This week I once again welcome guest blogger, Kirk Marks. Kirk is a retired pastor of 30 years who now works in international fair trade. Are you feeling any hopelessness about something in your life? Maybe you feel you’re losing hope within. If so, even if just a little bit, you might resonate with theContinue reading “Two words that transform our hopelessness – Advent Hope, Part 5”
Tag Archives: hopeless
Hope is to the soul what oxygen is to the body – Advent Hope, Part 2
This week I once again welcome guest blogger, Kirk Marks. Kirk is a retired pastor of 30 years who now works in international fair trade. While I was serving in the coal regions (as I mentioned in the previous post), I graduated from seminary, and after seminary I sought opportunities to continue my education. IContinue reading “Hope is to the soul what oxygen is to the body – Advent Hope, Part 2”
The sickness of the human soul – Advent Hope, Part 1
This week I once again welcome guest blogger, Kirk Marks. Kirk is a retired pastor of 30 years who now works in international fair trade. When I shared with my family that I was going to be preaching the first Sunday of Advent on the theme of hope, my youngest daughter, Margaret, said, “Oh, wow,Continue reading “The sickness of the human soul – Advent Hope, Part 1”
When life is bitter pill – Advent Psalms of Lament, Part 2
This week I welcome guest blogger, Jeff Byerly. Jeff is my pastoral colleague, friend, ThD classmate, and traveling partner! He and his wife Tasha have two daughters, a son-in-law and new grandbaby! As I mentioned in the previous post, we will turn our hearts toward lament in order to turn our heads upward toward God’sContinue reading “When life is bitter pill – Advent Psalms of Lament, Part 2”
Have you ever lost hope? – Ezekiel 17, Preview
Have you ever lost hope? I paused after typing that question, thinking to myself, “Have I ever lost hope?” There have certainly been difficult periods in life, and I know I have become very frustrated, very anxious, and very sad. But I don’t know that I have lost hope, at least in the sense ofContinue reading “Have you ever lost hope? – Ezekiel 17, Preview”
How to find power when you feel powerless – Honest Advent Week 1, Part 3
Being powerless is a terrible feeling, isn’t it? Do you know what I mean? It’s that helpless feeling when life is bulldozing you and there’s nothing you can do about it. In today’s post we find out a very powerful man became powerless in order to access true power, and how we can learn fromContinue reading “How to find power when you feel powerless – Honest Advent Week 1, Part 3”
What to remember when life seems unfair or hopeless – Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, Part 2
Sometimes life DOES seem hopeless. How do we live wisely then? This week on the blog, we’re studying Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, and yesterday we saw how the Teacher (the writer of Ecclesiastes) suggests that life can be so unfair. Let’s follow the Teacher’s logic: Here are verses 12-14 in Dorsey’s translation: “12 Nevertheless, although a wickedContinue reading “What to remember when life seems unfair or hopeless – Ecclesiastes 8:9-15, Part 2”
What to do and say in the middle of life’s storms – Acts 27, Part 3
When you are in the middle of a life storm, what do you do? What do you say to people who are really struggling? How should disciples of Jesus answers these questions? As we have been studying Acts 27, the Apostle Paul’s journey to Rome, he is on a boat in the middle of aContinue reading “What to do and say in the middle of life’s storms – Acts 27, Part 3”
One word for the hopeless – Luke 8:40-56
Do you feel hopeless, discouraged or powerless? This past Sunday we looked at two people who seemed to be powerless and hopeless. But with one word their lives changed radically. What one word could make such a difference? Jesus calmed the storm with a word. He defeated demons with a word. In our next sectionContinue reading “One word for the hopeless – Luke 8:40-56”
Engaging Scripture 