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solid rock
Few lives in Scripture have been painted in such vivid strokes as that of Simon Peter. A faithful reader can trace his character arc from rough fisherman to zealous disciple, fearful turncoat to bold apostle. More than once recently, I’ve had cause to remember the final interactions Jesus had with Peter surrounding His crucifixion. Etched deeply in all our Sunday school memories is the story of Peter’s three denials of His professed Messiah. Following closely on its heels is his parallel restoration, when the resurrected Christ offers Peter three chances to reaffirm his love. But the episode that has long been dear to me, and the one which has captured…
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Embattled Heart
The enemy is after my heart today. I can feel the anxiety stirring, a menacing presence roiling just below the surface. There is no reason for it — no immediate fear or dread — just a silent stalking. The seasons are changing. Darkness arrives earlier and earlier, swallowing up whole chunks of evening hours and magnifying the lies that seem so much easier to dismiss in the daylight. You are alone. You are powerless. No one hears your voice or cares what you have to say. You are a failure. There is no hope for you. The lies are a poisonous oil that seeps between the cracks in my armor.…
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Unwrapping the Gift of Faith
Try as I might, I don’t remember being born. It was in the days before delivery room photographers shared the space with family and medical personnel to capture every moment on film. Still, even without such documentation, or even the testimony of many witnesses, I am convinced the event took place. I was unborn, and then I was born: simple as that. I don’t remember any better the moment I was born again, though I am just as certain it happened! I was raised in a Christian home, where loving Jesus seemed a matter of course. Faith is mixed in with my earliest memories. But I would no more say…
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One Small Life
It’s a good thing I didn’t know what waited at the bottom of this particular cliff — I’m not sure I would’ve had the courage to make the leap. When I resigned my position and marshaled my savings last spring, I had little more to go on than a strong impression from God and a hazy vision of something called LightWater Mission. Flushed with the call of adventure and more than a bit proud of my obedient but uncharacteristically risky undertaking, I was convinced the name of Jesus would be splashed all over my steps — for His glory, not mine, of course … though I wouldn’t have minded basking…
