What’s So Amazing About Grace? Part 2

When we talk about God’s grace, we often think of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and that is a very big part of it, but there is another kind of grace. It’s the grace God gives us to allow us to endure our most difficult moments. Join us as Pastor Dave Weiss shares about a time when his was at the end of his rope and maybe his ministry and the wise counsel he got from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 11 and 12.

Chuck Colson: What if?

My Friend Bob Hostetler posted this to his blog today and I thought it was really worth posting as a memorial to a great man. Shame on the Washington Post for a headline that totally ignored the last 40 years of the man’s life. There is a hideous double standard in the media which should not be tolerated. Chuck Colson did some dumb things in his political career, and then he met Jesus and devoted the rest of his life to making a difference and he did.

Dave Weiss has done a LOT of dumb things in his life and my prayer is that I too will leave the legacy of a changed life, like Colson did. Meeting Jesus SHOULD do that in us all!

Here’s Bob Hostetler’s post…
‘An Army of Colsons

Charles Colson died today.

The Washington Post shamefully headlined his obituary, “Charles Colson, Nixon’s ‘dirty tricks’ man, dies at 80.” The headline ignored nearly forty years of the man’s inspirational and influential life since he committed crimes related to the Watergate scandal. He became a follower of Jesus, pleaded guilty, and after serving a prison term, started Prison Fellowship, a ministry to prisoners and others around the world. Colson turned his biggest failure into a God-glorifying triumph that changed the lives of many.

What if everyone did that? What if, say, starting now, every one of us took our most miserable, humiliating failure in life as an opportunity for God to do through us what he did through Charles Colson? What if everyone who has ever served time ministered to those who are serving time? What if every shattered marriage produced a person who is passionate about preventing or healing shattered marriages? What if every recovered addict became a rescuer of other addicts? What if every person whose pride, bitterness, or gossip has ever split a church devoted himself or herself to preserving and restoring unity in the church?

What if my greatest failure is what God wants to use to bring about glory for himself and blessing for me? What if your greatest disappointment in life is something God longs to use? What if God unleashed hundreds–or thousands–of Charles Colsons on this earth?

Or even just…one more?

Creative Challenge: Biblical Heroes

From my upcoming devotional, A Year in Creativity: 
52 Creative Challenges Based on the Word of God

While Jesus is the main hero of the Bible, there are many other heroic figures in the pages of Scripture. While none of them is perfect, except Jesus, they exemplify traits many of us would do well to emulate. The faith of Daniel, the leadership of Moses, the courage of Mary and on and on and on. One of my favorite biblical heroes is Joseph son of Jacob. The way he overcame every trial because he refused to give in to his circumstances and held on to God is inspirational to me every time I think about it.

Who is your biblical hero? Why does his/her story resonate with you? Create something that reminds you of this hero and what attributes did they possess that you want to exemplify in your life.