by Heather MacLaren Johnson | Jun 1, 2020 | Spiritual Growth
A woman in her late 20s walks into my office for the first time and sits down on my gray couch, a painting of white birch trees behind her reminding me of the peeling bark we all have revealing the rawness of our souls. Her thick, raven-black hair cascades below her...
by Richella Parham | Jun 1, 2020 | Spiritual Growth
Confession is something I used to do only in private. While I publicly confessed “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” when I was baptized and occasionally confessed to another person a sin I’d committed against them, I otherwise considered confession to be...
by Rachel Britton | Jun 1, 2020 | Spiritual Growth
My Christian upbringing taught me the gravity of sin. I knew I was a sinner. Knowing the joy of forgiveness, not so much. My parents herded me and my four siblings to church every Sunday, usually twice. I attended Sunday school where my aunt lined up her pupils...
by Dorothy Greco | Jun 1, 2020 | Spiritual Growth
Confession is humbling, embarrassing, and at times, even mortifying. So why bother? Wouldn’t it be easier to simply hide our sins and pretend all is well? Denial might be easier, but if we want to get free from sin, confession needs to become a regular part of our...
by Anne Peterson | Jun 1, 2020 | Spiritual Growth
I remember the day I met Jesus. It was in a basement in Chicago. I was invited by a friend and when I got there and swung the door open I saw other 20-something people like me. They were sitting around long tables that had Bibles piled on the ends. There were bowls of...
by Jessica VanRoekel | May 1, 2020 | Spiritual Growth
Her heart spills over with goodness and kindness, and her smile precedes encouraging words. She has walked through this life of ups and downs with me and always, always points me toward Christ. Her arms swing wide for the kind of hug that squeezes tight and tells me I...
