1. The sword of the spirit in Holy Scripture does indeed show us our sin, but thanks be to God, it also shows us our Savior.
  2. Our hope is God's mercy. It's like a well that never dries up. His mercies were there before he created us. They are present for us today.
  3. Even for idolatrous sellouts like you and me, God’s position has not changed. Even though we may have forgotten him, he never forgets us.
  4. The imprecatory psalms are like release valves for hurting souls. Their stanzas are God-given spaces in which we can bear our soul’s torment.
  5. Men and women are all caught in the universal machine of suffering that chews people up and spits them out. And in their respective griefs and fears, they are all wondering if God sees them, hears them, knows them.
  6. At its heart, this is what Deacon King Kong is all about: the paradox of Jesus carving his victory out of the last thing we expect, not our triumphs but our defeats.
  7. Christians do have a hope that those who sleep in death will be awakened and their joy will never end, and we yearn for that day.
  8. The church’s song goes on and on, singing and ringing down to us today.
  9. He also took our own history and suffered all the agony and pain of our own lives.
  10. The thought of losing even one of those for whom his Son died pains God beyond belief, and the angels rejoice when even one of his children repents.
  11. So what, if anything, makes us different from those who are waiting on the grassy knoll in Dallas, TX? Can we be any more sure of our belief in the resurrection?
  12. “The days are coming,” and God said it. God, who kept his promise that Christ would come at Christmas.