Series — Refined by Fire: Walking Through Suffering with Christ — Post 10 Why We Must Suffer With Him to Reign With Him “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him…” — 2 Timothy 2:12 The Pattern of the Overcomer The pattern is unmistakable throughout Scripture. Before glory, there is suffering. Before the crown, there is the…
Series — Refined by Fire: Walking Through Suffering with Christ — Post 8 Where Grace Meets Suffering The Broken Path — Where Grace Meets Suffering The Christian walk is not a paved highway. It is a narrow, broken path that leads through valleys, storms, setbacks, and crushing trials. But it is precisely on this path that grace is…
Series — Refined by Fire: Walking Through Suffering with Christ — Post 7 Lessons from the Furnace of Affliction “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings…”—Philippians 3:10 When the Fire Becomes the Schoolroom We often seek to know Christ in power, in joy, in glory — and rightly…
Series — Refined by Fire: Walking Through Suffering with Christ — Post 6 When we think of worship, we often picture raised hands in a church service, or sweet music flowing through peaceful moments. But Scripture gives us a deeper, more powerful image: worship rising from a dungeon. The Midnight Hour In Acts 16, Paul and Silas had…
When God Brings Beauty from Brokenness Series — Refined by Fire: Walking Through Suffering with Christ — Post 5 He Restores What the Fire Consumes There are times in every believer’s life when the pain feels total — when the loss is so deep, the devastation so real, that nothing looks redeemable. Hopes are burned…
When God Says “No” and Grace Says “Still” Series — Refined by Fire: Walking Through Suffering with Christ — Post 4 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”— 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) Introduction There are prayers God answers with miracles. There are prayers…
Series — Refined by Fire: Walking Through Suffering with Christ — Post 3 “But the word of God is not bound.” — 2 Timothy 2:9 Introduction There are seasons in life when we feel confined — limited by sickness, injustice, age, circumstances, or even physical imprisonment. But God is not limited by what limits us….
The Ambush of the Cross, Post 6 “The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed.”—1 Samuel 26:11 There is a kind of victory that does not come from taking — but from waiting. There is a kind of power that doesn’t strike first, but trusts first. And there is…
The Ambush of the Cross — Post 7 When Love Without Surrender Becomes an Obstacle to God’s Plan The Setup Peter loved Jesus. There’s no question about it. He left his nets, forsook his business, and followed the Lord with passion and boldness. He was the first to confess, “Thou art the Christ, the Son…
How Christians Can Be Sure of Their True Spiritual Condition Introduction It is possible to be sincerely wrong about one’s standing with God. Jesus warned that many will one day say, “Lord, Lord,” only to hear, “I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:22–23)Few questions are more sobering than this: How can I be sure I’m not…