“prayer connects us to our Creator by giving us the opportunity to make our thoughts, hopes, and sorrows known to Him. That’s not something you want to get wrong! Fortunately, God did not leave us in the dark to stumble around” - P&D
“Little children had no status in the ancient world. They did not hold family position, did not own possessions, did not have jobs. They possessed nothing that would give them social status except their relationship to their parents.” - P&D
Many of us who see ourselves as poverty fighters, social justice activists, Christian community development workers, or urban ministry practitioners—whatever name we go by—have made Micah 6:8 our personal mission statement:
He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
For us, that verse isn’t just a verse—it’s a calling. We’ve seen poverty up close. We’ve studied systemic injustice. We’ve fought for affordable housing and racial justice, and we’ve walked alongside the poor as they break the cycle of poverty.
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? For example, what do we say when a Christian mother backs the car over the top of her little toddler crushing him to death? When a Christian man discovers he has brain cancer and must soon leave his three young children without a father? When a hurricane destroys the homes and disrupts the lives not only of unbelievers but also of believers? Perhaps you’ve asked that question while undergoing personal trial or tragedy. You’ve lost a loved one or gone through a heart-rending divorce or contracted a chronic illness or been betrayed by a Christian friend.
“I’ve heard people mention that their gift of discernment often recognizes pride in other people. Personally, I have found that sometimes the one who is confident they have the gift of discernment may be most prone to pride.” - Randy Alcorn
“Ask yourself this question: In my life, which is more common – creating conflict or resolving conflict?” - C.Leaders
“…there are a lot of ironic aspects of leadership. However, in my opinion, the most essential principle is that the ultimate job of a leader is to work themselves out of a job.” - Phil Cooke
“There is a danger to be avoided in prosperity. When we are comfortable, we forget God and wrongly ascribe the blessings we enjoy as arising from ourselves… . Furthermore, when we are comfortable with our circumstances, we inevitably desire greater comfort.” - P&D
“The humble person is not blind to their strengths; they are looking to see how their strengths can help others. They are self-aware without being self-consumed.” - IFWE
