| In the midst of the power of premarital romance, it is very hard to get yourself   to want to take a hard and honest look at reality. You are in love, and you are   sure that everything will work out right.                         If I talk a lot about God, the Bible, and Church, but I fail to ask about other   people’s needs, I’m simply making a lot of empty religious noise. The question that kept going through my mind after watching this anti-biblical   film was, "What if Lucifer wanted to write a movie giving his side of the   story?" I concluded that it would look very similar to this film. How a follower of Christ can ignore the existence of Satan and the Holy Spirit is beyond me. Yet, that’s what many have done, according to The Barna Group.
God’s relentless love for his children could have revolutionary consequences for   the Church and for our world today if God’s people would also understand,   embrace, and put into practice the Father’s desperate love for the lost. Have you ever had a craving that wouldn’t go away until you could obtain the   tasty treat you desired? A heartwarming scene during a recent episode of NBC's The Biggest   Loser reminded me of an important spiritual truth. So often we carry around burdens that we do not need to bear. This can be   your year to find freedom. When you squeeze shower gel into your hair instead of shampoo you know that   something is terribly wrong. Whether it's in our families, our workplaces, or our communities, it’s often the little things that matter most. In a fast-paced world where we are always on the go, it seems there is no rest for the weary. How can we keep from getting too worn out? Don't let feelings of betrayal or rejection from your past taint how you see yourself or the way you interact with God, like I did. It may sound slightly irreverent, but I felt like I’d already come through a   series of these spiritual “growth spurts,” and I was tiring of the routine. In the middle of a storm sometimes the best thing you can do is hold onto Jesus tightly until the dark clouds clear. The Lord taught me many valuable lessons from my dark night of the soul experience. I sensed that God was telling me, I see them. I see your friends, and I   know their trials. I love them even more than you do, and I have great plans for   them. I have been desperately trying to please God and understand His will, so this   lack of clarity really has me scratching my head.  Everything that God created had purpose. Even the order in which He created the   sun, water expanse, and the plants was reason-based.                           A New Testament contrast I would point to in describing the difference between   being "called" and being "driven" would be that of the disciples John and Judas.  Discover the answer to this question and nine more from our "Foundations of the Faith" theology quiz. And join Pat Roberston and other Bible teachers and theologians for an in-depth   exploration of the basis of Christian belief from Foundations of the Faith. My prayer is that the seeker and the unsaved would come to know Jesus through   reading this book and that they would learn to do just that -- cast their cares   on the Lord and trust in His leading. Superman is not Jesus Christ. But he is a Christ figure, a figure resembling   Christ—as we all should be. Some of the men and women whom I greatly admire hold a different view from me   on this issue, so it is with the utmost respect for them that I offer you my   alternative view. Before you start focusing all your energies on what has been stolen from you,   look first at what has been created in you. What has God done in you and for   you? Sometimes I think more   clearly when I pray to God on paper. Here are some of my honest thoughts taken   from an entry in my personal journal. Does it   really matter that my friends and I read our horoscopes just for fun? To God it does matter. I was focusing on the wind and the waves instead of on the very practical and   very capable Jesus who slept calmly in my boat while I was flailing around. Grace is for tragedy. Grace is for heartache. Grace carries you when the road   gets too rocky and when the night get too long. We can’t make it without grace... "Satan knows that one of the most effective 
                          ways to get to any of us in ministry is to get to 
                          our children. He got my attention all right. Then 
                          God got my attention," says Bible study teacher 
                          Beth Moore. A former bulimic reveals what was eating at her and 
                          how she obtained divine strength to overcome. Standing at the brink of a life-changing decision, 
                          Lindsey must wrestle with the pros and cons of her 
                          subsequent actions.  A local art show becomes the venue for a God moment 
                          based on Psalm 46:10. When I strolled into church on Sunday morning, no 
                          sooner had I taken about 20 paces, than my Bible study 
                          leader flagged me down and asked me in person to help 
                          host that evening’s event. I reluctantly said 
                          yes.  My former roommate's dog, Frupper, is a source of 
                          biblical inspiration. Avoid three pitfalls to find fullness of life. I was reading in Matthew 13:24-30 recently something 
                          that made the wheels turn.  Help for when you have reached that proverbial state 
                          referred to as "hitting a wall."  This is your life, in fact. Barren. Empty. Full of 
                          wilderness. Here's hope. Do you know what your spiritual orientation is? If 
                          I were to give you the compass of the Holy Spirit, 
                          could you find True North? My pursuit of the Holy Spirit took a desperate turn 
                          when God graciously showed up.   If we want to do something in life then we can't 
                          wait for our big breaks to show up. We have to make 
                          a start. The last thing I wanted to do was hop into my car 
                          and drive 250 miles all by myself in dangerously cold 
                          conditions, get stuck in traffic, and completely miss 
                          my friend's wedding.  Two days before the September 11 tragedy, on a Sunday 
                          afternoon, I was compelled to pray to the Lord. |