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Recently my wife and I made a down payment on a new home. As I signed the documents, I couldn’t help but think of Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:13–14 and 2 Corinthians 1:22, where he describes the Holy Spirit as a guarantee, a deposit, a down payment—the Greek word arrabōn—on the full inheritance God has…
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I wrote this poem as I wrestled with the realization that the leaders I once revered were not pointing me to Christ, but away from Him. This is not just an expression of anger—though there is some anger—but also lament, sorrow, and a longing for the true gospel of grace to be known. The words…
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The God who Made the Machine : Fine-Tuning, Faith, and a Parable on the Search for the Master Builder David declared “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1) When I contemplate the immense beauty and scope of creation I am filled with awe and wonder.…
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One of the most beautiful paradoxes in Scripture is this: it is through the shedding of Jesus’ blood that we are made clean. In the Old Testament, blood—especially human blood like menstrual discharge or open wounds—rendered a person ritually unclean. Contact with blood often meant separation, exclusion, and elaborate purification rituals. But Jesus reverses this.…
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One of the greatest truths we celebrate at Easter is that our confidence and assurance rest not in ourselves, but in the finished work of Christ on the cross. That’s why I loved how Pastor Scott Hollingshead put it in his Easter sermon:“You do not start looking to yourself for assurance. You look to Jesus…
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Every Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with songs of joy and hopeful proclamation. “He is risen!” we declare. And rightly so. The empty tomb is our assurance that death has been defeated and that those who are in Christ will one day rise again to enjoy eternal life. But Easter offers even more…
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Growing up, the cross was a symbol of antisemitism and hatred. For my Jewish parents, it evoked memories of pogroms and Naziism—of centuries of persecution committed in the name of Christ. I still remember when my mother spent a few days in a Catholic hospital. She was so uncomfortable with the crucifix on the wall…
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This Holy Week, like many others, I’ve been reflecting on the mystery and weight of the death of Christ on the cross and His glorious resurrection. But as I scrolled through social media, I kept seeing one quote that left me unsettled—not because it denies the resurrection, but because of what it overlooks. “This is…
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After every General Conference, I like to ask my Latter-day Saint friends which talks were most meaningful to them. This time, almost everyone I asked pointed to Sister Tamara Runia’s message. As I listened, I completely understood why it resonated. Her words were full of hope, grace, and trust in God’s goodness. (Image generated by…
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In his recent General Conference address, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told a moving story about a young boy named Easton who, despite the challenges of muscular dystrophy, managed to pass the sacrament at church. Holland describes the effort and perseverance it took, and the joy the…