MARY K ASHLEY

My Utmost Affections Upon You, O God I recognize Father that apart from abiding in your Son, I can do nothing (John 15:5). This is not a statement of self-deprecation but of understanding, by your Spirit, that I get my very identity from Christ. For it was you Father that elected and predestined me for adoption before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:5-6) It was you Jesus that gave me new life, salvation, and forgiveness through your death and resurrection - so that

As I was out on a walk yesterday talking with a friend, I was reminded of the stark contrast in the way in which we, as Christians, are to both live out and define the characteristics which exemplify our new life in Christ. Specifically, I've been meditating on the idea of humility. As we observe the ever-present contention and oftentimes prideful arrogance in the discussions and debates around us, the idea of humility seems to both be missing and convoluted in our subjective

The idea of performing or working in order to earn your way into heaven is unfortunately not uncommon among those who profess to be Christians. Even more, although it may not be outwardly expressed verbatim as a works-based salvation or justification, the influences of such doctrine are jarringly rampant in sermons and books around us today. Even as the authors of the New Testament are abundantly clear that it is not of works, deeds, or accolades of our own that we are a new

How many times, as it relates to both critical and minor decisions have you found yourself unsure of what step you are to take next? Decisions of any size can at times feel helpless due to the innate human inability to know for certain what will come as the consequent. We are oftentimes left standing between the obvious choice of ice cream or no ice cream or the more serious election that lacks any level of discernability. In both the Christian and non-believing world, choice

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism - "God wants me to be happy, believe in myself, and just be nice." This doesn't sound so bad, right? "What is so wrong with this statement", you might be asking. The reason it doesn't sound bad is that unfortunately, this form of Christianity has seeped into churches all around us. Similar to the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel, moralistic therapeutic deism is a version of Christianity where our purpose is found within ourselves, our life is

After a recent deep-dive into the book of John, I like many others came to realize how many times John refers to himself as the one whom Jesus loved. Each time I read these words, I almost inherently rolled my eyes at John. I often asked the text, "why does John deem himself so important to signify Jesus's love for him as being worth mentioning over and over?" Furthermore, "why is John alone in the Bible as being the only one that uses this phrase to describe himself?" Upon f

Often overlooked or approached with a lack of solemnity, the role of a Christian community in a believer’s walk is one of those very crucial aspects to both believing and walking in the freedom of Christ. In fact, God outlines throughout the Bible both explicitly and implicitly the importance of Christian community for believers. Three things I see many believers get wrong (me included in different seasons of my life) are giving a majority of their time to a non-Christian com

The more I get to know those around me or discuss the illusions of having it all together, I find that anxiety plagues the minds of many. One of my entire chapters in, "And Still You Called: Walking in Christ's Freedom With A Broken Past", I expand upon my own personal battles with anxiety. This blog post is an excerpt from that chapter unpacking what scripture has to say about this particular subject. I hope it brings you hope in the midst of whatever you're facing and ultim