A pastor once asked his church to pray that God would shut down a neighborhood bar. The whole church gathered for an evening prayer meeting, pleading with God to rid the neighborhood of the evils of this bar. A few weeks later, lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. Having heard about…
Oh, My Lord, Please Send Someone Else
Editor’s note: Finding joy in life’s small moments brings purpose and power to each day – and God wants us to unpack each of these small acts of faithfulness into something bigger. Read this excerpt from Church of the Small Things by New York Times bestselling author Melanie Shankle and learn how a family dinner conversation…
Praying to Forgive Yourself, God, and Others
I struggled with forgiving my mother for years. Even after I became an adult she continued to be abusive, and I had to forgive her on a daily basis. Sometimes I stayed away from her and just let my dad deal with her by himself. Unfortunately she turned her anger toward him. When he became…
Believing and Listening
The Best Answer to Prayer The word of the Lord came to [Abraham]… “A son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars — if indeed you can count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall…
Mourning Is a Better Teacher than Feasting
Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, For that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house…
The Crushing of an Olive Mill
Editor’s Note: It’s no secret food is a hot topic when January comes rolling around. Whether you consider yourself a “foodie” or have always had an up and down relationship with food, there’s no getting around that it plays a daily role in our lives. But, have you ever looked to the Bible to seek out…
Making the Most of Christmas
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. — Luke 2:20 How can you make the most of Christmas? For some it is all about decorating the house or tree, getting that special gift, seeing relatives, or getting invited to…
Through the Gates of Praise
One of the first things our son, Christian, did when he started college was to find a church he could call home. That made this mom’s heart very happy. A couple of weeks before Christmas, he asked Barry and me to join him for the Sunday service that featured the children’s nativity play. It was…
He Entered the Mess
He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born; and she gave birth to her first child, a Son. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room…
Show Me the Way, God!
I’m the answer to your prayer. That’s why I was sent down here. — Clarence the Angel, after George tells him “I got a bust in the jaw in answer to a prayer.” When George Bailey sidles up to Martini’s Bar on Christmas Eve, he’s at the lowest point of his life. In the span of only a few hours,…