Category: Spiritual
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 […]
Tags: bible, bible study, faith, gospel, jesus, lessons, scripture
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 […]
Tags: bible, forge, gospel, international, lessons, ministry, story
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 […]
Tags: bible, faith, scripture, truth
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. […]
Tags: father, gospel, legacy, parent, Pine Cove weekend, relationships
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 […]
Tags: bible, family camp, lessons, marriage, parenting, relationships, story
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 […]
Tags: bible, church, family, new years resolution, scripture
by TJ Nicholson
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 […]
Tags: lessons, marriage, Pine Cove weekend, scripture
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 […]
Tags: christmas, faith, gospel, jesus, lessons, savior, scripture
I love the snooze button. I’ve been a snoozer since I was given the responsibility of setting my own alarm clock in the 5th grade. I’ve been known to set my alarm for two hours prior to the time I actually have to get up. Every nine minutes my hand can fly to that button […]
Tags: awake, bible, Pine Cove weekend, scripture, truth
We had the privilege of having a foreign exchange student as a camper at the Timbers during week 3! She is from Mexico and has been in the U.S. (Houston) for six months and will be returning back to Mexico on Monday. She and her counselor talked about her family life and how it has […]
Tags: counselor, gospel, international, jesus, lessons, mexico, prayer, salvation, timbers