Reflecting the Father
As a longtime ink-stained wretch (print journalist), I’ve seen my share of gimmicks to get people to buy newspapers — especially in this information age when publishers are desperate to provide reasons...
View ArticleDynamic Duos
Cookies and milk, peanut butter and jelly, ketchup and mustard, bread and butter, salt and pepper, peaches and cream, fish and chips, hide and seek, jeans and T-shirts, cat and mouse, Batman and Robin,...
View ArticleCovenanters and Conferences
I don’t know much about some branches of my family tree. (My wife and I purchased DNA test kits a few months ago to help us trace our ancestry and ethnic backgrounds, but we haven’t opened them yet....
View ArticleHigh School Exile
From third grade through my junior year of high school, I attended a small Christian school inside a Baptist church building. I became immersed in a fundamentalist culture that made my own Free...
View ArticleThe Divine Influence of God
Our vision is “to bring wholeness to the world through healthy biblical communities of holy people multiplying disciples, leaders, groups and churches.” For our vision to be fulfilled it takes holy...
View ArticleHoly and Just
I prefer Facebook for fun and family photos, but I check Twitter to see what’s trending in society and among Christian writers. On the latter social network, I see some Christians emphasizing the need...
View ArticleJust Another Article on Prayer … blah, blah, blah (sigh)
Before you turn the page to see what else is in this issue of LIGHT + LIFE, consider hearing me out. What role does prayer play in your life? What answers to prayer have been etched into the story of...
View ArticleEnd-Times Education
I grew up in an evangelical subculture fixated on Bible prophecy and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I attended a revival service during which my great-uncle preached in front of a chart detailing...
View ArticleAbove All Else, Love God
Our Free Methodist mission statement says simply that our reason for being comes down to three things: love God, love people and make disciples. The first and foremost of these three — the foundation...
View ArticleFinding Worth and Valuing Everyone
What is the worth of human life? Do we value the lives of other people? On a more personal level, do we acknowledge our self-worth? Billboard reported Oct. 1 that Lauren Daigle’s song “You Say” had...
View ArticleOur Rational, Relational Gospel
We are rational people, and we have a rational gospel. As Americans, for the most part, we have a love of knowledge. As evangelicals we readily identify with the verses that call us to knowledge. We...
View ArticleWon’t You Be My Neighbor?
When our daughters were small, they loved watching “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Our youngest daughter, Melissa, said Mr. Rogers was one of her favorite people on earth. In fact, when the program was...
View ArticleBiblical Discipleship – The High Costs of (Not) Making Disciples
I remember a time when it was rare to find a mission statement posted in a corporate environment, much less in the church. Today, we find them everywhere, from Fortune 500 companies to fast-food...
View ArticleUnstoppable Grace: A Force That Beckons
I fully expected to hear words of judgment. That’s the only response I could perceive God would give when my first marriage fell apart. I cried out in a moment that was equal parts anger, fear, grief,...
View ArticleSanctified Sexuality – A Position Paper of the Free Methodist Church – USA
Introduction God’s Gift of Sexuality Sexual intercourse is God’s gift to humanity, for the intimate union of a man and woman within marriage. In this relationship, it is to be celebrative (Hebrews...
View ArticleRacial Unity
Introduction The Free Methodist Church endeavors to honor and include people from all races, cultures, and ethnicities as made in the image of God and welcome them among every aspect of leadership and...
View ArticleStranger Things?
At the beginning of the year, who would have predicted that we’d be more likely to be frightened by someone not wearing a face mask in a store or a bank than by someone who is wearing one? Who would...
View ArticleSecrets, Idols and Insurance
Life insurance seemingly endangered my grandparents’ eligibility to join the Free Methodist Church. When my mom’s parents moved to a small town in southeastern Illinois, their Methodist preacher...
View ArticleThere Will Be Miracles Here
Some months ago I found myself doing a bit of research. You know what that means these days don’t you? Googling! I was googling my way around the internet seeing what I could turn up about miracles. I...
View ArticleFor the Health of the Nation
As Free Methodists, we believe God calls us to responsible citizenship as one expression of Christian discipleship. While our ultimate loyalty is to the kingdom of God, we also commit to pray for...
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