“Safety” is one of the most important yet most misunderstood words in our cultural moment. We hear it everywhere. People are searching for safe spaces, safe relationships, safe communities—and rightly so. Many people have been hurt in places that should have been marked by care and protection. Kids are chronically bullied in classrooms, and sins like anger and abuse are hidden in homes. Even the...
Sometimes life doesn’t pan out the way we hoped or planned. Bills pile up, relationships are strained, and dreams feel stalled. In these moments, joy can be hard to come by. You may have heard Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 4:4 to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” This kind of joy in all circumstances sounds great—until the circumstances come. We all want lasting satisfaction, but when our lives...
If you are suffering from the disorienting and long-lasting effects of sexual trauma, you are not alone. The journey toward healing and renewal begins with seeking God, who not only sees your past and present suffering but also holds your future. In After Sexual Trauma: Finding Renewal in Christ by Camille Cates combines biblical insights with her personal and counseling experience to provide a...
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 I think I can understand the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” as they are written by David in the twenty-second Psalm; but the same words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” when uttered by Jesus on the...
Darkest Night records the last week of Jesus’s life, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the sealing of his body in the tomb. It includes the story of the darkest night in history—the night of Jesus’s death and burial. On Easter morning, it’s time to flip the book to Brightest Day. Brightest Day records the story of Jesus’s resurrection and the fifty days that followed...
