Think about a time in your life where you wish you could have just disappeared. I can think of many occasions where I have felt awkward and uncomfortable and wanted nothing more than to be far away. Other times I have felt immense dread of something I knew I had
It seems impossible to have hope when you are filled with pain and loss and your dreams have been shattered. Although it is difficult to believe that God is near, His sovereignty never sleeps. When our pain is the deepest and our doubt the greatest, God remains with us. In
Have you heard the expressions “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.” and “Ignorance is bliss.”? I’m sure most of you have. It’s the belief that if we stay in the dark about something then we don’t have to worry about it, deal with it, or possibly be hurt by
Our reading in 1 Thessalonians 2:17 opens with Paul writing to the Thessalonians that he had been “torn away…” from them even though he made every effort to stay in Thessalonica and be there with his church family. When I read these words, I picture a war like scene where
As the Christmas season has come to an end I find today’s passage particularly timely. The Christmas decorations have been taken down and the gifts put away. The New Year has made its entrance and with it, our New Year’s resolutions. Many of our New Year’s plans seem to be
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship
It could sound to some like Paul is tired of this life and is looking forward to death. Life certainly wasn’t easy for him. He was persecuted, shipwrecked, beaten, at times poor, and was imprisoned. But Paul is not looking to escape this life. He is happy to live because
Have you ever felt worn out while trying to live the Christian life? I have. There are times when doing what is right, going against the flow of culture, and living by faith is downright exhausting. But this is not how it’s supposed to be, and I can see that
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13, ESV) Think of that last phrase… “And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” I love that
Loss and loneliness are ever present realities. While we close out this week’s study on these topics, they do not come to a close in our lives. I experienced loss as a teenager. While the dark and oppressive cloud of sadness, fear, and despair has lifted, this has left scars