Habits
Lisa Schnedler
They Did What Was Right in Their Own Eyes

Each year, I listen to a daily audio Bible podcast—and complete the Bible in one year. This year marks my sixth year through the Bible.

Why don’t I stop?

Every year, I learn new aspects of the Bible because each year, I am in a different place in my life, and the Holy Spirit speaks to me where I am.

The Bible is always fresh! It is always alive!

It is the only book that has a Living Spirit within it.

Each year, when I get to Judges in the Old Testament, I say, “Oh boy!” because I know what is ahead.

They Did What Was Right in Their Own Eyes
Lisa Schnedler
What Passover Means to Christians

Passover begins this evening.

It is one of the most significant Jewish Holidays, commemorating when the angels of God “passed over” the Hebrews as the firstborn children and animals of the Egyptians were killed—all because Pharoah would not set the Hebrews free as God commanded.

With this final plague on Egypt, Pharoah agreed to free the Hebrews so they might begin their journey to the promised land.

God instructed the Jews to commemorate the first Passover, when they had marked their houses with blood, alerting the angels to “pass over” their homes.

Christians draw parallels in their faith,

What Passover Means to Christians
New/Renew
Lisa Schnedler
The Days After Easter...

This week, I was listening to a minister on the radio who noted that in the days after His resurrection, Jesus did not appear to Pilate to tell him that he had been wrong in ordering His crucifixion.

Jesus did not appear to the Jewish leaders and chastise them for not believing and demanding His death.

He did not appear to the Roman soldiers who nailed Him on the cross.

Why?

The Days After Easter...
Lisa Schnedler
Holy Week

Today, I was drinking in the beautiful hymns of Psalm Sunday. They are majestic, powerful, and inspirational!

Among my very favorites is All Glory, Laud and Honor. When I close my eyes and listen to the lyrics, I can feel all the emotions I imagine those present at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The hope. The joy. The expectation.

As Christians, we carry the hope, joy, and expectation at our Lord’s second coming. Feel this excitement. Play this song and sing along. It is a wonderful way to enter into the spirit of Holy Week.

What are some of your favorite Holy Week Hymns/ song?

Holy Week
New/Renew
Lisa Schnedler
An Irish Blessing

My mother is Irish—which makes me Irish as well!

One of my favorite blessings is The Irish Blessing, which is a favorite benediction of my forefathers—and so appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day!

It is a great blessing for everyone—even if you aren’t Irish!

An Irish Blessing

Prayer

Working Hard Does Not Mean Staying Busy

Working Hard Does Not Mean Staying Busy

I love reading articles and blogs that make me think.

I recently had that privilege—when reading an article in the African edition of The Gospel Coalition, entitled, “Pastor, You’ll Burnout if Your Idea of Hard Work is Worldly.” (April 27, 2022)

How can you resist a title like that, right?

The author of the article, John Koning, notes that the Bible is full of references to the need of pastors to work hard. Paul himself states that he, “worked harder than all of them.” (1 Corinthians 15:10). But what is the Biblical definition of “working hard”?

The Prayer Meeting--that Lasted 100 Years

The Prayer Meeting--that Lasted 100 Years

In my last blog, I wrote about Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf and the influence he had on denominations’ focus on having a personal relationship with Christ and a more emotional experience of salvation, and on mission work/ evangelization.

But Zinzendorf also was part of a movement that many Christians today don’t know about. Zinzendorf was part of a prayer meeting that—through hundreds of men and women who took turns praying—continued twenty-four hours every day for more than one hundred years.

Yes, a prayer meeting that lasted for more than 100 years.

The Cure for Anxiety

The Cure for Anxiety

One blessing that the pandemic brought to my life was the desire to listen to sermons from churches all across the country. I now have a list of church services I listen to—in addition to the local church I hope to attend again soon.

A particularly dynamic minister is Tim Dilena of Time Square Church in New York City. Recently, he preached a message on how to overcome anxiety, and there were points he made that I thought were profoundly simple, particularly memorable, and spot-on.

Recent surveys reveal that one in three Americans is experiencing anxiety. This number has skyrocketed under the stresses of the pandemic. Joblessness. Loneliness. Fear. These all feed anxiety. And, anxiety destroys joy.