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Praying for the Impossible
I was recently convicted about the power of prayer. Reading through the book of Acts, I came to the story of Peter’s imprisonment. If you’re just skimming your reading or you have read the story many times over, it’s tempting to take this moment for granted. With a fresh glance, I was struck by this encounter in the early church and all that it implies for my life and yours. The infamous King Herod was at it yet again. Actually, this time it wasn’t Herod the Great, the famous King who slaughtered many children, hoping to find baby Jesus among the carnage; this was one of King Herod’s legacies, his…
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Who Do You Say I Am?
Most of us know the greatest stories ever told. Noah, his ark in the flood, and the promise of the rainbow. Moses parting the Red Sea as the Israelites escaped from Egypt. The baby Jesus lying in the manger with shepherds and wise men paying honor to the newborn King. The empty tomb on Sunday morning. Often in stories our focus is on the action or the players or the outcome. But the stories of the Bible have another purpose––to turn our focus to the Author of life. To fix our minds on God. Renowned theologian A.W. Tozer said, “What you think about God is the most important thing…
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What’s Your Superpower?
If you were approached by a genie wanting to grant you one wish for any superhero power, what would you ask for? It’s a strange question, but seriously, take a moment and think about it. What superpower would you want and why? My first thought: ask for something I could use in the battle between good and evil––like the ability to open people’s minds to understand truth versus lies. But this superpower risks grave repercussions like when someone asks, “Do you mind staying an extra hour?” or “How do these jeans look on me?” No, I don’t think opening people’s minds to full truth is a superpower for which I…
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Books to Get You Reading Your Way Through August
Summer gets me. In the summer, reading becomes the runner up for America’s national pastime. For three months out of the year, I walk the edge of reality and written fiction the way an intoxicated person deals with the white line on the side of the road: one may as well be the other. Stories invade my mind. I just can't help it. Every summer culture encourages us to disappear into a book, but reading is not merely an escape (although escape is plenty enough reason to read). Stories have the ability to take us to places where our theology expands further than our own experiences lead. Expositional teaching profoundly impacted…
