The date September 11, 2001, is forever etched in the national memory of the United States. That morning stands as the never-to-be-forgotten morning when time stood still. Wherever we were, we stared in horror and confusion. With calculated and unconscionable malice, beastly terrorists stabbed our nation repeatedly in the heart—at the World Trade Center in […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Encouragement & Healing
Changing Our Minds, Changing Our Lives
The opening line of the sermon was: “What you believe about life affects everything about how you live your life.” The congregation quieted and heard once again: “What you believe about life affects everything about how you live your life.” Sometimes we believe happiness will eventually show up, or we might suppose, “If I do […]
Read MoreBreaking Point: One Pastor’s Story of Pain, Porn, Addiction, and Redemption
It’s 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, and I’m logging on the Internet to check my email, read a newspaper article, and begin research for Sunday’s sermon. Well, that’s what I’m trying to convince myself. But I know exactly what I’m doing. When my secretary leaves at two, I will be alone in the building. I will […]
Read MoreA Joyful Heart . . . It’s Good Medicine!
A few things in life are absolutely tragic. Some are mysteriously strange. Many, however, are just plain funny. There isn’t a day that passes in which I fail to see, hear, or read something that makes me smile. And because laughter is such effective therapy, I’m grateful that God dispenses this divine medication so frequently. […]
Read MoreHope Beyond Failure
Rarely will one of God’s heroes show up in the Scriptures having lived a life free of failure. Take Peter, for example. As soon as you read the name, you remember his story. Peter experienced the extreme highs and lows of life—from days spent in blessed fellowship with Christ . . . to the heart-wrenching […]
Read MoreGetting Past Guilt: Overcoming Barriers to Feeling Forgiven
Puritan minister Richard Baxter warned about the emotional toll of carrying unnecessary guilt: “That sorrow, even for sin, may be overmuch. That overmuch sorrow swalloweth one up.”1 In his wonderful old English, Reverend Baxter captured the feelings of people who have not experienced forgiveness. Grief over past sins plunges them into a depth of sorrow. […]
Read MoreWhat Do I Do When I Feel Lonely?
Question: I don’t like coming home to my apartment. It’s cold and dark. The first thing I do is turn on the television just to hear some human voices. I eat alone, flip channels, maybe do a little reading, and then go to bed. I’ve been in and out of relationships, and none of them […]
Read MoreHope Beyond the Hurt
I got the call one cold February afternoon. My father said, “Son, I think your mother is gone.” The news took me completely by surprise. “Gone? Do you mean dead?” I asked. “Yes, I think she’s dead.” I hurried over to my parents’ apartment in Dallas. My sister had arrived before me and was talking […]
Read MoreDespite Your Circumstances
Few people in the first century had a deeper understanding of God’s grace than the apostle Paul. Redeemed from a life of vicious brutality as a rigid legalistic Pharisee, the man turned the corner, repented, and through Christ’s empowering became a gentle soul, gracious and affirming. Understanding. Forgiving. Approachable. He reached the place where he […]
Read MoreDependence
For most of us, asking for help is difficult. I really don’t prefer it; some of you may not as well. Yet, God lets us know time and time again that we need help. After all, He refers to us most often as sheep—the most difficult and demanding of any livestock on earth. Admitting need […]
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