Thursday, January 21, 2021

Diving into Jonah—Overcoming Reluctant Ears, Hearts & Eyes

Reluctant. That’s how I see the prophet Jonah in his eponymous book. God calls him, and he just doesn’t want the ministry he’s called to.

I get that reluctance. I wonder if that’s why I resonate with Jonah. What comes to mind for you when you think about reluctance?

A Reluctant Prophet

Jonah had an established prophetic ministry when we meet him. God spoke through him while actively protecting Israel despite their evil king (2 Kings 14). Jonah heard God speak. Jonah heard the call to leave his homeland and his work with his own people. But Jonah didn’t want to obey. With all the chaos at home, God’s call to Jonah fell on reluctant ears.

January 14, 2021
By Stephanie Fredrick
Parenting beyond the Five-Minute Future

Right now it may be hard to think of anything long-term—even the next five minutes may seem overwhelming—but God is faithful and asks us to not only look at the next five minutes with anticipation but to also find peace in knowing that he has all our minutes, hours, and days.

January 05, 2021
By Nathan Peterson
“Three Reasons Why I Thought God Could Never Use Me”

It’s hard to imagine that Socorro ever questioned if God could use her to plant a new thriving ministry. But even as she began planting, the Lord was shepherding and guiding her through many doubts.

December 21, 2020
By Sarah LaLond
The Weary World Rejoices

Right now, we are corporately waiting. We’re waiting for this pandemic to be over. We’re also waiting to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

December 11, 2020
By Taylor Straatmann
One Family—Learning Alongside International Students

As Christians called to reach the nations and honor God’s heart for justice, we must share a full gospel—one that confronts injustice wherever it takes place—and make space for international students to meaningfully engage with God’s Word in our US context with us and in their own way.

December 03, 2020
By Rashawn Ramone
Context & Community—Striving to Be Good Missionaries

Throughout my life, I never thought I’d be a missionary, let alone a good one. But as followers of Creator Sets Free (Jesus), called to share his good news to all people, we’re all missionaries in some sense (Matt 28:19–20). And being called to be a missionary on campus has brought a lot of healing in my life.

November 24, 2020
By Nathan Peterson
White-knuckling It through 2020

As this year draws to a close, I realize I’ve too often been white-knuckling my way through it, just trying to hold on, keeping my grip for just a little longer. And that’s just not healthy.

November 19, 2020
By Stephan Teng
Jesus as Prophet—Repentance & a New Reality

What roles does Jesus play in your life? In college, I would have said things like “Savior,” “Lord,” “Friend,” and “Redeemer” due to my church upbringing and perhaps whatever worship songs were sung that Sunday. Out of all the possibilities, however, I’m convinced that “Prophet” would have been on the bottom of my list. And I don’t think I’m alone in this either.

November 12, 2020
By Sarah LaLond
Post-Grad Reflections: An Identity beyond Labels & Routines

As I accepted my diploma, a chunk of my identity flaked off: “student.” I’d worked hard and anticipated the day when I wouldn’t have this label anymore. But as I entered the new year as a graduate, I felt untethered.

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