When I learned my dear friend was killed in a car accident this summer, I was stunned. She was my second mom, and a faithful wife, mother, and friend. She was unforgettable. And her life was snapped so abruptly that I couldn’t process it. Immediately I turned to the Lord. In this sick confusion, this…
“Rachel, look! A DUCK!” I heard six-year-old Sawyer call out in a giddy voice. Strangers nearby likely assumed Sawyer had never seen a duck before, though it was actually one of many he had seen that day. As a nanny, I have watched countless adults smile knowingly at the two children I care for, as…
What does it mean that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” so much so that “we will not fear” (Psalm 46:1–2)? More poignantly, what do you believe it means? That’s where the rubber of your faith meets the road of your real life. Crises of faith occur where the rubber of…
The great Reverend Jesse Jackson, known for such scandals and controversies as Congressional pay-for-play schemes, having an extra-martial affair, and threatening to cut off President Barack Obama’s balls for talking down to black people, is now apparently a prophet and speaking directly for God. Trump says you must be able to speak the language of English, qualified, and have…
When Peter saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me”(Matthew 14:30, ESV). Picture the scene. A raging storm, giant waves crashing against a first-century fishing boat, and the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. Imagine their terror-filled eyes as water poured over the sides, negating their efforts to bail. Then God…
Soldiers don’t learn to fight in the classroom. They learn about fighting in the classroom. Learning about fighting is crucial to successful fighting, which is why soldiers’ training always includes class time. But learning about fighting is not the same thing as fighting. Soldiers never really learn to fight until they are forced to actually do it. And when…
I once was that prodigal child — lost, angry, and struggling to find my identity. Hardened on the outside, but deeply hurting within. The pain of my choices was not only destroying me, but creating heartache within our family and severing my relationships with the people who loved me most. By God’s grace, my parents did…
If you are a member of Christ’s body, you are called to help other people grow in godliness: “You were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13) “Encourage one another and build one another up, just as you…
How do we pray for our children when our words seem to run dry? How do we faithfully lift them before the Lord with confidence that our prayers match hisdesires for them? When we’re not sure of how to pray, God’s word enables us to stand with him and lift our children before his throne with…
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”(Luke 24:5–6) The believers who saw the risen Christ with their own eyes and touched him with their hands spent the rest of their lives talking about the resurrection. For sure, they preached crucifixion and propitiation — the central hinge…
