During Advent we eagerly await Jesus’s birth and second coming. For four weeks many churches’ Scripture readings are focused on prophecies, visions of the end times, and Bible passages that point to the Messiah’s arrival and return. The Messiah will save and redeem Israel—and us—from political oppression and spiritual darkness. Read More

Many times in our periods of profound sadness or grief, we feel as though we will be in mourning forever. In times of overwhelming loss, we may have trouble believing that we will ever smile again. In the beginning of this booklet, you read about Sara, who believed she… Read More

When our hearts are filled with deep sadness and grief, we may wonder how to approach God with our deepest hurts. We may question if we can genuinely tell God how we feel. Or like Chad and Tom mentioned in the introduction to this booklet, we may not even… Read More

When we are hurting or grieving a significant loss, we may wonder if God is listening. We may want to pound our fists and scream, “Do you hear my cries?” Laura initially felt that no one (including God) might understand why she cried herself to sleep every night. Perhaps you… Read More

Do you have deep sadness over the things that you have seen – lives that have been cut short; physical wounds that will never fully heal? Do you grieve the loss of friends? Are you able to cry? God hears our cries and cares about our hurts. God can help… Read More

As I mentioned earlier, Tommy initially believed that no one, especially God, could ever forgive him or love him. Day by day, however, in Tommy’s journey of faith, he came to trust in God’s loving forgiveness and acceptance. Three months following Tommy’s heart transplant, he returned to his home… Read More

Like Tommy, we desperately want to be freed from any guilt that imprisons us. The most important aspect of our confession is that it be genuine. When we are honest with ourselves about our wrongdoing, we will find peace in pouring out our hearts in genuine confession to God. Read More

When we reflect on our moral failures, we may wonder what God thinks of us and fear that God may not accept us. Perhaps you can relate to some of the following remorseful statements of Tommy. Download Audio Version… Read More

Do you carry a burden for something awful that you have done? Or maybe you are troubled by something you think you should have done, but didn’t do. Are your memories an ongoing source of pain and suffering for you? God has words of healing, forgiveness and hope for you. Read More

When we are in deep despair, we feel totally insignificant and might even question the existence of God. In the situation with John, I fervently prayed after our first meeting and asked God how I could help him discover a meaningful purpose for his life. As I prayed, I… Read More