Scripture’s call to faith is not an invitation to blind belief. An unsubstantiated belief system is what superstitions are made of. Rather,
Daily Devotion
Hope Unwrapped
Hope Unwrapped: The Rescuer
There is a great story involving Jesus and his disciples that reminds us that even great men and women of God have times of doubt, especially when the storms kick up. Here’s the story from Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on the water and Peter giving it a try.
Hope Unwrapped: Daily Faith
The armor of God includes a shield as an essential piece of equipment. This shield is needed to “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). The believer’s shield is not constructed with wood like the ones that the Roman soldiers carried. Our shields are built with faith.
Hope Unwrapped: My Sins Blotted Out
So, what does God do with our sin? I don’t mean to be flippant with that question. I know that my sin separated me from God, and Jesus paid the penalty for my sin on the cross. He took on God’s wrath for sin and satisfied the Father by his amazing work.
Hope Unwrapped: From Filth to Forgiveness
The room was tense as we sat around folding tables in a small room at our church. One person had said something to hurt another person. We were there to make things right—to seek and grant forgiveness. Those are hard meetings, and on this day, forgiveness never came. The exchange was sharp; the emotions were high. After much discussion, prayer, and reading Scripture, one person got up and stormed out of the room. He never set foot in our church again.
Hope Unwrapped: Remorse and Change
Repentance is a word that doesn’t get a lot of positive press these days. We would like to blame it on the times we live in, but honestly, people have had trouble with repentance since Genesis 3. Today, let’s consider what action repentance requires.
Hope Unwrapped: Repentance
A friend called my wife, Lori, to say she was troubled, and struggling to grasp any sense of order. She was watching the news, absorbing all that was going on in the world, and was overwhelmed. She saw the mayhem and divisiveness and reached out for encouragement.
Hope Unwrapped: The Great Physician
Have you read your newsfeed today? Truth has stumbled in the public square again. Right is called wrong, and wrong is called right. We live in a mixed-up, belligerent, dark world. Know why? The world is populated by desperately sick people. That’s why Jesus came.
Hope Unwrapped: No Other Name
If we believe that people today are dealing with anxiety, feeling helpless and hopeless, if we believe the words of Isaiah, “justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares,” (Isaiah 59:14), if we believe that the darkness needs the Light, then we should not be taken aback if someone asks us what Jesus saved us from.
Hope Unwrapped: The Light of Men
Today, we live in a world that is plagued by disinformation, misinformation, and contemptible behavior. Do you agree? A person says a seemingly innocent phrase. Someone else views the phrase as offensive and derogatory, even racist. Social media blows up. The person responsible apologizes profusely and retracts the statement. They are “cancelled” and labeled a pariah. We live in interesting times. But really, nothing has changed.