Initially, we paused to honor the pain that prompted the need to forgive. Now, we’ll articulate several of the fears that can cause us to brace against forgiving. Sometimes the most loving way to engage a subject is to set a sufferer’s mind at ease. With children, this might sound like, “You’ve got a doctor’s appointment today, but don’t worry, you don’t have to get any shots.” It is reasonable...
The pressure of being a teenager can be overwhelming. School, sports, jobs, relationships, and a growing number of responsibilities all press in at the same time. But the hardest part can be feeling alone, that you have no one to share your most difficult problems with, or that no one takes you seriously. In The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School from Rooted Ministry, thirty authors from many...
Jesus was not the kind of king the people expected or wanted. Read about it in Luke 21:20–28 (ESV). 20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to...
I thirst.John 19:28 We have seen how Jesus was thinking of others as he died, yet he suffered greatly. Innocently, he bore the weight of the world’s sin, dying the death of a criminal. In his fifth saying on the cross, he said, “I thirst” (John 19:28). What significance can we unearth from a simple, two-word statement? We all need water. It makes up about sixty percent of our bodies. We can only...
Suppose a young man—let’s call him Sam—came to you because his life had disintegrated. He described a series of sad events that had left him desperate. His wife Aisha had left him, taking Jerome, their baby boy, with her. He had lost his job. He felt all alone in the world and passed his time playing video games and drinking too much. You know he needs help, but who can help? Are his problems...
