Special Features (Page 5) 2005 Archives

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No Good Deed Left Unpunished

Why can't we see the good in kindness?

Unwillingness to receive a gift is sad: mean-ness, unkindness, and rejection are even worse, whether the gift is cookies or a cross.

Pilate Wanted to Wash His Hands of It

How do we deal with unfairness?

Jesus was unfairly tried by Pilate.

Fine!

What gives us hope in the middle of crisis?

A funeral helps a couple of ministers understand more clearly the grace of God and the power of the human spirit.

The Humility of a Little Donkey

How much glory should we expect?

From Mother Teresa comes a very simple lesson on humility and graciousness.

A "Lucky" Break

Sometimes when things look worst, God is working to make something good~

Sometimes our worst moments are exactly the moments when God surprises us with joy.

A Story of Friendship

What would you do to help a friend?

The best friends bring their friends to Jesus to be blessed and helped.

The Joy of Finding

What brings you joy?

There is great joy in finding what was once lost.

The Viola Player

Can you find harmony in this diversity of sound?

Learning to recognize harmony in the diversity around us is a great gift -- the gift of real music.

I Jumped Out of a Perfectly Good Plane

Why would anyone ever leave the comfortable for the frightening?

Following Jesus may seem scary or even a bit scary, but then that is what it means for Him to be Lord.

What if Jesus Is My Master?

Why is it hard to let Jesus have control of our lives?

I wonder what would happen if we truly let Jesus have control of our lives.

Why all the Rules?

Do we really need rules?

God's word is given to us to be a blessing and to give us a happy life.

Three Cows

What in the world do three cows have to do with grace?

From a faithful old Thai friend, we learn the lessons of generosity and faith.

Bargains and Hot House Christians

What are you expecting to get for your Christian commitment?

Are we only interested in bargain basement Christianity, or are we willing to pay the price to be productive.

Just Don't Hurt My Kid!

What is every parent's instinct?

God's sacrifice of Jesus should amaze, humble, and change us.

The Victory Foreseen

Do you realize that you've already won?

Because of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, we know that we have already won the victory.

Easter Is Already Here!

What do you mean, Easter comes more than once per year?

Jesus' tomb was simple and unadorned, yet the place everything changed for all of us.

Wildlife Preserve

Have you been to a wildlife office preserve?

A lady bug helps refocus us and link us back to the beauty of God's creation and our need to be still and experience more and do less.

Teachability

How do you feel about new things?

Being unwilling to learn new things is a key to failure and an arrogance based in false pride and stubborn prejudice.

Known by Our Love?

What are we known for?

We must be known for our love!

What We Listen To

Who you listening to?

Who and what we listen to is crucial if we are to stay on track and also drown out the voices that make us fear and doubt.

Depressing Daze or Joy-filled Days?

What are you going to do with the depressing days of winter?

January 24 was called the most depressing day of the year, yet we are called to rejoice!

The Forgiveness Ad

What does it take for God to his message to you?

God has paid a huge price to get our attention about his love and forgiveness for us: the cost of Jesus' blood.

Ouch! Oops! Owie!

What do you do when you mess up?

I messed up by assigning the wrong author to the article, but I'm not going to rationalize my mistake away!

If You Stay Close to Me, You Won't Get Wet

Will you share the umbrella?

Taking a dog out for a walk proves to be a convicting moment about our stupidity in not staying close to God.

Intimidation

What would keep you from doing what you need to do?

We must not let critics intimidate us into being silent about the truth of Jesus.