“Joy is not getting what you want. It’s fully appreciating what you have.”- Mark Batterson In Chapter 5 (“Six Stone Jars”) of The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson begins with the observation that water is the most basic chemical compound on earth. Yet it also is the most vital. But when is the last time we […]
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”- John 14:23 (NIV) “God is at home, it’s we who have gone out for a walk.”- Meister Eckhart “Prayer is the most concrete way to make our home […]
“The right word at the right time can be the catalyst for someone else’s miracle.”- Mark Batterson As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 4 of The Grave Robber, he reflects on another defining moment in the life of Jesus- His visit to the temple when He was twelve years old. Luke 2:47 (ESV) states: “And all […]
“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”- Graham Greene, English playwright In Chapter 4 (“The Wine Maker”) of The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson opens with this statement: “There are days. Then there are days that define the rest of your life.” Some days are ordinary or […]
“Every now and then a man’s mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions.”- Oliver Wendell Holmes Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 3 of The Grave Robber by stating that the single greatest miracle is the forgiveness of our sins, made possible through the crucifixion and resurrection […]
As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 3 of The Grave Robber, he wants his readers to clearly understand that only God can perform miracles. God gets all the glory. Yet, Mark adds that almost every miracle has a human element. And while some miracles take a single step of faith, others require multiple attempts. Pastor Batterson […]
In Chapter 3 (“The Lost Miracles”) of The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson notes that Thomas Jefferson invented his own abridged version of Scripture- The Jefferson Bible. Jefferson’s version reflected his life biases as a child of the Enlightenment. Because logic and reason were the ideals of the Enlightened mind, miracles had no place in Jefferson’s […]
As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 2 (“Miraculous”) of The Grave Robber, he discusses an experiment conducted by two Harvard University researchers more than a decade ago. Popularized in the book The Invisible Gorilla, the researchers filmed students passing basketballs around in a circle. In the middle of the minute-long video, a woman dressed in a gorilla […]
Waiting on God (Howard Books, 2015) Waiting on God: Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow is the latest book from Charles Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA since 1971. He opens his book with the assertion that the word never can stir the deepest fear in the human heart. Thus, […]
Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D. C. His latest book, The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible, spotlights seven miracles of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of John. Each miracle unveils a different dimension of Jesus’ power. Seven miracles are seven signs, each pointing straight […]
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived- the things God has prepared for those who love him- these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. . . . we have received the Spirit who is from God, so that we may […]
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”- Isaiah 40:31 Charles Stanley loves to photograph eagles because they are beautiful as well as extremely interesting to watch. Dr. Stanley marvels at […]