Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient grace and truth
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his
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You have dealt with me because of all my transgressions; for my groans are many, and my heart is faint. Lamentations 1:22 Suffering that is nobody’s fault may be hard to accept. Perhaps more difficult, though, are painful situations that
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As we wrap up our four-week series, Redeeming Trauma, we need to pay attention to the first chapter of the book of Lamentations, which guides in how to think about extreme suffering which may be part of God’s faithful discipline.
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This is our third week in Psalm 22. Throughout this time, my goal has been to shine the light of Scripture on trauma, so that we may discern reality and discover the hope, comfort, and soul-healing found only in Jesus—the
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When we experience extreme suffering, we have many needs, both physical and spiritual. But our deepest need is to find rest and security in the One who created us in His image and redeems us in Jesus. He alone knows
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When life is painful, God invites us to talk to Him about it. He wants us to cry out to him in humility–to talk to him about what hurts–that we might grow in our childlike trust in Him and His
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In 2005, I struggled with bitterness. It began shortly after we went under contract on a big farmhouse in the country. After spending five years renovating our first house, it had become obvious that we had outgrown it. Five daughters
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In recent weeks, I’ve been spending time thinking more deeply about the beauty, simplicity, and richness of Psalm 23. A Sheep Remembers by David Calhoun has been my guide. The following paragraph, from the chapter entitled “What I Learned in
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One of the songs that sustains me and breathes Christ-centered hope into my heart is We Will Feast in the House of Zion by Sandra McCracken. I hope it fills your soul with praise today. Print this entry
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Yesterday, I shared the beautiful cover of my forthcoming book to be released in September. This is my second book with P&R Publishing, the ones who produced my bestselling 31-day devotional, Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace. REMADE: Embracing Your Complete Identity
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Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray,but now I keep your word. Psalm 119:67 Mrs. Schmidt was my favorite childhood teacher. Not only did she get me interested
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About twenty years ago, I was a bitter Christian. As far as I can tell, it all began around the time we made an offer to purchase a big farmhouse in the country. We had just spent five years renovating
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Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the
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In our society, we avoid suffering—running away from it if we can or numbing its effects if we can’t. Even Christ-followers struggle with this. At the onset of a life-transforming injury or the birth of a child with disabilities, our
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Dear reader and friend, The fact that you are reading this post is a great encouragement. For me, writing is a necessity—a means to personal growth and soul survival in this fallen world. It’s part of the way God has
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Yesterday morning, I picked up my copy of Jerry Bridges’ Trusting God, Even When Life Hurts and read the tenth chapter, “Experiencing God’s Love.” As Bridges develops the biblical teaching that discipline (character training toward Christlikeness) is a mark of
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God is love. He would never intentionally bring pain and suffering into my life. Therefore, the grief that I experience is from some impersonal force—like fate— something random and out of control. It certainly cannot be from God. He is
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Poetry that comforts the heart and stirs the soul by beautifully communicating biblical truth is a blessing to God’s people. Yesterday, the following poem ministered to my heart, and I hope it is a blessing and encouragement to you as
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By God’s grace, I’m a husband, dad, grandpa, and pastor at Cornerstone Community Church in Mayfield Hts, OH. I love Christ because He first loved me.
