Let the Light In: Choosing Beauty and Goodness in a Dark World - Dr Carol Ministries
It’s easy to focus on dealing with bad stuff. But you only become whole if you then take in the good stuff. Here's how to let the light in.| Dr Carol Ministries
It’s easy to focus on dealing with bad stuff. But you only become whole if you then take in the good stuff. Here's how to let the light in.| Dr Carol Ministries
Celebrating the Nicene Creed, Part 3 Sit and gaze at the work of Christ Jesus is coming for dinner. Yes, the LORD! Sweep and scrub, set out cups and plates, fetch water, bake bread, mix wine, and w…| AP
Hosea 1:6-7 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to …| AP
Testimony of an Abortion Survivor “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). Politics and religion: it used to be said they […]| AP
Review of Unshaken Allegiance: Living wisely as Christians with diminishing religious freedoms Author: Prof. Patrick Parkinson Publisher: St Matthias Year: 2025 Reviewer: Mark Powell I have long been an admirer of Professor Patrick Parkinson and […]| AP
1 Timothy 5:1-2 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as […]| AP
2 Kings 5:2-3 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If […]| AP
Celebrating the Nicene Creed, Part 2 God the Father and the Person of God the Son I was fifteen when I first saw those creepy life-size models of famous people, […]| AP
Daniel 8:18-19 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. He said: “I […]| AP
CUBA: GETTING PASTORS BACK ON THE ROAD! A Christian charity has stepped in to repair dozens of vehicles in central Cuba, helping clergy and volunteers continue reaching isolated communities. Aid […]| AP
Psalm 115:2-4 Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. The […]| AP
2 Kings 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that …| AP
Is God good? Your initial response may be the one you learned in church or Sunday school; “God is good. All the time.” But what about your internal emotional reaction? It’s one thing for your head to “know” the “right” answer. It’s quite another for your internal nervous system, your feelings, to enthusiastically affirm the... The post Is God Good? Healing your Connection with God appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
Ever feel disappointed with your life, wondering Is this all there is? Get up and go to church. Serve on the volunteer team. Open your Bible app, read today’s verses; check. Show up at small group. Pay your tithe. Did I even pray today? Try to ignore your vague sense of guilt for feeling empty... The post Disappointed in an Empty Life: Is This All There Is? appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
What would following Jesus right now, today, look like? In the life you actually have. With the history, traumas, strengths, resources, struggles that are your bucket of “stuff” to walk through in real life. With the spouse, boss, parents, children, friends or lack thereof that are actually in your world. Sometimes we believe that if... The post Transformation Starts Here: Following Jesus in Your Actual Life appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
What’s it like to be on the other side of you? If you were your friend, husband, wife, child, employee, boss, pastor, parishioner, what would it be like to be in relationship with you? And are you having the same effect on people that Jesus did? It’s human nature to fall into the mindset that... The post Do You Have the Same Effect on People that Jesus Did? appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
God created you as a sexual being regardless of gender, age, or relationship status. But why? Some people are tempted to suppress or deny this part of their being, but that doesn’t go well. Others have allowed their sexuality to control and define them, which doesn’t go well either. And yet sex and intimacy are... The post Why Sex and Intimacy are a Big Deal, and What to Do About It appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
Every relationship experiences ruptures. Husband/wife, parent/child, good friends – we are all sinners, and that means some rupture in relationships is both inevitable and painful. The good news is that rupture need not be the end of the story. Brain research and social science show us how repair is possible. And isn’t that also the... The post From Rupture to Repair: Working Towards Healing in Your Relationship appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
A husband I’ll call George feels paralyzed. He knows things aren’t well in his soul or in his marriage, but he feels stuck. He wrote to me; “I’m afraid to change or address how I do things.” He’s had no experience in facing hard things and doing the work to move forward and discover something... The post 5 Ways You May Be Afraid to Change and What to Do About It appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
Every marriage has troubles. Every single one! And yet when your relationship struggles it’s easy to wonder if healing for your marriage is possible. It can be hard to right-size the issues; is this normal? Should I try to ignore this? Will this get better with time? Does this mean our relationship is doomed to... The post When Love Feels Broken: God’s Healing for Your Marriage appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
You are not an island. You have an impact on other people whether you realize it or not, and whether you want to or not. You matter – a lot! But this is also about more than just you. Your inner life gives off a fragrance that affects others. Who you become has ripple effects... The post Your Fragrance: How Your Inner Life Affects Others appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
Some words are pregnant with emotional weight. Purity is such a word. At its best, it conveys the idea of wholeness, integrity, unmixed with contaminants, such as in pure gold. Purity is a Biblical concept, though not usually in the way most people think. But for many today, purity is a dirty word because its... The post Purity: More About the Inside than the Outside appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
Feeling stuck in your Christian life? Repeatedly asking for forgiveness only to keep falling into the same sins? Are the same wounds messing with you over and over? Praying for deliverance that only seems to last for a moment? Perhaps you’re focusing on the wrong category. It’s healing, repentance, and deliverance that you need –... The post Healing, Repentance, and Deliverance in Becoming Whole appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
Many people who are seeking to follow Jesus struggle with their sexuality. You might be like Paul, doing what you don’t really want to do or not doing what you know is right and good (Romans 7:15-19). Your thought life or fantasies or behaviors might feel out of your control, and you hate it. Along... The post How to Consecrate Your Sex Life to Jesus Daily appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
You are wired to need people. You can’t get away from that even if you try. But many may find themselves deep in a friendship, or a marriage, or a romantic relationship and wonder, “Is this all there is?” The human connection fills you up for a moment, but something goes flat or sideways. What... The post This Relationship Won’t Fix You appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
What is Jesus inviting you into? Steve imagined a life of striving and trying harder, never feeling like he could measure up. Marianne imagined it would be sad, painful, and lonely, hoping eternity would finally bring some relief. What do you expect from walking this journey of transformation? Specifically when it comes to sexual wholeness,... The post What Does Sexual Wholeness Look Like? appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
When the sun sets, how often do you worry that it’s gone forever? Probably never. If you’re sick or lonely, you might dread the night. Or perhaps you look forward to rest. You may toss and turn, or sleep eight uninterrupted hours. The night might feel too long or too short. But one thing you... The post You’re Not Too Far Gone: The Hope That Changes Everything appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
It’s incredibly exhilarating to watch God do something miraculous. When Jesus shows up and heals a troubled soul – there’s nothing like it. The greatest privilege in the universe is to have the honor of being Jesus to someone, to, as my seminary professor once said, connect their story with God’s story, and to then... The post What Happens When Jesus Shows Up? appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
Put your inner critic on time-out for a moment. Get beyond your intellectual left brain that may say, “Of course God knows and cares about my sexuality.” Get into your right brain, your heart, what your emotions say about the question. Perhaps even look at yourself from the perspective of an outside observer. What is... The post Where is God in My Sexuality? appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
Your body can be a touchy subject (no pun intended). Is your body a friend or foe? Many if not most of us have a love-hate relationship with our bodies, sometimes more hate than love. Humans are embodied beings; it’s how God made us. It’s not good to hate something God called good. So, what... The post Your Body: Friend or Foe? appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
You’re not married. And you’re in good company. Unmarried adults now outnumber married adults in the US and in many other countries. Whether your relationship status is never married, divorced, widowed, or “it’s complicated,” you still need intimacy. So what does intimacy for singles look like? The Christian church has not done a very good... The post What Does Intimacy for Singles Look Like? appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
I can’t be vulnerable; people will walk all over me. … People don’t like my honest self, so I have to keep pretending. Sentiments such as those highlight the challenges of finding true connection. It feels dangerous, but part of you wants it. You know you need it. Let’s explore learning to navigate these tensions... The post 4 Tensions to Manage so you can Experience Authentic Intimacy appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
You were created in the image of God, with the need, desire, and capacity for intimacy. That need is part of your very DNA. It’s close to the core of your being. It’s no wonder the enemy has worked so hard to steal, kill, and destroy in this area. And intimacy gone wrong doesn’t only... The post Intimacy Gone Wrong: the Biggest Obstacle to Connection with God appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
If you’ve ever had an original thought, you’re one of very few humans who have. We are great mimics, learning how to think and talk and react from those we are around. Science demonstrates that you develop the health habits, wealth habits, and relationship habits of the people you spend the most time with. When... The post What If Everything You Learned About Relationships Was Wrong? appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
The post Lies That Kill Intimacy: Common Myths About Sex and Relationships appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
One might think that something as vital to our wellbeing as intimacy is wouldn’t be so hard. But it is. You’ve been seeking it ever since you came into this world, and your attempts at true connection have often, perhaps almost always, ended in pain. The ache in your soul may feel raw and bleeding,... The post Five Reasons Why Intimacy Is Hard: What No One Tells You appeared first on Dr Carol Ministries.| Dr Carol Ministries
There has been so much commentary in the past few years about the transgender movement. This has often ended up with Christians and transgender activists lining up on opposite sides from one another shouting opinions at on another. Too often the Christian traditional teaching on gender (which I hold to) comes across so poorly as … + Read More The post Engaging with transgenderism: start with love appeared first on Written for our instruction.| Written for our instruction
If all people are made in the image of God, we should treat everyone we meet well. Not only those who are important.| Written for our instruction
There are few things more complicated in this world than parenting. Every set of parents is different. Every child is different. Every culture does things differently. This makes it difficult to see general wise principles when it comes to parenting. Yet there is a key principle that I fear is often not considered enough. Your … + Read More The post Parents need to parent their children appeared first on Written for our instruction.| Written for our instruction
God has given us different gifts, which are to be used with enthusiasm in the local church to build others up.| Written for our instruction
Christians are those who are living sacrifices, giving our lives to the service of God. We are to be different from the world around us, as we read in Romans 12:2-3: 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what … + Read More The post Thinking rightly with renewed minds (Romans 12:2-3) appeared first on Written for our instruction.| Written for our instruction
Being a living sacrifice to God means not being like the world around you, but to have your thinking changed by the Holy Spirit.| Written for our instruction
Romans 12:1 encourages us to be living sacrifices (expanded upon in the previous blog post here). That’s not all this verse teaches; let’s look at it again: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual … + Read More The post What is “spiritual worship” in Romans 12:1? appeared first on Written for our instruction.| Written for our instruction
Christians are to be living sacrifices, which means to devote our whole lives to the service of the God who saved us.| Written for our instruction
Christians by definition followers of Jesus. But following Jesus requires us to take action. Words aren't enough, steps are needed to follow God.| Rethink
I love Facebook and Instagram. I hate Facebook and Instagram. Sometimes I love and hate social media at the same time. I am sure I am not alone. I signed up for Facebook a very long time ago. In the early days, it did seem fun and a good tool to connect with people, especially … + Read More The post Love and hate for social media appeared first on Written for our instruction.| Written for our instruction
Christians might use busyness as an excuse not to be involved in church. In the end, we make the time for what matters to us.| Written for our instruction
Sickness reminds us that we are not in control as much as we think we are; God is in control and we are not.| Written for our instruction
One reason why the Methodist movement outlived the first generation of Methodists is because John Wesley was a practical theologian and a spiritual guide to the people called Methodist. In most of …| John Meunier
We should not give God what is left over after we have used what we want. God needs to come first in our lives.| Written for our instruction
Christians should not be defeatist about saying no to temptation. We should take sin seriously and grow in holiness.| Written for our instruction
God doesn't owe us anything. In Jesus, He has given us way more than we deserve! We are sons, not customers of God.| Written for our instruction
Our to-do lists make us feel we control the future. We don't, so much is outside our control. God is the true one in charge.| Written for our instruction
Christianity is not about keeping rules, but trusting in Jesus who died for us. All we do is a response to Jesus.| Written for our instruction
God works in mysterious ways to save people and grow their faith. Sometimes we can look back and see God's hand in events.| Written for our instruction
This is the final installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” By Joshua Pauling Part 1 of this series tackled why now is the time to change our relationship with digital technologies, Part 2 presented crucial strategies for parenting, Part 3 explored coming of age in the digital world, Part 4 encouraged adults to lead the way in forming healthier habits and practices, and Part 5 highlighted the church’s vital role as an embodied, living alternative to the...| The Lutheran Witness
By Bryan Wolfmueller Christians have need of endurance: that mix of courage and patience that presses on to the end. We are tempted to weariness. Our flesh is discouraged. Thanks be to God, the Scriptures are full of passages that spur us on to faithful endurance. The Bible sets the joy of the Gospel, the hope of eternal life, and the strength of the Holy Spirit before our weak and weary hearts. The Bible encourages us on the way. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord says: “Fear not, for I ...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the fifth installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Joshua Pauling Part 1 of this series established why it’s necessary to live intentionally in the digital age, Part 2 offered core principles for parenting, Part 3 explored coming of age in the digital world, and Part 4 highlighted how adults should lead the way in forming habits of living that anchor us in our embodied nature as creatures made in God’...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the fourth installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Joshua Pauling Part 1 of this series established why it’s time to take action regarding the ubiquitous role of digital devices in our lives, Part 2 explored some core principles for parenting, and Part 3 offered some ways to counteract the unique challenges faced by those coming of age in the digital world. Now, Part 4 focuses on why this is not just a...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the third installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Joshua Pauling Part 1 of this series laid the groundwork for why it’s time to do something about our relationship to screens and digital devices. Part 2 focused on key principles for parenting and family life. In Part 3, we will zoom in on the challenges teens and twenty-somethings face as they are coming of age in the digital world. Reality Check A rec...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the second installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Joshua Pauling In Part 1 of this series, we laid the groundwork for why Christians must think clearly and act intentionally regarding the role of screen-based, internet-connected devices in our lives. (To summarize: Such devices and technologies easily nudge us in ways contrary to human flourishing and contrary to our design as enfleshed souls.) We don...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the first installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Josh Pauling In recent years, there has been a significant rise in public concern about the impacts of the digital revolution on human life — everything from rising anxiety to declining attention. Increasing numbers of people are now willing to acknowledge we have a problem.[1] But what are we to do about it? There has been no shortage of recent books, ...| The Lutheran Witness
Robin Phillips and Joshua Pauling, Are We All Cyborgs Now? Reclaiming Our Humanity from the Machine. Basilian Media, 2024. 453 pages. Order here. By Stacey Eising This new book, co-authored by an LCMS student of theology, offers a solution to our digital technology predicament: life together in the church. Perhaps you also saw this rather disturbing ad on TV recently: A man is sitting in a diner designing a new website on his laptop. As he types, the bodies of those sitting around him are vio...| The Lutheran Witness
For many Christians around the globe — as noted in the Snippets this month — life is a daily struggle as they face persecution and even death for the sake of the Gospel. The culture that surrounds them is actively hostile toward them for their faith. In the U.S., our feature writer Aaron Renn contends, Christians now face a “negative world” — while we do not have to fear death or even outright persecution for our faith, for the first time in our nation’s history Christians do face...| The Lutheran Witness
The March issue of The Lutheran Witness discusses how we can live faithfully in a culture increasingly hostile toward the Christian faith. From the Editor: The Sanctified Life in a Hostile World Features: The Negative World: Facing a new social reality as Christians — Aaron M. RennOur Youth Are Ready to Serve: A ‘Set Apart to Serve’ feature — James BaneckLutheran Life in ‘the Negative World’: Holding to the Gospel in a Shifting Culture — Scott AdleChristians in Enemy Territ...| The Lutheran Witness
By Scott Adle Aaron Renn’s Life in the Negative World has spurred many Christians and Christian leaders to think again about a question that is old, yet perennial. Perhaps it could be summarized as: “What is the way forward in this culture for the church, and for us as Christians?” The italicized bit is what has gotten Renn traction. His framework posits that something has changed in our culture over the last few decades, and that the ways we do things should perhaps change too. An Age ...| The Lutheran Witness
Easter time is often a full time for people, whether you are Christian or not. In Australia, it is the only four-day weekend on the annual calendar. It often falls near school holidays as well so those with children have a change of pace. Many have family gatherings or a weekend away, and Christian people … + Read More| Written for our instruction
I have heard people say that they don’t feel that they feel connected to the local church family that they go to because there is no-one there who is like them. Perhaps this could be said by a young person in a church mainly populated by middle-aged or older believers. Perhaps this could be said … + Read More| Written for our instruction
Paul Rutherford provides an overview of the Puritan John Owen's classic book 'The Mortification of Sin.'| Probe Ministries
By James Jeffery Author: John Calvin Translator: Raymond A. Blacketer Publisher: Crossway Year: 2024 A compelling argument can be made that John Calvin’s four-volume Institutes of the Christian Rel…| AP
Step into this moment with me…You’re in the middle of an important conversation when it happens. Your phone buzzes, and there it is: the dreaded notificatio ...| d6family.com
Happy new year! A new year always makes us think of new possibilities. Perhaps you are making plans for the new things you want to do this year. Perhaps you have made new year’s resolutions. You might have signed up for that gym membership, enrolled in that new course, or decided to try a new sport. Perhaps you are considering how to serve Jesus in different ways in 2025 compared to how you have served Him up to this point.| Written for our instruction
I read a lot of books, and this has been a year particularly full of reading due to my Sabbatical mid-year. I have found that the act of reading longer-form pieces of writing like books is revolutionary in a world that is full of swiping from 10 second video to 10 second video. Having to think through a sustained argument builds concentration and stimulates your thinking.| Written for our instruction
Jeremiah 41:4-7 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from She…| AP
This wilderness was a place of despair and discouragement, where everything looked dry and empty, and my once fruitful life felt barren—like the Israelites, ...| d6family.com
Dr. Michael Gleghorn makes a case for why Christian doctrine and apologetics are important for spiritual growth and maturity.| Probe Ministries
Mark 5:41-43 [Jesus] took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to wal…| AP
We live in a world which values extroverts very highly. School children are marked on contributions in class. Job interview processes always include evidence of teamwork. TV shows and movies portray typical social lives as being dominated by attending parties and large social gatherings. We all love someone who loves people and is in their element when spending all of their time with people.| Written for our instruction
I am the father of three boys. We have a family tradition to measure every child’s height on their birthday. The fast-growing teenagers always look forward to the confirmation that they have grown a lot, especially if it means passing the height of one of their parents! There is much banter about who is taller, and who will be taller than who when they finish growing. (It is also humbling for the parents; I lost my tallest status a few years back and am likely to be passed twice more in the...| Written for our instruction
Studies in Acts Plots and Plans! (Acts 23:12-35) The attack planned. Several fanatical Jews were enraged that their attempt to kill Paul had failed, and that the Council had not condemned him to di…| AP
Studies in Acts Struggles with the Sanhedrin (Acts 22:24-23:11) Before the Sanhedrin condemned the Lord Jesus to death, he had overwhelmingly proven to both the leaders and the people that he was t…| AP
Studies in Acts An Apologia (Acts 22:1-23) How did the mistreated apostle address his audience? The mob had violated the fraternal bond and just now had almost killed him as an enemy of God’s peopl…| AP
Studies in Acts Jerusalem in turmoil (Acts 21:27-30) None of the law-observant Jewish Christians provided the occasion for Paul’s arrest. Nor any Judaizers, but Jews from the Roman province of Asia…| AP
Studies in Acts Paul’s Third Missionary Journey (Acts 21:1-16) Paul’s Third Apostolic Journey: Tyre, Ptolemais, Caesarea, Jerusalem By now it was three years since Paul had left Antioch in Syria fo…| AP
