All (Page 17) Articles

Who Are You?

by Phil Ware · Ephesians 2:1-10 · Identity

Phil Ware challenges us to look at our identity built around the question of 'Who are you?' and the answer framed by the work of Jesus.

Have you lost your identity to all the ways you are known by others?

Our Brutal World

by Max Lucado · Psalm 27:3 · Darkness

Max Lucado reminds us to be courageous in our times of trouble for we have put our faith in the one who has conquered.

Life is a dangerous endeavor. We pass our days in the shadows of ominous realities.

God Made Known to Us

by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware · John 14 · Presence

Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to remind us of God's presence to be in us and real to us and reveal his love in us.

God promises to be with us and in us so that we can experience his love for us!

The Lord Is Near!

by Phil Ware · Philippians 4 · Presence

Phil Ware reminds us that the Lord is close and we have a right to long to know his presence is real and is near.

We are not alone in our longing to know that the presence of the Lord is with us!

Where to Reach

by Melissa Troyer · James 1:19-20 · Holy Spirit

Melissa Troyer reminds us of those mistakes made by our little ones when they are in their early exploration modes and how our job is not to load them down with rules but to show them where to reach.

I knew the picture looked different zoomed out.

He Holds Us in His Hand

by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware · Isaiah 43:1-16

Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to open our hearts to God's promise to us as his people, Jesus' church, to walk with us, protect us, and lead us into the future.

God claims us as his beloved children. He has sacrificed for us to show us his love, and he promises to walk with us into the future.

The Andrew Effect: Jesus Promises His Presence

by Phil Ware · Matthew 28:18-20

Phil Ware invites into the "Andrew Effect" and reminds us that Jesus promised to be present with us as we live out the four moves of Phil calls the Andrew Effect

Can we really expect to meet Jesus? The sad reality is that many folks give up on meeting and experiencing Jesus, personally.

There in the Deep End

by Ron Rose · Romans 8:32-39 · Trust

Ron Rose writes about his daughter Julie from long ago and how she didn't want to swim in the deep end of the pool if her teacher wasn't there.

Yesterday, in practice, she was the only one who did it. Why was she so afraid today?

Trusting God's Truth for Our True North

by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware · Proverbs 16:20 · Trust

Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to challenge us and encourage us to trust in God as our true north and our basis for life and faith.

Will we trust God and his truth for our lives? This trust is a big challenge in a world that doesn't really acknowledge the ways of God.

Touchable Hope

by Phil Ware · Luke 22:16

Phil Ware's Communion reflection on the Lord's Supper focused on Jesus' appearance to disciples after his resurrection, and what that appearance can mean for us.

What the resurrected Jesus gave to his shocked disciples who disbelieved for joy was tangible proof he had risen from the dead!

I Remember Mimi as the Fireflies Dance

by Melissa Troyer · Proverbs 31:30-31

Melissa Troyer shares her memories of her grandmother, Mimi Margaret, and tells her children about the safest place of her childhood.

I still remember the feeling of holding my mouth perfectly still while she put lipstick on my lips, the smell of the old wig on my head making me want to sneeze.

For Freedom!

by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware · Galatians 5:1,13

Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to celebrate our freedom in Christ and make a commitment to never give up our freedom to law-keeping or sin.

God set us free from law-keeping and sinful rebellion so that we can find freedom to become all we were created to be.

Tuning to My Interior World

by Phil Ware · Mark 7 · Heart

Phil Ware reminds that to become JesuShaped, we have to pay attention to our interior worlds, the world of our hearts, and not just religious externals.

Obeying what God commanded and avoiding the things he condemns is important. However, the way we deal with them must involve our interior world!

Inheritance Day

by Philip Gulley · 2 Timothy 2:1-2 · Inheritance

Philip Gulley talks about inheriting things from his grandfather and what it means for inheritance day to come.

Melancholy or anticipation? We are part of a great cycle of inheriting from our grandparents and parents as well as passing on to our children and grandchildren

Jesus Longs to Be Real to Us!

by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware · Matthew 1:23

Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to remind us that Jesus is Immanuel and not only draws near to us, but is in us and with us.

God — as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — is with us and has made his home in each of us and wants to reveal himself to each of us!

Family in the Fire

by Phil Ware · Mark 3 · Cross

Phil Ware continues his reflections and convictions on becoming a JesuShaped disciple, this time focusing on the dangers and difficulties the Lord faced from his religious adversaries.

Jesus is among the familiar trappings of his heritage of faith and immediate family, both of whom are dangerously toxic to him and his ministry at this point in his journey.

Beyond Chapter and Verse

by Jordan Harrell & Phil Ware · John 5:39-30 · Joy

Jordan Harrell and Phil Ware invite to come celebrate at the table of grace our Father longs for us to share and not get hung up on chapter and verse prooftexting religion.

Have we missed the joy of our Father and the party he longs to throw for all of us who love him and give up all to follow Jesus?

Thank You, O God, Our Father!

by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware · Romans 8:9

Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to help us honor and praise our Father in heaven on this Father's Day.

Some of us have had good fathers. Others have had absent fathers or bad fathers. In Christ, however, we have been adopted into God's family, and we all have a loving, powerful, tender, and attentive Abba Father!

The Shear

by Phil Ware · Matthew 22:34-40

Phil Ware continues his series on becoming JesuShaped disciples.

We are called to live in the strong currents where Jesus' Kingdom meets the world and those trapped by darkness, and we need to know there is both danger and richness as we live in 'The Shear.'

Give Your Fears to the Father

by Max Lucado · Luke 22 · Fear

Max Lucado reminds us that Jesus made all sorts of faces as he lived life much as we do, and because he has been where we are, even in the darkest of times, we can turn to him and find grace to help us in our times of need.

How remarkable that Jesus felt such fear. But how kind that he told us about it.

I Daily Choose Jesus' Cross!

by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware · Romans 6 · Cross

Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to open our hearts to hear God's call to choose to keep our sin dead and buried and live for Jesus in the shadow of the cross.

Jesus put fresh depth of meaning into the words 'love' and 'cross' because of WHO he is and WHAT he did!

JesuShaped Prayer

by Phil Ware · Matthew 5:9-13 · Prayer · Love · Lord's Prayer

Phil Ware continues his series of thoughts on living as a disciple that is JesuShaped and focuses on how the Lord's Prayer tunes our hearts to living the JesuShaped life.

Prayer becomes a tuning fork that helps us sing the song of God's magnificence with both holy praise as well as genuine concern for the people in our world.

This Sanctuary

by Melissa Troyer · John 4:23-24 · Sabbath · Sanctuary

Melissa Troyer writes powerfully and poignantly about the journey she and her husband, Daniel, have traveled to live love and mission and family, together, finding God as their sanctuary.

I think if I had known all we would face, I couldn't have breathed. Except for one thing. God would be with us.

Who Pilots My Life?

by Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware · Proverbs 3:5-6 · Guidance

Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to open our hearts to ask God to guide us and lead us in all our ways so that our paths are the ones he would have us choose.

We must seek God's way, follow God's will, and trust him if our paths are going to lead us where we need to go.

Daily Altar of Grace

by Phil Ware · Matthew 5:23-24 · Forgiveness

Phil Ware takes the two love commands of Jesus, the Greatest Commands, and applies them to all of life for a follower of the Lord.

God isn't going to accept anything we offer him — our hearts, our Sunday worship, our offerings, our praise, our hopes, our private prayers, our dreams — if we knowingly remain at odds with a brother or sister in Christ.