All (Page 7) Articles 2014 Archives

For over 30 years, Heartlight has shared articles to help people live for Jesus in everyday life. While we are no longer publishing new articles, this enduring collection features relevant pieces throughout the year to encourage faith, offer biblical perspective, and speak to real-world joys and struggles.

how to learn the language of happiness

Ann Voskamp takes a morning breakfast, washing, dishes, arguing boys, and books in multiple languages and turns it into a time of joy, happiness, and eucharisteo.

Arguing kids and the morning's first sunlight lead to thanksgiving?

A Few Minutes Alone

Rubel Shelly talks about an airport delay that ended up in a blessed day alone with God focusing and praying on the things and people that matter most and being present with God in the quietness of the moment.

When is time waiting, not wasted?

Trash or Treasure?

God sent his son Jesus to die for us. He sent him to die so that we could live. The offer of salvation is a precious treasure, yet some won't recognize that. They'll "despise" God's offer, discarding this gift like yesterday's trash.

Can you tell the difference between trash and treasure?

Experience Immanuel

Phil Ware finishes up his 5 part series on experiencing Immanuel and summarizes the content of the four previous articles.

Why do we settle for so much less of Jesus than He promised us?

Those First 5 Years

Terese Bell Kindred reminds mothers and grandmothers of the importance of a child's and grandchild's first five years of life and the urgency of making a God impression on them while we can.

Let's be sure and not let those crucial years slip by us!

Strange Confession of a Satanist

Rubel Shelly talks about a gruesome murder attributed to satanist and reminds us that most satanists are like most folks who claim to be Christians, they don't really walk their talk, they just want to do what they want to do!

So is that really hypocrisy?

I May Know Why You Are Reading This

God has always found a way to connect his followers with those seeking him.

What if you are reading this article because God planned it?

Love Will Travel

Phil Ware does part 4 in a 5 part series on the Immanuel passages in Matthew, this week is the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20, focusing on cross cultural outreach and disciple-making, something much more involved than just evangelism.

Why is the Great Commission so important for us as well as the rest of the world?

Potholes Ahead

Rubel Shelly reminds us to not get knocked off our path when we encounter potholes, even big bad ones that do damage, but to keep pressing on and persevering toward the call of God.

While we cannot accurately predict the future, for most of us, there will be potholes in our path!

Can I Be Forgiven?

It doesn't matter what you have done. Your sins can be washed away. You can start over. God will cleanse you and give you a new life.

How do you deal with those feelings of remorse?

Jesus with Dirt on His Face and No Place to Sleep

Phil Ware continues his leadership series on the Immanuel Sayings or ways to experience Jesus, this one focuses on compassionate service.

Have you seen Jesus here?

Life Among the Outcasts

Rubel Shelly talks about a book he read recently, "Sanctuary of Outcasts", and challenges us to make the church such a place.

Where does your church meet?

Asking and Honoring

Stacy Voss reminds us that John the Baptist asked a deep and important question of Jesus and Jesus answered with not only truth, but also words of honor and affirmation.

How could he know for sure?

Old Clothes and New Life

Old clothes are comfortable and you get so used to them you do not realize how good new clothes are. Life is like that too.

Do not get so used to the old that you fail to experience the new.

I Need More Than Me!

Phil Ware continues his series on experiencing God through Jesus, Immanuel, this time focusing upon our need for spiritual community, family, fellowship.

We were not made to do this discipleship thing alone.

The Mission Matrix

Tim Woodroof completes the Interim Ministry Partners, http://www.interimministrypartners.com, series on helping a church determine its mission.

So how does our church sort all this mission stuff out?

God at Our Feet

Cathy Messecar challenges us to see the God of Abram, our God, in a new way, the God who will bless and bow to serve us as well as the God who calls us to obey and follow.

Here's a place it's hard to imagine God, but it is the place God often chose to be!

Been Thinkin’ About Heaven

I've been thinkin' about Heaven, a lot, lately. And I've decided that I don't care what it looks like, or if we have to wait a 1000 years, or if everything I know will be made new. Heaven is where God and Jesus are and that's where I want to be.

Have you thought about heaven?

O Come, Please Come, Immanuel

Phil Ware begins a series of articles on the Immanuel Sayings in Matthew and this is done in coordination with Interim Ministry Partners and focuses on experiencing Jesus, or Immanuel.

So how can I read the gospels as more than just daily Bible reading I check off my to-do list?

Do Our Churches Prefer Cushions over Crosses?

Rubel Shelly reminds us of MLK, Martin Luther King, Jr., and how he taught us we were all equal in God's eyes and that Jesus was the answer to uniting us into one people under God.

When sports fail to bring us together as one, then what will we do?

When Your Hero Falls

Just as Isaiah had to overcome Uzziah's failure, we have to deal with the failures of others. We need to learn to turn to God at times like that.

What do you do when your hero makes a big mistake?

The ARC of Grace

Phil Ware reminds us the way Jesus uses grace as an action, a living out of God's grace, in real life that has urges that Go back to the original woman and man.

What does grace really look like in real life?

Worship Is a Lifestyle

Brian McCutchen talks about worship and how it must be a daily part of our lives or it is not real worship like the early Christians shared and lived.

It's not a Sunday morning deal we make with God!

Time to Throw Away the Old Calendar

Do not stay rooted in your past successes or failures. Instead, embrace the future God has planned for you.

Love it or hate it... it is sure easy to live in the past.

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

Phil Ware shares his heart about someone who is precious to him who needs to come to the Lord and has not yet done so.

O how our hearts ache till all our precious ones are in Jesus!