About 14 years ago, I was born again and found myself back in a church pew after a 12 year hiatus from Jesus. Worship was wonderful that day. I felt filled with the Spirit and ready to receive as the teaching pastor came on stage. His face was more somber than usual, absent of his typical bright smile and welcoming words. He stood at the podium, held up his Bible and said, “The Lord just told me that some of you really want to hear from God, but you have no idea what His voic

For the month of December, we will be diving into the Teaching grace here on the blog! Teacher: 1) An explainer, bringing understanding to difficult concepts; 2) An equipper, showing you how to do something for yourself. A Teacher is one who takes what is perplexing and makes it palatable; what is confusing, clear; what is difficult, desirable; and what is inaccessible, an inspiring invitation. A teacher takes bread from a high shelf and distributes it so even the smallest c

Between annual children’s Christmas productions and Precious Moments  figurines, we have had a lot of exposure to the idea of the shepherd. Yet the soft, sentimental portrayals we often see don’t quite capture the reality of the predator-fighting defenders found in Scripture.  In biblical times, families in the Middle East relied heavily on their sheep for survival—these animals provided food, wool, and hides. A great deal of time was spent finding good pastures and slow-movi

I’m relatively new to the concept of five-fold gifting, but I’ve always had an internal drive to shepherd. Maybe you, too, have felt a desire to guide those around you, talk through scripture, and see them grow stronger.  As a journalist, I love learning how context and perspective shape situations. And I love sharing that information to help others understand, adjust perspective, and grow.   Turns out, not everyone shares that passion. As I learn more about five-fold graces,