“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).Rick Warren states: “The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose.”*He’s onto something. For some people, death is most certainly a tragedy. For God’s people, however, it is … Continue reading Tragedy: a life without purpose
meaning
What does it mean to bless someone?
In yesterday’s devotional I said that you were born to bless. In a world where many people aren’t sure if they’re here on this earth on purpose or by chance, followers of Jesus can be confident that God has put us here for a reason. So let’s flush out what it means to “bless” someone. … Continue reading What does it mean to bless someone?
Does your actual life reflect your purpose?
Yesterday, I invited you to write down on a piece of paper the purpose of your life. Some of you will have done that right away. Some of you are taking some more time to think about it. Let me share a next step for whenever you’re ready. Take a bit of time to ask … Continue reading Does your actual life reflect your purpose?
Write down your purpose
In the previous devotional I highlighted Jesus’ words: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV). I’d like to invite you to do something. It’s kind of heavy. But I think it’s super-important. Write down on a piece of paper the purpose of your life. You can write it … Continue reading Write down your purpose
What do you have to give?
John 6:9 says: “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Good question. Turns out, they went a very long way! Jesus took them and miraculously fed thousands of people! Let’s focus on some of the details. In the ancient world … Continue reading What do you have to give?
Why some people can endure intense distress
Tom Long says that “People can endure intense distress and pain if they know it is not meaningless.”* Very true. Consider this illustration from William Gurnall: “If you should get up in the morning and hear men on your house tearing off the tiles and taking down the roof with hammers and axes, you might … Continue reading Why some people can endure intense distress
A skull on the dresser
What do you have sitting on top of your dresser? A picture frame or a lamp? Margaret Baxter was a woman of deep faith from the 17th century. Do you want to know what she had on top of her dresser beside her bed? A skull. Yup, that’s right. A skull! As morbid as that … Continue reading A skull on the dresser
Drowning in the oceans of pleasure?
This week many people are mourning the death of Ravi Zacharias. He was a well-known apologist. An apologist is someone who is skilled at making a reasoned defense of something—in this case, Christianity. He had a sharp mind and a compassionate heart. Although I never met him, I’ve watched several of his videos and read … Continue reading Drowning in the oceans of pleasure?
Meaning in the minutia
The great artist Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling in the Vatican. It took several years and included 400 figures and 9 scenes! A friend noticed all the details Michelangelo was putting into the corners of the chapel ceiling—corners that were incredibly far away and therefore difficult for the naked eye to see. “No one … Continue reading Meaning in the minutia
You complete the broken statue
In 2007 The Denver Post reported a story about a 22-foot statue of Jesus. During a storm, lighting struck and cut off Jesus’ hands and feet! The nuns who took care of it were asked if or when they could replace the hands and feet. They weren’t really sure since they relied on donations. Fair … Continue reading You complete the broken statue
