Why Grief Is a Gift?

“He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.” (Isaiah 53:3 NLT) The verse above, at least for me, puts all my grief and pain into a whole new frame ofContinue reading “Why Grief Is a Gift?”

What’s It Costing You?

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s theContinue reading “What’s It Costing You?”

The Cross and the Porn Store

“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” (Matthew 6:22-23 NLT)Continue reading “The Cross and the Porn Store”

The Joy of Cross-Bearing

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrew 12:2 NLT) Have you ever done something you don’t like to doContinue reading “The Joy of Cross-Bearing”

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

“…a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!” (Matthew 11:19b) In the Bible, the word we translate in our English Bibles as “sin,” literally means “to miss the mark.”  If you’ve ever played darts, or you go to the shooting range, you know there is a large, often, round target with a series of smallerContinue reading “Jesus, Friend of Sinners”