Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly... (Colossians 3:16) The best part of grocery shopping with my mother was the coffee aisle. Millions of beans waited in a line of plastic dispensers, each with a distinct scent. As soon as the other shoppers had moved on, I'd drift from one end of the... Continue Reading →
"Sometimes it seems that our many words are more an expression of our doubt than our faith. It is as if we are not sure that God's Spirit can touch the hearts of people: we have to help Him out with many words, convince others of His power. But it is precisely this wordy unbelief... Continue Reading →
Bible newbies might assume that the tale of Samson and Delilah is an edgy romance, ready to plug and play for Valentine's Day. The actual story (Judges 16) reads much closer to a classical tragedy in which political intrigue runs rampant, the very flawed hero falls, all hope is lost, and then everybody dies. Prostitution.... Continue Reading →
Was anyone else fooled by the pretty bowl of pears on their great-grandmother's dining room table? You wander in and see that delicious fruit just begging to be savored. Not one to disappoint, you pluck the ripest from the bunch and have got it almost to your antsy taste buds when your parents alert you... Continue Reading →
The story of Horatio Spafford reads much like that of Job in the Bible, compounding calamity upon calamity at what seems to the average onlooker a bizarre rate. A crushed career. His city ablaze. Financial ruin. Four daughters drowned at sea. A son—his namesake—taken by scarlet fever. And from the depths of this man on... Continue Reading →
"The coming of spring after a hard winter is almost too glorious for a soul to bear." (John Eldredge) Do you remember how Peter Pan crowed over his enemies after an epic battle? Pure, defiant, jubilant, completely lacking in self-consciousness: this is the heart of May. It buzzes happily into green-tipped ferns druzy with dew.... Continue Reading →
As we conclude our jaunt of enhancing our practical gospel awareness, shocks of a deeper truth jolt us out of being a mere audience—we're now participators, naming Christ and making Him known in the fabric of our culture. 1. The Transformation from Beauty and the Beast What a classic, right? Our hearts are gripped by... Continue Reading →
