My oldest son loves stories of knights and dragons, but he drew the line a few nights ago as we read to him the tale of Odysseus and the Cyclops from The Odyssey of Homer. The terrifying one-eyed giant devouring Odysseus’ hapless crewmates brought my son to tears. He couldn’t...

David’s deep meditation on the attributes of God led him to write Psalm 139. The truths of the psalm are mind-blowing truths about God. But to David, this mini-theological poem was deeply personal and practical. How about taking four days to mediate on the four sections of the Psalm? If...

What a remarkable encounter Ben shared with us last Sunday about the maintenance man that blessed him. He was staying at a military base and attending a nearby pastor’s conference. While there he met a remarkable young man that greatly encouraged him. I was captivated by the genuine and authentic...

We know well the credit card commercial slogan, “What’s in your wallet?” The idea is that you need the right card, the preferred card, the one that will get you the most—now. But what if we were to ask that question of our families? What’s in your family? Will the...

By Ben & Tara Orchard Do people notice God’s blessings in your life? Do they see that there is something different about you? The way you speak, the way you act, the way you conduct the business of your life? It’s a sobering thought isn’t it, to think, “At any...

A few years back I met a fellow chaplain at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. It was one of those times where you just “click” with someone. We were instantly brothers in the Lord and had so much in common. We’ve kept in contact from time to time over the...

Can God use messed up people? When I read about Abraham and Sarah, I would have to say, “Yes, He can.” Abraham was a liar and Sarah was spiteful. What a team! God was very patient and gracious with this couple. They weren't exactly model believers. I'm not sure what...

Last Saturday morning I went for a run. No big deal, except that due to an injury, I hadn’t been able to run at all for about three months. I’ve not been running fast or far, but it has been very satisfying to be on the road again. When I...

Experiences are the arena in which worldviews are proved. The lessons learned are then passed forward for the benefit of others. It might be something as small as a friendly warning to watch out for Aunt Gertrude’s mystery meat casserole (for the record, I have no Aunt Gertrude). Or, it...

Job got you down? Do you sometimes have to drag yourself out of bed to get ready for work? Are some days at work sheer drudgery? You’re not alone. Everyone has experienced this. We have seen in Genesis 3 that work has become laborious as a result of mankind’s sin.If...

Deprecans supercertari semel traditae sanctis fidei.Do you know what these words mean? Above is the crest for our newly-formed Northwest Institute of Christian Studies. At the top of the crest is the Latin phrase, which is the motto of the school. Interestingly, we were challenged to these very words by...

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Genesis 1:1 Let the rivers clap their hands,Let the mountains sing together for joyBefore the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth;He will judge the world with righteousnessAnd the peoples with equity.Psalm 98:8-9I took the above photo this week...

“Throughout Scripture, in the life of every saint, of God’s own Son, throughout the history of God’s Church, God is, first of all, a prayer-hearing God.”—Andrew Murray, The Ministry of IntercessionIf we learned anything from this year’s Church in the Park, it’s that we have a prayer-hearing God, and, that...

Every Sunday I stand before you and see your faces for 40 minutes or more. I see a lot; body language that is sometimes open and sometimes closed. I see facial expressions which reveal a great deal. Some I can read like a book. Others are harder to decipher.There is...

I was pulling into a parking lot this morning when an older woman in front of me started backing up. I honked to let her know I was directly behind her.  A few minutes later she was behind me, and graciously apologized for nearly backing into me. She told me...

Several weeks ago, Tara Orchard wrote about discouragement as an often-overlooked scheme of the enemy. Discouragement can arrive at any time and paralyze our faith. It often comes out of nowhere and catches us off guard. But there are other schemes that can ensnare us if we are not on...

This day, like so many others in Iraq, was depressing. May 1, 2003 -- I was in the desert with an invading force of Marines. As chaplain of 1,800 people, it was my job to meet spiritual needs.Being in an isolated area, our communication was limited. The only contact with the...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Battle-Ready". [Watch video]For years, I believed that Jesus died on the cross. But I also believed that if I was a good boy I’d make it to heaven. If I wasn’t, well then. I believed a distorted gospel. At the...

This post is a response to Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Drawing the Battle Lines". [Watch video]Our Life Group was discussing some of the schemes the enemy uses in our personal lives. As I listened to the group conversation, there was one thought that was headlining in my mind. It was discouragement. That's...

Our efforts as a church to create an “Easter Advent” paid off. Since Easter is the most important holiday for Christians, we devoted four weeks of preparation in order to give Easter its due, but also to focus on outreach. After all, the reason Jesus came and saved us was so...