category
Search by topic, scripture, category etc..
208 Results in 98ms
Display
Sorted By
-
illustration
Christians Can Cultivate Culture
While there is a place for condemning, critiquing, consuming and copying culture, the primary posture Christ followers are to have in the world is as culture makers. In regard to history, the word cul... -
illustration
The Hitchhiker Who Pulled a Gun on Me
I was driving in Columbus, Ohio, when I came upon a hitchhiker who alternated between holding his thumb out and clasping his hands together as if he were praying. I picked him up. His name was Mike, a... -
illustration
We Cannot be Closed to Others and Open to God
We cannot be closed off to one another and be open to God. That’s not how this works. Do you remember the commercial when the woman says “that’s not how this works, that's not how any of this work... -
Quote
Grace substitutes a full, childlike and delighted acceptance of our need, a joy in total dependence. The good man is sorry for the sins which have increased his need. He is not entirely sorry for the ... -
Quote
Peace is not the absence of war but the presence of justice. -
illustration
The Ancestry of Jesus
We find hope in the ancestry of Jesus that no matter what we’ve done or where we come from, we too can be included in Jesus’ family. Jesus does not look for people who are perfect and have never faile... -
illustration
Evangelists Are Seen as Salesmen
In another day and age, God, religion and church enjoyed the general respect of the culture. Not today. Religion is suspect, church is weird, and Christians are hypocrites. Distrust has become the nor... -
illustration
Evangelism on a Wrestling Mat
It was impossible for me (Doug) to become Mark’s friend. He always avoided eye contact with me though I would smile and say hi as I passed him in the dorm. I had no idea what was going on in his heart... -
illustration
When Faith Grew but Evangelism Failed
I can remember that afternoon as if it were yesterday. I (Doug) was standing out in the middle of the green grass of the quad on campus, singing as loudly as I could. Twenty of my Christian friends an... -
Quote
Jesus is a reconciler of people, not a divider. He wants to bring people together, not finalize separations. -
illustration
Forgiving Her Husband's Killers
Elizabeth Elliot's story of forgiveness started in 1956 on the banks of the Curaray River in Ecuador when her husband and four other young missionaries were attacked and killed by members of the H... -
illustration
Change your Name or your Behavior
There is a story—likely apocryphal—of Alexander the Great discovering a soldier asleep at his post, a grave offense. When the guard was brought before him, the king asked his name. “Alexander,” the yo... -
Quote
The more like Jesus we are, and the more like the image of God we are, the more people see of God’s glory. -
illustration
Don’t be a Bad Commercial for God!
I once heard a sermon that compared believers to commercials for God. “And God doesn’t need any bad commercials,” I remember the preacher saying. It stuck with me, and from then on I often made decisi... -
illustration
Imagining the Kingdom
Author and Episcopal priest Stephanie Spellers suggests that instead of imagining a kingdom, a better way for us to understand what Jesus had in mind when he spoke of this script, this new way of livi... -
Quote
A true Christian is both a beggar and an heir. -
illustration
What Keeps us from Experiencing Renewal
There’s a quote by H. Richard Niebuhr that I believe is absolutely true. “The great Christian revolutions,” he argued, “come not by the discovery of something that was not known before. They happen w... -
illustration
The Faithfulness of a Few
Pliny, a Roman Governor serving around 112 AD, faced a challenging situation regarding Christianity. Many Church historians believe that by his time, it had become illegal to profess the Christian fai... -
illustration
Putting the Saints into Circulation
There's an intriguing story about Oliver Cromwell, who, while serving as Lord Protector of England, faced a tricky cash flow issue. When he found himself short on precious metal for coins, he sent... -
illustration
Flourishing Faith in Persecuted Places
On Christmas Eve in Tehran, house-church pastor Farshid Fatah and his family were awakened to the frightening sounds of the Iranian security police pounding at their door. After the police searched hi... -
illustration
Defining the Parish System
This concept [the parish system] has helped Christians understand how interconnected all the pieces within a community are and the importance of pursuing the common good there. Jesus’ call to be peace... -
Quote
Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal. -
illustration
The Two Runners
The true story of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, two British sprinters who qualified for the 1924 Olympic Games, illustrates two contrasting approaches to life and identity. Abrahams was driven by ... -
Quote
The call to ‘believe in the gospel’, or to ‘believe in me’, does not suggest that Jesus was inviting Galilean villagers to embrace a body of doctrine — not even a basic ‘theory’ about ‘salvation’ and ... -
illustration
Allowing No Shadow
Michelangelo, the celebrated Renaissance artist, is said to have worn a lighted candle on his cap while he worked, which worked by casting light over the marble or canvas so that no shadow of himself ... -
illustration
The Philanthropist's Tomb
John Howard (1726-1790) was a British philanthropist and reformer who, based on his Christian convictions, dedicated his life to the improvement of hospital conditions and prison reform. On his tomb... -
liturgy
As you go through your week, may you remember
Leader: As you go through your week, may you remember that not only is God for you, God is with you. And just as you can trust Jesus’ death and resurrection for your eternal life, you can trust God wi... -
illustration
Your Cell Will Teach You Everything
A certain brother went to Abbot Moses in Scete, and asked him for a good word. And the Elder said to him: Go, sit in your cell and your cell will teach you everything. An elder said: The monk’s ce... -
illustration
Who Determines Your Behavior?
Some years ago, the syndicated newspaper columnist Sidney J. Harris shared an interesting anecdote from one of his friends. Each evening, this friend would stop at the same newsstand to buy a newspape... -
illustration
Reading the Bible as Drama
Kevin Vanhoozer draws on 1 Corinthians 4 to argue powerfully for reading and teaching the Bible as drama. As Paul talks about his apostolic ministry, he says this: “For, I think, God has exhibite...
Page 1 of 7
Top_level_categories by Topic
A
- A Mother's Love (1)
- Abiding in Christ (2)
- Ability (2)
- Abundance (2)
- Abuse (4)
- Acceptance (1)
- Actions (4)
- Activities (1)
- Addiction (4)
- Adultery (1)
- Advent (3)
- Advertising (1)
- Affirmation (1)
- Alcohol (1)
- All Saints' Day (1)
- Allegiance (1)
- Ambition (3)
- Ancestors (1)
- Anger (3)
- Anonymity (1)
- Anxiety (1)
- Apathy (1)
- Apologies (2)
- Appearances (1)
- Approval (1)
- Architecture (1)
- Arrested (3)
- Arrogance (2)
- Ash Wednesday (1)
- Attacks (1)
- Attitude (2)
- Authentic Faith (1)
- Authority (2)
B
- Babies (1)
- Bad Habits (1)
- Bad News (1)
- Baggage (1)
- Baptism (2)
- Bearing Fruit (1)
- Bearing Witness (2)
- Beauty (2)
- Beggars (1)
- Behavior (2)
- Behavior Modification (1)
- Being A Child Of God (1)
- Being Chosen (1)
- Being Humbled (2)
- Being Lost (1)
- Being Right (1)
- Being Stretched (1)
- Belief (1)
- Believing in Jesus (1)
- Belonging to God (1)
- Beloved (1)
- Betrayal (1)
- Beyond Understanding (3)
- Bible Characters (1)
- Bible Interpretation (1)
- Biblical Faithfulness (1)
- Bitterness (1)
- Blame (2)
- Blessing (8)
- Blindness (2)
- Boldness (2)
- Born Again (1)
- Bread (3)
- Breaking Trust (1)
- Broken Families (1)
- Broken Relationships (1)
- Brokenhearted (1)
- Brokenness (4)
- Brokenness of the World (2)
- Building the Kingdom (1)
- Building Trust (1)
- Bullying (3)
- Burdens (2)
- Business (1)
- The Beatitudes (12)
- The Bible (4)
- The Body of Christ (3)
- The Bread of Life (3)
C
- Called by God (2)
- Calling (3)
- Captives (2)
- Caregivers (1)
- Catalyst (1)
- Catharsis (1)
- Change (4)
- Change the World (1)
- Changing Others (1)
- Changing the World (2)
- Chaos (2)
- Character (3)
- Character Development (1)
- Charity (3)
- Cheer (1)
- Childlike Faith (1)
- Childlikeness (1)
- Children (2)
- Children of God (2)
- Christ and Culture (2)
- Christ's Death (4)
- Christ's Healing (1)
- Christ's Love (2)
- Christ's Name (2)
- Christ's Resurrection (5)
- Christian Authenticity (1)
- Christian Character (3)
- Christian Community (3)
- Christian Culture (1)
- Christian Identity (4)
- Christian Leadership (1)
- Christian Love (1)
- Christian Service (2)
- Christian Values (3)
- Christianity (3)
- Christians (9)
- Christlikeness (1)
- Christmas (7)
- Christmas Eve (1)
- Christmas Gift-Giving (1)
- Church and State (1)
- Church Conflict (1)
- Church Hurt (1)
- Church Leaders (1)
- Church Unity (1)
- Clean Water (1)
- Clergy (1)
- Climbing the Ladder of Success (1)
- Clothing (1)
- College (1)
- College Students (2)
- College/Universities (1)
- Comfort (5)
- Comfort Zone (2)
- Comforter (3)
- Coming of the Kingdom (4)
- Commands (1)
- Commitments (1)
- Communion (2)
- Community (8)
- Community Development (2)
- Community Service (1)
- Compassion (5)
- Complacency (1)
- Confession of Faith (1)
- Confession of Sin (2)
- Conflict (2)
- Consolation (1)
- Contentment (1)
- Controlling God (1)
- Controversy (1)
- Conversation (1)
- Conversion (1)
- Convictions (1)
- Corruption (1)
- Counselor (2)
- Courage (1)
- Covenant (1)
- Covenant Community (1)
- Creation (2)
- Criticism (3)
- Cross-Cultural Church (1)
- Cross-Cultural Experience (1)
- Crowds (1)
- Crucifixion (1)
- Crying (1)
- Crying Out To God (1)
- Cultivation (1)
- Cultural Differences (1)
- Culture (1)
- The Christian Faith (3)
- The Christian Life (3)
- The Christian Walk (2)
- The City (1)
D
- Dangers of Success (1)
- Darkness (5)
- Darwinism (1)
- Death (1)
- Death of a Loved One (4)
- Decision-Making (1)
- Decisions (1)
- Deconstruction (1)
- Dedication (1)
- Deliverance (1)
- Denial (1)
- Dependence (1)
- Dependence on God (1)
- Depression (1)
- Desire (1)
- Despair (1)
- Destructive Behavior (1)
- Differences (1)
- Difficult People (1)
- Disability (1)
- Disappointment (1)
- Discipleship (2)
- Discipline (1)
- Disease (2)
- Disobedience (1)
- Diversity (1)
- Diversity and Inclusion (1)
- Divine Love (2)
- Division (2)
- Divisions (1)
- Divorce (1)
- Doctrine (1)
- Domestic Abuse (3)
- Doubt (1)
- Doubts (1)
- Dreams (3)
- Drive (1)
- Drought (1)
- Drunkenness (1)
E
- Easter (1)
- Economics (1)
- Elections (Political) (3)
- Embrace (3)
- Emotions (1)
- Emotions and Worship (1)
- Empathy (1)
- Emperors (1)
- Empowerment (1)
- Emptying Ourselves (1)
- Encouragement (3)
- Endurance (1)
- Enemies (8)
- Enemy (1)
- Environment (1)
- Envy (1)
- Equality (2)
- Eschatology (End Times) (1)
- Eternity of God (1)
- Evangelism (7)
- Everyday Life (2)
- Evil (1)
- Example (1)
- Expectations of Children (1)
- The Early Church (5)
- The Epiphany (1)
F
- Face of Jesus (1)
- Failure (2)
- Faith (8)
- Faith in Action (1)
- Faithfulness (8)
- Falling Short (2)
- Family (2)
- Family Discipleship (1)
- Family Dysfunction (1)
- Famine (1)
- Fear (5)
- Fellowship (2)
- Filled with the Spirit (1)
- Financial Struggles (1)
- Five Senses (2)
- Flourishing (1)
- Foolishness (1)
- Fools (1)
- Fools for Christ (1)
- Forgiveness (12)
- Forgiveness for the Past (1)
- Forgiveness of Jesus (1)
- Forgiveness of Sin (2)
- Foundations (1)
- Freedom (1)
- Freedom from Sin (1)
- Friend of God (1)
- Friends (1)
- Friendship (3)
- Frugality (1)
- Fruit (2)
- Fruit of the Spirit (2)
- Frustration (1)
- Future (2)
G
- Gathering (1)
- Generosity (2)
- Gentleness (4)
- Gifts (2)
- Giving (2)
- Global Church (1)
- Glory (2)
- God Cares For You (1)
- God Seeking Us (1)
- God with Us (2)
- God's Character (1)
- God's Forgiveness (1)
- God's Goodness (1)
- God's Justice (1)
- God's Love (2)
- God's Omnipresence (2)
- God's Omniscience (1)
- God's Protection (7)
- God's Provision (4)
- God's Pursuit (2)
- God's Sovereignty (1)
- God's Sufficiency (1)
- God's Truth (1)
- God's Will (1)
- God's Word (8)
- Going Out into the World (1)
- Good and Evil (2)
- Good Friday (1)
- Good Life (2)
- Good News (2)
- Good Samaritan (3)
- Good Works (1)
- Goodness (3)
- Goodness of God (1)
- Gospel (4)
- Gossip (1)
- Government (5)
- Grace (11)
- Grace vs. Works (1)
- Graduation (2)
- Grandparents (2)
- Gratitude (2)
- Greatness (1)
- Greed (1)
- Grief (4)
- Growth (1)
- Guidance (2)
- The Glory of God (1)
H
- Happiness (1)
- Hard-Heartedness (1)
- Hatred (5)
- Healing (23)
- Healing Blindness (1)
- Hearing our Prayers (1)
- Heart (3)
- Heart Change (1)
- Help (2)
- Helping Others (2)
- Helping our Neighbors (1)
- Helping the Poor (2)
- High Performance (1)
- HIV/AIDS (1)
- Holding a Grudge (1)
- Holiness (4)
- Homelessness (1)
- Honor (1)
- Hope (5)
- Hospitality (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- Human Nature (1)
- Humanity (1)
- Humility (15)
- Hunger (5)
- Hurting Others (3)
- Hypocrisy (1)
- The Holy Spirit (5)
I
- Ideals (1)
- Identity (2)
- Idolatry (1)
- Ignorance (2)
- Illness (8)
- Illumination (1)
- Image of Christ (1)
- Imagination (1)
- Imitation of Christ (2)
- Immanuel (1)
- Immigrants (1)
- Immortality (1)
- Impact (1)
- Impressions (1)
- Impurity (2)
- Inadequacy (1)
- Indifference (1)
- Inheritance (1)
- Injury (8)
- Injustice (1)
- Innocence (1)
- Insecurity (1)
- Insults (2)
- Integrity (2)
- Intentionality (1)
- Invitation (2)
- Israel-Palestine Conflict (1)
- The Image of God (1)
- The Incarnation (3)
J
K
L
- Lack of Forgiveness (1)
- Lack of Trust (1)
- Laughter (1)
- Law (Torah) (2)
- Laws (1)
- Leadership (2)
- Learning (1)
- Legacy (2)
- Lent (2)
- Lies (1)
- Life (1)
- Life after Death (1)
- Life to the Full (1)
- Light (11)
- Light of the World (5)
- Lineage (1)
- Listening (1)
- Little Things (1)
- Living Life (2)
- Living Water (3)
- Loneliness (2)
- Lord of Lords (1)
- Love (13)
- Love and Pain (1)
- Love of God and Neighbor (1)
- Loving God (1)
- Loving Other Christians (1)
- Loving Others as Yourself (1)
- Loving our Enemies (2)
- Loving your Neighbor (4)
- Lust (1)
- The Lord's Supper (1)
M
- Margins (1)
- Marital Problems (2)
- Marriage (1)
- Martyrdom (6)
- Masks (1)
- Meaning (1)
- Mental Health (1)
- Mental Illness (2)
- Mercy (12)
- Messiness (1)
- Military Service (1)
- Millenials (1)
- Mind (1)
- Ministers (1)
- Ministry (1)
- Miracles (2)
- Missionaries (5)
- Missions (3)
- Mistrust (1)
- Monasticism (1)
- Moses (1)
- Mother's Day (1)
- Mourning (7)
- Multi-Ethnic Church (1)
- Multi-Ethnic Relationships (1)
- The Military (1)
N
O
P
- Pain (1)
- Parables (1)
- Paradise (1)
- Parental Love (1)
- Parents (2)
- Pastor Responsibilities (1)
- Pastoral Calling (1)
- Pastors (1)
- Patience (1)
- Peace (11)
- Peacemaking (3)
- Perfectionism (1)
- Performance (1)
- Persecuted Church (2)
- Persecution (8)
- Personal Agendas (1)
- Perspective (1)
- Pleasing Everyone (1)
- Pleasing Others (1)
- Pleasing People (1)
- Political Leaders (4)
- Politics (1)
- Poor (3)
- Poor in Spirit (3)
- Poverty (3)
- Power (3)
- Praying for your Enemies (1)
- Prejudice (2)
- Presence (2)
- President (3)
- Pressure (1)
- Pressure to Succeed (1)
- Pride (5)
- Prison (2)
- Privacy (1)
- Private Faith (2)
- Prodigal Son (2)
- Prosperity (1)
- Providence (1)
- Provision (2)
- Purification (1)
- Purity (1)
- Purity Of Heart (4)
- Purpose (1)
- Putting God First (1)
- Putting God in a Box (2)
- The People of God (2)
- The Prophets (1)
- The Psalms (1)
R
- Race (Running) (1)
- Race and Reconciliation (1)
- Racial Reconciliation (4)
- Racism (1)
- Radiance (2)
- Rain (1)
- Reality (1)
- Receiving (2)
- Receiving Grace (2)
- Receiving Love (1)
- Receiving the Word (1)
- Reconciliation (9)
- Recovery (2)
- Redemption (4)
- Refining Fire (1)
- Reflection (1)
- Refuge (1)
- Refugees (1)
- Regret (1)
- Rehab (1)
- Rejecting God (1)
- Rejection (2)
- Relationship with God (2)
- Relationships (8)
- Release (1)
- Religious Persecution (2)
- Remembering (1)
- Renewal (5)
- Renouncing Faith (1)
- Repentance (1)
- Repetition (1)
- Reputation (2)
- Rescue (1)
- Resentment (1)
- Resilience (1)
- Resisting Temptation (1)
- Respect (1)
- Rest (3)
- Rest in God (1)
- Restoration (3)
- Restoring Sight (1)
- Resurrection of the Dead (4)
- Resurrection to New Life (1)
- Revelation (3)
- Revenge (3)
- Revival (1)
- Revolution (1)
- Rewards (1)
- Rhythms of Rest (1)
- Right Relationships (3)
- Righteousness (3)
- Risks (1)
- Romantic Love (1)
- Routines (1)
- The Resurrection and the Life (3)
- The Risen Lord (2)
- The Roman Empire (1)
S
- Sabbath (3)
- Sacrifice (4)
- Sacrificial Living (1)
- Sacrificial Love (3)
- Sadness (1)
- Safety (1)
- Salt (5)
- Salt and Light (8)
- Salt of the Earth (1)
- Salvation (5)
- Salvation History (1)
- Sanctification (1)
- Savior (10)
- School (1)
- Science (3)
- Scripture (3)
- Sea (1)
- Seasons (1)
- Seeking the Kingdom (2)
- Seeking the Truth (1)
- Self-Awareness (1)
- Self-Centeredness (1)
- Self-Glory (1)
- Self-Image (1)
- Self-Interest (2)
- Self-Promotion (1)
- Self-Reliance (1)
- Self-Renunciation (1)
- Self-Sacrifice (2)
- Selfishness (1)
- Selflessness (1)
- Sermon on the Mount (10)
- Servanthood (3)
- Service (2)
- Settling (1)
- Sex (1)
- Shadow (1)
- Shalom (3)
- Shame (1)
- Sharing the Gospel (2)
- Sheep (1)
- Shelter (2)
- Shepherds (1)
- Shine (1)
- Sickness (3)
- Silence (Spiritual Discipline) (1)
- Sin (4)
- Single Parents (1)
- Sins (1)
- Sins of the Church (1)
- Slander (1)
- Social Justice (1)
- Soldiers (1)
- Solitude (1)
- Sorrow (1)
- Space (Outer) (1)
- Spectacle (2)
- Spiritual Growth (1)
- Spiritual Hunger (2)
- Spiritual Poverty (1)
- Spiritual Thirst (1)
- Standards (1)
- Steadfast Love (1)
- Stealing (1)
- Step-parents (1)
- Stereotypes (1)
- Stories (1)
- Storms (2)
- Stranger (1)
- Strength (2)
- Stubbornness (1)
- Success (1)
- Sun (1)
- Supernatural (1)
- Surgery (4)
- Surprise (1)
- Survival of the Fittest (1)
- Suspicion of Authority (1)
- Sustainer (1)
- Systems (1)
- The Saints (2)
T
- Taking A Leap Of Faith (1)
- Tears (1)
- Temptation (1)
- Terrorism (3)
- Thanksgiving (General) (1)
- Thanksgiving (Holiday) (1)
- The Temptation in the Wilderness (1)
- Theology (1)
- Theology of Work (1)
- Therapy (2)
- Thirst (1)
- Time (1)
- Tired (1)
- Transcendence (1)
- Transformation (1)
- Trouble (1)
- True Love (1)
- True Self (1)
- True Worship (1)
- Trust (4)
- Trust in God's Word (1)
- Trust like a Child (1)
- Trusting Others (1)
- Truth (3)
U
V
W
- The Weak (2)
- The Wicked (1)
- Wages of Sin (1)
- Wandering (1)
- War (3)
- Water (4)
- Weakness (3)
- Wealth (1)
- Weariness (1)
- Weeping (1)
- Western Culture (1)
- Wholeness (1)
- Wilderness (1)
- Wisdom (6)
- Wisdom Literature (1)
- Witnesses (5)
- Words (1)
- Work (1)
- Work and Rest (1)
- World (5)
- World Events (1)
- World Leaders (2)
- World Peace (3)
- Worship (1)
- Worship as Performance (1)
- Worthy (1)
- Woundedness (1)
- Wounding Others (2)
- Wounds (1)
Y
Top_level_categories by Reference
Numbers
Deuteronomy
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
2 Kings
2 Chronicles
Psalm
- Ps 1 (4)
- Ps 6 (2)
- Ps 12 (1)
- Ps 15 (1)
- Ps 19 (1)
- Ps 23 (1)
- Ps 24 (2)
- Ps 25 (1)
- Ps 27 (3)
- Ps 30 (1)
- Ps 31 (1)
- Ps 32 (1)
- Ps 34 (12)
- Ps 37 (2)
- Ps 39 (1)
- Ps 42 (3)
- Ps 46 (6)
- Ps 51 (8)
- Ps 62 (1)
- Ps 66 (1)
- Ps 73 (1)
- Ps 82 (1)
- Ps 85 (4)
- Ps 90 (2)
- Ps 91 (1)
- Ps 96 (1)
- Ps 103 (2)
- Ps 104 (1)
- Ps 113 (1)
- Ps 115 (1)
- Ps 119 (3)
- Ps 127 (1)
- Ps 136 (1)
- Ps 139 (2)
- Ps 145 (2)
- Ps 146 (1)
- Ps 147 (3)
- Ps 149 (1)