asking for prayer
A friend recently shared the following true story that illustrates the importance of having others pray for us. A man in his church was riding his bicycle along the side of a road when he was hit by a truck traveling nearly 45 miles per hour. As he was lying there bleeding, in pain and unable to move, some concerned…
perfect harmony
Amy Chua’s 7-year-old daughter Lulu was struggling to master a difficult piece of classical piano music. When she gave up, her mother ordered her back to the piano, threatening to dispose of the little girl’s dolls’ house if the piece wasn’t perfect by the next day. The threats continued: no lunch, dinner, or holiday presents—and no birthday parties for several…
run to, not from
“How can a young person stay pure? By obeying Your Word” (Psalm 119:9).
I don’t think it’s a secret that all of us struggle with purity in some form. So the question in today’s culture is not “if” you will struggle with it, but “how” and “when.” When my father was a boy, it was a different world. In order…
free your mind
“Sow a thought, reap an action: Sow an action, reap a habit; Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny.” —Samuel Smiles
One of the first things I realized after I was wholly surrendered to my Christ was that my thought life had gotten me in A LOT of trouble. My thoughts ended up becoming my…
July 16, 2012
What did God mean when He said, “be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16)?
transience
When Sinclair Lewis, Nobel Prize winner for Literature, died and was cremated in 1951, his ashes were sent to Rome’s American embassy for disposal. One morning a visitor noticed a worker on her knees with a dustpan and broom. Next to her was an overturned urn. When asked what she was doing, she replied nonchalantly, “Sweeping up Sinclair Lewis.” What…
the hand of God
When was the last time you traced the hand of God in your life? Some might choose their birthday to reflect on God’s work in their life, others might select the dawn of a new year.
In 2 Samuel 22 and 23:1-7, we read the inspired reflections of King David at the end of his reign as Israel’s king. Together,…
upside down blessings
I traveled to Russia soon after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Tensions ran high, and I was still wary of the Soviet military and leadership. I flew alone from Kiev, Ukraine, into Moscow. Due to miscommunication, I failed to secure the necessary visa. I was detained in the Moscow airport and held overnight by Soviet guards. It was an…
beyond reciprocity
If there’s one law that pervades the world, it’s the law of reciprocity. Simply put, reciprocity is the notion of mutual exchange or fair return. It’s the basis of many social interactions:
• Business: where a fair exchange of goods and services is made between parties.
• Politics: where one country helps another to maintain positive relations, alliances, or other…
all ages, all stages
We need all ages to help make our faith grow. So say Dr. Kara Powell and Dr. Chap Clark. They came to this conclusion as they worked on the College Transition Project—a 6 year research project focused on the spiritual thriving or diving of secondary school students as they moved on to college.
The good doctors have recently released Sticky…
community
I went through a phase where I stopped going to church. I had no friends yet in the new city where I had moved and I simply didn’t want to walk into a church alone. The longer I put off taking steps to meet people and to get involved with the body of Christ in my new community, the more…
our homes . . .
It matters not whether we live in ramshackle huts,
or in luxurious bungalows,
as long as God’s love freely springs from within our hearts,
and we grow wherever it flows.
It matters not whether we live in the hills or mountains,
or along the coasts or river banks,
as long as we live in righteousness until Christ returns,
and always give God glory…
tempted to control
I’ve never stood in high places or wielded authority over the masses, but in my little corner of the world I’ve felt its pull. Whether I’m trying to keep my heart from pain, make my husband agree with me, or prevent my children from experiencing hardship, the root is the same—control. We all face (and at times succumb to) the…
