“God let Jacob fight until it appeared Jacob was in control. Then, with one touch, God dislocated the hip. . . . The hip is the largest weight-bearing joint in the human body, and it engages some of the strongest muscles. The message of the dislocation? ‘ You aren’t as strong as you think you […]
“If you are looking for a star in a Hallmark movie, Jacob is not your guy. If, on the other hand . . . you wonder if God could use a person whose halo has slipped . . . Then the story of Jacob is what you need. When God wanted to identify himself to […]
“The book of Jonah is a shot across the bow. God asks , how can we look at anyone — even those with deeply opposing beliefs and practices — with no compassion? If your compassion is going to resemble God’s, you must abandon a cozy world of self-protection.”- Timothy Keller “These inward trials I employ, […]
“To reach heart bedrock with God’s grace is to recognize all the ways that we make good things into idols and ways of saving ourselves. It is to instead finally recognize that we live wholly by God’s grace. . . . When we’ve reached bedrock with God’s grace, it begins to drain us slowly but […]
“The doctrine of grace presupposes [crucial truths], and if they are not acknowledged and felt in one’s heart, clear faith in God’s grace becomes impossible.”- Timothy Keller “But I, with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you. What I have viewed I will fulfill. Salvation comes only from the LORD!”- Jonah 2:9 Timothy Keller […]
“The usual place to learn the greatest secrets of God’s grace is at the bottom. But it is not simply being at the bottom that begins to change Jonah but prayer at the bottom.”- Timothy Keller (emphasis author’s) “And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly […]
“Love doesn’t compromise its convictions, but it’s moved by compassion. There is a way to disagree agreeably, but it takes humble boldness. Humility is the willingness to admit fault when you’re wrong. Boldness is the willingness to risk your reputation for what’s right. It takes tremendous courage to live according to your convictions.”- Mark Batterson […]
“Every single time something that had been intended for evil is transformed into something good, I celebrate. This requires us to hold another paradox: When we participate in reimagining, we are experiencing the goodness of the Lord, and every time we move toward reimagining, we have clearer eyes to see it.”- Aundi Kolber “You planned […]
“You need a robust view of risk if you’re going to live a robust life of faith. . . . You take risks all the time — the trick is to get really good at identifying the risks that God is putting in front of you. The risks you take on God himself are the […]
“The wise builder kneels at the cross for grace because it is the unbreakable rock you can stand back up on. Coming to Jesus means you can build a life stronger and better than any you could create on your own. . . . Kneeling also happens to put you in the perfect position to […]
“The feeling of anxiety is like an alarm bell alerting us to remember the Lord is near, so we don’t have to overreact; we can let the peace of God protect our hearts and minds, and intentionally direct and filter our thoughts, factoring in what is still good. . . . We need to let […]
“I’m not a boundaries failure. Neither are you. We are in process. And that, my friend, is one of the healthiest places to be. Remember, boundaries aren’t going to fix the other person. But they are going to help you stay fixed on what is good, what is acceptable, and what you need to stay […]