The Henderson Writers Group challenges its members each year to submit works for blind judgement. Those with top scores are presented here.Enjoy this multitude of works written by K. Ray Katz, Jean Widner, Jo A. Wilkins, Fred Rayworth, Michelle Smith, Frank Westcott, Ned Barnett, Donna DeVargas, Thomas J. Benner, Keech Ballard, Valerie J. Runyan, Joseph DeBenedetti, David Long, J. M. Dohanich, Wolf O'Rourc, Anderson Black, Audrey Balzart, Cora Fey Nielson, Raden Marafioti, Olivia W...

We overhear Jesus' prayer in the garden of Gethsemane--"not my will, but thine be done"--but have trouble honestly making it our own. (from the Introduction)Most people think of God's will as something to be found or as the receiving of guidance from God when making decisions. We assume that if we just knew what God wanted, we'd do it. Too often, however, the problem is not that we don't know what God desires for our lives, but rather that we just don't want to do what we already ...

A Personal Growth Finalist in the 2004 Word Guild Canadian Writing Awards"Only God deserves absolute surrender because only God can offer absolutely dependable love."In our self-reliant era, most of us recoil from the concept of surrendering to a power or authority outside ourselves. But surrender need not be seen as threatening, especially when the One to whom we surrender is the epitome of goodness and love. God doesn't want his people to respond to him out of fear o...

Embark on the Spiritual Journey of Knowing Your True Self"Grant, Lord, that I may know myself that I may know thee." —AugustineMuch is said in Christian circles about knowing God. But what if thereis also value in knowing yourself? Christians throughout the ages have agreed that there cannot be deep knowledge of God without deep knowledge of the self. Discerning your true self is inextricably related to discerning God's purposes fo...

The last command Jesus gave the church before he ascended to heaven was the Great Commission, the call for Christians to "make disciples of all the nations." But Christians have responded by making "Christians," not "disciples." This, according to brilliant scholar and renowned Christian thinker Dallas Willard, has been the church's Great Omission."The word disciple occurs 269 times in the New Testament," writes Willard. "Christian is found three times and was first introduced to r...

Let Every Breath You Take Be an Act of WorshipWorship is more than singing on Sunday morning. While that’s part of it, worship is the essence of what makes us truly human. God sparked this desire within our hearts from the day He first breathed life into Adam and Eve. Since then, every single human who has walked this planet has participated in this God-given ability, and divine quest. While many have squandered their gift, there are those who find the wonder-fille...

“If you want to discover new ways of entering the Bible, and letting it enter you, you will find no better guide than Richard Foster.”— Lauren F. Winner, Duke Divinity School, author of Girl Meets God“Foster’s work is not for those readers who are seeking quick answers or a behavioral checklist of what the Bible says they should do. Rather, it is a deep reflective guide to spiritual rumination and growth.”— Publishers WeeklyRichard Foster, the beloved, bests...

Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet, even so, most people are hard-pressed to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people today don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.” R. C. Sproul, in this classic work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. He paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christian to become holy just as God is holy. Onc...

His Final Words Are Your New BeginningIt’s Good Friday. The Son of God is giving up his life. What does he want to say to us in His final hours? What does He tell the people standing at the foot of the cross, to pass down to the ages? He speaks only seven short statements. Words of forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph, and reunion. Seven statements that mean everything.In Seven-Mile Miracle, Pastor Steven Furtick sho...

Hang around someone long enough and you're bound to pick up their habits. And what were the "habits" of Christ, the qualities that changed the course of history? K.P. Yohannan encourages you to accept Jesus's divine invitation to learn from Him. Just as He called the 12 disciples, our Savior welcomes you to walk the roads of life with Him. You will never be the same again.

In his First Letter to the Corinthians Paul cites “administrators” as one of God’s gifts to the Christian community (1 Cor 12:28). But many who serve in administrative service today have difficulty seeing how their everyday work is an expression of discipleship. This book, written by an experienced administrator and noted biblical scholar, shows how the various functions of institutional administration are deeply rooted in the Scriptures and are a genuine expression of our call to disciple...

Discipleship is the buzzword today. Many believers are contemplating in a fresh way what it means to take the Great Commission seriously. Rediscovering Discipleship takes the guesswork out of Christian maturity.Based on insights gained from a decade of personally making disciples, author and pastor Robby Gallaty tackles the two hindrances that keep believers from getting involved in making disciples: ignorance and uncertainty. Since many believers have never been personall...