In the early 1500s, while the world was in what’s known as the Dark Ages, the church was suffering through dark ages of its own. It had degenerated into man’s default approach to a relationship with God—that you must earn that relationship, that God gives grace to those who work for it. What’s worse, the church had figured out … [Read more...]
Teaching the Abundant Life…When Life Isn’t So Abundant
Complete this sentence: I have come that they may have life ____________. It’s a familiar passage. And depending on the Bible version you’ve used TOmemorize the passage, you might complete the sentence with something like: …and have it more abundantly. But what exactly does this mean, especially when life doesn’t … [Read more...]
Buzzer-Beater Grace
Tis the season for buzzer-beaters. And if the conference tourneys leading into the NCAA tournament are any indication, we’re in for a month of buzzer-beater madness. Whether or not you are a sports fan, there are few things more thrilling than when a player from the team down by one or two heaves from half-court a ball that … [Read more...]
Four Signs that You Haven’t Forgiven Yourself
Guilt, shame, and regret are pretty common among teens. It’s easy to know in our heads that God forgives, but in our hearts—in our guts—we don’t really believe we’ve been forgiven. At least, we don’t live our lives convinced that God has truly forgiven us. The Enemy, Satan, wants to use guilt and shame to hold us as … [Read more...]