The Hope of Healing

Of all the prayers that rise from human lips on this troubled planet, the vast majority must be some version of, “Help!” That’s why we began with the Cry of the Heart. But second place of “most often prayed” has to be in the genre of, “God—what am I supposed to do?” Guidance, clarity, direction—doesn’t that seem to be one of the main reasons we pray at all? What do we do about our son? Should I take this job? Where…

The Arrows strike at the most vital places in our hearts, the things we care most about. The deepest questions we ever ask are directly related to our hearts' greatest needs and the answers life gives us shape our images of ourselves, of life, and of God. Who am I? The Romance whispers that we are someone special, that our heart is good because it is made for someone good; the Arrows tell us we are a dime a dozen, worthless, even dark and twisted, dirty. Where is life…

We must forgive those who hurt us. The reason is simple: Bitterness and unforgiveness set their hooks deep in our hearts; they are chains that hold us captive to the wounds and the messages of those wounds. Until you forgive, you remain their prisoner. Paul warns us that unforgiveness and bitterness can wreck our lives and the lives of others (Eph. 4:31; Heb. 12:15). We have to let it all go. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Col. 3:13) Now—listen carefully.…

In 1889, the most ambitious private home construction project in the United States began. On-site manufacturing produced some 32,000 bricks a day. The work continued until the completion of George Vanderbilt II’s “summer house”—six years later. The result was the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. To this day, it remains the largest private residence in America, with 250 rooms (including 35 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms) consuming a staggering 178…

Thanksgiving Day meals in America bring families together for a delicious ham or turkey dinner. But they are notorious for family spectacle as well—the picky great-aunt who remembers when she could cook better, the politically active uncle who can’t hold his opinions back, the growing son helping himself to a fourth serving of potatoes. Sometimes manners don’t match the occasion. Turns out, family drama is nothing new. In the first century church,…

Webster defines hijacked in this way; to steal or to commandeer. Have you ever felt as if your true self, the one that God made you to be, has been commandeered? Stolen? Hijacked? You’re not alone. Ever since that fateful day when we surrendered to an enemy that was hell bent on tricking us into submission, we’ve been struggling to get back that one thing that was stolen from us. That one thing is simply the knowledge of our true self as we desperately look to…

I recently saw an interview with Dana White, the head of the UFC (Ultimate Fight Championship). As an entrepreneur, he’s pretty impressive. He cares about his employees, his fighters, and his bottom line and backs it up with the loyalty and the investment necessary to make it the most popular full-contact combat sport in the world. I remember when boxing was just that. The "Thrilla in Manila" was the third and final boxing match between WBA, WBC, and The…

Personally, I find one of the most startling things Jesus says tucked away at the end of the fourteenth chapter of John. He is preparing his closest friends (and soon-to-be-successors) for his departure. They still don’t believe or don’t want to believe he’s leaving. Here is what Jesus says to them (and to us): "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27) Wait—do not let your heart be troubled? I thought to,…

How do you handle guilt? Mankind has tried to avoid dealing with this painful emotion for as long as humanity has existed. It all began in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and we’ve been using their faulty methods in an attempt to silence guilt ever since. Adam and Eve’s first reaction was to cover up rather than “fess up,” but nothing can conceal sin from God. Next, they attempted to hide from the Lord. Have you ever found…