“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.’- Luke 4:1-2 Max Lucado begins Chapter 16 (“The Long, Lonely Winter- Wilderness Places”) of Next Door Savior with this description of the wilderness of the soul: […]
“[But God] immense in mercy and with an incredible love . . . embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did this all on his own, with no help from us.”- Ephesians 2:45 (The Message) In Chapter 13 of Next Door Savior, author Max Lucado observes that most […]
He (Jesus) said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”- Luke 5:4-5 In Chapter 5 (“Try Again- Discouraged People”) of Next Door Savior, Max Lucado describes […]
Max Lucado references and discusses Mark’s account where Jesus heals a sick woman and Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:25-34) in Chapter 4 (“The Hand God Loves to Hold- Desperate People”) of Next Door Savior. Both the woman and Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, find themselves on the same path in the village, even though they […]
AHA (David C. Cook, 2014) AHA: Awakening. Honesty. Action. is the latest book by Kyle Idleman, teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Kyle bases this book on the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). Pastor Idleman emphasizes that AHA is the antithesis of a self-help book. While we are aware that […]
“Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.”- Hebrews 2:11 In Chapter 2 “Christ’s Theme Song-Every Person”) of Next Door Savior, Max Lucado observes that most families make an effort to keep their family secrets a […]
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”- 2 Corinthians 3:18 Author and pastor Max Lucado begins Next Door Savior with the statement that Jesus is near […]
Kyle Idleman concludes Chapter 13 (the final chapter) of AHA by stating that both sons were in the wrong. Both had the responsibility of seeking out their father. Eventually the younger son did this- although the father ran to the younger son as soon as he saw him. Most patriarchs of that day would have […]
“The bad son was lost in his badness, but the good son was lost in his goodness.”- Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God Kyle Idleman continues Chapter 13 of AHA with two descriptions of what an older brother is like, because older brothers have a difficult time seeing themselves as someone in need of AHA. 1. […]
“For this my son was dead, and is alive again, he was lost, and is found.” And they began to celebrate. Now his older brother was in the field . . .- Luke 15:24-25 In Chapter 13 (“Lost in the Father’s House- The Final AHA”) of AHA, Kyle Idleman reminds us that the Parable of the […]
And Jesus said,, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”- Luke 23:34 In Chapter 12 (“Defeatism- It’s Too Late Now”) of AHA, Kyle Idleman observes that “life can reach a point when it feels like things have gone too far.” Like Humpty Dumpty, there are too many broken pieces to put together […]
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow . . . have lighted fools/ The way to dusty death.”- William Shakespeare, Macbeth Zaccheus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times […]