities being described— but if I never actually met him or talked to him, our relationship would never begin. I could “love” him in my imagination, but that love wouldn’t turn into a real connection. A relationship requires presence, interaction, and engagement. The same principle applies to God. We can learn about Him, imagine His goodness, and admire His works from a distance— but a real, growing relationship requires showing up, engaging with His Word, and responding in prayer and action.   So obviously now we have to talk about moving beyond snacking: How to Grow Spiritually   Set Intentional Goals:  Commit to reading, journaling, and reflecting.  Practice Active Engagement:  Ask questions, pray over Scripture, and journal insights.  Apply What You Learn:  Take small, consistent actions that put faith into practice.  Seek Community:  Accountability, mentorship, and study groups strengthen growth.  Measure Your Growth:  Look for transformation in attitudes, actions, and relationships.    I know how addicting spiritual snacking can be. I’m the queen of snacks—both the food kind and the scrolling kind! It’s easier to grab quick snippets during a busy day. And I'm not saying that these tiny tidbits are entirely bad - But relying only on snacks leaves your faith weak. When life throws challenges at you, you need strong spiritual legs to stand on. These quick bites cannot sustain you long term. If you continually dig deeper—reading full Bible books, taking notes, learning context—you build a solid foundation. Spiritual snacking can be enjoyable in moderation, but lasting growth comes from intentional, consistent habits.     Take the First Step Toward Spiritual Growth   Remember: it only takes small, intentional steps to start growing spiritually. Don’t feel guilty for the days you “snack.” Treat each day as a new opportunity to feed your faith.  For a deeper, structured approach, consider a free Bible class at Maritime Christian College . Studying with classmates from around the globe can help you move beyond spiritual snacking into real, transformative growth.

For all the great forces in our world, we have big units of measurement.     Earthquakes, with the power to flatten buildings and take lives, are measured with the Richter scale, and the Moment Magnitude scale. Volcanoes, with eruptions powerful enough to blow apart mountains, wipe out cities, and turn hundreds of miles into wasteland are measured with the Volcano Explosion Index. A nuclear bomb’s explosive power, which is of course designed to destroy cities, is measured as TNT’s power in megatons.     Now if you want a sense not just of the powerful but the big, let’s look outside our planet. For example, did you know that the Earth could fit inside the Sun 960,000 times? If we could harness ten percent of the Sun’s power for just one second, it would be enough to power all of Earth’s annual energy needs. One second. And that’s nothing. It seems that our Sun is quite puny in comparison to some others.     If we take the Hubble telescope and look outside our neighbourhood to another corner of this galaxy we call the Milky Way, we can see the Canis Majori star. This star is estimated to be over 1,400 times bigger than the Sun. That means 460 billion Earths would fit inside that star. I can’t really do justice to the size of us, our planet, or the stars. Go search ‘Universe Size Comparison’ on YouTube. You will get a good sense of how small we are. In truth, the stars and the universe are too big for us. These are things measured on scales that our minds cannot really grasp.    So we measure earthquakes, volcanoes, nuclear bombs, planets and stars on massive scales. Yet, some things are so powerful that they don’t need to be measured with these scales. In fact, it turns out that one of the most powerful forces that we have access to is measured in millimeters.     On a morning not too long ago I asked God to give me more faith. I wanted Him to strengthen, to grow, to add to, to boost my faith. However you want to say it, I wanted more. I wanted more so I could be more and do more. That night God reminded me that Jesus once said something about faith, so I looked it up. “5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”” (Luke 17:5-6, The Holy Bible, ESV).     I don’t know how many times I’ve read this piece of scripture. This time it struck different. Right away I honed in on the apostles request to Jesus. “Increase our faith!” The apostles asked for more faith? . These are the men who saw Jesus teach, heal people from the incurable in an instant, feed the 5,000, calm a storm, and cast out demons. These men lived with the Lord. And they  asked for more faith? And no, not just Thomas. This was Peter, James, John, and all the rest too! They felt a lacking within themselves. They didn’t have the stuff.  They didn’t have what it took. They didn’t have enough to do what Christ was calling them into. They were asking the Lord for more faith; the very same thing I had just asked Him for. I find great comfort in this. I hope you do too. If you’ve ever prayed this kind of prayer, or if this is where your prayers are these days, don’t be discouraged or ashamed. Peter thought he needed more faith. Even the spiritual giants lived these sorts of days.    Sadly I’ve read this passage before, and thought something like this: “I don’t have the faith to uproot a tree. I don’t have the faith to move a mountain. Nowhere near enough.” Unfortunately, I’ve taken Christ’s words to be the very opposite message from what He intended. There are times when Jesus chided, corrected, and rebuked the apostles. This seemed like it might be one of those moments. But that’s not what He does here. Jesus’s response is one of the greatest words of encouragement and hope for us all: “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed.”     If you happen to have some mustard seeds in your home, go get one. Put that seed in your palm. Hold it in your fingers. See how small it is. If you don’t have any in the house, it’s well worth buying some just so you can do this.     Do you want God to change your life? Do you want to see His power? Do you long to be bold enough to share His message with others? Do you wish you believed His words in the Bible more readily and steadily? A mustard seed is a millimeter big; sometimes two. If you could make your faith tangible, could it fill two millimeters of space? It’s not microscopic, but it is small; small, small, small. Jesus isn’t asking us for mountains of faith for Him to move a seed. He’s the one who will move the mountains. He isn’t asking for buckets of faith. He doesn’t even ask for a handful of faith. A seed’s worth of faith.  I like to believe I can bring a grain of faith to the table.  “You could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’ and it would obey you.” Another time, Jesus said our faith can make a mountain move with a seed’s worth of faith. Our Lord used humour and hyperbole to get points across, but please don’t cheat yourself and miss the great promise! Christ says come to Him with that much faith, and just watch what He will do! It’s not about our big faith. It is about His great power. Great things come in small packages. That small package of faith is all you need. That much, and He will do great things. God is going to uproot some mulberry trees.     Again, this is the promise from Christ to you: come to the Lord with your faith, however small, and He will honour it. He will do something. You do have to come with some faith. It just doesn’t have to be a lot.     Now maybe this is just resonating with me. Maybe this is all basic to you and obvious to you. It’s a well known passage after all. But to me this is a deep truth with a profound promise. Jesus didn’t say things to fill up time, or because they were clever, or they sounded beautiful and poetic. If He said it, He meant it! And if He meant it, then it is true! He has all authority in heaven and on earth.    So what do you and I do with this? Well, Hebrews 11:1 says faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (The Holy Bible, ESV). The NIV says faith is “confidence in what we hope for.” I prefer NKJV’s use of ‘substance’, as the word can be translated from Greek. Faith has substance. Faith is substance. Substance is something that can be seen. Substance is something you can point at and say, “There it is! I saw that!”     Jesus’ brother James said this about the substance of faith,    14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:14-17, The Holy Bible, ESV).     In other words, faith is not merely an internal thing within us. It is visible to ourselves and to others. It has substance. It is a substance. I don’t know if I can perfectly nail down the substance of faith for you, but allow me to try.   When you forgive someone, or choose to forgive them, that is the substance of faith. You are believing that God will bring you justice. If the other person is a fellow Christian, God has paid the price and brought justice against all their wrongs through the cross and Jesus’ death. If the person who has wronged you is not a believer, justice will come on the day of judgment.    When you are generous with your time, money, or talents, that is the substance of faith. You are showing trust that the Lord will honour what you’ve offered. In some way you may not ever see, He will use it for the benefit of the kingdom.     When you choose to walk without worry and anxiety, that is the substance of faith. You are believing the Father is with you and watching over you. And if harm and great evil do come to your life, you know that because He has taken care of sin that you will be with Him one day in a place called paradise, where there will be no more pain, no more tears.     When you are confident in your identity in Christ, that is the substance of faith. You are believing you are forgiven by God and are greatly loved by Him; not because of the sin you did or didn’t do yesterday. You are clothed and covered in the righteousness of Jesus. You are not counting on your works in order to be good with God.     When you pray with eager expectation, that is the substance of faith. You are trusting God is listening to your prayers, that He cares about you, and He really has the power to do something about your situation. He may not say yes to your request, but He works all things for your benefit.     When you are joyful, that is the substance of faith. You are believing all the promises of God to be good, true, active, and powerful.     When you share the gospel with someone out in the world, that is the substance of faith. When you don’t give up on marriage, but entrust God to heal, that is the substance of faith. When you confront a brother or sister in Christ with love and gentleness, that is the substance of faith. When you stop habitual sin because of God, that is the substance of faith. When you read your Bible daily, that is the substance of faith.     I could go on. I really could. I kind of want to, but I’ll stop. In all of these things, faith has substance because you’ve responded to God with trust and expectation that He is good and going to do something. May your faith have substance. You only need a millimeter’s worth. Our God is going to do great things.    Another time with His disciples, Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. “It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:32). Our faith is like a mustard seed. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. And so I like to think that our faith is like the kingdom of heaven. It can start off a tiny thing, and God will grow it into something massive. So don’t worry about how small your faith is. He will do something with it. He can grow it into something big. Great things, small packages.    Luke 17:5-6 is a call to faith. And let me tell you, we need people to respond to the call. And I will tell you why. Faith produces faith. Have you ever met someone who prays for rain, and then carries an umbrella around on a sunny day? I have. Maybe it seems crazy, naive, or cheesy. But let me tell you, they are the ones who actually believe God sees, hears and cares. They are the ones who read His scripture and obey it. They are the ones who truly expect the Father to move among His people when they talk to Him. After you talk to one of those people, you will come away like you’ve had a shot of espresso; energized and eager for what God’s going to do this day. Faith multiplies faith. That kind of faith reawakens in you the confidence of what you hope for, and assurance of what you do not see. So walk in faith. Come to Him with whatever faith you have to offer. A seed’s worth is plenty. Our Lord will use it. Our God is going to do great things. Great things, small packages.

How do you find motivation to read the Bible? " Easy. Open the Bible and start reading." See, it was simple after all! Do individuals like the one above drive you crazy? For a few, this is their reality, and they will skip over this blog post because finding motivation to read the Bible is not a problem for them; exercising might be their Achilles’ heel -- a helpless challenge. Whether it’s exercising or reading the Bible, the key in both cases is motivation. In Scott Geller’s Ted Talk “The Psychology of Self-motivation,” he identifies three questions each person needs to answer “yes” to, or they will not be motivated. 1. Can you do it? 2. Will it work? 3. Is it worth it? I recommend listening to Scott’s complete talk on motivation > So how can we apply these three questions to Bible reading? Can You Do It? What training or knowledge do you need to begin reading the Bible? The number one skill to have is the ability to read. This may sound obvious, but consider 749 million adults, or 14%, of the world population cannot read. If you are taking the time to read this, then you have everything you need to begin reading the Bible. Christianbook.com provides the translation grade levels for common Bible versions. For example, the KJV and RSV have a grade 12 reading level, while the ESV has a grade 10 level, with NIV and CEB having a grade 7 reading level, and GW and the Message having a grade 5 reading level. Do you need to know a lot of Bible facts before you begin reading? No. You will naturally gain knowledge in the process of reading. It’s actually better if you approach Bible reading without assumptions because you’re hearing God’s Word rather than proof-texting what you already believe the Bible to say. Will you be able to understand what you're reading in the Bible? Yes, and no. The beauty of God’s Word is its scope. God has communicated His Word through numerous authors who have been inspired to write. They have differing backgrounds and perspectives, but God has communicated His truths through them. There is bound to be something in the Bible which will grab your attention, and if you dip in and take the time to read, you may be surprised at how God will begin to speak to you through His Word. Keep this point in mind because I will raise it again during the third question. But first, how can I do it? How Will it Work? How will it work? How can you find motivation to read the Bible? Choose a Plan Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame recommended starting by reading the last two chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These chapters, for Phil, were central to the Gospel because they fulfilled God’s Old Testament promises and the New Testament’s call to make disciples. Or there are multiple Bible reading plans, either high-tech or low-tech, depending on your preference. The high-tech option is to download an app today and select a plan that the app has available. Some free options include: Blue Letter Bible App 8 different reading plans – but the plans, as far as I know, begin January 1st of each year. So if you begin in October, then you begin reading in the middle of the Bible, rather than in Genesis. The app supports different Bible versions. You Version Bible App Most popular Bible app with a multitude of reading plans to choose from. Supports multiple versions with an audio option. You can add friends and follow people. Great for churches, Bible studies, and friends to read the Bible together and hold each other accountable. Logos Customize your reading plan and start date. Provides additional book content for purchase. Excellent for study and a great resource. The free version is solid, but other options are available at a premium price. Choose a Method Keep track of what you have completed with a journal. It’s low-tech but allows you to track your progress and recheck later for new insights or observations. I use a leather journal and a fountain pen for my prayer time and Bible reading. I write down the day’s Scripture at the top of the page and add any comments or questions I might have from the reading. I also include prayer notes, names, organizations, etc. I’m praying for, and will also include additional notes from Scripture I’m following up on from that day or other days when something clicks in my mind. Years ago, someone remarked that if you treat something as important and of value, then you are more likely to follow through with it. That’s when I started using a leather journal and a nice fountain pen to make Bible reading and prayer time an event—an occasion. Whatever method you choose, make an effort to read all of the Bible over time to gain the proper perspective of what God has done in history. Focusing on a single verse is good, but aim to read the whole Bible. Some methods for Bible reading include: SOAP method - Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. Listen to the Bible online. Different narrators add variety. Big Picture method – read to capture the big ideas of chapters and books, summarizing them in your journal. Reading large chunks helps you see God’s overall plan. Inductive method – answer the basic reporter questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Text method Talk to God before reading Encounter God – what does this text say about God and humanity? Examine your heart Talk to God, thanking Him Read the Bible aloud – the Bible was read in the Synagogue each Sabbath for a reason. People need to hear the Word of God. This is probably the most important method other than trying to understand the Big Picture of God’s Word. There are other methods to study a topic, a verse, a character, or even specific words, but the emphasis here is on reading the Bible. Is it Worth It? Yes! It’s worth it. But it requires commitment and time. If you put in the time, then you can expect the following: Increased comprehension. With reading comes familiarity. Bible passages will start making sense because your brain is processing what you’ve read. If you read widely, all the books of the Bible, you will discover patterns, connections, and begin interpreting Scripture with Scripture. Retention of what was read. Passages and stories will come to mind because you are familiar with the material. Bible study requires you to read, reread, and reread the passage again and again. Increased confidence. Daily Bible reading becomes the norm. Scripture comes to mind in conversations because you had read it that day. You know you completed the reading, and it’s one more check mark in the to-do list. Aha moments. The first time something clicks in your brain about a passage because you’ve read another passage, and that passage illuminates the passage you’re currently reading, is the “aha” moment. The Holy Spirit aids our understanding and helps us recall what we have read. “26But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.” Know God’s Mind. Studying God’s Word will naturally draw you closer to God, and you will begin to understand God’s perspective and His will because you meditate on His Word. This is at the heart of Psalm 119:160. “160The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever.” There is a rich and fruitful spiritual life for anyone who takes the first step to read the Bible daily.

Have you heard the song “Dusty Bibles” by Josiah Queen ? There’s a lyric that says “We got dust on our Bibles, brand-new iPhones. No wonder why we feel this way.”   resonates with many, highlighting a common struggle. What’s this feeling that everyone seems to be having? My first guess is chronic loneliness, the curse of comparison, and general disconnection. People belonging to different groups seem to be competing for the title of 'most lonely' or 'most hard done by' . If you spend a short amount of time on the internet, you’ll quickly hear why certain categories of people feel like they have it the hardest. But the truth is, regardless of the specifics of a person’s life, chronic loneliness and discontentment are spreading like wildfire.  There can be so many reasons for this – prolonged isolation due to illness (“I should just stay home…”)  or remote work (“When was the last time someone smiled at me in person?” ), life transitions like graduations or breakups (“Where do I go from here?”),  over dependence on social media (“Wow my life is bleak compared to…”)  and societal individualism  (“I can blaze my own way in life, on my own”) .  I remember when my third child was born. I was juggling many responsibilities: active in my church, working part-time from home, renovating on a budget, and keeping life engaging for my two older kids. – and guess what started to fall by the wayside? You’ve probably guessed it: my own spiritual walk.  When tangible things in life feel urgent and pressing, we tend to sacrifice our own needs first. If you've been a Christian for awhile, you may have noticed that our internal health greatly increases when we spend time reading God's word. But how can we read the Bible when we feel overwhelmed? In that season of my life, sitting still and studying scripture became a thing of the past. I would think back to my college days: getting up before the sun, making a cup of coffee, and finding a quiet spot under a tree to do my morning devotions. Nothing but the sounds of birds and a soft breeze, just me and the word of God. That version of Katie was so wildly different then the disheveled mama I am today! Messy hair with someone else’s cheerios stuck in the tangles, sweatpants with paint stains (because when you have 15 minutes to try to paint that wall you don’t waste time changing your clothes!), mismatched socks, and spit up on your shoulder. Nothing but my home’s chaos and the blissful sounds of Paw Patrol blaring in the background—not exactly a spiritual sanctuary. But no matter how chaotic life felt, do you know what I always found time to do? I seemed completely able to find time to open my phone and scroll. Didn’t I remember there’s an unlimited amount of Bible apps available? How many gospel podcasts were just waiting for me to find them? Yet I would find myself scrolling perfectly curated photos of other people’s  seemingly  perfect lives.  Let me tell you friends, this certainly did not fill me up. My Bible became dusty, and my heart became a sad and lonely place.  I share this not to add to the voices of “the group I’m in has it the hardest!” but rather to say, if you have had a season where it is hard  to read the Bible – you are not alone! And the most fantastic part: God meets us where we are.  How many times in the Bible did someone feel overwhelmed, and the creator of everything shows up in the most unexpected way? Moses, having fled his homeland and joined a totally different culture where he had to work hard to survive, encountered the Lord in the burning bush.  Hagar, when she was in the wilderness feeling hopeless and alone encountered God, who saw her and promised her a hopeful future! She literally called him “El Roi”: The God who sees.  Jacob wrestled with a divine being. The prophet Elijah heard a still small voice. God came to Peter in a vision and challenged his opinions by showing him that non-Jews were to be welcomed into the sacrifice of Christ. While mourning Jesus after watching him die, he appeared behind Mary Magdalene in perhaps the most startling appearance recorded in scripture!  So please know that you can be certain, God is the God who sees, and regardless of where you’ve been or what season you’re in, he sees you, and he will meet you there.      Why It Feels So Hard Sometimes   Now trust me, I understand how impossible it can feel to get started in reading the Bible. Should we start at the beginning and read cover to cover? Should we launch ourselves into Matthew and focus on the gospels? What about the minor profits? I’ve never fully understood Revelation so maybe I should jump there… No one knows who REALLY wrote Hebrews so maybe if I read it, I’ll have some insight. Oh, but what about Daniel and the lions’ den? I’d love to read my favourite character stories…  And then, after all those dizzying thoughts, we close the book and go get a cold glass of water – right?  When we look at the Bible as another mental mountain we must climb, it stretches higher until we decide we prefer the valleys, so we turn away and tell ourselves we’ll try tomorrow.  What if I told you this could possibly be Spiritual resistance? What if it’s a ploy of the enemy to keep us out of the word of God? If it seems exhausting or inconvenient, and we’re already stressed and overwhelmed, don’t you think he would do anything he could to keep us away from God?  Think of it like cleaning your kitchen after you’ve hosted a 20 person Christmas dinner. You’re standing in the middle of an absolute warzone! Mashed potatoes are congealed to the inside of your kitchen aid bowl as hard as concrete! Someone left the stove top on, and the gravy burned black against the pan. A mile high stack of dirty dishes hides your sink from view, and your compost bin is already overflowing.    Starting can feel impossible . But here’s a trick that works both in the messy kitchen AND in the need to start reading the Bible.  Set a timer for 15 minutes and  just start . Whatever you’re looking at, whichever item you’re facing, just start. How many times have I convinced myself that unloading and reloading the dishwasher will take me 3 hours? I’ve timed myself, and it truly takes me 8 minutes total. That leaves me 7 whole minutes left to wipe down surfaces and sweep the floor! So, with your Bible, set a 15-minute timer, flip it open anywhere, and just start.      Shifting Your Perspective   Reading the Bible is about relationship, not performance.  When you’re in a season where reading your Bible feels natural, it’s good to be intentional about what sections you read and what type of study you do. But when you’re struggling to get started, it’s perfectly fine to close your eyes, point, open, and start. Scripture is alive and you are completely welcome to dive in and see what catches you!  God values presence over perfection.  He’s not asking you to start parsing Greek participles every time you sit in the word. If we learned anything from Jesus’ teachings, it’s that the status of our hearts matters so much more than anything else. We’re not trying to impress God with how much we know about him; we’re trying to know him more . Be present! Writing these words, I picture myself standing amid piles of laundry and toys, with barely any sleep and spit up on my shirt, holding a baby while two other littles run circles around me and I think “Try telling HER to be present with the Lord.” So, this advice is specifically for the parents in the room: It’s okay to let your kids watch TV while you read the Bible.  If that’s what it takes for you to have 15 minutes uninterrupted, you go for it! If you really wrestle with guilt, show them Veggie Tales or something! If they love listening to music, put some on for them. If they are generally quiet while they have a snack, you prep your Bible time for the same time. If all else fails, facetime their grandparents and say, “Can you talk to them for 15 minutes while I read the Bible? THANKS” and run!    Practical Ways to Read When You’re Overwhelmed   Pick one verse.  Even a single verse can shape your whole day. Try this:  John 15:5 (NIV)  — “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Why this verse?  Shifts us from striving to abiding  Reminds us closeness with God is about connection, not performance  Simple to memorize yet endlessly deep Try praying it : “Lord, help me remain in You today. Keep me connected like a branch to the vine.”  Read Psalms or the Gospels.  When you’re weary, turn to passages that speak directly to the heart. Four Psalms I recommend:  Psalm 23: The Shepherd’s care  Psalm 34: God is near to the broken-hearted  Psalm 61: Lead me to the Rock that is higher  Psalm 62: Rest for the soul  Listen instead of reading.  Audio Bibles are great while walking, driving, or doing chores. Choose a voice you enjoy—Jackie Hill Perry’s narration is amazing, but even the regular Bible app voice works!  Pray Scripture.  Let the verse give you the words when you can’t find your own.  Create a small habit.  Even five minutes counts. Keep your Bible visible—by your alarm clock, coffee mug, or couch.  Find accountability.  Ask a friend to read with you or check in. A simple “✅ Reading done!” text can give you the nudge you need.  Give yourself grace.  God’s love doesn’t depend on your streak. Miss a day—or a week? Tomorrow can be Day One  again.    Remember, God’s Word is living and active—it will work in you even through small moments. Even when you feel weak, God’s strength meets you there in your weakness, strong enough to reach you. Just like Josiah Queen’s song says, the answer to tackling difficult seasons and feelings is to reconnect with the one who created everything.   It’s okay to keep things simple when you’re overwhelmed, and you are certainly not alone in feeling overwhelmed at times. It truly seems like life is designed to keep us feeling that way. The trick is to just get started!  I encourage you to choose one small step today: read a verse, listen to Scripture, or pray through a Psalm.

by Heather Stewart Are you serious? You want me to lead the Missions Ministry? No way, that’s the most boring thing I could think of to do!  Here’s what was silently going through my mind when my church Elder in September 2014 asked me to lead missions.  Don’t all missionaries live in mud huts on the African continent? There is no excitement in that.   There is nothing I can “do” to lead that. There’s nothing…. period…. to do in this ministry. Why do we even need such a ministry ? I turned my head and rolled my eyes. I committed to “pray about it”, as that’s what we are supposed to do. But I had my mind made up: there is NO WAY I am going to do such a mundane task.    I did talk to God about this “opportunity”, although it did not really meet the definition of an “ opportunity ” in my mind. I wasn’t willing to hear God agree with my Elder in what was being asked of me. I was middle aged in 2014 and by that point I had served in various ministries at my church. I had a second meeting with my Elder coming up and I planned to say, “Please offer me ANY ministry, just not boring missions!”    At the second meeting, my Elder said they really needed someone to step into leading this ministry, the Missions Ministry had been rather “inactive” and the leadership team at my church wanted me in the role. Oh boy, I can see that he is not expecting a solid no. I ponder silently, “ Do I have the capacity to lead? Yes. Am I being selfish in wanting a more exciting role? Perhaps yes .  Time to give this serious consideration. ”   My first concern: there is a current Missions Ministry leader and if I accepted the role, was I pushing her out? My Elder said she wanted to step down and she knew I was being asked. “ Well, there goes that excuse to say no .”   My next concern: “What are the expectations you have for me as the Missions Ministry leader?” My Elder said, “you can do whatever you want”. “ A blank slate, hhhmmm….. that IS an opportunity, I can start fresh and maybe make this less boring? ” Ok, I agreed, …. reluctantly.    I started by asking: Who are the various missions my church financially supports, and I was given a list. I started to look into what they each do. No one is living in a mud hut on the African continent (huh!) - well, one is living in a house on the African continent - but there goes my negative stereotype image.  I got to know these missionaries as real people, not just names. I started to communicate with them via email, I followed them on Facebook, and over time, I met all of them in person. Some of them have even stayed at my home - what a joy to develop our professional relationships into friendships. When an earthquake happens in their country, I quickly email them “are you ok?” and they quickly respond with an update. This ministry is NOT about me, but I have to say - I am so blessed in this ministry.    My church supports ten missions (including MCC), but I’ll highlight a few for you and how they changed my view of this “boring” Missions Ministry. One is in a foreign country where they had to learn the language of the country. They communicate with well educated professionals who struggle to understand faith and what it means to have a relationship with Christ, or if Jesus really exists. There are numerous missionaries around the world facing this same challenge in their missionary role, and I am privileged, in my Missions Ministry role, to know one of them and call them friends.      The other was fluent in the language of the mission field in the new country, but had to start with few resources in their mission’s ministry when they moved to this country. They have seen several in this nation come to salvation in Christ through their mission’s work, but roadblocks keep surfacing: poor family health, loss of financial sponsors, devastating weather events, gang violence, and on and on it goes. They have a beautiful heart devoted to God and I am privileged to have had them stay in my home.  A third does Bible translation. While I have a university degree, I was illiterate in what it takes to translate the Bible. What could be so hard? Just translate word for word - easy - done! Not so fast. It takes a team of many people, one extra smart mind (the missionary), and lots of haggling over the meaning of one or a few words in comparing Hebrew, Greek, and the country’s language. And this missionary has a significant long term medical condition with no cure. I am amazed by this missionary’s devotion to translating God’s Word for various people so they can read the Bible in their heart language. I have been privileged to have this person stay in my home and call me friend.    Remember that I was given free reign to do whatever I wanted in this ministry? I could have kept this as a cozy ministry solely between myself and the various missionaries, while posting the occasional newsletter on my church bulletin board for a couple people to read. However, I decided (or God led me?... I can't remember - remember I am now 10 years past “middle age”)...that prayer would be the crux of leading this ministry. I asked probably 60 people at my church if they would pray for missionaries if I sent them a daily email with a couple sentences of information. Quite a few said they were not interested, which did not deter me, but at one point over the last 10 years, there were about 45 people from my church on my team praying for missions every day. The current number on my team is 27 and I’m working on growing the team. There are even some people on the team who moved away or chose a different church to attend in my community, but they wanted to remain on my team. I say it is the easiest team to be on at my church …. there are NO meetings, your task takes up to 1 minute per day (or longer - your choice), you have huge Kingdom impact, and it is interesting. It really IS interesting. Those on the team tell me that even though they have never met these missionaries (or meet them once every 5 years), they feel like they know them; and when the missionary visits, conversation is easy between my team members and the missionaries as they are not really strangers. The missionaries tell me that they feel so valued to be prayed over by such a large team and that no other church does this for them. What a joy to do this for them!    I regularly read blogs written by missionaries around the world on www.alifeoverseas.com/  and it has opened my eyes to both the challenges and rewards of people moving to new cities and new continents as missionaries to help new communities (big and small) come to know Jesus. Leaving parents and friends behind, whom you may not see for years, can be gut wrenching. Marriages can be strained in the new “field”. Sometimes this life of service means delaying finding a spouse or never having one. You bring up children in a location where none of the child rearing traditions you are familiar with exist. After five years in the mission field, you come “home” for a few months, “rest”, but you don’t feel at home as time has changed things, and you have no “house” to come home to.  You struggle with what to write in a newsletter to your supporters, wishing you could say that you have led many to Christ, but it hasn’t happened despite all your efforts. You fear losing financial donations without achieving “results”. It is frequent effort to source new financial supporters. Then a pandemic or civil war breaks out forcing you to return to your passport country. Did I already use the words “gut wrenching”?  If you are reading this blog as a potential future missionary, don’t let this turn you off. There are immense blessings and rewards on the missions field. The point I am trying to make is that I was terribly wrong in my view of the missions ministry as being boring and not worth my time.    Then I got involved, literally. No, I didn’t move and become a missionary. But, I led a couple short term mission trips, and I am leading a team of 7 in June 2025 on another short-term mission trip. It's a lot of work, but gosh, it’s so much fun too!    Then I went to Central America as a short term missionary in 2017 under the leadership of a large Christian organization.  It was to serve children and help Pastors, and such a great trip! On a side note, there is a lot of controversy around the merits of short-term mission trips, whether they help or cause harm. Controversy is anything but boring, I chuckle to myself thinking back to myself believing missions was “boring”.      God continues to show me new ways to expand this ministry for His glory. The latest He has placed on my heart is to have members of my church paint/refurbish a 20 ft shipping container to be sent to the mission field to become something (pharmacy, cafe, church, school, or ???) that will lead others to a saving faith in Christ. I’m not sure when this will actually happen, we’ll see.  I would also LOVE to help other churches, in Atlantic Canada or around the world, start a team to pray for the missionaries their church financially supports. MCC can connect you to me if you want some guidance to get you started (it takes me about 4 hrs/week in prep work to create the prayer emails).    And what has all this taught me? Missions is NOT boring, rather it is the MOST exciting ministry in the church. If I was not the Missions Ministry leader at my church, I doubt I would have had ANY of these wonderful experiences.  If I could go back to September 2014 to the question asked of me “will you lead the Missions Ministry?”, I’d respond, “heck YES, can I start today?”.

A Church's Heart of Vulnerability by Jim Nutt My family and I started attending Real Life Ministries -Texas, in Tomball on the Northwest edge of the Houston sprawl.  We met in the middle of the afternoon on Sundays in a room in the original Tomball community center just off narrow old town main street.  The room was functional. It came with four manila walls, a faded white acoustical ceiling and a dingy white speckled tile floor like the floor in every building I stepped on as a kid.  Eight years later, our Sunday space could hold 60,000 of those 12 x 12 inch floor tiles.  I am part of a staff of 21, give or take, pastors and staff who lead and shepherd 1,800, give or take, of King Jesus’ precious flock.   We are a functional part of the Bride of Christ.  We do meet on Sunday mornings now, twice. But we appear bland.   In fact, we are bland.  We are a collection of dingy misfits with speckled pasts.   We are just plain manila folks living vanilla lives.  Some of us are less faded than others, but no one stands out like a new bright white ceiling tile did in our original space.  We love King Jesus.  We want to honor Him.  No more, no less.  Houston, and its glob of suburbs, is full of churches with more and many more churches with less.  But people from those churches with more or less, don’t experience us as vanilla when they step onto our polished concrete floors stained with the manufacturing process of the previous tenant.  I didn’t.  I grew up going to church three times a week.  Twice on Sundays and once Wednesdays, which was the only time I could wear jeans and formerly white Chuck Taylors to church.  (The church building had the same 12 x 12 tiles on the floor as our original digs had!)  The church was across the street from the Christian college, later university, where both my parents worked.  The same college I graduated from with a degree in Biblical Studies, destined I thought to be one of the brightest tiles in the ceiling, the place where all of us preacher boys longed to be, but only those gifted in oral delivery ascended.  My last semester of college, I abruptly chose to try to stand out as a basketball coach like my daddy, instead of ‘making a preacher’ as my Maw Maw would say.  This decision began my 30 year speckled search of who I was - but that’s another story.  The point is, I was born going to church and I have gone to church, more or less, my entire life.  What I saw with my eyes in the community center was certainly plain.  Plain people doing less than adequate jobs of leading worship, leading communion, and making announcements.  They were all dressed in jeans, except the softball team who showed up in slide smeared uniforms, which was a win for me! What I saw was nothing special.  But what I experienced, ahh, that was something I had never experienced before.  There was something brilliant about these plain folk.  Without flash, without pomp, without ceremony. These people were real, open, and safe.   And without fanfare, they flamed a passionate mission.  They were being changed by King Jesus.  And I experienced the change in their eyes, in their smiles, and in their voices.  Their conversation was sincere and easy, without pretense.  We found our forever church home.  I’m guessing it was 18 months later, questions about our new home began to ruminate in my mind as I sat each week listening to simple sermons powerfully declaring “ Jesus is King ”, “ His Kingdom is here” , and “ He calls me to follow him, now” .  This place was different, that was a given.  But what was it exactly that made it so different from my experience at all those other churches with more and with less I had attended?  About a year later, I had postulated a theory, which I kept to myself.  I collected as much experiential evidence as I could to support my theory before I ever whispered it out loud, which I seldom did.  Five years on, I am quick to say, there are many plain distinctives separating churches simply striving to follow King Jesus from churches with more and churches with less.   After continuing to collect more and more evidence supporting my theory, I have indeed identified the one ‘thing’ that if you remove, everything collapses like an exploding dilapidated building.       When you and I meet, we will communicate on various levels.  At first, for a time my conversation with you will be on a surface level.  Hopefully not superficial, just on the surface.  “ It’s good to meet you too.  I am glad to be here.  This is our first trip to Canada. ”  Given time and proximity, my conversation with you may go deeper and be described as authentic.  “ Actually, I am glad my week is over.  It was a rough.  Feeling a little beat up this morning but I am doing better and looking forward to falling asleep on the coach with the (Houston) Texans game on this afternoon. ”  After spending more time together, I might dare to be transparent.  “ Yeah, the day before we got on the plane, my wife and I got into it. It’s pretty much over now, but we are still in that, ‘who is going to talk first stage.’ ”  After even more time and proximity, I may take the chance of being vulnerable with you.  “ I know she didn’t mean to, but she tore the scab off my deepest, scariest fear.  It triggered all my lies.  Especially, ‘I am not man enough for her, she shouldn’t have anything to do with me.’  And what did I do, I felt threatened and fought back…yelling at her for a good five minutes, which triggered her stuff.  It was brutal.  We’ve both apologized but it will be a minute.   Being here has been great.  All the fun things we have been able to do together has really helped. ”  Vulnerability. What separates vulnerability from transparency, authenticity, and surface interactions is this: When I am vulnerable, you can hurt me.   You can weaponize my words and hurt me.  You can scold me.  You can tell your wife my wife is mean.  You can share a prayer request on Facebook for my ‘marriage’.  You can tell an elder you’re not sure if we are fit to lead the small group that meets in our living room on Sundays after the Texans game.  You can hurt me.  Which is to say, you can shame me.  Everybody ‘gets into it’ with their bride or groom every once and a while, right? (Transparency.)  That’s not much of a risk.  But yelling at my wife, for five minutes…that right there, that’s called ammo.  That right there, that is called vulnerable.  That right there, that is the ‘thing’ if removed the whole ‘real’ church gig disintegrates into a rock show or a library, more or less.  Consider this.  Where does your and my vulnerability come from?  It comes from grinding our Chucks into the solid rock and grasping the gospel with both hands in a life and death tug of war with Satan over the truth of our brokenness.  I can preach to myself Satan’s truth that I am not good enough for Jesus and He shouldn’t have anything to do with me.  Or I can preach to myself the truth of the Gospel that although my yelling broken self is not good enough, the blood of Jesus offers to heal me of ALL my nasty junk.  I am beloved of God, He has adopted me, written me into his will, and He has given me the privilege of being a royal member of His called-out priesthood and His ambassador to the world!    Just within the last month, I have experienced three prominent men in our church be publicly vulnerable, two of them in Sunday morning sermons.  One described his emotional collapse after losing the last fragments of his identity and being $128,000 dollars in debt to the IRS who was trying to take everything.  Another man in a sermon on compassion, or lack thereof from Jonah, admitted while he was writing his sermon, he saw his pretty much estranged father’s name appear on his iPhone out of the corner of his eye.  He did not want to talk to his dad.  He let him go to voice mail.  “ I have some work to do around this compassion stuff ”, he said.  The third man, one we all look to, confessed he had allowed his abiding to become routine.  It was lacking the ferocity required to sustain him as a leader, and he knew it.  That’s vulnerability.  On display for all to experience.  And it ripples from the pulpit and positions of leadership to the very fringes of our first time guests.   These stories were not told as ‘gimmicks.  I could feel their truth in my gut.  Real vulnerability is a byproduct of the power of the Gospel.  Like Paul, these three men had exposed the belly of their brokenness to the sufficient grace of the Gospel and had witnessed first-hand the perfect power of what God can through a broken life submitted to him. When I hear these stories, I am inspired to be more vulnerable.  My vulnerability creates a safe space for you to be vulnerable.  Your vulnerability reinforces my vulnerability.  With enough time and proximity, I realize you are right behind me, grinding into the ground, grunting and gripping the gospel with all you got.  And those same three guys have grabbed the gospel just in front of me and are leaning so far back in their effort to pull I can see their scrunched red faces.  That right there, that’s called church.  Plain and simple.  The more vulnerable I am, the more real I become.  And you can sense that.  And when you say, “ I’ve been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.  It’s a bit worn, but your welcome to borrow it, ” I can sense how real the change is in your eyes, your smile, your voice, and your ratty ol’ t-shirt.  I experience being loved by someone and a God who knows the ugly in me.  And I am changed by King Jesus.  This sincere and easy conversation without pretense, the sense you are coming along side me in my gospel tug of war, the experience of sufficient grace perfecting God’s power in the weakness,   this begins with me taking the risk of being vulnerable.      In our forever church home, top down and bottom up, people are real.  Real plain, ordinary, broken people who have been called by Jesus, are being changed by Jesus and are on mission with Jesus.  We are nothing special.  But He is.  We love Him.  We want to honor Him.  No more, no less.

by John Whittaker Can I be honest? I’ve sat through too many church leadership meetings that spent way too much time wrestling with this question: What is the mission of the church? I think the motivation was good. They wanted to write out their mission statement so they could be effective in their ministry. But the answer to this question is no mystery. And churches actually aren’t free to come up with their own mission. Jesus already gave us a mission and made it perfectly clear: “ Go and make disciples … ” (Matt. 28:19-20). He even told us how to do it. According to Jesus, making disciples entails two things - baptizing people into Christ and teaching them to obey everything he commanded. This is our mission. Discipleship isn’t something we do; it’s everything we do! Since the mission of the church is to make disciples, disciple making and discipleship cannot be one program among many in the church. Instead, every program, ministry, and activity ought to in some way help people become disciples of Jesus or grow as disciples of Jesus. So, what is a disciple? For Jesus and his first disciples, the answer to that question was clear and grew out of their cultural context. Young Jewish men would attach themselves to a particular rabbi as his talmid (=disciple) with the expressed goal of becoming like the rabbi. They would learn what the rabbi knew, and they would do what the rabbi did. This is what it meant to be a disciple. So, a disciple of Jesus is someone who arranges their life to be with Jesus in order to become like Jesus. The work of making disciples entails two parts, both seen in Matthew 28:19-20: “ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you . ” First, we call people to attach themselves to Jesus. This is what is usually called evangelism, and it is embodied in baptism. Second, we help people become like Jesus by teaching them to do what Jesus taught. Now here’s the thing…There’s a growing awareness among church leaders that we have a discipleship problem in the church today. We’ve done better at making converts and making church members rather than making disciples. Why is that? There’s probably a handful of factors, but I’d like to focus on two reasons that I think are at the heart of the issue. Disciple making and the gospel go hand-in-hand. That is, the gospel you preach determines the disciples you make. And we have been preaching something other than the gospel the apostles preached, and that’s one of the major reasons we’re not making disciples like they did. Let me show you what I mean. What is the gospel? Most of the ways the gospel has been summarized in the modern church sounds something like this: you’ve sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But God sent Jesus to die for your sins. If you believe in Jesus, he’ll forgive your sins, and you can go to heaven when you die. Whether it’s the “Romans Road” or the “Four Spiritual Laws” or something else, typically the gospel we’ve been taught is something like that, some sort of plan of salvation. When you pay attention to what the apostles preached in the book of Acts, however, it stands in stark contrast to that version of the gospel. Just to be clear, it’s not that the gospel doesn’t offer salvation; it does. It’s that in the preaching of the apostles, things like forgiveness and eternal life are benefits of the gospel, not the heart of it. When the apostles preach the gospel in the book of Acts, the message they declare is that Jesus is King, risen from the dead. And the call to action is to repent and believe that gospel. In the first gospel sermon in Acts 2, Peter builds up to the announcement that God raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at his right hand (2:31-33) and then proclaims, “ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified ” (2:36). And then after he calls people to repent and be baptized.  In Acts 3, Peter quickly points out that God raised Jesus from the dead (3:15) and calls them to repent (3:19), showing how Jesus is the fulfillment of all their Old Testament hopes. When sharing the gospel with Cornelius and his relatives and close friends, the first gentile converts in Acts 10, Peter recounts the life of Jesus, how the Jews put him to death, but “ God raised Him up on the third day ” (10:40). He ends by telling Cornelius and the others gathered “ that that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins ”  (10:43). The apostle Paul’s gospel message is the same. In Acts 13, his message culminates in Jesus risen from the dead (13-30-37) referring to it as “ good news ” (gospel, v. 32). Even when preaching the gospel to Greeks in Athens, Paul proclaimed that God raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 17:30-31). You see, for the apostles and first followers of Jesus, the gospel was actually what the word means: good news! Not good advice. Not a new religion or even a plan of salvation, per se. It was news about what God had done through Jesus. It was announcing that God had installed his King on the throne by raising him from the dead. The apostles actually learned the heart of the gospel from Jesus himself. When the gospel writers summarized the message Jesus preached, they did it like this: “ The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel ” (Mark 1:15). Notice that the gospel Jesus preached is that God’s kingdom is at hand. He is ushering in God’s reign and rule, his kingdom. That’s the gospel Jesus preached, and it’s what needs to be believed! And the only appropriate response to both Jesus’ preaching of the gospel and the apostles’ preaching of it was to repent and submit to this King.  So, we see that there are three different components we need to distinguish clearly: A.     The content of the gospel - Jesus is King, risen from the dead. B.     The response to the gospel - repent and believe C.     The benefits of the gospel - forgiveness and eternal life But here’s the important thing for the sake of making disciples: the gospel we have typically taught focuses on people getting their sins forgiven and going to heaven. The gospel the apostles preached focuses on Jesus and his kingship, and that gospel calls people to submit to him. And submitting to Jesus’ royal authority leads directly to discipleship to Jesus. So, it seems to me that if we want to fix our discipleship problem one key place to start would be correcting our gospel problem. One of the things I’ve observed is that in our churches we have not made being a disciple who is becoming like Jesus crystal clear in the way we have communicated the goal of placing faith in Jesus. I had a young woman tell me recently that even though she’d been a Christian for almost a decade she never heard she was supposed to become like Jesus until recently. And sometimes - maybe often times - one result of this is that we’ve made good church members more than good disciples. Good church members attend, serve, and give but are not necessarily becoming like Jesus from the inside out in their character and the mission of their life. I was preaching on these themes once and put on the screen a discipleship path that moved from new faith to mature faith. After service, a man stopped me and said, “ John, I’ve been a Christian for 10 years now, but I’d put myself still in the new or young faith stage. All I knew I was supposed to do was go to church, serve, and give. So, I’ve been doing that faithfully. But I haven’t really become like Jesus!” He was a great church member. He was faithful, involved, giving. All the things most pastors want from church members. But he was stunted in his growth as a disciple, and when I asked him why, he said, “ No one told me where I was supposed to go and how to get there. ” I don’t think he’s alone. I think a lot of our ways of thinking about and doing church have (unintentionally) made good church members rather than growing disciples. So, a few thoughts from what I read in the New Testament: Churches are communities of the King. They are gatherings of people who have believed the gospel that Jesus is the King risen from the dead and have pledged their allegiance to him. Because of this, churches are colonies of heaven on earth in whatever city or town they are in. This is Paul’s point in Philippians 3:20. Christians are citizens of a new kingdom that embodies a new culture. Becoming part of the church leads to “ re-socializing. ” Re-socializing refers to teaching, modeling, and training people in new ways of doing life. People are called out of their former way of doing life into a new kingdom with a new set of values, priorities, ambitions, and practices. It’s a whole new culture…and learning a new culture is hard and takes time. But it only happens with intentionality; it doesn’t happen by accident. I really do wonder what would happen if as churches we focused everything we do on the key task Jesus gave us — making disciples. What if we preached the gospel the way the apostles did in Acts, announcing the news that Jesus is King and calling people to loyal submission to him? What if rather than trying to manage or grow a religious organization known as a “ church ” we gave our best thinking, time, and energy into forming people who embody Christ? This is what changed the ancient Roman world. It might just change ours too.

by Katie Stevenson   First Corinthians is one of the most popularly quoted books of the Bible, and for good reason. It talks a lot about spiritual gifts—gifts that are given by the Holy Spirit for the common good, and to edify and encourage believers. While we may not all experience every gift personally, most of us have encountered them in some form, especially within a strong church family. Some of these gifts include speaking or interpreting tongues, prophecy, prayer, healing, and wisdom, among others. These are outward signs , given by Gods Spirit , to serve as evidence of His presence and His work in our lives. One thing that is so important to remember is that these gifts are not meant to make individual people seem special or holier than others. They are signs of God's Spirit at work, and each one comes from the same source—the Holy Spirit. When I think about my experiences in churches, I’ve noticed that spiritual gifts can sometimes bring about jealousy and suspicion rather than awe and reverence. Instead of inspiring wonder at God's power, they can lead to doubts and comparisons. Spiritual gifts are meant to inspire wonder and awe at the Majesty of God and his power, and to remind us that He can do supernatural  things because He, as the one who created the world, is the master over all the elements and so therefore it is not beyond His ability to do wonderful things. I always find myself fascinated by default human emotions. What is it about humans in a fallen world that causes us to see something from God and covet it, or doubt it? This isn’t a new problem; even during Jesus’ ministry when they saw what he was doing, the Pharisees accused Him of performing miracles through the power of Satan. Jesus responded by asking, "How can Satan cast out Satan?" in other words, why  would Satan do anything that brought genuine glory to God? That accusation didn’t even make sense! Except for a few, the general feeling of the religious leaders when they observed Jesus was suspicion and jealousy. They enjoyed the positions they were in; they were used to being looked to as important, and they were conditioned and taught to be “guardians” of God’s word which honestly looked more like gatekeeping . But Jesus, the guy who truly held authority,  who was there when everything was created (John1), did not gatekeep.  In Luke 9 or Matthew 10 Jesus gives his disciples authority and power and sends them out to heal diseases and cast out demons. He wasn’t worried that he would seem less important, because the goal and purpose was to glorify God. We can learn from this that true works of God glorify Him, not the individual He’s displaying His power through in the moment. Discerning Spiritual Gifts So how do we combat a reaction of suspicion? How do we discern if a spiritual gift is truly from the Lord? Here are a few key ways: Where is the glory being pointed?  – A true spiritual gift brings praise and honor to God, not the person doing it. If the attention is centered on a person’s abilities rather than on God's power, it’s worth questioning. Does it align with Scripture?  – Prophecies or teachings that contradict the Bible should be approached with caution. Pray for discernment   – Ask God for wisdom when encountering spiritual gifts. Quietly seek His guidance in prayer rather than making hasty judgments. Seek counsel   – If you are unsure about a spiritual gift, speak with trusted church leaders or mentors for insight. Then on the matter of overcoming jealousy: Paul reminds us that the church is a body, and every part has its function. The eyes see but cannot hear, the ears hear but cannot see—each part is essential. Just because one person has a visible gift does not make another’s role any less important. Even though jealousy is something that every person on the planet experiences, it is not a gift from the Lord.  Galatians 5:19-21 lists jealousy as one of the “works of the flesh” that are against God’s will. To me, that means no matter how strong I’m feeling, how annoyed I am, or how painful it is, it is my job to root jealousy out of my heart. Otherwise, I’m letting something live in me that is against God’s will.   But don’t panic! We have the tools from God to examine our own hearts, and ask Him to show us what we’re keeping in there. He’s the answer to rooting it out. It’s also crucial to distinguish between spiritual gifts and skills. Being a great public speaker, an excellent musician, or a charismatic leader are not necessarily spiritual gifts. They are skills that can be developed over time. If you find yourself feeling envious of someone’s natural talents, remember that God has uniquely equipped you for His purposes. Take a moment now, and read 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and beyond on the spiritual gifts. Because what comes next is specifically fascinating to me: Love: The Greatest Gift of All After discussing spiritual gifts, Paul shifts his focus to something even greater: love. First Corinthians 13 declares that love is the greatest of all gifts. Unlike other spiritual gifts that we must wait to receive , love is something we can actively choose to cultivate in our lives. While prophecy, healing, prayer and all those big name gifts are amazing, and it’s good to hope for them and even pray for them, the greatest gift of all is: love . Is that wild to you? Does it shock you like it shocked me? Love is a defining characteristic of a true Christian. Yet today, in 2025, are we really known by our love? Is that the crest we hang across our chests? Honestly, observation can quickly tell us that people are incredibly concerned with political views, social opinions, and personal successes. We are a people who are obsessed with being right.  We crave certainty and belonging, and so we put all our hopes into the basket of identities that are given by the world, instead of in the one who made the darned thing. Imagine if my kids wanted pizza pockets for their school lunch (because all the cool kids have pizza pockets, and therefore to be cool you must have pizza pockets) , so they stood in front of their bento boxes and begged to it “please give us pizza pockets!” or tried to bribe them saying “if I open you tomorrow and find a pizza pocket I will be so good! I’ll do my homework! I won’t kick my siblings!” That’s absurd, right? Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to come to their dad and I and say “hey, could you put a pizza pocket in my lunch for school because I really like them  (not because I want to be cool by other people’s standards)?” Then as the parent, we reserve the right to say “Yep, you betcha!” or “No way kid, you’re having broccoli.” So if we cling to earthly things to define us (politics, social expectations, economics, etc) as Christians, isn’t that like asking our lunch boxes for our favourite snack to make us cool at school? Wouldn’t it make sense to say to the creator of all: “Hi, could you make sure I’m yours and that people know that?” To which God’s answer is literally “Live like Jesus”. His life was the ultimate example of sacrificial love, and as His followers, we are called to embody that love in our daily interactions. A Challenge for Today I encourage you to make love your greatest defining feature. Love like Christ—not according to the world’s shaky and unhealthy definition, not based on how you were loved as a child, or what a personality quiz says is your love language, but through the model He set for us. Choose to love intentionally, sacrificially, and unconditionally, knowing that by His Spirit, we are able. Let us be known as Christians by our love.

by Roger Marcos Identifying the Need to Learn New Languages to Communicate God’s Word  I came to Canada in 1994 from the Philippines where I started a pastoral work as full-time pastor for eight years at Aparri Church of Christ Inc.    Ministry within the church is a part of my life journey but then I was in a foreign country where the struggle to communicate is a challenge because English is not my native tongue. Oftentimes, I said to the Lord: “ Why did you bring me to an English-speaking country?”  It’s funny but it’s true! So, I decided to learn Tagalog  which is considered as the national language of the Philippines so I can communicate better with other Filipino immigrants here and English  which is important in my work and in ministry.    In 1994 I was involved in the church leadership and as part of my training, I learned to become aware and sensitive of the Holy Spirit’s promptings toward kingdom work. The big challenge for me was fulfilling the work of Jesus through the Great Commission.    I knew for sure I’d be involved in the church for so many years—the focus had always been there. My concern was for the church growth in numbers, but it was limited because I have a full-time job to support my family. I was a part-time pastor at the North York Church of Christ (NYCC) preaching, teaching, and counselling the church at the outset.     Identifying God’s Call to Ministry Work    Time passed and they decided to hire someone full-time at the church which I never dreamed I’d be a pastor here in Canada. In my own judgment I was suited better for being a Philippine pastor. As I recall, brother Edmund Lucido came for a visit with a word of encouragement which I never expected, and he said, “ I think God is calling you to do the ministry work.”      “ Really? ” I answered.    “ Yeah,   bro ,” Edmund said.    I kept quiet— Not knowing what will come next.  The leadership met and discussed what was best for the church. They talked to me, with regards to their plan to hire a full-time minister.     My response then was: “ I’m not saying I don’t like it and I’m not saying I do like it. I’ll give you two months to pray, and I will pray.”  That’s my word to the church leadership. So   I knelt down to God so I can determine what response I need to confirm. After two months of intense prayers, God’s call [on me] to be the pastor of North York Church of Christ had been accepted without a second thought. In hindsight, Brother Gil Bacus also became the spiritual architect and can be considered an advocate behind me in becoming the first full-time pastor at NYCC with the support of the entire church.    My life experiences in ministry testify to God’s faithfulness from day one and I can’t imagine we have just celebrated 33 years of ministry at North York Church of Christ. My focus has always been on sharing the Bible and the Restoration Movement principles which are very important to know. Overall, my priorities were sustaining Bible studies, strengthening the prayer warrior ministry, pursuing home visitations, preserving marriages as an institution and making a difference in the lives of people.    Identifying Where the Holy Spirit is Working    In 2018, with the Holy Spirit’s leading, some church members who lived an hour’s drive away from the church in Toronto caught my attention. I proposed one day that it would be better for one car to travel their way rather than the four or five cars traveling an hour to NYCC. They were church members and I wanted a commitment from them that if I travelled an hour to lead their Bible study then they needed to provide a house as a meeting place. That way they did not have to spend much on gas.     Glory to God!  On March 13, 2022, NYCC launched the Church at Guelph which is the first church planted by the NYCC, registered under the name 33AD Church of Christ, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.    The vision statement  of NYCC is “ A Church that Cares and Reaches the Lost! ” It has always been my marching order in terms of pursuing ministry.    As I am always aware of the direction of the Holy Spirit, I brought this unexpected calling to the NYCC board members, to start another outreach ministry at Scarborough which is located in the east side of the Greater Toronto Area. A big “ YES ” was given and the Bible studies started right away conducted every Sunday afternoon after the NYCC main church worship.    We give glory to the Lord for the realization of the church in Scarborough! In 2022 the Brethren and Sister’s Church of Christ was registered as a local congregation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.    The right mindset to plant a church is to follow the Great Commission—to go and preach the Gospel to all nations right where you are. This is a noble work you can be involved in because you are sharing a divine message of Jesus with people that determines their eternal destiny. I am convinced through the mercy and grace of God and the help of the people at NYCC that the plan to start a new church in Scarborough would be blessed and become a reality.     Identifying NYCC’s Dream to Enlarge God’s Territory Through Immigrant Networking    Networking in spiritual terms can be a good practice if you’re in God’s Kingdom. When people come from the Philippines, they would often know me because of my prior network back in the Philippines or someone in the church has a connection with them. Networking is essential. I love collecting stuff like microwaves, toasters, tables, and chairs. When I hear about someone or families flying to Toronto, I’ll volunteer to pick them up mainly because of our common network and ask them what they need and what their preferences are. I help pool care p ackages to provide the most basic stuff to help them get settled here in Canada. These are often small things and gestures extended to newcomers and they never forget those thoughtful acts. I bring them to church because the church is a community. People know it’s important to have community especially when you are starting in a foreign country.   If a friend I know recommends someone who moved here, I’ll go visit and offer my assistance and practical helps —we have benevolence and mission assistance at NYCC and if there are any goods we can extend to them we try our best to help.     If they are looking for a job, I’ll drive them to get their social insurance and their health cards. Sometimes, if needed, I’ll pick them up and take them to the agency to find a job. We need to acknowledge the reality of NYCC as a church in assisting people, meeting them where they are first and foremost rather than the other way around which often leads to lost opportunities to minister. The credit goes to God and I’m only the vessel to connect so that the people may know how important it is to have a community like a church family. Without a community, people get stressed with the transitions as newcomers and can also become depressed due to the isolation from a lack of vital human connection. The people need to know there is a Godly community they can count on not only spiritually speaking but is there for them physically for practical helps on their journey right in our own city. That’s the real need. That’s why the church is relevant as it makes community living a reality for people it seeks to minister to.     Identifying the Need to Develop New Church Leaders       When working with a group of people, my goal before appointing any leader or installing any form of leadership role is to ensure they know the Restoration Movement of the work of Jesus Christ. Choosing a leader is not based on the gift of public speaking alone. That is not the criteria I use on how I choose people who serve in NYCC. An important aspect is the element of how strong they are with regards to the Word of God. It is not because they’re talented. If you only choose by virtue of talents, they will stray away from the real doctrine of the Restoration Movement that focuses on the Bible, belief in Christ and forming one body of Christ in unity. They need to become a student of the Bible. They are also diligent in prayer and intercession so that they will be able to depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to discern what is best for the congregation and to expand God’s glory and kingdom rule through continued obedience and faithfulness.   The main objective is to protect the teaching of the Bible of Jesus Christ. There is no other. Jesus is the greatest example and model in life and in the discipleship mandate. I can see by their own commitment whether they put Jesus first. They need commitment and loyalty— loyalty is not a word it is an action . That’s how I define commitment and loyalty. Here in NYCC, many people come from different church backgrounds like Methodist, Roman Catholic, and other congregations but when I teach them in our 101 Membership Class pertaining to NYCC’s doctrine and vision for the church and how to become a member of the church, we come together in love and unity to pursue the cause of Christ.  They must know Restoration Movement doctrine and become a member of NYCC before they become a leader—after three years I ask that they get baptized. For example, a pastor from another church started attending NYCC but before he became a deacon or an elder, I baptize him.    I explain to them I do not know what kind of baptism they had from their previous church. I tell them when you embrace the doctrine of the Lord in the New Testament--you are leaving behind the old doctrine you have. The only way to present how someone totally accepts the doctrine is by their obedience in baptism through immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. No one complains because I tell them upfront.     I want to know from a potential leader what they know about Jesus Christ. What do they think about communion—the Lord’s Supper? Do you agree 100%? What do you say about giving to the Church? My point is if you do not agree with the doctrine of the church then why do you want to become a leader? I do not want people to disagree during Sunday School or during the Bible study. We are agreeing about something from day one before we proclaim them to be a leader in the church. We have a private meeting with the leadership.     Potential leaders must agree with Restoration Movement principles of NYCC before I call their wife and interview her about her husband becoming a leader at NYCC. “ Your husband wants to become a leader in the church. Will you support him or not? Why or why not?   If you cannot support him, then there is no reason for him to become a leader.”      If the wife agrees, then I present the doctrine to them and so they can embrace the doctrine as well. Then we are able pursue and preserve the teachings of Jesus Christ. The unity of the leadership matters because when you bring something up to the congregation like giving and they are 100% in agreement, a miracle of spiritual unity and physical harmony occurs in the congregation and most importantly, in the families that make up the church. It is by the grace of God I’ve been at NYCC for 31 years.     When the leadership and the members of the church help each other because we’re all on the same page, then to be honest, if we need 100 volunteers to help in the community, I know the volunteers will be there. We will not have a hard time finding them because they know the church is a community that uplifts each other.    Lastly, an NYCC outreach at Hamilton, Ontario was started last August 2024. This is another huge faith challenge as we facilitate a service after the NYCC worship at the main church in North York in the morning then an appointed leader will travel an hour to host the service in Hamilton.     If you ask me how does one plant a church? Go with God’s plan in Matthew 28:19-22 to obey Christ’s command to disciple others to love and follow Jesus, commit to be faithful to the Bible as the Word of God sustained by faithfulness in prayer as a spiritual discipline. I experience most of the breakthroughs in church ministry on my knees, depending fully on the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work of God, not mine!  For in Him we live and move and have our being.

by Katie Stevenson   If you’ve ever been part of a church community, you know it can be an incredible experience. Church can be a place of deep friendships, personal growth, and powerful mission work. But let’s be honest—sometimes churches struggle to stay unified and energized. People get busy, leadership shifts, and before you know it, the once-vibrant community starts feeling more like a routine than a movement. That’s where shared passion comes in. Every church has its own unique calling—its own heartbeat. But when that heartbeat isn’t clear or shared among the congregation, churches can lose momentum. Finding and fostering a collective passion isn’t just a nice idea—it’s essential for growth, outreach, and a thriving faith community. Let’s explore six reasons why your church needs to identify and embrace a shared passion. One of the most common struggles in churches is division. Sometimes it’s theological differences, other times it’s just personal preferences. When a church lacks a clear, shared passion, people can start pulling in different directions. But when there’s a unifying purpose—whether it’s serving the homeless, youth ministry, or global missions—it creates a powerful bond. Think about it: When a group of people share a deep love for something, they naturally come together. Passion unites. A church that knows what it stands for will see members setting aside minor differences to work toward a greater goal. Ever been in a church where everything feels...stagnant? Where people show up, sit through the service, and go home without much excitement? It’s tough to build an energetic, thriving community when passion is missing. But when a church finds its collective heartbeat, things start to change. People want to get involved. They’re excited to participate, invite others, and invest their time and resources. Passion fuels momentum, and momentum keeps the church moving forward. When your church has a clear passion, it doesn’t just stay within the four walls of the building—it spills out into the community. Churches that have a clear, shared mission tend to do a better job reaching the world around them because they know what they’re about. Imagine a church with a passion for helping foster children. When that passion is shared, people give generously, volunteers step up, and the church becomes known for something meaningful. That passion becomes a beacon, drawing others in who also care about the cause. When a church has a strong passion, outreach stops being just another program and becomes a lifestyle. Every person in your church has unique gifts and talents, but not everyone knows how to use them. When your church has a clear passion, it becomes easier for people to plug in and find their role in God’s work. A shared passion gives people direction. If your church is passionate about serving the elderly, someone who loves organizing events might step up to plan visits. If your passion is music, someone who never saw themselves as a leader might discover they have a gift for worship. When people connect their skills to a greater purpose, they find meaning and fulfillment. Let’s face it: church work can be exhausting. Volunteers get tired, pastors feel stretched thin, and sometimes people just feel like they’re going through the motions. When a church lacks a shared passion, serving can start to feel like an obligation rather than a joy. But passion changes the game. When people are working toward something they truly care about, they don’t burn out as easily. Passion fuels perseverance. It reminds people why they’re serving in the first place. A church that’s fueled by passion doesn’t just have volunteers—it has people who are genuinely excited to be part of something bigger than themselves. Churches that lack a clear, shared passion often struggle with longevity. They may go through cycles of excitement followed by decline, or they may fade away altogether when leadership changes. But churches that are built on a strong, shared passion leave a lasting impact. Think about the churches that have stood the test of time. They’re usually known for something—whether it’s their community outreach, commitment to missions, or dedication to discipleship. When a church finds and nurtures a shared passion, it creates a legacy that continues long after any one person or pastor is gone. Finding Your Church’s Passion So, how do you figure out what your church’s shared passion is? Here are a few steps to get started: Pray and Seek God’s Direction  – Passion should be rooted in God’s calling, not just personal preferences. Talk to Your Congregation  – What excites your members? What are they already passionate about? Look at Your Church’s Strengths  – Where does your church naturally excel? Where do you see the most fruit? Consider the Needs Around You  – What’s happening in your community that your church could uniquely impact? Start Small and Build Momentum  – Once you identify a passion, start taking small steps toward it. As people get involved, the excitement will grow.   If your church is feeling stuck or lacking direction, take some time to explore what truly ignites your congregation’s heart. Because when a church finds its shared passion, incredible things start to happen, and we begin to truly be known for our love.

by Stephen Weatherby “Hey little guy! Are you having the BEST day ever? Oh my goodness, look at your cool shoes—are those super-duper rocket shoes?!”    “Umm… yeah”,  the kid mumbled, before quickly walking away.  I can’t even count the number of times I have witnessed an adult have a conversation like this with a kid. And if I’m being honest, I have probably done it myself more than once.   There’s something about talking to kids that makes adults uncomfortable, like we need to switch into some sort of kid-friendly setting to truly connect with them. So, we bend down, make the goofy face, and say something silly with a cartoonish voice in a manner that resembles how we might talk to our pet dog or cat.   Why do we do that? Maybe it’s because we aren’t sure what we should say. Maybe we’re worried they won’t want to engage with us, and so we put all this effort into a dog and pony show in the hopes that they will like us. And when kids don’t respond, we just assume that we don’t have the “skill” or “gift” that others have and conclude that we aren’t called or gifted to work with kids.  And honestly, it comes from a good place. Because we want kids to feel comfortable, to have fun! But in all our effort to be engaging, we usually just end up being weird.   It’s almost like we forget that kids understand normal conversation.    I have spent many years working in children and youth ministry. I spent years working at Bayview Christian Camp, and even longer in various weekly youth ministries in the local church. But it took a long time before I finally learned this lesson for myself. I put so much time and effort into creating unique ways to connect with kids and youth, and always found myself frustrated by the result.   I was recruited to the board of directors for Canoe Cove Christian Camp in the fall of 2021. During my second summer in that ministry, one of my teen staff said something to me during orientation, and it has completely re-shaped how I approach children and youth ministry:   “I’m really happy you came to the camp. You’re an adult, but you actually talk to me and treat me like a real person, not like I’m someone’s pet puppy or toddler.”   At first, I laughed – and I laughed hard. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that not only was their experience all too common – but that most kids and teens have a deep, deep hunger for real connection with adults that they can trust. They are craving  authenticity. They want to be seen and heard for the people they really are, with all their thoughts, worries, concerns, hopes, dreams, questions, and doubts.   REAL connections and engagement happen when we drop the act, stop overthinking, and simply talk to kids like the real people that they are.    Kids can smell inauthenticity a mile away. They have a strong radar for fake enthusiasm and forced interactions. They know when you’re wearing a mask, and that is exactly what the majority of adults are wearing when they try to interact with kids and youth. When we try to connect with kids in this way, they don’t feel seen and heard. Instead, what they feel is indifferent, unseen, or even patronized.   How would it make you feel? Imagine yourself going to Tim Hortons for your morning coffee, and then someone comes up to you and says, “Oh my GOODNESS, look at your BIG COFFEE! Is that SOOO YUMMY? Are you having the BEST DAY?!”   You probably wouldn’t think, “I like this person! Maybe I should get to know them better and open up to them about my life.”   No! You would probably back away slowly, and have your phone ready to call 911 in case they follow you.    Why? Because IT’S WEIRD!!!  Kids feel the same way.    They don’t want an adult to put on this weird, fake personality and try to be their friend. They don’t want a silly voice and a goofy face. What they want, what they are so DESPERATELY craving, is authenticity and sincerity.   Kids respond to adults who are willing to TRULY engage with them, who are willing to have a real conversation, who will talk to them like an adult. Kids may have a strong radar for fake enthusiasm and forced interactions, but their radar is just as strong for a genuine interaction and connection.   The secret to truly connecting with kids and youth, is so simple that it almost sounds too easy to be true:   Just be a normal person.   Seriously, that’s it. Just be a normal person and treat them like one too. The best way to connect with kids and youth is to just be yourself. Be yourself and show an interest in them.     Have a real conversation! Talk to them like you would another adult, but more importantly, LISTEN to what they have to say. Talk about what THEY want to talk about and let them drive the conversation.    Of course, you still do need to be mindful of their age, and what is appropriate. There are conversations you may not / should not have. There are conversations that you need to tailor for their age, or where they are in life, and that is ok! You can still do those things and have a normal conversation. You can still do those things and treat them like a real person.  But I promise you this: if you really, truly, AUTHENTICALLY engage with kids, you will be amazed by what takes place. Kids and youth are starving for real, authentic connection with adults who they can look up to, but there are not enough adults willing to be their authentic selves with kids.   But when you make that decision, you should be prepared for what will happen next. Because they will suddenly be your biggest fan. They will want to talk to you all the time. They will ask your advice, and they will bring you their deepest hurts and struggles. They will put their trust in you, and look up to you as a model for who they want to become.  That is both an incredibly precious thing to experience, and a tremendous responsibility to hold.     Kids don’t just want normal conversation; they want deep connection.   Think back to when you were a child, or a teenager. The world is a very different place through the eyes of a young person. They feel everything so much stronger, and their minds are always buzzing. The smallest words or experiences in life can crush them; make them feel lost and alone, confused and scared. Words can also make them feel seen and heard, known and loved.   They want someone to trust with all of it. Someone who they know has their best interests at heart, but who also will treat them like a real person and listen to what they are going through. Someone who they know loves them and cares about them, but who will also sometimes say the hard thing that they need to hear.  They want a mentor. And you need to be prepared for that.    You need to truly ask yourself if that is who you want to be to them. If you are willing to go the distance, to open yourself up, to share from your life, then do it. If you are willing to listen, to hear, to care, to love, and to guide, then do it. If you are willing to be a shoulder to cry on, to walk with them through the darkest moments of their young lives, and to sometimes tell them what they NEED to hear, not what they WANT to hear, then do it. But if you can’t do it, then don’t. Because once again, kids feel everything strongly. Once they have given you the sacred gift of their trust, a single cruel word or patronizing comment can wound them deeply. What you teach them and share with them has the power to shape their lives, but it also has the power to tear them down.   You need to be prepared for that responsibility and consider the significance of what their trust means.    If you want to truly connect and engage with the young people in your church, then just be yourself. Open yourself up and see what happens. I promise that you will learn JUST as much from them about life and faith, as you will teach them. And the reward of watching them grow into the adults and mature believers that they will become is worth more than gold. They won’t just be some kid you decided to engage and connect with, they will become as close as family to you.   For me, this all started with a willingness to just be my authentic, genuine self with the kids and teens that I was working with. All I did was talk to them like normal people, like adults. All I did was take the time to listen to them.   Because I was willing to do that, they now come to me with their joys, their hurts, their worries and concerns. They come to me when they are struggling with their faith, and they come to me when they are filled with passion for their faith. They ask me questions and ask for advice. They share stories from their day, jokes they’ve heard, funny videos they saw. And I share with them too. I share deeply from my own experiences at their age, my own stories, my own joys, hurts, worries, concerns, and the times that I too have struggled with our faith.   What started as a simple attempt to improve at engaging and connecting with young people, has evolved into something that I never anticipated or expected. These conversations and mentoring relationships with these kids have become one of the greatest blessings of both my ministry, and my life.   I want to be clear that I do not take credit for all these things. In fact, I learned this “secret” in part from watching other adult leaders who had been part of the camp ministry at Canoe Cove do the very same. My experience is not only mine, but that of many other dedicated adults working beside me. What is taking place there has been a huge team effort, and we have seen God working in amazing ways. To Him be the glory!    But with that said, it can also be a little scary, sometimes.   Realizing the incredible weight that my words, thoughts and actions now carry in their lives has been both humbling and terrifying.   It has challenged me to be a better person, to wear my faith and heart on my sleeve. It has challenged me to be an example worth following, and it has convicted me harder than ever when I fall short. It has challenged me to be more mindful of my own walk with Jesus, and to be ever aware that my faith is not just personal – the way that I live out my faith, or fail to do so, has consequences that reach beyond just myself. My faith has been enriched and strengthened by these kids in unexpected ways.   Our door is always open to them. My wife and I invite them all over to our home for the night, once a month. It’s crowded and noisy, yes! But it is wonderful. They know we are on their team, and always here for them. Their phone numbers are always set to ring through, no matter what time of day or night.   They aren’t just kids to us, not anymore. They are family.    Watching them grow and mature is an incredible privilege. And as the oldest ones have begun entering adulthood, we have witnessed the coolest thing take place: They have started to mentor the younger kids coming up, out of their own initiative.   How did this all happen? How did I get here?   It was simple, really.   It all began when I realized that   kids are surprisingly fluent in normal conversation.

by Josh Stevenson Dear Diary, Tonight I went to the Chinese buffet for supper. So good! So full! If you don’t leave one of these places feeling like garbage, you didn’t get your money’s worth. My evening was almost wrecked by my friend though. He only ate one plate of food. One plate. Like, what? Well, I may not be pregnant, but at that point I knew I was eating for two. And then he only had two scoops of ice cream for dessert. I almost smacked him. The restaurant has more ice cream in the back. They’re not running out of cookie dough and chocolate mint! Well diary, I’ll have to wish you a good night. I believe there’s still a plate of spaghetti in the fridge. I should go down and inspect it; be a shame for it to go to waste. I wonder if there are any brownies left… Sincerely, Secret Glutton So, that page from Secret Glutton’s diary was a bit silly of course. But if you are anything like me, and 99.99999% of the rest of the population, then you actually enjoy eating food. I think there’s only two people in my life who don’t. They’d rather take their meals as pill form than in the form of a slice of pizza. So I don’t trust them. Because who can trust a man who turns down pizza pie? Jim Gaffigan said it best, “ Of course cops like donuts, ‘cause they know the difference between right and wrong! And not liking donuts is wrong! Have you ever met someone who doesn’t like a donut? You want to know? Because they’re in jail! ” But the sentiment behind Secret Glutton’s diary isn’t that far off from reality either, is it? Food is delicious. Even with inflation, we live in a land of abundance, and many of us are blessed with that abundance in our cupboards, at the grocery store and in restaurants. There is plenty to eat. So what harm is there in eating until we’re stuffed? Isn’t that the reason my wife got me a ratchet belt? So that it was easier to go up a size? In the book of Genesis, we’re introduced to twin brothers Esau and Jacob. Genesis 25:27-34 (The New International Version, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011) tells the story like this, 27  The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28  Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29  Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31  Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32  “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33  But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34  Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. In true brotherly love, Jacob refused to give to Esau without getting  something in return. Because he lacked control over himself and his  appetite, Esau traded his birthright as firstborn for a bowl of stew.  A birthright might not mean much to us today, but it was a big deal in  that culture. For example, a firstborn son’s birthright meant a double portion  of the father’s inheritance.  Esau sacrificed what was most important (his birthright) for temporary satisfaction (stew). He traded the item of greater value for temporary satisfaction. Scripture says that after this little event, he despised his birthright. In other words, Esau regretted his choice.  I know most of us won’t be faced with the choice of keeping our inheritance or trading it for a bowl of stew. But what if fasting was the  reversal of Esau’s story? What if it allowed us a chance to regain control of  our appetites? What if fasting is about putting off temporary satisfaction for  greater reward?  Just in case you are a little unsure what fasting is, it traditionally has meant denying oneself of all or certain food and drink for a specific amount of time. It has been expanded to include denying things other than food. Some worthy substitutions include:    ● Cell phones and tablets  ● Computers  ● Gaming systems  ● TV shows and movies  Although fasting has become trendy in the health and lifestyle world, what’s important for the Christian is that it is done for spiritual reasons. There are plenty of reasons for fasting, I’ll highlight three that really resonate with me. A. To fortify our prayers Just about anytime we see someone fasting in scripture, we see them praying too. They seem to go hand in hand. Fasting seems to add strength and weight to our prayer. Queen Esther and the Jewish people fasted for three days and nights when there was urgency over the fate of their people. B. To receive power for ministry The apostle Paul recognized that his strength in ministry was not his strength, but God’s. We who possess the gospel are like clay jars holding great treasure. Our mortal bodies are like jars of clay; limited and fragile. The great treasure is the gospel. Fasting helps us to stop trusting in our own strength, and start trusting in the Lord’s. We are jars of clay. Gideon had to pare down his army from 32,000 fighting men to 300, so that Israel would not boast in its own strength, but in God’s. God honours fasting. He recognizes it as us humbling ourselves before Him and His power. And then He grants His power. C. To repent of sin King David committed adultery with Bathsheba. When she got pregnant, he killed her husband Uriah to cover up the pregnancy. Then he took Bathsheba to be his wife. He thought his sin was covered over and done with. Until the prophet Nathan rebuked him, and told him that the son born to him and Bathsheba was going to die. The child became ill. David fasts and prays for seven days for God to spare the life of his son. David fasts in repentance, and in calling on God to spare the child’s life. I find fasting to help my body, mind and spirit to mirror one another. So as the body slows down from lack of food, the mind and spirit do too. It can be a time of stillness and quiet. It is a good time to reflect on myself, and to examine myself honestly. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, As soon as a Christian recognizes that he has failed in his service, that his readiness has become feeble, and that he has sinned against another’s life and become guilty of another’s guilt, that all his joy in God has vanished and that his capacity for prayer has quite gone, it is high time for him to launch an assault upon the flesh, and prepare for better service by fasting and prayer. If you do decide to fast, you may encounter a slightly awkward situation. I am a pastor and have at times visited people while fasting (mistake!). People like to be hospitable and often offer some kind of delicious food. At times I have declined without explaining why, thinking that is the better route to go. Sometimes people take this as an indictment on their cooking. I have found that it is better to kindly decline, and briefly explain that I am fasting. I don’t believe this is a violation of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:16-18, 16   When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18  so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen;  and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  The Pharisees, the ones Jesus called hypocrites, were known for  putting on a show. They did not fast for any spiritual reason, but to be  praised by others, because it made them look spiritual. For us today, we do need to ensure that our motivation for fasting is honest; that our heart, in one way or another, is seeking to become more aligned with God through  the fast. Prayer helps with this a lot. As long as we are doing that, if the  situation arises that we have to decline food or an invitation to dinner, there  is no shame in explaining that we are fasting.  I do still enjoy my cheeseburgers, pizzas, and tacos. Fasting has helped me to actually develop a healthier appreciation for food. It’s easy to let cravings guide my behavior. I have a tendency to throw self-control to  the wayside when eating, and eat to a point where it’s not even enjoyable.  Fasting has changed that. I don’t want to keep being controlled by my  appetites. It has helped me reclaim greater self-control over food. With  greater control over eating, I’m not eating as much, and so the foods that I do indulge in are enjoyed all the more.  Eating is fun. A snack bowl never hurts my chances of having a good  time. Yet fasting has reminded me and refreshed me in the truth that there are greater things than ice cream, chips, and ramen. It’s hard to explain if  you haven’t tried it, but fasting has the ability to create deep times of prayer with our Lord and Savior. During   these  times it is easier to draw closer to Him; to pour out our thoughts and heart to Him. I have had those moments, and I would not trade them for my favourite meal.  If I’ve piqued your interest in fasting, but you aren’t ready to dive in until you learn more, then I recommend the book “Prayer and Fasting” by David Roadcup and Michael Eagle. In it they talk about whether fasting is safe for your health, some potential health benefits, different ways to fast, eleven reasons to fast, and how to have a successful time fasting. I invite you to try discovering the blessing of giving up temporary satisfaction for the greater (heavenly) reward. P.S. It’s not as scary as you think!