Special Features 2006 Archives

For over 30 years, Heartlight has shared articles to help people live for Jesus in everyday life. While we are no longer publishing new articles, this enduring collection features relevant pieces throughout the year to encourage faith, offer biblical perspective, and speak to real-world joys and struggles.

Jerks and the Secret of Sturdy Faith

Resentment kills us, but forgiveness allows us to exercise a growing faith like a mustard tree and let God do the impossible within us.

How in the world do we really overcome resentment?

Gallows?

The old Gallows of the city of Chicago were left in the basement for years and years and this reminds Patrick of things that we allow to sit around in our hearts and fester and destroy us for years.

Why in the world would anyone keep this around in their basement?

Buy Your Own Gifts!

An older lady's mistake with Christmas envelopes reminds us that God never forgets to pay for our gifts!

Anything in your Christmas envelope?

Not Fair!

Life is unfair and in the unfairness we need to learn to pray and keep after it and not relent, not praying those PC prayers, but gut check from the heart prayers that are real.

What do you and where do you go when life isn't fair?

Make Their Journey Easier

Mike talks about a time when someone helped him on a hike and it reminded him of how we have to help those who come behind us.

What are you doing to help those around you?

Walk!

It's not how many days we have, but how we use those days for God that matter -- or to say it differently, it is not how far we walk, but how we walk in the miles we cover that matter most.

Can you walk this walk from now on?

What Do You Expect?

How do we know what God expects of us or what it takes to please him? By listening to what he tells us to do in Micah 6:8.

How in the world are we supposed to know what God expects of us?

Curing the Sin Virus

Sin is like a virus Satan has designed to appear harmless, infect us, spread, and render everything useless and destroy everything.

Where in the world did those horrible computer viruses come from anyway?

I Owe You the Truth

No matter if it is the corporate world, school, church, or friendships we owe each other the truth and should not lie or withhold the truth.

Is there ever a time not to tell the truth?

Will the Hurt Never End?

In the times of hardship and trial, it is hard to wait on the Lord because it seems so long before his deliverance, promised and sure as it is, comes to free us from our pain and suffering.

How long will all this mess last, anyway?

Is Faith a Form of Pretending?

We need to visualize who we are in Christ before it becomes a real part of our daily go to work world, and so we need to pretend we are children of God and the presence of Jesus Christ.

Is our faith merely wishful thinking and make believe?

Clay or Collectible

Article on the transformation God can do in our lives changing us from a lump of clay into an object of beauty and usefulness.

Can we ever be more than a lump of clay or a collection of dust?

Working on Your Soul

Ray Romano said he is off to do soul work remembering a note he received from his brother about something that Jesus said about losing ones soul.

What in the world does Ray Romano have to do with soulwork?

I Need You Every Hour

The words of an old song remind us of our deep need for God and longing for him.

Are you this desperate for God?

Straight Lines with Crooked Sticks

God can take broken, weak, and unfaithful people and make something meaningful and important out of their lives.

How in the world can you make something straight out of something crooked?

HALT

A recovery saying, HALT, reminds us to be careful when we are hungry, angry, lonely, and tired because then we are vulernable to temptation, sin, and weakness as well as addictions.

What do you do when you are emotionally on fire?

Simple Dignity

The Amish are an example of simple piety that cares to honor God above getting even: it is their character and not their dress or agrarian culture we need to imitate.

Sometimes the most profound grace is based on simple action.

The Cool of the Day

Our love for the cool of the day after the hot day of work is a reminder of our need to be close to God and his desire to have us close.

Have you been refreshed in the presence of the Lord lately?

Hey, Clark Kent!

If you want something bad enough, you go for it and do whatever it takes to do it, even if no one understands you.

Why in the world would someone want to be an umpire?

I'm Full!

God wants us to be full of Him, his grace, His mercy, His Spirit, His Love.

Are you still hungry or have you found a way to be full?

A Little Lower, Please

A humorous story about a date is a reminder of how hard it can be to communicate well.

How good are you at your communication skills?

Feeling Good about Feeling Bad?

This is an honest look at repentance and sorrow and life change, and reminds us that God's goal isn't our sorrow, but our reformed life.

Can you actually feel good about your sorrow for sin?

I Need More Stuff

When do we have enough stuff and can we say no to acquiring more?

How much is enough for you?

Hear the Echo?

We create echoes by our life, so what kind of echo will you hear from the people around you?

What will people hear from you?

Useful

No matter what others say or do to make you feel useless, Jesus loves you and has demonstrated again and again that you are useful to him!

Do you sometimes feel useless?