“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”Luke 23:34 ESV What we see today as a beautiful cross, an expression of religious art set in precious metals or stained glass, was a sign in Jesus’s day of wickedness, punishment, and judgment. The cross meant humiliation and prolonged suffering, torture, and shame. Jesus carried the massive top beam, weighing about a hundred pounds, on his...
Nearly two thousand years ago, a wooden cross and an empty tomb served as the setting for the greatest rescue mission in history. Of course, this mission is none other than the gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news of a loving Father going to great lengths to save his broken children. The sad truth is that because we turned away from God and went our own way (Isaiah 53:6), each and every one of us...
Is God good? Can I trust him with my life? Is the Bible true? These are just some of the questions that can plague college students and twenty-somethings as they stand at the crossroads of life, when new responsibilities loom large and the world around them treats God as a small or irrelevant part of life. In his book, DoubtLess: Because Faith is Hard, author and Cru campus minister Shelby...
We all have firsthand experience with anger gone wrong. We’ve dished it out. We’ve been on the receiving end. We’ve heard and seen others get angry at each other. At some point in each day you are probably affected by some form of anger gone bad—either your own or someone else’s. Often it’s mild—frustrations, complaining, irritation. Often it’s veiled—judgmental thoughts, passive aggressions...
When it comes to actors in our time, I believe Tom Hanks is among the best. In addition to his memorable performances, he has a collection of stand-out lines: “Life is like a box of chocolates” and “There’s a snake in my boot.” But perhaps none fits our next point more than one of his lines from Apollo 13: “Houston, we have a problem.” Those words triggered fear in the crew of Apollo 13. However...
