The vision of a God who has himself suffered testifies to his mysterious but good character. God’s suffering is part of the answer to that deeper, emotional struggle with evil. God does not give us all the answers. He cannot. …
Many fathers (and mothers, too—this is an issue that warps all parent-child relationships) are simply awful to their children—which means that Jesus’ words about God’s “fatherhood” (or any invocation of “parenthood” applied to God) are not easy pills to swallow. …
Psychologists talk about the “stages of grief,” and this framework has trickled down into the popular consciousness. First comes denial and disbelief. Next is rage at the loss and the universe in general. After that is bargaining, attempting to somehow …
Read moreConversion to Christianity, like Grief, Isn’t Neat and Tidy.
You and I need to learn to recognize the invitation of the Spirit when it feels as though our lives are on fire. If we have eyes to see it, we will discern God’s adoring love in our agony, reaching …
As we have faced my wife, Elizabeth’s diagnosis, different versions of healing promises have popped up everywhere. We have been given several books that implicitly or explicitly make such claims. I have talked to people who struggle deeply with the …
Read moreIs God the Object of Our Hope—Or Is It Our Healing?
To engage in effective spiritual warfare, you need to know your enemy and your authority, but most of all, you need to know how to fight! Baptist pastor John Piper says that “the number one reason why prayer malfunctions in …
Read more3 Questions to Ask When Confronting Conflict in Prayer
While our family was on a walk, my youngest daughter (then five years old), kept talking about how she had to find somebody “just like daddy” to marry. “I’m going to marry you,” Kelsey said finally, somewhat defiantly. “I’m already …
Your mother taught you to say “thank you” as part of an overall, good-mannered approach to life. What specific studies in the areas of neuroscience have discovered is gratitude is more than being polite. It’s good for you. Benefits include …
I knew a young man who had been a habitual cocaine user. God miraculously delivered him during a revival service, and soon he became enthusiastic for God. He didn’t touch cocaine for an entire year. As the religious high began …
My friend Samson [i] was a profoundly abused little boy, and in 2005, he came to us at Hope Community Church a strong but extremely angry young man. The love of Hope’s believers brought Samson to Jesus—but he landed in …