Scenic view of trees at camp

Category: Spiritual


Bible Study Theme: Stories

by Pat Preston

Campers reading bibles

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light […]

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Pine Cove Prays

by Matt Edwards

Pine Cove Staff Praying

Over the last several years, the resident staff of Pine Cove have been pursuing the idea that God is deeply engaged with His people that pray. He desires a deep and personal relationship with his children. An active prayer life is one of the ways that we can enjoy him more fully. He has taught […]

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Faith: No Doubt About it

by Chris Sherrod

Empty Chair

A condition that plagues many Christians today – both young and old – is what I call Thomasphobia: the fear of doubting. This malady often begins in elementary Sunday school class when the Easter story is told and children hear about Doubting Thomas. Wide-eyed children are asked, “Can you believe Thomas doubted that Jesus rose […]

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Forge Trip: Dominican Republic

by Charissa Birnbaum

Forge Member Praying with Kids

Last week, my fellow Forge students and I took a 9-day adventure to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. The Forge is Pine Cove’s resident discipleship program. There we joined alongside a ministry called Students International (SI) to assist local missionaries at various sites that included microfinance, social work, community health, dentistry, education, special education, sports, and physical therapy. After a long […]

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The Bible Tells Me So

by Chris Sherrod

Open Bible

For a majority of Christian families, one of the first songs their children learn is Jesus Loves Me, and the wonderful news of this love is based on the words that follow: “for the Bible tells me so.” The truth is, our beliefs are built on what we find in Scripture, which is why critics […]

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Identifying Your Legacy

by Gary Brandenburg

Family silouhette

What would you say if I asked you to identify your magnum opus? Would you point somewhere between your inferior vena cava and your superior colliculus? Of course, a magnum opus is not an anatomical term. It simply means “great work” in Latin. An artist’s magnum opus may be their most valuable piece of art. […]

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Camper Story: Receiving Your Spouse

by Mario Zandstra

Catching Football

At family camp, adults get to enjoy teaching on parenting, marriage, and the Christian life by excellent Christian speakers. One week, our speaker shared the concept of leaving your mother and father, cleaving to your spouse, and receiving them as a gift from God. The speaker shared the “power” of accepting this realization and the commitment […]

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7 Ways to Prepare for Sunday

by Chris Sherrod

family reading on porch

If you’re like me, Sunday mornings can often feel hectic and anything but restful or even spiritual. As you’re thinking through changes for the New Year, I’d like to suggest some ways to help your hearing of God’s Word be more effective and to even make your Sundays less stressful. Why Prepare? Matthew 13 records […]

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A Foundation for Marriage

by TJ Nicholson

Newlywed Couple

As I’ve been on the web lately, I’ve seen many ads such as “5 Steps for Better Abs” or “How to Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days.” These all sound appealing to those of us who would like a quick fix, but they’re not usually as easy as they seem, which is why most of […]

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Why We Need Christmas

by Mario Zandstra

Wood Cross and Wood Nativity

We love to celebrate Christmas at the Zandstra house, do you? If you were to ask your friends and families why we celebrate Christmas, you will no doubt get varying answers ranging from, “It’s a time to celebrate family” to “Santa Claus” to “Jesus’ birth.” But, I want to ask a different question… Why do […]

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