Category: Hope

The Cost of a Dream

When the pain of dreams unfulfilled finally exceeds the growl of our fears . . .

Dreams are among the most powerful resources humans possess. Great leaders often carry big dreams. Such dreamers have altered world history, transformed civilizations, and discovered brand new worlds never before imagined. While not every dream is so far reaching, all envision the realization of what others deemed impossible. And, regardless the scope, all dreams share one thing in common—they come with a cost. Certainly, no dream is fulfilled unless the dreamer is willing to pay!

Continue reading “The Cost of a Dream”

Devotional Poem: Speak to Your Soul

This week we launch our thirteenth devotional poem. The next five weeks of blog posts will draw from themes in this poem.

Deep in our souls we nurture a seed,

Where God in his wisdom

plants a beautiful dream.

˜

And there it remains

Just waiting to sprout,

Till faith is embraced

And hope calls it out.

Continue reading “Devotional Poem: Speak to Your Soul”

Feeling our Faith

In His presence I have all that I need, yes, more than enough, there’s nothing I lack!

Human experience is a slippery concept. Because of its subjective nature people don’t often place great value in its rational potential or practical functionality. Yet, experience is fundamental to what it means to be a human person. So to speak of faith in nonexperiential terms is to misunderstand its human significance. With this challenge before us, today we address the topic of experiencing Christ’s sufficiency.

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Losing Control

Change, I do not need you! Alteration, variation, transformation, you are not my need!

Human life has an interesting relationship with change. When life is good, we fear it. When life is bad, we earnestly seek it. Change is uncomfortable and often inconvenient but life would literally cease without it. And in our most difficult times, it is change we tend to focus on as our life-line from troubled waters. Yes, as long as we are alive we can be sure that change is here to stay. Continue reading “Losing Control”

Animated Reading: Nothing Changes but Everything is Different

This week we launch our ninth animated reading. The next five weeks of blog posts will draw from themes in this poem.  If you like the video, please share with others.

Nothing Changes but Everything is Different

Lord, You’re so amazing!

How do You do it? Continue reading “Animated Reading: Nothing Changes but Everything is Different”

Rethinking Surrender

Desperate for God. This has been the theme we’ve focused on since the very first blog and we have done so through the notion of “postures” or attitudes of holy desperation. So far we have talked about the postures of spiritual brokenness and stillness and this week we introduce the third posture—surrender. To speak of surrender is to consider the ultimate purpose of Christian faith. It’s easy to give lip service to this self-denying virtue but another to actually live it out. Continue reading “Rethinking Surrender”

When Faith Feels Unwarranted

His hammer of mercy came crashing right down.

Many people who yearn for a deeper and more relevant faith often fail to realize such hopes because of their inability to reconcile their faith with their experiences of suffering and loss. Suffering strikes at the heart of our faith because we wonder how God would possibly allow such affliction upon those who’ve trusted him with their lives.  If we’re not careful, this question of theodicy (why an all-powerful and all-loving God allows suffering) will literally strangle our faith. Continue reading “When Faith Feels Unwarranted”

Rethinking Stillness

This week we begin rethinking the meaning of stillness for our quest of a practical faith and tangible hope in 2017. In looking back over the past year, we’ve learned that a dynamic and vibrant faith must be earnestly sought; in other words, we must be desperate for God. For the last five months we’ve discussed how important the heart attitude or “posture” of spiritual brokenness is for nurturing a lifestyle of holy desperation. Now we turn to the posture of stillness. Why is such a posture so important? Continue reading “Rethinking Stillness”