Paul knows something that many of us forget—people change and grow through encouragement. He doesn’t hesitate to say a hard truth when needed, but his go-to is reminding people of all they have in Christ and encouraging them to live out their union with Christ in the everyday details of life. In keeping with that, he closes out Colossians with some more encouraging words. As he does, we get a...
One evening, as my wife and I were putting our kids to bed, our three-year-old daughter, Opal, was making silly faces in the mirror. After reviewing her exaggerated expressions, she paused and asked, in a serious tone, “Why did Jesus make my eyes weird?” Now, you have to understand, Opal has ginormous eyes. We call them her “Disney princess eyes” and have always told her they are beautiful. On...
Have you ever been in a situation where you really wanted to talk to you friends about Jesus, but you weren’t sure what to say or how to say it? Have you ever felt like you needed to understand the gospel better first? Many of us feel this way when it comes to sharing our faith. Now think back to what it was like for you as a teen wanting to share the gospel. The thought of having these...
There was no indication that this neighborhood was any different from the blocks surrounding it. But as I rounded the corner, the close-packed stone buildings abruptly gave way to the sprawling grounds of a ruined ancient church. And there on the edge of the site was a five-foot-tall marble pillar. As I stood before it, I was overcome with emotion as I realized that the apostle Paul had also...
When considering your life’s journey, I don’t know if you can truly leave your abortion in the past. Every experience you go through becomes part of your larger story. With this in mind, how you view your abortion at this point in your life is what is most important. Do you still feel shame and condemnation, or are you living in the light of Christ’s redemption? Are you moving forward and...
