Poet William Cowper struggled with depression much of his life After a suicide attempt he was committed to an asylum But it was there through the care of a Christian physician that Cowper came to a warm vital faith in Jesus Soon afterwards Cowper became acquainted with pastor and hymnwriter John Newton who encouraged him to collaborate on a hymnal for their church Among the hymns Cowper wrote was ldquo God Moves in a Mysterious Way rdquo which contains these words pressed from the crucible of experience ldquo You fearful saints fresh courage take the clouds you so much dread [... more]

In the southern Bahamas lies a small piece of land called Ragged Island In the nineteenth century it had an active salt industry but because of a decline in that industry many people emigrated to nearby islands As of fewer than eighty people lived there The island featured three denominations yet the people all gathered together in one place for worship and fellowship each week With so few residents a sense of community was especially vital for them The people of the early church written about in Acts felt a crucial need and desire for community as well They were [... more]

After raising money all year for a ldquo trip of a lifetime rdquo seniors from an Oklahoma high school arrived at the airport to learn that many of them had purchased tickets from a bogus company posing as an airline ldquo It rsquo s heartbreaking rdquo one school administrator said Yet even though they had to change their plans the students decided to ldquo make the most of it rdquo They enjoyed two days at nearby attractions which donated the tickets Dealing with failed or changed plans can be disappointing or even heartbreaking Especially when we rsquo ve invested time [... more]

I settled into the church pew behind a woman wearing a colorful scarf as the music team began playing ldquo I Can Only Imagine rdquo Raising my hands I praised God as the woman rsquo s sweet soprano voice harmonized with mine After service we introduced ourselves Louise told me about her health struggles and we decided to read Scripture and pray together during her cancer treatment appointments A few months later Louise told me she feared dying Leaning onto her hospital bed I rested my head next to hers whispered a prayer and quietly sang our song I can [... more]

In a recent post blogger Bonnie Gray recounted the moment when overwhelming sadness began to creep into her heart ldquo Out of the blue rdquo she stated ldquo during the happiest chapter in my life I suddenly started experiencing panic attacks and depression rdquo Gray tried to find different ways to address her pain but she soon realized that she wasn rsquo t strong enough to handle it alone ldquo I hadn rsquo t wanted anyone to question my faith so I kept quiet and prayed that my depression would go away But God wants to heal us not shame [... more]

Mary praised God for His mercy toward her and others past present and future Listen to Truth For Life as Alistair Begg traces a line from Genesis to Luke's Gospel highlighting God's mercy as He used unexpected people to fulfill His covenant promises Listen [... more]

On a busy day before Christmas an aged woman approached the mail counter at my crowded neighborhood post office Watching her slow pace the patient postal clerk greeted her ldquo Well hello young lady rdquo His words were friendly but some might hear them saying that ldquo younger rdquo is better In the Christmas season however the Bible inspires us to see that advanced age can motivate our hope As the infant Jesus is brought to the temple by Joseph and Mary to be consecrated two elderly believers suddenly take center stage in the holy story Luke Exodus First Simeon [... more]

Not only did Jesus teach the doctrine of election--He rejoiced in this truth Today R C Sproul continues his exposition in the gospel of Luke examining a surprising prayer of Christ's that should cause us also to rejoice that we have been granted the grace to trust in Him Get R C Sproul's Expositional Commentary on the Gospel of Luke for Your Gift of Any Amount https gift renewingyourmind org luke-commentary Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources [... more]

A couple who stopped to admire a large abstract painting noticed open paint cans and brushes underneath it Assuming it was a ldquo work in progress rdquo that anyone could help create they stroked in some color and left The artist though had purposefully left the supplies there as part of the finished work rsquo s display After reviewing video footage of the incident the gallery acknowledged the misunderstanding and didn rsquo t press charges The Israelites who lived east of the Jordan created a misunderstanding when they built a massive altar next to the river The western tribes viewed [... more]

Two sisters from India were born blind Their father was a hard-working provider but he could never afford the surgery that would give them sight Then a team of doctors came to their region on a short-term medical mission The morning after their surgery the girls smiled wide as the nurse unwrapped their bandages One exclaimed ldquo Mother I can see I can see rdquo A man who had been lame since birth sat in his usual spot at a temple gate begging for money Peter told the man he didn rsquo t have coins but he had something better [... more]

Cross the Bridge - [... more]

A little girl waded in a shallow creek while her father watched Her rubber boots reached her knees As she sloshed downstream the water deepened until it flowed over the top of her waders When she couldn rsquo t take another step she yelled ldquo Daddy I rsquo m stuck rdquo In three strides her father was at her side pulling her to the grassy bank She yanked her boots off and laughed as water poured onto the ground After God rescued the psalmist David from his enemies he took a moment to sit down ldquo pull off his boots [... more]

When John the Baptist was born his father Zacharias praised God in song Continuing his series in the gospel of Luke today R C Sproul examines this song the Benedictus to consider what the birth of the forerunner to Jesus means for God's unfolding plan of redemption Get R C Sproul's Expositional Commentary on the Gospel of Luke for Your Gift of Any Amount https gift renewingyourmind org luke-commentary Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources [... more]

Looking at the handmade Christmas ornaments my son Xavier crafted over the years and the annual mismatched baubles Grandma had sent him I couldn rsquo t figure out why I was not content with our decorations I rsquo d always valued the creativity and memories each ornament represented So why did the allure of the retail stores rsquo holiday displays tempt me to desire a tree adorned with perfectly-matched bulbs shimmering orbs and satin ribbons As I began to turn away from our humble decor I glimpsed a red heart-shaped ornament with a simple phrase scripted on it minus Jesus [... more]

A post-surgical stroke had robbed Tom of his ability to speak and he faced a long rehab journey Weeks later we were pleasantly surprised when he showed up at our church rsquo s Thanksgiving service We were even more surprised when he stood up to speak Searching for what to say he jumbled his words repeated himself and confused days and time But one thing was clear he was praising God It rsquo s possible to have your heart break and be blessed at the same moment This was that kind of moment In the ldquo pre-Christmas story rdquo we [... more]

During a trip to celebrate our twenty-fifth anniversary my husband and I read our Bibles on the beach As vendors passed and called out the prices of their wares we thanked each one but didn rsquo t buy anything One vendor Fernando smiled wide at my rejection and insisted we consider buying gifts for friends After I declined his invitation Fernando packed up and began walking away still grinning ldquo I pray God will bless your day rdquo I said Fernando turned toward me and said ldquo He has Jesus changed my life rdquo Fernando knelt between our chairs ldquo [... more]

After a recent move Mabel rsquo s seven-year-old son Ryan fussed as he prepared to attend a summer camp at his new school Mabel encouraged him assuring him that she understood change was hard But one morning Ryan rsquo s out-of-character grumpiness seemed excessive With compassion Mabel asked ldquo What rsquo s bothering you Son rdquo Staring out of the window Ryan shrugged ldquo I don rsquo t know Mom I just have too many feelings rdquo Mabel rsquo s heart ached as she comforted him Desperate for a way to help him she shared that the move was hard [... more]

It wasn rsquo t surprising when Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize True to form she received the award ldquo in the name of the hungry of the naked of the homeless of the blind of the lepers of all those who feel unwanted unloved uncared for throughout society rdquo Those were the people she ministered to for most of her life Jesus modeled how to care for and love the marginalized regardless of circumstances Unlike the synagogue leaders who respected the Sabbath law more than the sick Luke when Jesus saw an ill woman at the Temple He [... more]