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

church

The Two Secrets to Kids Succeeding in School

The Two Secrets to Kids Succeeding in School

I recently read a blog by Annie Holmquist entitled “Easy as a Sunday Morning.”

She cites a study by Dr. Pat Fagan that revealed that children performed better in school if they came from intact families. And they performed even better when that intact family regularly attended church.

Pat Fagan, a clinical therapist, notes, “The impact of religious worship is massive and powerful right throughout education. And it is a neglected aspect of education research. It is a scandal in the social sciences that this data is not made known.”

Annie Holmquist dug into the research. It revealed that of the students who received mostly “A” s in school,

Does Your Pastor Have a Biblical Worldview? (Spoiler:  Most Don’t!)

Does Your Pastor Have a Biblical Worldview? (Spoiler:  Most Don’t!)

Recently, the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University surveyed 1,000 American Christian pastors to understand better the worldviews that drive their thinking and behavior. The survey of these pastors revealed that a large majority do not possess a “biblical worldview.”

What is a biblical worldview?

What is the Strength of Your Church?

What is the Strength of Your Church?

In the spring of this year, Christianity Today released a small publication, CTPastors.com. Within that publication, is an article entitled, “Little Church, Big Faith,” which summarized the 2020 Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey on the state of the Church in America.

The survey revealed that the median attendance at church on a given Sunday is now half what it was 20 years ago, dropping from an attendance of 137 to 65. Whereas in the year 2000, 45 percent of churches had an average weekly attendance of 99 or fewer people, today 65 percent of churches report that smaller level of attendance.

But the news is not all bad.

The Persecuted Church...and Why We Should Care....

The Persecuted Church...and Why We Should Care....

Recently, Open Door released the 2021 World Watch List (WWL)of the top 50 countries where Christians are the most persecuted for following Jesus.

David Curry, the President and CEO of Open Doors USA introduced the report by stating, “You might think the (list) is all about oppression…but the (list) is really about resilience.”