Nearly everyone has sung the chorus of this song, but have you ever sung the verses? Read these words from “He Is Lord” by Linda Lee Johnson–they are powerful. Emptied of his glory; God became a man, To walk on earth in ridicule and shame. A Ruler, yet a Servant;…

Did you ever sing “O How He Loves You and Me” by Kurt Kaiser around a campfire with a youth group? It’s a simple song but holds so much truth. Truly meditate on these words. He loves bigger than we can comprehend. O how He loves you and me, O…

Probably one of the most well-known hymns of this season is “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” by Isaac Watts. Oh, such agony He suffered for our sake. Oh, what victory is His and ours because of His sacrifice. When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of…

My favorite line from “He is Risen! He is Risen!” by Cecil F. Alexander is one that makes me want to shout and dance: “Death is conquered, we are free, Christ has won the victory.” No need for despair–HE is victorious, and we have escaped sin’s grasp! 1 Christ is…

I will never forget singing “Low in the Grave He Lay” by Robert Lowry with my congregation at the Greensburg (Kansas) Mennonite Church. We would start out somber and subdued on the verses, and then as we entered the chorus, our voices would burst with joy and praise! “He lives…

As we approach Easter, the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, do you mind if we visit some of the traditional hymns of this glorious season? Starting with “The Way of the Cross Leads Home” by Jessie B. Pounds: I must needs go home by the way of the cross, There’s no…

Jesus was innocent of wrongdoing. The governor asked the crowd what evil He’d done to deserve death, but they weren’t listening. They clamored for His blood. Mob mentality…it’s a frightening thing. It’s so easy to get caught up in noisy throngs and to “hop on the band wagon,” as Mom…

My mom was a wealth of good advice. One piece resonated with me: If someone speaks ill of you, live in such a way that no one would believe it. Jesus knew arguing against these unreasonable people would accomplish nothing, so He stood silent against their false accusations, trusting that…

HYMN DAY! Sometimes this hymn, written in 1864 by Emily Elliott, is sung at Christmastime, but it’s also appropriate for Easter. “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne” is the story of Jesus coming to earth to save you and me. Is there room in your heart for Him? 1 Thou didst…

Three times Peter had an opportunity to acknowledge his association with Jesus. Three times Peter chose to deny Him. It might be easy to compare his actions to those of Judas, but there’s a huge difference here: Judas planned his betrayal and, even though he later regretted his decision, never…