Category: REBECCA VAN NOORD

  • BADLY ALIGNED

    Connect The Testaments2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37; Titus 3:12-15; Psalm 101:1-8 Like a car with bad alignment, we are prone to drift off course when we’re not focused on steering our faith. Often, we use intellectual pursuits to disguise our drifting. It’s easier to argue an opinion than to respond faithfully. It’s stimulating to have a theoretical…

  • BEING MADE NEW

    Connect The Testaments2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14; Titus 3:1-7; Psalm 97:1-98:9 We often fall into old habits that reflect the way we once were. Although we’ve been made new, we haven’t been made perfect, and sometimes it shows. People within our church communities might have one perception of us, but others may have experienced another side—one that…

  • FAITH DOESN’T SIT STILL

    Reflections on 2 Thessalonians Persecution is rife. A group of Thessalonians abandoned state-sanctioned idol worship and broke social convention by taking on a radical new faith. Yet Jesus Christ, the hope of this new faith, had not returned as soon as anyone hoped or expected. With Paul and his associates prematurely “torn from them,” the…

  • FAITHFUL EXAMPLES

    Connect The Testaments2 Chronicles 9:1-10:19; Titus 2:1-8; Psalm 95:1-11 We cringe when we see other Christians exploiting the gospel, using it to advance their own personal or political agenda. Today, it doesn’t take much effort to do so—it’s as easy as posting a video or link online. In these situations, it’s tempting to respond with…

  • TRANSFORMERS

    Connect The Testaments2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11; Titus 1:5-9; Psalm 92:1-93:5 Some people are like spectators in their faith communities—they simply watch while others interact, serve, and reach out. But Paul’s instructions to Titus about overseers show us that communities need people who will do more than just show up. “For it is necessary for the overseer…

  • IN SEASON AND OUT OF SEASON

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 26:1-27:34; 2 Timothy 4:1-8; Psalm 89:23-52 I like to operate when I feel like I’m in control. When I haven’t gathered enough information or I feel uncertain of my circumstances, it’s tempting to avoid making a decision or taking action. Paul knew that this type of outlook was detrimental to Timothy’s…

  • THROUGH DESPAIR

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 23:1-23:32; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; Psalm 88 Sometimes we go through dark periods in our lives where the misery feels never-ending. Trial hits, pain hits, and just when we think life might get “back to normal,” we are hit by yet another difficulty. At times like these, we may feel forgotten by…

  • A LONGSUFFERING GOD

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 18:1-20:8; 2 Timothy 2:1-13; Psalm 85 God is longsuffering, but sometimes we take this for granted. How often have we given into temptation, expecting to be obedient at a later date? Psalm 85 gives a testimony of God’s faithfulness in the past: “O Yahweh, you favored your land. You restored the…

  • MOTIVE IS EVERYTHING

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 11:1-47; 1 Timothy 6:3-10; Psalm 80:1-9 It’s not often that we take an honest look at our motivations. But it’s important to reevaluate them regularly. When our sight is not fixed on God, we might become entranced with goals that conflict with godliness. Even though we might initially be performing the…

  • A HIGHER CALLING

    Connect The Testaments1 Chronicles 6:1-81; 1 Timothy 4:6-16; Psalm 78:13-29 It’s easy to get self-absorbed when we’re criticized—or when we think others are criticizing us. Because of our real or imagined defects, we start to believe other people don’t take us seriously. It’s easy to get off course in an attempt to defend ourselves. As…