Known as a Child of God
Read: Psalm 139:1-18 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. (v. 13) As a new mom, can anyone know my daughter better than me? I’ve seen every tiny change in the colors of her eyes. I’ve heard every coo and cry and can usually guess what they mean. I […]
Family Resemblance
Read: Genesis 1:20-31 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (v. 27) “Who do you think she looks like more?” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked that question since my daughter was born. Everyone tries to pinpoint […]
The Truth I Hold
Several years ago, Words of Hope Albania began a new radio program project called, “The Truth I Hold.” The goal of the project was to record 365 testimonies from Albanian Christians, and then produce them as life stories for radio. This ambitious goal was achieved, and the programs proved popular. From there, the team decided […]
Submitting to Weakness
Read: Luke 1:26-38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (v. 38) Mary was already “weak” in the eyes of the world before the angel brought his request from God that she become the mother of God-in-flesh. […]
Unhindered
Read: Mark 10:13-16 Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. (v. 14) The words of Jesus loom large for those who would complicate theology in any way: Don’t hinder those with wide-eyed trust, be they children or adults. Hebrews 11:6 teaches that without faith it’s […]
Accepting versus Boasting
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (v. 9) When I read this passage, I think I might be hearing the Loony Tunes cartoon character Yosemite Sam in my head hollering, “Whaaat in tarnation . . . ?!” So, I can’t […]
Lost and Found
Read: Luke 15 We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours . . . was lost and is found. (v. 32 NIV) There’s nothing like being lost to make you feel vulnerable. Jesus tells three stories back-to-back to help the religious snobs of his day reexamine their contempt for “lostness.” We encounter lost sheep, lost […]
Waiting for the Harvest
Read: Genesis 39:20-23 We will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. (Gal. 6:9 MSG) The exhortation Paul gave us in Galatians 6 to persevere is illustrated perhaps more dramatically in the life of Joseph than in any other Biblical account. Perhaps we’ve passed by the story like a washed-out billboard […]
Persians Love to Sing
People have a lot of ideas about individuals from Iran. But after attending a recent Persian Training Conference, Adam Navis, Words of Hope’s Persian Ministry Coordinator, can say that one thing is true without a doubt: Persians love to sing! “Every day when we would get together we began by singing a few songs,” Adam […]