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…

Jesus was arrested. He’d told His disciples it would happen. He’d told them He would be leaving them. He told them He would come back for them. Despite knowing all this, when He was taken captive…they fled in fear. Of course, this didn’t take Jesus by surprise, but it still…

Judas didn’t realize it, but he played a role in the Father’s plan. The evil one thought he’d won by capturing Judas’s heart, but he was wrong. Oh, so very, very wrong. With Jesus’s death came VICTORY over sin and death forevermore! My hope is built on nothing less than…

Intentional… That’s my word for 2022: Intentional. I must be intentional when it comes to faithfulness. If I don’t make a conscious effort to stay the path, the tempter will pull me off course. I want to serve Him. I want to honor Him with my life. Far too often…

HYMN DAY! You might not be familiar with “We Will Work and Pray” by Sallie Keep Best, but I hope the words from these verses will impact your heart. 1 Let us work and wait, let us watch and pray, Till the battle here is o’er; Till we rest with…