Tag Archives: church

My Life in Churches by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 24, 2025 by jrcoggins

Recently I was reflecting on my experience with the various churches I have attended. I grew up in a small town attending a Baptist church. The Sunday school was largely staffed by men and women with limited education and mediocre … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Alliance churches, Baptists, care groups, church, friends, Hospitality, Mennonite Brethren, preaching, serving, Sunday school | Leave a comment

Smiling a Lot by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Nancy J. Farrier

My two young grandsons (ages 6 and 9) stayed with us for several days after Christmas. We played games and took walks. And, on Sunday, we took them to church with us where they loved the Sunday School program. After … Continue reading →

Posted in Nancy J. Farrier | Tagged church, grandson, joy, Nancy J. Farrier | 1 Comment

Remembering: The Value of Photo Albums by James R. Coggins

Posted on July 10, 2024 by jrcoggins

A while back, my wife and I sat down and went through our photo albums—fifteen of them, covering almost half a century. Several themes stood out. 1. Family. Of course. We have photos of our families of origin and the … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged blessings, church, creativity, family, friends, nature, photo albums, travel, troubles | Leave a comment

Significant by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 5, 2023 by jrcoggins

In a recent devotional piece, I presented the “Ten Commandments” as they actually were—a covenant in which “the Israelites would agree to worship God and obey Him and God would agree to be with them and bless them and make … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Antioch, church, evangelism, Gandalf, Ruth, Ten Commandments, Tolkien | 1 Comment

The Scent of Love by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Nancy J. Farrier

A few weeks ago, in church, a woman sat in front of us for the service. I’ve met this woman and she is very nice. However, she must be a heavy smoker. The smell of cigarette smoke clung to her … Continue reading →

Posted in Nancy J. Farrier | Tagged church, love, smell | Leave a comment

The Wings of the Lord by James R. Coggins

Posted on November 23, 2022 by jrcoggins

Fourth in a Series Reading the story of Ruth gleaning in the vineyard of Boaz (Ruth 2:1-12), I was struck by the force of Boaz’s words to Ruth: “May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged church, desperation | Leave a comment

Wedding Reflections by Julie Arduini

Posted on August 3, 2022 by juliearduini

Well, our last big event of the summer is behind us. Our son Brian married Brianna over the weekend. As I watched him on the platform, smiling as they were announced Mr. and Mrs., greeting everyone, I thought about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Julie Arduini | Tagged Body of Christ, bride, church, end times, Erica Wiggenhorn, Ezekiel, Groom, Hosea, Julie Arduini, repent, scandal, Sheryl Pellatiro, sin, tithe, wedding, Wedding Reflections by Julie Arduini | 3 Comments

An Honest Look at Life in the Church by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 18, 2022 by jrcoggins

I will start at the rather ordinary beginning and assure you that the more extraordinary matter later on is worth waiting for. I first met Dawn Miller by mail many years ago. I was an editor with a church denominational … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged children and church, church, PKs | 1 Comment

Would Jesus Go to Church? by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 4, 2022 by jrcoggins

“If Jesus came to earth today, he would be spending his time on the streets, helping the poor and the marginalized, not in churches.” I encounter such sentiments frequently on social media. This ties in with other attitudes in modern … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged church, evangelical Christians, marginalized, the poor, What would Jesus do? | 3 Comments

The Compassionate Church by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Nancy J. Farrier

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were on the church patio area talking with one of the members. We were having a nice chat when, as often happens these days, the subject turned to Covid and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Nancy J. Farrier | Tagged church, compassion, pride | 2 Comments

Famous Coggins Quotations by James R. Coggins

Posted on July 14, 2021 by jrcoggins

After a writer is dead, some anonymous scholar often collects the best quotes from all of his written works, reducing his laboriously written tomes to a few sound bites. I decided to save this anonymous scholar some work and compile … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged church, church history, flying buttresses, Kingdom of God, revival | Leave a comment

Approaching Pentecost by Kathy Carmichael

Posted on May 20, 2021 by kathc2

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is to you and to … Continue reading →

Posted in Kathy Carmichael, Uncategorized | Tagged church, gifts from God, God's promise, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Pentecost, talents from God, WhitSun | 1 Comment

Lasting Friendships by Tara Randel

Posted on February 2, 2017 by tararandel

Last spring, our church experienced a merge with another local body. Our pastor wasn’t quite ready to retire, but when the suggestion came up, he decided to leave earlier than planned. He wanted to go on a speaking circuit of … Continue reading →