Strengthening Faith, Love, and Hope
Strengthening Faith, Love, and Hope
Are we actually protected when we put our trust in God? One of the promises that Christianity asserts is that when a person places his or her trust in God, God will watch over them and protect them. God will be their defender and their fortress against life’s storms. This protective language shows up all throughout the Scriptures, and yet there are often times in…
Dick Lucas, the longtime pastor of one of England’s oldest churches, St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, has said, “The Bible does not give us a watertight argument it gives us a watertight person against whom there is no argument.” That is so good and helpful to remember. Often, when we speak with our friends, loved ones, or co-workers about matters of faith we can feel pressure to…
There are two things that happen in all of our lives that can become obstacles to faith. All humans face times of tragedy and monotony, crisis and boredom. And both the tragic and the monotonous times can be great barriers to faith. Surprisingly, even though tragedies sound far more sinister and hazardous to faith, people often respond better to the tough times than the monotonous…
Throughout the generations, a consistent form of human entertainment has been the solving of complicated puzzles. Whether it is an old school, 1,000-piece puzzle in a box, a Rubik’s cube, or word puzzle games on our phones, the challenge to solve baffling puzzles fascinates. It is far less fascinating, however, to encounter riddles or mysteries with our lives. So often in life, we run up…
Have you ever played with a partially inflated balloon, or a tied off surgical glove? If you have, you’ve noticed a curious dynamic. When we squeeze a limp balloon in our fist the pressure from our grip displaces air and causes bulges to appear in between our knuckles or thumb. Then, if we try to push those bulges back into place the new air displacement…