Winter Retreat

Where is your focus? Maybe it is upon the aspirations and goals you have set for yourself this year. It may be more narrowly upon a trial you may be facing or a desire you have right now. It may also be possible that you have no true focus at all, or your focus is crystal clear. Wherever you find yourself, we live in a world that is constantly trying to steal our focus, draw our attention elsewhere, or change…

Currently, our first-year male students are flying through their first chapel lesson, Wednesday night devotionals, and outside preaching. While we try to break them in slowly, these are usually nerve-racking times. Each one of the thirteen first year guys will have to deliver a chapel lesson every other week or so. This gives them invaluable experience prepping and preaching. After chapel is over, each student faces the dreaded public critique. While we don’t publicly critique every lesson, the first few…

The apostle Paul lists gentleness and self-control among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, presenting them as essential marks of a life surrendered to the will of God. These two qualities are closely connected and understanding them will help us to live in a way that better honors God and builds up others. The word translated “gentleness” in Galatians 5 comes from a Greek term which conveys humility, meekness, and a mild disposition toward others. It is not…

This word (pistis) is usually translated “faith” or “trust” throughout the NT. It often refers to trust in God and belief in His promises (Heb. 11:1-6). However, in the fruit of the Spirit, it means something a little different. Paul is contrasting two patterns of behavior toward fellow Christians in Gal 5: those who upset others’ Christian journeys (Gal 5:7-12) versus those who “through love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13-15). Paul says the first group carries out the deeds of…