The teachings of its resurrected Savior became the new guidelines for living for the first-century church. It was clear to all eyewitnesses who heard the many parables and teachings of Jesus, that He challenged the standards of righteousness preached by the Jewish rabbis for centuries. Jewish Practices 101 were clear then as they are for the Orthodox Jews today: God's chosen people are to seek holiness (Leviticus 19:2 ; 1 Peter 1:13-16), follow the ethical behaviors and traditions elaborated Continue Reading
All Articles by Patricia Holbrook
Grace is amazing. Breathtaking… Empowering… Everlasting… All-surviving… Grace makes you soar.
And as you browse through my messages,
Come Soar with me!
A Winning Strategy during Difficult Times {The Atlanta Journal Constitution}
April is here and excitement is building in our house. Our oldest is a junior in high school and has experienced the hardest academic year of her life. Needless to say, summer does not arrive soon enough for our 16-year-old. In my corner of the world, however, the unwinding of her junior year is not as exciting. It means we start filling out endless scholarship forms, finalize college visits and look at every aspect of sending our first-born to college. It’s a bittersweet, hectic time, Continue Reading
21-day / 15-minute God First Challenge
In Greece they were called Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis and Dionysus, to name a few. In Egypt, it all started with Atum, the first god to exist. Atum coughed and spat out Shu, the god of the air, and Tefnut, the goodness of moisture. Following were countless gods and centennial dynasties of Egyptian pharaohs, who were (of course) also gods. And Then there was Rome. The first nation to persecute Christians worshipped Jupiter, Neptune, Venus and others. Her emperors were also gods and would Continue Reading
Sympathy – Two Hearts Tugging at One Load {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
Our Daily Bread is a well-known ministry established in 1938 by Dr. M.R. DeHaan as a radio program called Detroit Bible Class. Over the years, it has expanded to offer various resources to millions of people around the globe, including podcasts, publishing, topic-based studies, as well as their well-known daily devotionals. I was browsing through some of my writing resources when I came across a story used in one of Our Daily Bread's devotionals which powerfully illustrated a sentiment that Continue Reading
A Promise for the Winter-Weary Soul…
They line up the streets as I enter my subdivision. A festival of white and pink bloom, cheerful reminders of warmer and brighter days to come. I utter a prayer of thanksgiving – even though the cold temperatures this week denied me of my morning walks along these streets, the dogwoods do not lie: Spring is around the corner! As I open the garage door, I gaze at the front yard, where our very own dogwood tree welcomes me home, its first blooms cheering my winter-struck flower bed. Spring Continue Reading
Blessed Are the Peacemakers – The Sermon of the Mount Series {The Atlanta Journal Constitution}
In their book – “Tell It To The Church,” authors Lynn R. Buzzard and Laurence Eck present a biblical approach to resolving conflict. In one of the chapters, they propose an amusing eight-step process on how to turn a disagreement into a major conflict: “How to turn a disagreement into a feud: Be sure to develop and maintain a healthy fear of conflict, letting your own feelings build up so you are in an explosive frame of mind. If you must state your concerns, be as vague and general Continue Reading
