Today, we begin our journey toward Christmas. Growing up in a Baptist church, we didn’t celebrate Advent like some denominations do. In fact, the first time I experienced a family gathering around an Advent candle, I was already married with at least one child. But I did understand the anticipation of waiting for Christmas, and …
Tag: Suffering
The End
The end of all things is near. You might think that’s the title of a blog posted yesterday, but actually; those words were written just shy of two thousand years ago, around 60-65 AD. The author was Peter, one member of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples. The source text is 1 Peter 4:7. What was …
Two Reasons To Have Joy
Over the next three days, I get to read Philippians. This is a letter Paul wrote while sitting in a Roman prison, addressed to the believers in Philippi. They had sent one of their own, Epaphroditus, to Rome to visit Paul, bring a gift of support, and encourage him while in prison for preaching the …
When Life Squeezes You
What’s your attitude toward suffering? Perhaps you’re like me, you don’t really consider any of the various trials or difficulties you’ve experienced as truly suffering, compared to the kinds of things others go through. I’ve never been hungry, or homeless, or truly afraid for my life. I’ve never been to prison, and for the most …
Counted Worthy To Suffer
If God impressed upon your heart to talk to your co-workers about Jesus, but your boss threatened to fire anyone he heard talking about religious things, what would you do? How bold would most of us be if our livelihoods were at stake? How about our freedom? How about our very lives? Peter and the …
The Way Of The Word 