‘Breakthrough’ Movie: Miracle on Ice?
Ever meet someone who died…and lived to tell about it? Breakthrough tells a startling, back-from-the-brink recovery story that's sure to leave you scratching your head, even if you don't share the grateful mom's faith-miracle conclusions.
In January 2015, Missouri teen John Smith spent nearly 30 minutes in icy water – much of it underwater after falling through the ice. A first…
Fill Me Now
"Do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit."—Ephesians 5:18 NASB
For Jesus’ disciples, the Holy Spirit changed everything. Waiting in the Upper Room, weak and uncertain, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out” (Acts 2:4). Suddenly, God’s power flowed…
Remember, but Don’t Look Back
“Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32).
This is the second shortest verse in the Bible. It certainly is an easy verse to memorize. And as Jesus explains about the end of days, he expects his students to already know about Lot’s wife. Jesus doesn’t ask a question, or sleepwalk through the statement, he uses emphasis to energize the remembering! Because there is no prior knowledge required to enjoy…
Fall in Love With Jesus
Jesus is the Lover of our souls, and He wants us to respond to that love by cultivating an intimate relationship with Him. We’re promised that He will draw near to us when we make a commitment to draw near to Him (James 4:8).
Although there’s no formula for having this kind of intimate, personal relationship with Jesus, the Bible gives us patterns and examples to follow:
Regularly enter…
Dealing with Disappointment
Disappointment comes in all shapes and sizes. Dealing with disappointment, heartbreak, and unexpected transitions is a frustrating but normal part of life. Some heartbreaks are major and life-altering, while some disappointments are just minor irritations. Regardless of their size or scope, disappointments still hurt. But since these letdowns are part of what it means to be human, it would serve…
5 Things to Look for in a Career
If you have ever worked a position you knew would be temporary, you probably realize the fundamental difference between a job and a career. While a job pays the bills and can be a step forward in a career, your career is focused on long-term growth and development.
With a career’s big-picture nature, the question of what you really want out of it becomes much more important. If you get ten…
Hope When Parenting Is Hard
Looking down at the two young children clinging to my pant legs, the elderly woman remarked, "When they are little they step on your toes. When they are grown, they step on your heart." I looked at her in horror. "Don't tell me that," I thought. "That would mean everything I'm going through, pouring my life into my children is all for nothing." Forty-plus years of parenting later, I understand…
Kind, Compassionate
"All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."—Ephesians 4:31–32 NASB
In the last half of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul turned to practical matters focusing on how believers lived. As followers of Jesus, they were to be different than…
Beautiful Warrior: Hello, My Name Isn’t
Book excerpt from Beautiful Warrior: Finding Victory Over the Lies Formed Against You
Introduction: Why Me?
Fresh print lured me in. Textured hardcovers called for me to caress them. Smooth pages kissed my fingertips. Written treasures dazzled my eyes as I floated along the aisles. Book-intoxicated passion drew me further.
Dead center in the bookstore, I froze. Dread raised the hair on my…
Trust in the Truth: God is Listening
Excerpted from Is God Listening? What If He Doesn't Answer? by Dave Deuel for Joni and Friends.
Is God Listening?
Most people are familiar with the story of Job. Job was a good and prosperous man who loved God. But what started out as an ordinary day for Job suddenly turned into his worst nightmare, as he was flooded with wave upon wave of tragic news (Job 1). One at a time, messengers…