free by grace

The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” What I find interesting is the simple thought that the Christians didn’t name themselves. But rather, they were called (or named) “Christians” by those watching their lives. I wonder if it would be the same today. Could someone look at your life or look at my life and name me a Christian? A humbling question for sure.

Francis Chan, Crazy Love

The irony is that while God doesn’t need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don’t really want Him most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him - and we wonder, indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by.

Francis Chan, Crazy Love

17 hours ago

God is still the same Shepherd. This video stirs in my heart to think about whether I’ve lived like how Psalm 23 is like.

What are you waiting for? The perfect mate, your next vacation, a coveted promotion, the kids to graduate from college, enough money to accumulate in your retirement account? Ask yourself that question because whatever you’re waiting for is what you’re living for.

At the deepest level, we need to remember that we are waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ. That’s when all the promises of the Bible will be perfectly fulfilled. We are waiting for him to bring justice to the oppressed, mercy to the suffering, strength to the weak. We are waiting for the time in which our hearts will no longer be assaulted by the headlines we read in the newspaper. We are waiting for a time which death will lose its hold and the LORD God will be our everlasting light. And while we are waiting, this is also what we are living for.

- Ann Spangler “Praying the Names of Jesus: A Daily Guide”