How Following Jesus Leads to Rest
Michael Kelley:Hatred; persecution; conflict; yes, we can expect all these things when we follow Jesus. But according to Him, we can also expect rest. How can these things fit together? After all, a life riddled with conflict, hatred, viciousness, attack, and loss upon loss seems anything but restful. It seems, actually, like the exact opposite. How can Jesus, then, have the audacity to promise us rest when we come after Him?
Did Jesus Fail at His Job?
Nathan Betts:“So, is it true that Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead?” My skeptical friend had been peppering me with questions about my Christian faith. The validity and meaning of Christ’s resurrection now became his point of focus. “Yes, that is true,” I said. His voice grew louder, “Well, if it is true that Jesus died and rose again, doesn’t that mean that evil has been conquered?” I just listened and waited for him to finish his thought. “But there is still a lot of evil in this world,” emotion filled his voice, “And if there is all this evil around us, it seems to me that Jesus failed at his job.”
When the Authoritative Jesus Shows Up
David McLemore:Personal authority can never save us. We’ve seen the abuses of authority in this world. Personal authority isn’t only a sinful ambition; for some, it’s a bullet-proof vest. It’s protection from the evil outside even as it prepares the den for evil inside.
Finding Faith in the Midst of Fear
Scarlet Hiltibidal:Famous Christian Quotes . . . That Aren’t Real
Trevin Wax:As someone who has sometimes passed along “fake quotes” without knowing it, I’ve started a collection so that others will know about them and stop spreading them. (Thomas Kidd offers a good suggestion for figuring out if a quote is real before passing it on.) Christians care about truth. We shouldn’t spread quotes, no matter how good, if they’re not real. Here are some to avoid.