Craig Groeschel's 78-year old grandmother was living alone when she had a stroke and fell in her bathroom. She was paralyzed. And alone. For three days. On a cold, hard bathroom floor. A neighbour eventually checked in on her and called an ambulance. For the next 6 months she was under the constant care of … Continue reading “When I was in pain”
character
That’s what normal awesome people do
Before I became a pastor I had a number of different jobs—and therefore, a number of different bosses. I saw different characteristics at work in each of them. Some were positive, and some were negative. But one of the most problematic bosses was unpredictable. He was so inconsistent that he put everyone on edge. If … Continue reading That’s what normal awesome people do
Despite the odds
Who would you put in the following blank? When I think of someone who is courageous, I think of ________________. When I do it, my first instinct is to think about people who’ve done incredible things in the face of adversity. Through the years I’ve known World War Two veterans, so I think of them. … Continue reading Despite the odds
Not the easy thing
When you think of someone who is "strong," who do you picture? If you do this on a daily basis, I think you can be strong too.
Deeper and more destructive with time
When I lived in Toronto I marveled at how many statues there were. They were things like warriors riding on horses or heroes from a previous age. From a distance they always looked impressive. But the closer you got, the more cracks you saw. There were fault lines and chips and discoloration. Isn’t that like … Continue reading Deeper and more destructive with time
Are you (dis)qualified?
2 Samuel 11: 26,27 “When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband... But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord." (NJKV) Today's Thought “I’m just too messed up to be a part of something significant.” “I’ll serve after I get my life together.” “I’m … Continue reading Are you (dis)qualified?
What Lent can mean to you
Today is Ash Wednesday. It starts the 40-day journey to Easter (excluding Sundays) that we call Lent. Lent is a time of preparation. I like to think of it as spiritual training. It’s just so easy to let laziness creep into our faith. So we use Lent to hone our spiritual muscles as we get … Continue reading What Lent can mean to you
Your litmus test
2 Corinthians 5:17 "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation" (NRSV) Today's Thought The purpose of a “litmus test” is to see what something is really made of, to see what it really is on the inside. This happens in science with different substances, of course. But it can also happen with … Continue reading Your litmus test
What’s Wrong with the World?
Romans 3:23 “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (NIV) Today's Thought In the Bible, we’re told to love one another. It’s like the chorus of a catchy song that never goes away. We just keep on hearing it. Unfortunately, we don’t always do it very well. Well, that’s not totally … Continue reading What’s Wrong with the World?
Intentionally in light of eternity
1 John 3:18 "let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (ESV) Today's Thought Music takes what you feel and believe on a deep level and gives it expression in a way that you couldn't by yourself. Quite often when we hear a song that we love we just can’t … Continue reading Intentionally in light of eternity