Can you remember how you felt on the first day of school? No matter what grade you were in there could be fear, excitement, angst, or an anticipation of the possibilities. Groups leaders can feel similar types of emotions when a new study starts so here are few tips to help you out!

It is said that it is easier to light a candle than to curse the darkness. That is true. And we know where light comes from. The Gospel of John calls Jesus the light of all lights. We are to let our light shine before others so that our good deeds may be seen and glorify our Father in heaven.

Since 2019, I’ve had the privilege of serving as one of the worship leaders at Orchard Hill Church. Though there are many tasks worship leaders complete on a day-to-day basis, I've tried my best to narrow it down to three simple activities.

A favorite hymn from my childhood is I Love to Tell the Story by Katherine Hankey. That hymn is listed under the category of “Service and Zeal” on page 100 of my grandmother’s one-hundred-year-old, hymnal and it’s a reminder of how important it is to share the story of the Bible with others.

Preparing a student for life after high school can sound like a daunting task. Regardless of your status as a parent or not, you can have an impact on a student’s life, and I feel there are three important values that a student should have before leaving high school.

Cancer. We’ve seen the statistics and it is likely we have each felt cancer’s impact in some significant way; its reach is deep and wide. But where do we see God at work and how can we serve God in the midst of this grim reality?

The other day I read online that a recent poll of about 1000 people was conducted asking them what their New Year’s resolution will be. The highest answer and 44% of the results were health-related resolutions. But 29% of the resolutions centered around something related to a relationship with God.

Regardless of what you are a fan of, we love, if given the opportunity, to tell others why we are fans! As Christians who are fans of Jesus, we should be prepared and excited to answer those who ask why we believe the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We recently took two of our grandsons to The Ark Encounter in Kentucky. The Ark represents the truth of the message of the Gospel. While every one of us is capable of wickedness and being a sinner, we can be declared righteous before our Holy Father God, through the “door” that is Jesus Christ.

The possibilities of prayer are countless for individuals and groups, but I am going to share five ways to pray that have helped me deepen my relationship with God. Though prayer is not limited to certain techniques, practicing models for prayer has helped me improve my conversations with the One who created me to be in a relationship with Him and His people.

If you have been around Orchard Hill for any amount of time, you have likely heard it said that we are “one church in multiple locations.” Over the past 6 months, I have experienced how this reality gives our church a unique opportunity and ability to extend our shared mission in a beautiful, profound way!

When asked how to engage God in worship, two words come to mind. Attention and Intention. Giving God our attention and setting our intentions on Him in all that we do. The question is what is the object of our worship?

To some students, the Gospel could hold a multitude of perspectives in their minds. Here are some helpful tips if you find yourself engaging students with the gospel. Whether the student is your child, a friend, or yourself, may these words help you in one way or another.

Asking someone who loves to read and owns a wall of books in her home library to compose a blog that contains the essential books for every Christian’s library is like requesting a favorite recipe from a chef. But here are a handful of specific titles that I think every Christian ought to have in their home library.

“I asked God: Why the cutting? Why the shaping? Why the sanding edges smooth? Why the growing and the pruning, and the constant tweak and tune? Then He answered: There are kingdoms rising, falling full of skewed and blurring lines. I’m not built to fit inside yours; you are made to fit in mine.”

I recently came across a video lecture on YouTube called “From Atheist to Christian at Yale” by Dr. Paul Lim. His life story is similar, in some regards, to many testimony stories you hear when it comes to faith journeys but his emphasizes the importance of the little opportunities we have the share the gospel.

Over the past year, I meditated on Psalm 38:21-22 a lot! What I love about this scripture is that God always answers. You can talk to God at any time, any place, in any circumstance, and He will answer. He brings the gift of light, peace, and hope.

For Advent, I spent some time in a “Love God Greatly” study called Everlasting Covenant with some of my sisters, and I was reminded again and again that God is a Promise Keeper!

A lot of us do feel like 2020 defeated us: our plans, our identity, our purpose, our hopes and dreams, our joy. But I urge you to not go into this year feeling pressure to have the best year of your life. If we want to know why we were placed on this planet, we must begin with God.

In an interview Bill Murray was asked, "What is one thing you wish you had that money can’t buy?” Murray responded that he “would love to have the ability to be really here, really alive, more here all the time.” Is his desire simply the wish of a man or does it express a greater truth from a Holy, Omnipotent God?