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You’re in a conversation and someone says, “Why would God punish Jesus for what I did? It’s barbaric and abusive that He would require a blood sacrifice from his own son for sins Jesus didn’t even commit. It sounds like ‘cosmic child abuse’.” What would you say? It’s a reasonable question. They are correct about the cruel, injustice Jesus suffered on the cross, but entirely mistaken about the identity of Jesus, the nature of His sacrifice, and the love of God. So, the next time someone says, “The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross sounds like ‘cosmic child abuse’,” here are three...

Meg Bucher Dr. Charles Frazier Stanley died at the age of 90 on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Many people strive to reach fame in this world, but he made his faith famous. Set free at the age of 12, when he gave his life to Christ, Charles Stanley made it his mission in life to help others find the same freedom. Born in Dry Fork, Virginia in 1932, the pastor, evangelist, broadcaster, and author of over 50 books, pastored the megachurch, First Baptist Church, in Atlanta for 51 years. He founded In Touch Ministries in 1972. A Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate, Charles Stanley...

· Dolores Smyth 1. Make Your House a Home. When you’re first married, decorating your house so that it feels like a home can be daunting. When decorating, one thing to keep in mind is that your home should reflect the things that make both you and your partner happy. This may include specific colors and scents or certain furniture and styles. Agreeing on how to make your house a home may be a bit tricky if you and your other half have wildly different tastes and behaviors. This is where a compromise is in order. 2. Share At Least One...

· Rick Warren Phase 1: Dream How does God build your faith? He always starts with a dream. Nothing happens until you start dreaming. You have to get an idea, a vision, a goal, or a target. When God wants to work in your life, he gives you a dream about what he wants you to do and the impact he wants you to have in the world. Phase 2: Decision You have to make the decision to go for it! Nothing will happen to your dream until you wake up and put it into action. For every ten dreamers in the world, there is only one decision maker. The only way to move forward in faith is to decide to take a risk. Phase 3: Delays When you pursue your dream, there is always a...

1. Critics charge that PSA has God directly “killing” Jesus. Alternatively, in another version, the charge is that if PSA is true, then the mobs who crucified Jesus were doing God’s will. There are a number of issues with these charges. The first, and most obvious, is that it rejects the appropriateness of distinguishing divine intention from human one. If God “wills” the death of Jesus in any sense, he is a killer, or murderer, or we have no room to say that the Romans were guilty of a crime because they were only doing God’s will at that point. However,...

• Elizabeth Spencer 1. God has a special place in His heart for parents. "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." (Isaiah 40:11) God invented parenthood, and what God creates, He cares for. God sees us both as parents and His children, and His heart toward us is relational and tender. Throughout Scripture, God often helps us see who He is and what He does through a parenting lens. He does not forget us: "Can a mother forget the baby at...

Emmanuel Abimbola 1. Communication is key Communication is the foundation of any relationship. The quality of communication between the couple will determine the overall integrity of the relationship. This is why it is advisable to have healthy communication. Healthy communication is godly, kind, and always has a loving tone. When you have healthy communication with your spouse, they will always feel loved. Healthy communication also helps to neutralize any quarrels and arguments. It reflects in the tone and choice of words you use to tell your spouse you disapprove of their actions or bad attitudes, but not of who they are. Healthy communication...

Leah Lively 1. Jesus Came to Resurrect Your Hope In (Luke 3), John the Baptist had been preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. Since King David, the Jewish people had gone through hundreds of years of turning away from God, turning to Him, then away from Him again. In anger, God drove the people into exile. Their land and homes were destroyed, and they were taken over by foreign powers. Ultimately, they were able to return and rebuild Jerusalem, but eventually, the Roman government gained control of the area. The people, without hope, held on to the promise of the...

By Jimmy Wallace I recently was watching a talk given by an atheist student where the speaker referred to God as a “celestial dictator.” In fact, this was essentially the only way he referred to God. I thought it was an interesting characterization. Clearly, the depiction of God as a “dictator” was meant as a pejorative term. The first question this claim brought to mind was the difference between a dictator and any other kind of leader. After all, every world leader has a set of laws and policies he or she would wish to implement. These laws and policies would constrict the...

Amy Green Mother’s Day is a great opportunity to show love and care for Mom, but what if her “love language” isn’t receiving gifts? And even if it is, there are many other ways to serve and encourage moms who often give so much of their time and emotional energy to the other members of their family. 1. Record videos.  Record short interviews with the kids about what they appreciate about their mom. Prompt them with questions like, “What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?” “How can you tell that your Mom loves you?” “What quality of your Mom’s would you like to...