Orchard Hill Church Blog
Explore. Grow. Engage.
Mentoring Moments
Mentoring is all about investing in the lives of others. It is intentional discipleship. It was the way of Jesus. As I have spent time studying the life of Jesus in His gospels this summer, I am inspired to share with people what I have learned.
Meeting Life with Peace, Loving Kindness, and Compassion
Where can we find a peace that is powerful enough to quiet our hearts when life throws significant challenges our way? Let us start at the source - God. Peace, loving kindness, and compassion are all attributes of God.
Approaching the Bible as a Whole
When it comes to reading the Bible, many people may feel as if there is a perfect plan they have to follow and when that plan is messed up, or one day is missed, they stop reading altogether. If we are faithful to come before God daily, He finds us just as we are.
The Hidden Treasure of Jesus
In 2012, Michael Rorrer, was cleaning out his great aunt’s basement after she had passed away. Tucked away in a closet was a box of 345 comics that his great uncle had been collecting since he was a little boy. Rorrer had no idea what he had found - just like many people do not recognize the value of Jesus.
Relying on the One Who is Unchanging
Because of sin, we tend to look for permanence in things that are constantly changing instead of relying on the One who is incapable of changing and who will never allow His promises to fail.
The Glory of “My Father’s World”
As I talk with friends and family in this time of quarantine, I have noted how many have commented on the beauty of getting outside. Our God is the One whose is made known in every majestic sunset, each precise blade of grass, every stunning peony. He is the Message that these beautiful wonders hold for us.
"Hesed" and the Steadfast Love of God
There is a family word in the Bible that is repeated more than 250 times which is “hesed”. This Hebrew word describes the steadfast love of God for His people. This love is unconditional, unwavering and unlike any other kind of love described in the scriptures.
Alive and Active: Studying the Book of Acts in Isolation
As everything around me has become increasingly inactive due to COVID-19, I have come to realize just how important the word of God is in my own personal life. I decided that I would start reading the book of Acts during my quiet time. Here is how the Lord spoke to me through the Word.
The Perpetual New Kid
When I was in Jr. High my family moved from the town in which I grew up to a new one, far away. I did not know anyone there. No one knew me. It is weird to be the new kid. And you know what? There is a sense in which being a Christian in this world can make a person feel like the perpetual new kid.
God is Still in Charge During “Such a Time as This”
Up until this week, it has been easy to get lost in the details of American life: family, friends, eating, sports, internet, entertainment... so many distractions that could keep us away from the “for such a time as this moments” that God has for us, just as with Mordecai and Esther in 550 AD.
What is a Discerning Heart?
I was seven years old when the movie Aladdin came out in 1992. I wanted so bad to find a special lamp that within it lived a magical “Genie” who would grant me three wishes of my choosing. If I am honest, there is still a part of me today that would love to find this long-lost lamp and get to wish for things.
Homesick - Feeling Like a Stranger in Our Fallen Culture
If you’ve ever felt like a stranger in our fallen culture or have had to transition to any kind of newness, you know all too well that your beliefs and missing the familiar can prick your heart into feeling homesick.
The Significance of Biblical Hope
We all need hope. Life can be challenging, and we all feel anxious, depressed and defeated at one time or another. It’s in those moments that hope - rightly directed - can affect our minds and bodies, and even contribute to our healing.
Busting the Myth of "Life Balance"
Without a doubt, one of the most common challenges I hear has to do with finding “life-balance.” Many of us try again and again to achieve this elusive goal. Allow me to relieve your anxiety and boldly proclaim that life balance is a myth!
Bible Reading for Spiritual Impact
Something that’s vitally important to me as a follower of Jesus is that I live each day in light of the reality of God’s grace. I want to grow in my understanding of who God is, what He has done, and live accordingly!
We Need More Words!
It is God’s unique gift to us to be able to communicate through language because words have power; it has been said that one kind word can change the course of someone’s day. And, the more words we know, the more power we have over our own lives.
He Restores Me
I don’t know about you, but sometimes it takes God speaking to me a few times in different ways before a message sinks in! So, I decided to meditate on Psalm 23 a bit more and write down these thoughts.
Thanksgiving
I love Thanksgiving. I love it for the traditions and for the opportunity it presents us to stop, enjoy time with people who mean so much to us, and reflect with gratitude on the good things in our lives.
An Optional Illusion
Sometimes in life I question whether I am being real or if I am living in the illusion of saying I am a follower of Jesus Christ at those times when I don’t participate in His Kingdom by being His hands and feet on earth.
