Stephen De La Vega

  I’ve been a Christian for over 40 years. I’ve attended church very regularly for each of those years. I was much more than a Sunday Christian - very involved in ministry. But I was also a closet Christian. I didn’t always speak up for Jesus. I still don’t. Too often I shrink in silence. When the guys in the locker room carry on about girls, I do my own thing. When they exclaim, “Jesus Christ!,” I keep quiet. Sure, they know I’m a Christian. They even know I published some Bible studies, but when they occasionally comment about going to church or recite a Bible phrase, I clam up.   Why? Am I ashamed of Jesus?   The short answer: Yes, I am ashamed of Jesus. I’m a member of Christians Anonymous . Sometimes I prefer to sit on the sidelines and just watch instead of following through with the Great Commission that Jesus expects of us: Do what we can to help people everywhere follow Jesus, who in turn will do the same ( Matthew 28:19-20 , Acts 1:8 ). Who a...

  I’m a faith blogger. I develop and lead Bible studies. I published 2 small group study guides and I’m working on a Christian non-fiction inspirational book. I spend a fair amount of time studying the Bible. God wants me to teach. I know this without doubt. But I’m also more tempered today than I was 20 years ago with the words I pen and the studies I facilitate as I consider: Am I leading people in the right direction? Am I honoring God’s Word and His character within my circle of influence? Do I represent biblical truth in ways that move people toward the true God, or do I leave them to piece together ill-conceived notions about Him? The fact is: my understanding is not perfect. It’s not even close. It's impossible to fully understand God and His truth ( Romans 11:33-36 and Isaiah55:8-9 ). We cannot compare to God. He transcends us in every way ( Isaiah40:12-26 ). And as I study and reflect, I realize there is always more to learn.   This post offers a deeper look ...

  COVID-19 hit us like a giant brick. Its presence changed the world. It disrupted our lives. Many of us were hit hard. How can our everyday normal be so overturned by something we can’t even see!? It’s my pleasure to introduce Alynda Long. She is an Energizer bunny …and a writer, blogger, editor, wife, homeschool mother, grandmother, graduate student, and, most importantly, Christ-follower. She endured a month-long battle against COVID-19, and she had never experienced a viral infection like this one. COVID-19 is a beast! But Alynda ‘kept on going’ as well as she could and she maintained a productive faith in God who is greater than this virus and in full control. I was encouraged by her story of victory as she suffered through the invasion of COVID-19 in her body and her household. It’s God’s story of victory, really, through Alynda’s faith, and I want to share it with you. Here is an interview with Alynda about her experience. Hi Alynda. Thank you for agreeing to tak...

  “Life is a mess.” “Things are spiraling out of control.” “We’re at our wit’s end.” “Nothing we’ve tried seems to work.” These are phrases we use when life becomes unmanageable. But we don’t usually express them as a nation, or worse, as a global population. Things got bad. We fight a pandemic. Its reach continues to haunt. We might hear the curve is flattening or trending toward healthy communities, but it doesn’t seem that way. We’re in this fight for a while. Racial injustice violates our screens and holds captive the tears and fears of all colors. We say enough is enough, yet it’s still not enough. We’re still at odds. It’s still us and them. We still perpetrate our agendas within our circles, our communities, and our societal systems. This is a letter to all of us who carry the banner of Jesus Christ. While we are eager for a new “normal,” have we spent enough time considering how God may be shaking us up for His greater purposes? Let’s reflect before we charge ...