New Identity Magazine

One Unsung Hero

Matthew Hamilton — Mon, 05 May 2014 16:40:25 +0000

Photo Credit: Tyler Smith @ Flickr (CC) When we speak of someone making an impression, we often notice things that a person displays not for the sake of appearing impressive, or for the purpose of drawing attention to themselves, but the simple actions that come naturally to them. For many people, one of the biggest influences in shaping who they are is their mother.

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One Cup Project

Thame Fuller — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 16:35:19 +0000

Photo Credit: Jennifer K. Warren @ Flickr (CC) The One Cup Project started in 2010, when Christian Kar, the founder of an award-winning Seattle-based coffee company, partnered with the Christian humanitarian aid organization, World Vision. Initially, God used a mission trip to Kenya and Richard Stearns’ book The Hole in Our Gospel to call Kar into action on behalf of those living in…

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Letting God Work

Steven Butwell — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 16:38:44 +0000

Photo Credit: luke chan @ Flickr (CC) “All I do today is for Jesus” is my first thought as another mundane workday begins. The Bible says: “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3). I know this, but I don’t always do this. I wrestle with questions like: Am I content with my life? Do I give God thanks in all of life’s circumstances? What am I doing with…

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Unsteady Steps

Nicholas Sowell — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 16:27:55 +0000

Photo Credit: Katie Landry @ Flickr (CC) When he was thirteen, the pain of abuse, neglect, and turmoil between his parents fighting over him became too much. Filled with anger and resentment towards his father, he needed a way to cope. He wanted to find a way out of the pain, so he began experimenting and trying marijuana. Eventually this led to an evening where he and his friends took…

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Raising Your Palms on Sunday

Sarah Mariano — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 16:23:59 +0000

Palm leaves sway above the dusty streets of Jerusalem. The city, anxious with celebration, teems with the hope of a people undaunted by adversity— a nation of survivors promised abundance and freedom by a faithful, loving God. The people roar to a crescendo as a humble procession moves through the streets. These people, who were promised an everlasting kingdom, believe that their great warrior…

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Jesus Is

Delbert Teachout — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 16:25:10 +0000

Photo Credit: Christopher JL @ Flickr (CC) My paraphrase of the beginning of John says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was light and came into the darkness but the darkness rejected the light.” In the early chapters of John, I believe the author lays down a foundation of three major themes to give them emphasis: light, belief…

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Parental Pardon

Lindsey A. Frederick — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 16:12:16 +0000

Photo Credit: serguei_30 @ Flickr (CC) Now, according to biblical scholars, is just the time this command applies. The Ten Commandments were originally written for a Jewish audience whose culture highly valued respect, honor, community and elders. This command was an address to adult children to care for the needs of their aging parents—honor and community were hospice. We might not yet be…

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Two Lefts Don’t Make It Right

Stephanie Baker — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:57:43 +0000

Photo Credit: Marko @ Flickr (CC) Chances are, you’ve asked yourself a similar question at some point in your life. Life stages have no age-limit surrounding them; people move in and out of the different stages in no certain pattern. It makes it easy for someone to feel left behind or even far ahead of everyone else. Watching your close friends enjoy their lives while you feel stuck in your…

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FOLLOWING THE LEADER

Délice Williams — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:58:10 +0000

Photo Credit: Daniel Lee @ Flickr (CC) Whether we celebrate it, run from it, long for it, or seek to reconfigure it entirely, most of us would agree that the family is a crucial shaping force in our lives. In family life a whole host of concerns—psychological, political, economic, emotional and religious—converge in powerful ways that affect us directly. Family life can be both filled with joy…

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A CALLING?

Ramon Mayo — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:51:50 +0000

Many Christians talk about being called. Whether it’s to this ministry or to that particular church, many use the word “calling” to state their certainty in making decisions. In fact, it no longer is a decision when someone says they have been “called” to something. It means that something or someone external to them has summoned them to make a decision. In some ways it can be used to justify…

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