A Treasured Prayer from My Grandfather-in-Law

Years ago, my grandfather-in-law, Pete Austin, gave me this prayer/poem from Henry van Dyke that he cherished and memorized. I came across it today in my studies. It encouraged and challenged my heart again and I hope it will do the same for you: "These are the gifts I ask Of thee, Spirit serene: Strength … Continue reading A Treasured Prayer from My Grandfather-in-Law

The Antidote for Anxious, Fearful Hearts

In corporate worship, we invest time in prayer. We do this because God commands us to seek Him in prayer. Prayer also serves as one of the main ways that we exercise our faith in His promises as well as an antidote for our anxious hearts (Luke 18:1; Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is hard work and … Continue reading The Antidote for Anxious, Fearful Hearts

The Fundamental Reason of a Ruinous Revolution & the Need for Prayer

When he received the Templeton Prize in Religion in 1981, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn explained concisely the demise of Russia and the extermination of 60 million of her citizens: “Over half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that … Continue reading The Fundamental Reason of a Ruinous Revolution & the Need for Prayer

Treasuring the Temporal or the Eternal – Luke 16:19-31

Here are three practical implications from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. A.  DANGER: Treasuring the temporal blinds us to the eternal. Money and wealth blind us. We see this danger of wealth in the life of the rich man. He was not sent to hell because of his wealth, he was sent to … Continue reading Treasuring the Temporal or the Eternal – Luke 16:19-31

Hungry Hearts

Like Bruce Springsteen said, all of us have hungry hearts. We have a hunger to experience the transcendent. We have a hunger to love and be loved. We have a hunger for purpose and meaning in life. Left to ourselves, we generally look to satisfy our hungry hearts with the treasures and pleasures of this … Continue reading Hungry Hearts