Author Archive | PLC Congregation

The Challenge of the Heart By Maria Oliveira “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” –Matthew 5:8 (ESV)“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” –Psalm 51:10 (ESV) Raised in a Catholic church, I was not familiar with the idea of a “life verse.” […]

Christianity is for the Weak By Mike Herrnstein Those were the words written on a homemade sign in front of a table set up under a shady tree on the UCLA campus four summers ago during a campus visit with our daughter. Saying, “I can’t pass this up,” there was a triple eyeroll from my […]

Right in Front of You By Tracy Gordon “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the […]

What Should I Do? By Donna Middlestead As I sat down to write this devotion, there was a news alert about a shooting at a church in Laguna Woods in Orange County, an area close to where I lived for many years. It really magnified my concern for the world we live in today. I […]

For Whom Are You Working? By Amy Schmitz Ruiz “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for human beings. Remember that the Lord will give you as a reward what He has kept for His people. For Christ is the real master […]

God’s Promises Through Transition By Debbie Yamamoto “The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in asun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” –Isaiah 58:11 My Sunday school class has learned quite a bit about me and my […]

Do Not Be Anxious About Anything by Lettie Cederquist “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:6-7 My son, Matthew, recently flew home from Italy. […]

Our Father’s Hands by Cindy Hoffmann “Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and side.” –John20:19b-20a Have you ever given thought to the hands of God? Have you ever taken time to ponder if our […]

Forever His by Jim Rower “The other day I watched a girl be orphaned.” These words cut deep into my heart. My daughter, Karis, was spending a college semester abroad in Calcutta, India. In addition to her college courses, she volunteered at a few locations, including the Rainbow School, a school for orphans held on […]

A Story Worth Telling By Jane Josephs “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those He redeemed from the hand of the foe…” –Psalm 107:2 My Chicago grandchildren are voracious readers. They check out dozens of books at a time from the library, and they frequently ask for books for their birthdays. Why? Because […]