Articles Tagged 'Difficult'

Our Chorus is the Gospel

'The verses are the blues, the chorus is the gospel.'

Patrick Odum picks up a line from a Bruce Springsteen interview and helps us understand the need for being real about our struggles but also celebrating our hope in the gospel.

01/19/2020 by Patrick D. Odum

Where Are You?

Why are our relationships with God such a mess, with each other full of conflict, and with our world so destructive?

James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that sin, both rebellion and missing God's goal of goodness for us, has reaped destruction on all we touch.

01/17/2020 by James Nored & Phil Ware

Simple Beginnings, Profound Impact

Can anything good come from Nazareth?

Phil Ware reminds us not to put away Jesus with the Christmas lights and blow up snowman, but to remember that Christ is alive in us!

01/15/2020 by Phil Ware

Words We Long to Hear

What words do you most long to hear from Jesus today?

Phil Ware continues his series called Beyond Bread and Wine and focuses on the three sets of words we most long to hear.

01/12/2020 by Phil Ware

Wonderfully Created

How are we to view ourselves and each other in this magnificent creation?

James Nored and Phil Ware look at Genesis 1 and the Bible's story of Creation and remind us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

01/10/2020 by James Nored & Phil Ware

Dry Pine Needles and Cold, Dusty Attics

Jesus' real-to-life circumstances, along with his dangerous predicaments caused by his divine reality, are comforting to me.

Phil Ware reminds us that as we clean up from Christmas and New Year, the mess left after the holidays should remind us of the hard times Jesus and his family faced after his birth.

01/08/2020 by Phil Ware

In the Hands of the Potter

God is the potter. He created us, taking us from an idea to what He imagined we could be, then shaping us into something beautiful.

Tom Norvell reminds us what it means to be in the hands of the potter!

01/05/2020 by Tom Norvell

Will I Find God at the End of My Journey?

Take five to ten minutes once each week to explore life by joining us for a series of short videos filmed in Israel, Europe, the U.S., and other places around the world.

James Nored and Phil Ware combine their friendship, skills, and networks (Story of Redemption Films and Heartlight.org and VerseoftheDay.com) and bring us a weekly video and some interesting things to think about as we journey through life with Jesus!

01/03/2020 by James Nored & Phil Ware

You’re Not Getting Older, You’re Getting Closer!

Why feel this kind of urgency? Why not think about retirement and enjoying my... ?

At the beginning of the New Year, and the beginning of his new year of living, Phil Ware challenges us to be more like Jesus, especially in the way he loves people.

01/01/2020 by Phil Ware

To Win Your Heart

As we bring this year's journey to an end, the question you need to ask is as important to answer as it is simple to ask!

James Nored and Phil Ware challenge us to faith in the eternal God who chose to reveal himself by becoming human and living in our world

12/29/2019 by James Nored & Phil Ware

The Birth of Jesus

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

This is the Biblical account of Jesus' birth from Matthew 1 and Luke 2 from the NIV 11 version of the Holy Scriptures.

12/25/2019 by The Holy Spirit

Merry Christmas

We Wish You a Very Warm and Happy Christmas!

A Christmas prayer from the teams at Heartlight.org and verseoftheday.com.

12/24/2019 by Heartlight Team

Our Intersection with Joy

God's long story of grace intersected the mess of our world, and the rest of this story is our good news of great joy.

James Nored on video and Phil Ware with words remind us that the circumstances of the moment can be swallowed up in the greater joy of God's long story of grace that came to us in Jesus of Nazareth.

12/22/2019 by James Nored & Phil Ware

Treasuring God's Mystery in Our Hearts

The mystery, the wonder, the bewilderment, the delight, the fear, and the struggle as a new mom to God's Son were secreted in this hiding place of Mary's heart.

Phil Ware reminds us that Mary treasured all the things about Jesus' birth in her heart and we can find our treasure with Jesus as he comes to us in the manger at Advent.

12/18/2019 by Phil Ware

More than Just God's Whisper

How could God help us understand his faithful love for us, yet demonstrate his desire for us to live in our world with his righteous character and gracious compassion?

James Nored and Phil Ware share the meaning of Jesus' incarnation in word and video using a simple but powerful allegory.

12/15/2019 by James Nored & Phil Ware

He Came to a World We Know

Jesus entered a world we recognize as our own. He did it to redeem us from the messes we have brought on ourselves.

Phil Ware reminds us that the grit and gore that surrounds Jesus' birth is there to help us know that he came to a world like our own to redeem it.

12/11/2019 by Phil Ware

Peace: Until We Find Our Dream

What an incredible story. It's a story of transformation from an atheist to a Christian missionary in primitive Papua, New Guinea!

James Nored and Phil Ware share in video and words the wonder of Jesus’ birth and how it changed the world with the Sound of Music.

12/08/2019 by James Nored & Phil Ware

Come Home Quickly, Hallelujah

I know my heavenly Father is looking forward to having me home to enjoy the celebration with him and his other children.

Phil Ware shares an article about his son coming home from college and how it reminds him of the Father in heaven waiting for us to return home to him.

12/04/2019 by Phil Ware

Finding Our Path to God

The Bible and the early church were both exclusive and inclusive about salvation and fellowship.

James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of both the exclusive claim of Jesus as the only way to God and the inclusive fellowship of welcoming all people who truly believed in Jesus.

12/01/2019 by James Nored & Phil Ware

Advent: Drawing Near to Jesus in December

God came to earth as Jesus of Nazareth. God chose to come to us as one of us.

Phil Ware shares the Heartlight.org team's reading plan for December to help prepare our hearts to welcome Jesus.

11/30/2019 by Phil Ware

Even Though They Are Small?

If we are not careful, the challenges of the moment can wilt the joy right out of our Thanksgiving.

Phil Ware reminds us that no matter how difficult our circumstances, because of Jesus we have reason to give thanks!

11/27/2019 by Phil Ware

Unlikely Heroes

Their flesh yearned for a mighty conqueror who would slay their enemies. Jesus made it clear to Peter that he was not that kind of hero!

James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of that inner part of us that still bears the stamp of God's divine nature, the part that is touched by stories of self-sacrifice.

11/24/2019 by James Nored & Phil Ware

Teach Us to Pray 13: Ending Praise

For many, the added ending is not a good thing, and it is certainly NOT a 'Jesus thing'!

Phil Ware with Doug Peters help us finish our study of The Lord's Prayer and focus on how it points us to the 'coolest" Father of all.

11/20/2019 by Phil Ware

Purpose that Brings Meaning to Life

As human beings, we can survive almost any 'how' if we have a 'why'!

James Nored and Phil Ware share God's message for us about purpose and meaning through words and video.

11/17/2019 by James Nored & Phil Ware

Teach Us to Pray 12: Deliver Us

Why would God lead us into temptation? Doesn't God want us victorious over temptation?

Phil Ware and Andy Johnson help us look at our prayer for deliverance from temptation and the evil one.

11/13/2019 by Phil Ware