Don’t Forget Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me. — Romans 15:30 The apostle Paul was traveling from Corinth to Jerusalem with money for the Jerusalem church. Knowing the Jews in Jerusalem would…
Hannah’s Request
Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD… I rejoice in Your salvation.” — 1 Samuel 2:1 When have you really wanted something? We all know what it feels like to long for something desperately, for something, such as a life-giving job, a significant other, a repaired relationship, a sense of purpose, or…
All Things New: The Hope of Renewal
Picture a treasure chest. Not a small box that might hold jewelry on a girl’s nightstand — a large treasure chest, larger than any suitcase you own, larger than any suitcase you’ve ever seen. Picture a massive oak treasure chest, like pirates might have used, with large iron hinges and a huge clasp. The size…
Teaching Children Love Acts as Much as It Feels
I don’t feel like going to school today. I don’t feel like cleaning my room. I don’t feel like asking her to be my friend. It seems as soon as our kids could talk, they learned to utter some version of the “I don’t feel like it” statement. What started as them asserting their independence…
How Love Can Transform Our Children’s Lives
When it comes to parenting, most of us regard Proverbs 22:6 as our primary parental mission statement from God: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. This means that during children’s formative years, we make it a priority to pass down…
When You Believe in God But Aren’t Sure He Loves You
Editor’s note: We hope you enjoy reading as well as listening to this devotion from The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. Listen on our blog or on your Alexa device. Alexa users, simply enable the “Devotionals” skill and prompt, “Alexa, ask Devotionals to read me today’s devotion.” Several years ago, I was having lunch with…
Finding Your Big “Why?”
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. — Matthew 5:16 Video: Finding Your Big “Why?” Play the video teaching segment for session one. As you watch, record any thoughts or concepts that stand out to you in the outline…
Loving Someone Who is Dying
My mother is dying from cancer. Scratch that: she’s living with cancer. She’s quick to point it out; she’s still here. And while cancer is winning the battle, my mother claims victory. The spoils? “Apples.” But not McIntosh or Fuji. Let me explain. It’s not easy to find the right words to say to a person nearing…
Living Loved
I can’t expect any other person to be my soul oxygen. I can’t live as if my next breath depends on whether or not they give me enough air for my lungs not to be screaming in pain. Because here’s the thing. People don’t mind doing CPR on a crisis victim, but no person is…
Learning to Love… Sacrificially, Passionately, and Crazily!
Dr. John Barger gave an extraordinary address to a gathering of men on December 12, 1987. The address included his testimony of how he had walked the road from being a domineering husband to a serving one. The crux of the message, however, wasn’t just that husbands can do better. We all know that. What…