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1,814 illustrations — Illustrations from diverse theological traditions
In 2018, a small congregation in Nashville voted to become a fully affirming church. The pastor knew what it would cost — denominational funding, longtime...
In the winter of 1941, Thomas Merton drove through the Kentucky hills toward the Abbey of Gethsemani, his hands trembling on the steering wheel. He...
When Joshua stood at the edge of the Jordan, God did not hand him a detailed map. "Be strong and courageous," the Divine whispered —...
A small church in Portland inherited a vacant lot next door, choked with blackberry brambles and broken glass. Someone suggested a community garden. The first...
In 1881, scholar B.B. Warfield stood before his Princeton seminary students and made a declaration that would echo through generations: the words of Scripture are...
When the assayer tests gold for purity, he does not guess at its composition. He subjects the metal to precise, measurable heat — 1,064 degrees...
When Moses died on Mount Nebo, Joshua inherited not a throne but a trembling nation camped on the eastern bank of the Jordan. Ahead lay...
Picture a farmer who planted seed in good ground. He watered it, spoke life over it, and declared that a harvest was coming. Weeks passed....
In the monastery chapel at Gethsemani, Thomas Merton once described a moment during night vigils when the wind howled against the Kentucky hills, rattling windows...
When the community garden in downtown Portland was bulldozed to make way for another luxury apartment complex, something unexpected happened. The displaced gardeners — refugees,...
In the monastery at Gethsemani, Thomas Merton described a moment when his carefully constructed spiritual identity simply fell away. He had spent years building what...
In the monastery at Avila, Teresa once described the interior castle as having rooms the soul must enter without knowing what lies ahead. The deepest...
When the storm stripped the roofs off half the trailer park, nobody from city hall showed up for three days. But by the second morning,...
A master jeweler once told an apprentice, "Never judge a diamond's quality by comparing it to other diamonds in the case. Judge it against the...
In Genesis 41:9-36, we see God's providential hand at work in Joseph’s life and the lives of the Egyptians. This passage highlights the Law's role in revealing humanity’s need for a savior, while the Gospel proclaims God’s sovereignty and mercy...
Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." For too long, we have domesticated...
In Joshua 1:9, God commands Joshua to "be strong and courageous." We imagine courage as a battle cry, a charge into the fray. But the...
When God told Joshua, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your...
When Aimee Semple McPherson stood before her congregation at Angelus Temple, she understood that following Jesus was never a casual stroll — it was a...
In her memoir *Searching for Sunday*, Rachel Held Evans wrote about returning to church after years away, carrying wounds inflicted by people who claimed to...
In Galatians 5:13, Paul writes with surgical precision: "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for...
In John 14:27, Jesus declares, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to...
When a small affirming church in Atlanta lost its building lease, they didn't retreat. They partnered with a local drag brunch venue to host a...
When Joshua heard God say, "Be strong and courageous," he stood at the edge of a land already occupied, already storied, already loved by others....
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