Something More

Redeem Us

"So, right now, we all groan with all of creation, longing for a day of re-creation. We are waiting for Jesus to open the scroll and claim back this earth...Jesus paid the title price for the earth and all the people it contains with his blood upon the cross. God the Father, the true owner of this earth, still holds the title. Satan only acts as a tenant for life until Jesus opens the scroll and inherits his kingdom."

Eternity's Hourglass

"I can see two fun directions to go in, and we’re going to explore them both: God as the creator of time and the history of the hourglass...Unlike the traditional hourglass which has a confined amount of sand within it, allowing you to watch its passage and estimate the time that remains, God’s timing is inscrutable."

Grafted

"The width and consistency of these bands can tell us about what the tree has experienced – seasons of drought or abundant resources; cold, harsh years or times of warmth; pests; overcrowding and not enough sun...Doesn’t it already sound like the human experience? We have seasons of faster growth and slower growth, influenced by the circumstances around us. Though drought and pests can slow our growth, we will keep growing if we keep receiving the spiritual sunshine of relationship with Christ."

Oh, Honey!

"Are you ready for a riddle? “Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet”(Judges 14:14). Any ideas?...Today, we’re going to take a look at the marvel that is honey. Where does it come from, what is it made of, and how is it used – both by bees and people?"

The Name of God

"In the Hebrew, Yahweh is written with just the consonants, YHWH – yod, he, vav, he. In 2016, I got to see Jason Gray perform live at the Waterfront Stadium in Grand Haven, Michigan, and he talked about the story behind his song, “The Sound of Our Breathing.” He was inspired to write it after learning that each of the letters was an aspirated consonant, pronounced with an exhalation of breath. Like all the rest of creation, we are all crying out to God even when we don’t consciously realize it."

Sweater Weather

"If you’re wearing a knit shirt right now, you already have a great learning prop handy. Preferably, it would be a sweater because the coarser the fabric, the easier the knit stitches will be to see. So, if you’re looking down at your shirt now, you can see on the outside that the fabric consists of columns of many little Vs of thread or yarn. Now look at the backside of the fabric – the inside of your shirt. You’ll notice there are many little bumps instead of Vs. You’re looking at the effect of knitting and purling."

Deliberate Love

"Have you ever decided to do something sacrificial and noble but had to wait a while for the right time? I find that can sometimes be harder than an immediate sacrifice. An immediate sacrifice doesn’t give me time to overthink and reconsider. But if I have time to ponder, I also have time to potentially reason myself out of it or lose my resolve or courage. God didn’t have that problem."

Light My Fire

"I don’t want to just be a single candle flickering dimly in the darkness. I want to be a bonfire heaped so high that the neighbors are wondering whether they should call the fire department."

Hold This Promise

"I wrote “Hold This Promise” for Grandma to assure her that in every season, my love for her was unchanging. But as I read over it today, I see in it the bigger truth of God’s steady love for us. In every season – with the stormy summer raindrops, the rustling autumn leaves, the softly falling snow, and the fresh growth of spring – he is providing for us, caring for us, showering down his love. His creation is declaring his faithfulness and care. And Christ himself is interceding for me with the Father."

Snorg ’n’ Flork

"Seconds later, Snorg heard Frank yelling out, “No! Get away from him!” and Snorg popped his head out to see Berg frantically pulling at his reins, trying to escape a dragon slightly shorter and slimmer than Snorg. She had shiny magenta scales and a purple ridge running along her crown and down her neck, the color of which matched her elegant wings, and was just then reared back with flames building in her throat. Frank had seen Snorg lighting the forge enough times to know exactly what was going on, and Snorg understood the situation at a glance. He made a flying, swooping leap and landed directly between Berg and the dragon, his blue wings spread wide to fully shield the horse from the blast that he had landed just in time to stop."