“Out of the depths…” Some of us are very familiar with the depths. We’ve spent many a dark night crying out to God from places of despair, guilt, and regret. Psalm 130 meets us in this humble place, gently guiding our gaze upward, to watch for the dawn of God’s coming, to hope with Israel, knowing that we are eternally loved, and will be redeemed. This really is a perfect psalm for Lent, especially as we’re nearing its end. If we’re practicing Lent faithfully, we have allowed the Spirit to...

If your family opens up a Bible on Christmas morning to read the story of Jesus’ birth, chances are you’re not going to be turning to the Gospel of Matthew. There is no manger scene, no shepherds, no beautiful chorus of angels. It is not poetic or lovely. In fact, it’s kind of messy, and awkward, even a little scandalous. Nobody wants to have a Christmas morning conversation with the kids answering the question, “What does ‘consummate’ mean?” (NIV) You can try to get around that and read the...

Most of us can remember a time in our lives when we felt invincible. Whether as a result of success, prosperity, faith, or simply the...