Encouragement for Life

Posted on June 8, 2018, by Nancy Cotterill –  http://www.uniteindy.org/claiming-peace/ I remember a book I read called The Poisonwood Bible in which a family of fiercely evangelical missionaries go to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They took with them everything they believed they would need from home, but find nothing but sorrow and loss in the cruelty of the African wild. …

In February of 2014, I stood at my younger brother Alex’s side as he sadly passed away at the age of 48 due to complications from years of alcohol abuse. He had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver that previous September, went through a detox program in October, and had been clean and sober since. By God’s grace, he …

It was late in the spring of 2006, and my parents had come from their home in Pennsylvania to Cincinnati to visit my wife and me on the eve of my birthday. They hinted of a special surprise for me, and the next day we piled into their SUV and headed to Lexington, Kentucky. Much to my surprise, the gift …

Originally Posted February 12, 2015 ; modified Feb 14, 2018 It was the 2nd Sunday of Advent in 2003, and I was sitting in the back row of the sanctuary at North Cincinnati Community Church, my home church. On my left was my girlfriend at the time, who had flown from her home on the East Coast to visit me for …

By David Kithcart – 700 Club Features Director Flowers, candy, red hearts and romance. That’s what Valentine’s day is all about, right? Well, maybe not. The origin of this holiday for the expression of love really isn’t romantic at all—at least not in the traditional sense. Father Frank O’Gara of Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland, tells the real story …

By Hugh Whelchel, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics How many of your goals are built around what you want to accomplish as opposed to who you want to become? The plans of the diligent surely lead to advantage (Prov. 21:5). In the mid-sixties there was a successful television series called Run for Your Life. Actor Ben Gazzara plays a lawyer who …

by DARREL GEIS Originally Posted DECEMBER 10, 2014; modified December 8, 2017 It was Christmastime in 1995, and I had organized a group from my church to go Christmas caroling. Using crudely assembled, photocopied song sheets, we ventured into the neighborhoods surrounding our church. In spite of the cold, more people showed up than expected, so afterwards, I dropped by the …

We see the de-valuation of Christmas all around us. I willingly admit that I have spent more time and money on gift giving rather than personally preparing to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. It’s clear that the story of Jesus, as the central focus of Christmas, has been lost on many in America. I confess that I have helped …

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”   John 1:5 “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” Philippians 2:15b In my January 2017 blog titled “Game Day”, I shared the story of the faithfulness of a handful of students involved with OSU Bible Studies to share the Good News of Christ …

By Hugh Whelchel, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics “Overconfidence can lead to poor decisions. Ultimately, pride is our root issue and humility is the best antidote.” In a talk at Catalyst in 2009, Malcolm Gladwell tries to answer the question, “Why does confidence sometimes lead to bad decisions?” As an example, he tells the story of the defeat of Union General Joe …

By: Dion Elmore on April 25, 2017 With just a few days until we observe the 66th Annual National Day of Prayer, the chairman of the board of The National Day of Prayer task Force, Dr. Dave Butts shares a few thoughts on …Prayers for America      Protection “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be …

A:  Patrick, whom almost everyone calls “Saint Patrick,” although he was never canonized by the Catholic Church, was born to a wealthy family in AD 387 in Kilpatrick, Scotland. His real name was Maewyn Succat. It was his extensive missionary work in Ireland for which Patrick is famous. During the thirty years of work there, he supposedly converted over 135,000 …

By Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts Growing up as an evangelical Christian, I experienced Lent as little more than a joke. “What are you giving up for Lent?” my friends would ask. “Homework,” I’d say with a smirk, or “Obeying my parents.” Lent was one of those peculiar practices demanded of Roman Catholics – another great reason to be Protestant, …

By: Darrel Geis With my alma mater Ohio State having recently competed in the College Football Playoff, I was reminded of a memory from my college days in the 1980s that God used to plant seeds in my heart and draw me to Christ. Before every home football game outside of Ohio Stadium, students involved with OSU Bible Studies would pass out Game …

By: John Hartz As a small business owner I am constantly caught in the battle between the things I would like to be doing and the things my business makes me do. There have been so many books written on the struggle of the small businessman to move from working for his business to working on his business. Because we …

By Pastor Dax Welsheimer: When I introduced myself in the last blog, I mentioned I try to live my life through three different filters. I wanted to share with you in the coming weeks what each of those actually mean, starting with the first filter –“God desires mercy over sacrifice.” What does God desiring mercy over sacrifice actually mean?

By Hugh Whelchel, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics: Over the last few months, I’ve talked to many Christians who fear they are living in a world that is spinning out of control – especially during a chaotic election season. They feel helpless, without the power to do anything about it. I like to share with them “Four Ways Christians …

Last fall I had the opportunity once again to serve as meals coordinator for Interfaith Hospitality Network, where we house, feed and provide clothing for homeless families displaced from their homes due to financial duress, usually caused by a significant illness, breakup of parents, or loss of the family’s main income source.

As we begin the New Year, it’s always appropriate to take a moment to reflect back on the previous twelve months, and thank God for his provisions and protection. What’s even better, though, is to intentionally “mark” a moment (or moments) where God made clear His purposes (i.e. through answered prayer or God-incidence), so that you never forget the lesson …