As I stepped forward to take the witness stand, I gripped a gold locket in my hand, trying to keep my nerves from unraveling with each step past the judge, jury, prosecution, and defense. Inside the locket was a photo of my baby girl when she was four months old. I was about to testify in the capital murder trial of my ex-boyfriend—the man who had sexually assaulted her and shaken her to death. I...
The editors at New Growth Press along with David Powlison’s daughter, Gwenyth Powlison Ray, have adapted the popular devotional Take Heart for a teenagers, helping them learn how to go to God to ask for help and take hold of the grace he offers. To create Take Heart, the team carefully and thoughtfully listened to the sermons, lectures, conference talks, and interviews of David Powlison and...
So much of life feels like running—running to keep up, running to prove ourselves, running to hold it all together. Our schedules are full, our hearts are weary, and sometimes even our spiritual lives feel like one more race we can’t quite win. But the letter to the Romans calls us to something radically different. Instead of scrambling and striving, Paul invites us to stand. Stand in grace...
Change affects every family. Some changes are exciting, such as moving into a new home or welcoming a new baby. Some changes are painful, such as divorce, illness, or the loss of a relationship. Even joyful changes can be disorienting, while painful ones can feel devastating. For children, the uncertainty that comes with any change can be overwhelming. Kids thrive on predictability. They feel...
By the summer of 1856, Charles H. Spurgeon’s ministry was bearing so much fruit. Church membership was growing. People were being converted under his preaching. Young men were being trained for the ministry. Sermons were being sold by the thousands. And yet all would seemingly come to an end in the Surrey Gardens Music Hall Disaster. On the night of October 19, 1856, with the hall filled to...
