Courtney Roughton The time between the crucifixion and resurrection was full of confusion and disappointment.Imagine yourself in the disciples’ position. Everything they expected of this long-awaited Messiah was flipped upside down. When they woke up on Saturday, their beloved teacher and friend was still gone, their lives were in danger, and Rome still held power over them. They were probably que...  Read More

Scott Dermer On the farm where I grew up, there was a small, vacant shack about a half-mile from our house. Its yard was overtaken by weeds and brush. The paint had worn away, leaving a gloomy exterior. All the windows were broken, and the chimney bricks were crumbling. It was a dark, forsaken place; a place I was unwilling to go.On Good Friday, we are reminded that there is no place our Lord is u...  Read More

Kasey Johnson I have very clear memories of moments when our hometown of Kansas City literally stopped. Businesses closed, streets were blocked off, and everyone was focused on a unified event. The top two celebratory moments involved the Royals winning the World Series and the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl. Part of the excitement in these moments is the realization that these are unique, hard-won...  Read More

Brody and Janae Bell Have you ever had a conversation with someone, possibly even a good friend, and the conversation ends with you feeling less than great or even worthless? You’re pouring out your heart to them, and they give you nothing. You’re being vulnerable or seeking accountability, and they use it against you or gossip about you to others.David may very well have this feeling in Psalm 41 ...  Read More

Matt and Madi Hayes God can and God will.Many times in our lives, we come to a place where we find ourselves desperately in need of guidance. We find ourselves pleading with God and anxiously awaiting his powerful and majestic voice as described in this passage.Can you relate?Not only does this passage provoke awe-inspiring thoughts of God and who He is, but when you read between the lines, you un...  Read More

Caitlin Schroeder The Grand Canyon is a top-rated destination stretching over 250 miles and boasting six million visitors a year. Although I have seen it more than once, its sheer vastness and depth has me awestruck every time. My brain physically cannot comprehend the miles and miles of roaring canyon walls and trenches with the occasional glimpse of the Colorado river snaking its way through. So...  Read More

Andy Cook Hitting the snooze button just one more time. Having just one more piece of pie. I think we can all resonate with facing temptation. Sometimes temptation shows up in these little and insignificant ways. After all, that extra piece of candy probably isn’t going to hurt too much. But other times temptation is far bigger than the little temptations we face every day. If we are honest with o...  Read More

Jim Edlin For about three years, our family lived in a small town with about a thousand people. We discovered everyone pretty much knew everything about everyone else in town. There were few secrets. As a young parsonage family, our lives gained special scrutiny. We seldom needed to introduce ourselves because most folks already knew more about us than we knew about ourselves! Though this felt unc...  Read More

Trinity Ozias “Don’t harden your hearts.” As I read this Psalm, these words caught my eye. I reflected on this idea of having a “hard heart” and times in my past when I had a “hard heart.” I have always been stubborn, ever since I was little. I don’t like to admit when I’m wrong and very rarely do. This is something I still have to work on to this day.I recall many fights throughout my younger yea...  Read More

Jacob Bryant There are times in life when something happens to us that is simply wrong and we don’t understand why God would let us endure such suffering. It can feel like God has slammed the door in our faces and turned his back on us. We all struggle with situations like these at one point or another.Truth be told, we live in a sinful and fallen world. In this, we are not alone and we can be red...  Read More

Beau Weissend On July 27, 2021, I began to be tempted with something that I had never dealt with: my own mind. On that day it felt like my mind wanted to pick apart, and pull into question, everything in my life that was important to me; my marriage, my kids, my hobbies, and even my faith.In Psalm 13, we hear David, in anguish, saying, “How long...”, feeling like God has forgotten him. David then ...  Read More

Nathan Parker At the beginning of this psalm, it is stated that this psalm is a meditation of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite. It is uncertain who Cush is. However, most believe he is one of Saul’s attendants, as he is hunting David in the book of 1 Samuel. If this is the case, then David is fleeing for his life.David opens this prayer by recognizing that God is his r...  Read More