…gossip is people bonding on brokenness - rather than healing. I would add that pride is hiding your brokenness, so you can take credit where God has done the miraculous for you. In a room where pride is down and brokenness is shone in the open, there is no longer room for gossip.
Read MoreGod took those years of lack of wisdom and maturity and developed skills that allowed me to glorify Him more. This is your reminder, though, that the internet and this world have both light and dark. If you’ve been in the dark, God can still use that, redeem it, and bring glory.
Read MoreSo many times, the stories we hear are of those who had the craziest testimonies and found Jesus. If that is you, I am so proud of you and excited to meet you here on earth or in Heaven one day! Many times, the ones that stayed under that umbrella don’t get as much of an opportunity to tell their side of the story. They don’t wear the scars of the past, but bear the blessing of obedience.
Read MoreThe beauty of this online relationship is I found someone to reach other young women and teach everything we knew about the Bible. I was able to be my fully introverted self and we saw each other when we saw each other
Read MoreStudying the Bible through God's lens - not our desires
Read MoreJoin Alycia on a journey to explore how media in the 21st century shapes our lives and can be a tool for good.
Read MoreDr. Phillip’s personal family genetics with mental health, as well as her education, made her the perfect person to share this wisdom on mental health. In addition, I had a personal friend comment this book was incredible. She beautifully weaves nature, personal stories, the Bible, and scientific education. You walk away feeling more confident in understanding how your brain and body affect mental health.
Read MoreOnce upon a time, there was a girl simply following God’s plan. All of a sudden there was a young man in need of God’s love. That girl would be me, and for the first time ever, I can’t even tell you the first time we met. My most solid and best beginning memory of our friendship was the rooftop of a bar in Milwaukee where a young adult’s group was doing street outreach. I watched my quiet friend get chest bumped into a dance battle. All of a sudden he and another dude are in a full on break dance battle in front of me.
Read MoreWe’ve all heard the story of the innkeeper. He’s the bad guy in the story, right? The one we talk about who forced Jesus to be born in a barn. It’s interesting to me that he gets a bad rap. God started showing me how the innkeeper was a good guy in the story. He’s the one who gave what he had. He didn’t have a palace, but he gave what he had. That makes him a hero in the story and why he was given a place in the story.
Read MoreWhat a beautiful and morbid depiction of Christ! The image of a disfigured body being sprinkled across the world does not exactly fill you with delight. But isn’t that exactly how God works? He takes the broken and makes it beautiful. Isaiah’s Old Testament depiction describes exactly that.
Read MoreFor Advent this year, we chose to discuss the foretellings (prophecies) of the Old Testament. These were Scriptures that foretold Christ & His coming. They prophesied over a future Messiah. I was assigned to Numbers 24:
Read MoreI’ve talked a lot this past year about different theological vantage points, doctrines, and religions. As I’m writing this, Reformation Day is coming. I wanted to spend the day talking about reformation for the final “Back to the Very Beginning” (click my name above to see all other articles from this year on this series).
First, I have to define what a reformation is. It is the recognition of an old system being wrong and a new system being right. I recently heard a sermon that talked about how the church was supposed to create the culture - not adapt to it. Today, churches have adapted to the world in many ways to draw people in. I’m not saying that’s wrong - but we need to be careful that we’re not simply adapting to the world’s customs.
We’ve talked numerous times about Martin Luther and his 95 theses, which caused a reformation that created a separation into Protestant when the church had primarily been Catholic before this. However, we have not shared as much about the rest of Luther’s life in this series. To me, he has one of the strangest, quirkiest, and greatest love stories of all time. Let me tell you the story and explain how it relates to reformation…
There was a young woman named Katarina von Buren. She was a nun. News came to her there was a man named Martin Luther who had been a Catholic priest. He learned that he could hear from God on his very own! In addition, he had left the priesthood because knowing you could hear from God didn’t mean you had to be single. You could be spiritual and married. She and other nuns at the convent requested the help of Martin Luther. Late one night, they were whisked away in whiskey barrels in a wagon. All of these nuns were “matchmade” or placed into familial homes.
Katarina was a problem among the nuns, however. She was fierce, strong, and filled with a very powerful faith. Every time they matched her with someone, it never worked out. Katarina finally said she would marry Martin Luther & no one else. Luther was challenged to view his own beliefs and realized he was the best match for her. They were married THAT NIGHT upon that realization. It is said that they had a marriage that revolutionized marriage for that time in history! Marriage had belonged to the government because all the spiritually strong people were nuns and priests. The marriage of these two brought forth a new generation of marriage in the church.
This isn’t your typical article of theological doctrine BUT it is the discussion of reformation of the culture. Martin Luther and Katarina Luther went on to model a healthy, spiritually strong marriage for a world lacking this at that time period. Look at the culture of your church, your community, and even your family. What needs reformed? How can you be a part of that reformation? Sometimes God places you somewhere like Esther to be a part of a reformation or part of a movement. Where is God placing you today? I hope you enjoyed this year’s “Back to the Very Beginning” on theology & the church! Stay tuned in my own life as I start a new chapter called “Foundations” here on Tirzah!
Tracing back in time before the job in the streets, I can remember a distinct moment in my parent’s kitchen. It was around 2021. I was standing there and I heard God almost audibly say “You’re going to see Roe v. Wade overturned.”
Read MoreTypical Bible study tools include (obviously) a Bible study, journal, and pen. There are other additions you can add to help you understand the Bible even more. Commentaries break down each verse, chapter, and book in detail with a human’s perspective on it. You can get Greek or Hebrew translations helps, so you can understand the original wording of the Bible. There are so many resources to help YOU understand what God is saying in His Word.
Read MoreIt’s Alycia - our leader here at Tirzah! I’m jumping on today to let y’all know that there is a new movie coming out today called “Miracle in East Texas”. It’s in theatres now if you enjoy a good evening and popcorn at your local movie theater.
Read MoreThere was this time, during the 90s/early 2000s when it was the era of girl Christian singers. I remember the concerts, tours, and teen girl magazines. Rebecca St. James had her tours with her brothers Joel & Luke (now known as For King & Country) in the background. Natalie Grant was a household staple. Then, there was Britt Nicole - the new, young cool singer. Those days were some of my favorites.
Read MoreIf you’ve been following along this year with Tirzah, you know that we have been on a journey to explore the basic foundations of our faith. Check out Parts 1, 2, and 3 to learn more about the Biblical understanding of “church”. Today, we are actually following through on a request for the foundations of the Anglican Church.
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