Blog - Sandy Cove Ministries

7 years ago

What the Himalayas Taught Me about God

I remember landing in Kathmandu, Nepal, a couple years ago and being very excited about seeing the Himalayan range for the first time. The tallest mountains in the world are in the Himalayas — more than 100 peaks above 23,600 feet. To put that in perspective, the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains is Mount Elbert, which comes in at

7 years ago

The Promise of Christmas

Tom Ward Spiritual Formation

In Matthew 1:18-25, we find the most extraordinary birth narrative in all of Scripture. Nothing else even comes close. As we'll see in just a moment, whenever God gets involved, things get a lot more interesting; stuff starts happening that otherwise wouldn't; people's destinies are altered; their plans are changed; their hopes and dreams become

7 years ago

Let the Light In

Tom Ward Spiritual Formation

Remember the first time you had a broken heart — the first time something or someone hurt you so badly that it felt like your world was falling apart? Maybe it was a breakup that left you heartbroken for the first time. My first middle school breakup was brutal. I thought my life was over. I was wrecked. I remember my mom saying,

7 years ago

The Good, Good News

Tom Ward Spiritual Formation

I've been around the biblical story my whole life. I feel fortunate to say that, blessed and thankful to have grown up in a home where the Bible was treasured and taught. My parents had me quoting Scripture before I could even read — I was singing “Jesus Loves Me” before I knew if I loved Him back. And that early exposure to

7 years ago

What Did Jesus Do? (And Why We Should, Too)

Tom Ward Spiritual Formation

Our faith doesn't have to be perfect (without defect) in order for God to miraculously intervene in our lives. In fact, just the hint of faith, the smallest indication of trust, is enough to get God's attention. According to Jesus, colossal faith is not a prerequisite to move mountains; a tiny kernel of faith is sufficient — faith as small

7 years ago

Seeking the Kingdom First

Tom Ward Spiritual Formation

Jesus never doubts the provision of God. He never worries that there won't be enough. He always pushes us to trust God completely. One of the ways he does that is by teaching us who God is and how God acts. In Matthew 6:24-34 — which is an excerpt from Jesus's longest recorded sermon, the Sermon on the Mount — Jesus goes to great

7 years ago

Putting on the Armor of God

Tom Ward Spiritual Formation

In late 2008, terrorists attacked India's most populous city, Mumbai, unleashing a cavalcade of murder and mayhem that struck fear in the hearts of the citizenry and resulted in a significant loss of human life. As reports of these attacks began to appear on cable news outlets here in the United States, I was riveted, and also deeply troubled.

7 years ago

Living in Athens

Stephen Weaver Spiritual Formation

I was listening to a news briefing and heard a quote from Ben Affleck: While he ponders his own future as the Dark Knight, the actor does see a timeliness in Justice League's arrival now. “We certainly are in need of heroes in 2017,” Affleck says. “There's a lot of stuff going on in the world, from natural to man-made

7 years ago

Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

Tom Ward Spiritual Formation

For more than a decade, pastor and author David Hansen has been helping me close the gap between what I practice and what I preach. (Perhaps it could go without saying, but we all need someone like David in our lives.) Not too long ago I spent some time reading one of his books — it was a book about prayer. In it, David said something like

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