Faith Archives - Home With Purpose

Do You Believe? Experience the Power of the Cross DVD Review

October 13, 2015 By Kara Leave a Comment

There have been several well made faith based films in recent years that I’ve enjoyed watching.

It seems to me that they mostly “preach to the choir”, but that’s not necessarily always a bad thing. I don’t think Christians should see these as an evangelism tool, but I do think they can be encouraging and prompt a healthy examination of our own faith. I know I’ve had some great discussions with my older kids about different aspects of our faith brought up by these movies. So, when I had the opportunity to review Do You Believe? from Fishflix.com, I took it. The description and cast list for this film had me intrigued, and I thought it would be a good one to watch and discuss with my teens. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Faith, Family Discipleship, Review Crew

9/11: Remembering and Responding

September 11, 2015 By Kara 4 Comments

***Originally posted 9/11/13***

Twelve years ago today I was a 26 year old mom of two.

My husband was off that day, and we were sleeping in, snuggling with our 3 year old and 6 month old. A family member who worked on a military base called and told us to turn on the news. Sleepily, we did, just in time to watch live as the 2nd plane hit. It was hard to comprehend and process what we were seeing. It didn’t seem real.
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Filed Under: Faith, Family, One Story

Exploring Ephesus: City of Apostles DVD (Review Crew)

May 20, 2015 By Kara Leave a Comment

I’ve always been a history buff.

I think learning about people and cultures of the past and how they affect the present is fascinating. I also love lining up world history with Biblical events and writings. Learning about the culture and circumstances surrounding a particular book of the Bible or Biblical event adds context and a depth of understanding you wouldn’t have otherwise.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to review the newly released DVD Exploring Ephesus: City of Apostles from FishFlix.com. The hour long DVD is styled like a travel show, hosted by Biblical and historical experts Dr. Mark Wilson and Dr. Andy Jackson.

Ephesus plays a uniquely important role in Biblical history. It was the hub of Christianity in the early church, and it served as a home base for the Apostle Paul for three years, as he worked to spread the Gospel in the Roman province of Asia. He wrote his first letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus. It’s the site of the famous (or infamous) riot in Acts chapter 19, and is one of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. It’s also the traditional location where the Apostle John spent his last days after returning from exile on the island of Patmos, and wrote his Gospel and epistles. Not to mention, it happens to be one of the best excavated and reconstructed Greco-Roman cities in the world. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education at Home, Faith, Review Crew

Family Discipleship: Lent, Easter, & Passover Traditions

April 1, 2015 By Kara 3 Comments

As we enter Holy Week, I thought I’d share some of our favorite family traditions and resources.

These are some of our family’s favorite devotionals, storybooks, crafts and recipes for celebrating Lent, Easter, & Passover. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Faith, Family, Family Discipleship, Holidays and Seasons Tagged With: Easter

The Bible in 90 Days Challenge: Week One Tips

January 18, 2015 By Kara 2 Comments

Today is the first day of the Bible in 90 Days Challenge!

By the end of the week you’ll have read both Genesis and Exodus. As we begin this adventure together, I thought I’d share a few tips I gleaned when I did the challenge in 2010.

Here they are. My best Bible in 90 Days tips:

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Filed Under: Bible in 90 Days, Faith

Will You Join Me For a Bible in 90 Days Challenge?

December 31, 2014 By Kara 3 Comments

The first time I ever successfully read the entire Bible was when I did the Bible in 90 Days challenge. It’s intense, like a sprint rather than a marathon.

The new year is a time of goal-setting and fresh starts!

I’m excited about several things I’ve got on my agenda this January: these awesome new meal plans from Tiffany at Don’t Waste the Crumbs, the Mastermind and Body Challenge from StayAtHomeYoga.com that’s starting soon, a decluttering project I have in the works, and more. Alongside all of this, I’m going to commit to another Bible in 90 Days reading challenge, and I’d love to have company! I’m hoping to start in mid-January.

The Bible in 90 Days is a group-oriented Bible reading curriculum, which helps people attentively read the entire Bible — from cover to cover — in 90 days. Churches across denominations, prisons, drug rehabilitation missions, corporate Bible studies and neighborhood small groups have all used the curriculum successfully to help people read the entire Bible. Small towns have even invited their citizens to do this curriculum. Groups have ranged from 2 people to 1,000 people spanning 49 states and 20 countries. – from the official website

Have you ever started out to read through the Bible only to get bogged down in Leviticus or Numbers?

I know I have. The first time I ever successfully read straight through the Bible without getting stuck in one of these books was when I did the Bible in 90 Days challenge. I know it sounds crazy, but I figured surely I could commit to 90 days, and it worked! It’s intense, like a sprint rather than a marathon. But that intensity is what I needed to push through those tough passages. And yes, I did benefit greatly, even reading that quickly! That was in 2010. I not only read the Bible cover to cover for the first time ever, I did it in just 90 days. It was such a life changing experience that I volunteered to be a mentor in the subsequent challenges.

The Bible in 90 Days Challenge is not intended to replace in-depth Bible study. What it is intended to do is give you a big picture of the entire scope of the story of redemption-from beginning to end. Click here for more great background information about the challenge.

It’s just impossible to express to you what an impact being involved with this ministry has had in my life! Here’s a little bit of what I wrote after completing my first challenge:

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Filed Under: Bible in 90 Days, Faith