A small group of us were still gathered after church when the news came—a dear brother in the Lord we had been praying for, died. A couple weeks earlier, the doctors had said the cancer was too widespread, too severe. “There is nothing else we can do.” But knowing God could, many people continued fervently in prayer. Yet . . . the miracle didn’t come. This latest blow hit on the heels of the shock from six days earlier—when the man’s wife unexpectedly passed away in her sleep at home. A heart attack, it was determined. Why?? We quickly reconvened…
Did you know statistics reveal that 75-90% of all doctor visits are for stress-related illnesses? The pressures of life are constantly bearing down on us. We all face needs that can result in anxieties about our health, finances, safety, relationships, the future. While people try many things to bring peace to their lives, Jesus’ words in John 14:27 remain: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” The peace of Christ is something we must invest in daily through…
“You’re not making me want to do this,” I uneasily laughed. The pre-op nurse stood before me reciting a litany of risks of surgery: from possible infection, to cardiac arrest . . . to death. For a split second, fear gripped my heart. This was elective surgery. Do I really want to go through with this? Let’s face it . . . surgery brings anxiety. The uncertainties, the unknowns, the disruption of routines, the fear of pain . . . The hidden things in our hearts that leave us teetering on the brink of fear often surface during this time….
One of the most exciting realities of the Christian life is that when we enter into relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit begins a divine work to produce Christ’s character within us. In doing so, our whole outlook on life changes. His thoughts become our thoughts. His actions become our actions. His purposes become our own. We become more Christ-like. No longer living by the old sinful nature, we now live by the Spirit, and in doing so, we bear fruit. Fruit is mentioned many times in the Bible, both literally and figuratively. The concept of bearing…
Several years ago, a figure skating coach I know decided—after 20 years of teaching—he would start training to compete again. That winter, every time I was at the rink, I watched him practice. He pushed himself to train, every single day, for months on end. Finally, the big day came. He travelled halfway across the country to compete against other highly accomplished adult skaters at Nationals. But soon after arriving, he experienced a crushing blow. His back gave out, and he spent the entire event in pain, watching from the stands as a spectator. In hindsight, he realized he had over-trained,…