show episodes
 
Groundwork is a half-hour conversation that digs deeply into Scripture, the foundation for our lives. Each week, pastors Dave Bast (president of Words of Hope) and Scott Hoezee (director of CEP at Calvin Seminary) cultivate our understanding of God's Word by unpacking the richness of the Bible and applying it with insight to today's world.
  continue reading
 
This half-hour adventure for kids (ages 6-12) follows Lizarardo “Liz” Lacerta and his reptilian friends in the little town of Terrene. In the quest for fun, Liz and his pals often get themselves into trouble! With the help of their parents and other grown-up lizards like Grandpa Anole and Granny Gecko, they wrestle with the challenges and drama of childhood, finding real answers in the Bible. Designed to help children find their own roles in God’s big story, the program is supported by a liv ...
  continue reading
 
Artwork
 
You’ve dealt with painful and unexpected things too, right? Whether it’s a diagnosis, a hard death, a dreadful divorce, a disability, a series of difficult trials, you name it, we can all cast our two cents into the jar of suffering. This transaction can lead us to feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and depression, and often result in questioning our core beliefs about life and God. Colleen Swindoll-Thompson, daughter of well-loved pastor Chuck Swindoll and director of Insight for Living’s Re ...
  continue reading
 
How could your church communicate better? Join hosts Bryan Haley and Jeanette Yates as they discuss tips, strategies, and tools that anyone in church communication can use to enhance their church marketing and communication.
  continue reading
 
Karl Vaters interviews church leaders about the important issues of faith and ministry. It's called The Church Lobby because: The church lobby is where the church meets and does ministry. The church lobby moves conversations from the stage to the floor. The church lobby is a good place to take the temperature of a church’s health. Karl Vaters is the author of several books, including Small Church Essentials and The Grasshopper Myth. Formerly known as Can This Work In a Small Church?, this po ...
  continue reading
 
Loading …
show series
 
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” — Mark 10:51When I am in my car alone, I often have conversations with God. It’s the perfect time to talk out loud and express what is going on in my thoughts and my life. This is really easy as long as I am doing the talking. But when I go silent and …
  continue reading
 
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:44-45When someone hurts you or wrongs you, it’s easy to think of revenge and wanting to “get even.”Some people have lived a big part of their lives being the victim of someone else’s cruelty. And it can be very hard to let go of …
  continue reading
 
The fourth major theme of the Bible is that of consummation, the time when God will complete his redemptive plan and make all creation new. Join us as we study biblical passages that describe a future where God’s presence eradicates suffering and evil, and brings justice and eternal joy. We’ll talk about what the hope of consummation means for us a…
  continue reading
 
Karl Vaters talks with Brad Roth about the content from his new book, Flyover Church: How Jesus’ Ministry in Rural Places Is Good News Everywhere, for which Karl wrote the foreword. Topics include: How the rural church is different from the city and suburban church, not just in scale, but in type How metrics are very different in the rural church T…
  continue reading
 
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” — Matthew 14:31What is the craziest thing you have ever done? I could mention a few things from my younger days, but let’s leave that to the imagination. How about in your life of faith? What is the craziest thing God has ever challenged you …
  continue reading
 
“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” — John 8:7The religious leaders tried to set a trap for Jesus. They wanted to be able to accuse him of breaking the law. If Jesus said the woman should not be executed, he would break the law of Moses. But if Jesus said the woman should be executed, that would break the l…
  continue reading
 
“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” — John 5:7Do we sometimes hold back from accepting Jesus’ transforming power in our lives? Have we become so used to struggling that we can’t imagine things going another way? Sometimes the…
  continue reading
 
“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” — Matthew 6:33In my work I travel a lot throughout the year, and I have a suitcase that is just the right size for an overhead bin in an airplane. But that doesn’t work so well if I am away for more than four days. I often need a different outfit each…
  continue reading
 
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” — Mark 9:24Around Christmastime last year, we decided that making memories was more important than gifts under the tree, so we booked a week of holidays with our grandkids and had a wonderful time. The problem was that the holiday week was in November, and when De…
  continue reading
 
The biblical theme of redemption is unique to Christian theology and sets Christianity apart from other religions. Join us as we trace God’s story of redemption from Genesis through the Old Testament to the ultimate sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. Together, we’ll learn how our loving God sent his only Son to accomplish our salvation, without …
  continue reading
 
“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” — Mark 6:38When I am at our grandkids’ home as they pile in after school, I watch them empty their backpacks and then head to the fridge or the cupboard. “I’m hungry,” they cry, and they go looking for a snack. Though there is plenty to satis…
  continue reading
 
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” — John 4:7Often when I invite someone into my home, I’ll ask if they would like a drink. Coffee, tea, water, perhaps? It would be rare, though, for someone to come in and ask for a drink—unless it was very hot outside or the visitor was a grandchild.Jesus’ req…
  continue reading
 
“Winning isn’t for everyone.” So declares a prominent Nike ad that ran during the 2024 Olympics, suggesting deception and selfishness are qualities required to capture the gold. If that’s true, how should Christians think about athletic competition? With the Olympics as the backdrop, Josh, Aarik, and Kathryn discuss what it means to win as a follow…
  continue reading
 
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He . . . asked, “Who touched my clothes?” — Mark 5:30I don’t know about your family, but ours has a few pranksters. One game they love to play is to walk up behind someone and tap their shoulder from the opposite side and pretend it wasn’t them. Maybe you have had someone do that to you too. …
  continue reading
 
[Jesus’] mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” — John 2:5While my grandson was out shopping with me, he decided that I needed two new plants: a lemon tree and a prayer plant. He carefully chose both and placed them in the cart.My own grandmother had grown lemons, so I thought, “Why not?” I now have both the lemon tree and the pra…
  continue reading
 
“We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). — John 1:41Our Bible reading today begins with an announcement from John the Baptist saying, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”That was quite an announcement! God’s people had been waiting for the promised Messiah for a long time—hundreds of years. Could this be the delive…
  continue reading
 
Loading …

Quick Reference Guide