I’ve been reading the Bible almost every day for decades. I firmly believe that any listening and reading of Scripture is better than none at all, but I do think that some of the ways I’ve read the Bible have ended up restricting my own spiritual growth.

Dr. Phil Collins serves as the General Editor for The Abide Bible. He is Co-executive Director of the Taylor University Center for Scripture Engagement where he has been a full-time Christian Ministries professor since 1999. Dr. Collins earned a B.A. in Bible Literature and Christian Education from Taylor University, an M.A. in Christian Education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Purdue University. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Collins was formerly on staff with Youth for Christ and has served as a church youth pastor.

God’s mission in the world includes you. Uniquely you. Specifically you. Think through those statements for a moment. God—the Lord of the universe, sovereign over all nations, creator of all humankind, allpowerful, all-knowing, everywhere present—has a mission that includes you! You—created in God’s image but rebellious, given the gift of life but still a sinner—are given the invitation to do the mission of God in the world. For some reason beyond our comprehension, God has decided to do his work through us. Author and missionary

Elisabeth Elliot states it beautifully:

Taken from Mission 3:16 by Paul Borthwick. Copyright (c) 2020 by Paul Borthwick. Published by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. www.ivpress.com

You’ve probably never heard the name Oswald Avery.

Not long after the influenza pandemic of 1918, he devoted himself to finding the cause of this horrific virus. Avery lived in a laboratory, hovering over petri dishes and test tubes. Unfortunately, each research experiment seemed to end in failure. He retired in 1943, with little to show for his years of labor. He finally published what he considered a significant discovery. It raised some eyebrows, but...

Aaron Menikoff is the Senior Pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He earned an M.Div. and Ph.D. at Southern Seminary where he studied Christian social engagement during the Second Great Awakening. He is the author of multiple books including his latest Character Matters: Shepherding in the Fruit of the Spirit.

Turning a church from unhealthy to healthy is a daunting task.

It starts by working smarter, not harder.

Here’s an example

Adapted from 100 Days to a Healthier Church: A Step by Step Guide For Pastors & Leadership Teams by Karl Vaters. (©2020) Published by Moody Publishers. Used with permission.

A friend confessed to me that, for years, whenever he tried to read the Bible he would get so bored that he stopped reading after a short time. This surprised me because my friend was leading a vibrant ministry and I know he has a deep relationship with God. Yet his confession rang true. There have been times when I, too, have found the Bible to be pretty dry and difficult to read.

Dr. Phil Collins serves as the General Editor for The Abide Bible. He is Co-executive Director of the Taylor University Center for Scripture Engagement where he has been a full-time Christian Ministries professor since 1999. Dr. Collins earned a B.A. in Bible Literature and Christian Education from Taylor University, an M.A. in Christian Education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Purdue University. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Collins was formerly on staff with Youth for Christ and has served as a church youth pastor.

Can faith and fear co-exist? Can we have hope in the midst of fear? Aren’t we, as God’s people, especially in difficult times, to eradicate fear from among us? Easier said than done!

While fear is an emotion; faith is a choice. We can’t always control what emotions we feel, but we always have a choice whether or not they control us. With mandated stay at home orders, people wearing surgical masks, social distancing and evaporating jobs and paychecks, even as people of faith, it is completely understandable, if we approach this resurrection season with fear of the unknown. Is it acceptable for people of faith to have fear?

Pastor John has been a Sr. Pastor for over 36 years in only 2 churches, and also serves as a Regional Law Enforcement Chaplain to 4 local agencies. For more wisdom and insight on pastoral ministry and leaving a good legacy, visit: PastorJohn.net

Jesus told his followers to “Go . . . make disciples.” (Matthew 28:19). We generally read the passage to say, “Go make believers.” The difference might seem subtle, but the implications are enormous. When Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples,” He initiated a chain of attachments. Disciples make disciples who make disciples and on and on to the end of the earth.

Dr. Jim Wilder is a neurotheologian who has trained leaders and counselors for nearly 30 years on five continents. The founder of Life Model Works, he is an expert on the intersection of theology and brain science. He is the author of Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms and coauthor of Rare Leadership and Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You.

As was true after 9/11, the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has people turning back to the Scriptures in droves. Bible sales are significantly up, as are the number of people downloading reading plans from YouVersion.

Paul Caminiti is co-Founder of The Institute for Bible Reading, which in collaboration with Tyndale House Publishers, recently launched a free virtual Bible book club called Immerse from Home. He has been a cultural innovator for the Bible for over two decades. As the Bible Publisher at Zondervan and Vice President of Bible Engagement at Biblica, he helped launch The Bible in 90 Days, The Story, and Community Bible Experience. His interviews have appeared in: Newsweek, The New Yorker, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NBC News. Paul currently lives in Grand Rapids, MI.

In my experiences with racial reconciliation conversations, there usually comes a moment when superficial talk gets real. Often this comes about because a person of color takes the risk to share how racism and white supremacy have impacted her life. And then, almost invariably, in response to this vulnerable testimony, a white person begins to speak, usually through tears. This person shares about how overwhelming this experience has been, how he hadn’t known the extent of our racialized society and its racist history, about how sad, angry, or confused he is feeling now. I’ve watched this happen so many times that I can almost predict it: the move away from a person of color’s experience to a white person’s emotions.

David W. Swanson is the pastor of New Community Covenant Church, a multicultural congregation in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. He helps lead New Community Outreach, a nonprofit that collaborates with the community to reduce sources of trauma, and speaks around the country on the topics of racial justice and reconciliation.

When I was young, I had a soccer coach who told me I didn’t know how to run—and that he was going to teach me. His statement made me mad. I actually didn’t like my coach too much; I thought he was kind of overweight for a coach, he was pushier than any coach I’d ever had, and I was sure he wasn’t playing me in games enough. Besides, I’d been running all my life and my dad had been a college track star (so I figured I had running in my genetic makeup). Who was he to tell me I could learn from him how to run? I look back now on that coach and realize he was right. I didn’t know how to run, and what he taught me sticks with me to this day.

Dr. Phil Collins serves as the General Editor for The Abide Bible. He is Co-executive Director of the Taylor University Center for Scripture Engagement where he has been a full-time Christian Ministries professor since 1999. Dr. Collins earned a B.A. in Bible Literature and Christian Education from Taylor University, an M.A. in Christian Education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Purdue University. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Collins was formerly on staff with Youth for Christ and has served as a church youth pastor.