307 illustrations found
God whose strength is perfect in weakness, I wake feeling inadequate for today. The task is too big. The challenge too hard. The need too great. And maybe that's exactly where You want me— at the en
orthodox confession prayer by Desert Fathers
Servant King, who washed Your disciples' feet, teach me to serve as You served. Not for recognition. Not for reward. Not to feel good about myself. But because this is what love looks like— bending
Teaching on Scripture Meditation from Thomas a Kempis: Thomas a Kempis: The Imitation of Christ Through Scripture
Teaching on Confession and Self-Examination from Bernard of Clairvaux: Bernard of Clairvaux on Self-Knowledge
Teaching on Confession and Self-Examination from Amma Theodora / Amma Sarah: The Desert Mothers on Humility and Honesty
The Carmen Christi (Christ hymn) traces Jesus' voluntary descent from divine equality to slave's death, then his exaltation to cosmic lordship. It is both theological foundation (Christology) and ethical mandate (humility). Christ's self-emptying (kenosis) defines Christian character.
The parable of the prodigal son (better: "the waiting father") reveals God's scandalous grace toward sinners and challenges religious pride. The father's response—running, embracing, restoring—pictures God's heart. The elder brother's resentment mirrors the Pharisees.
The Beatitudes open Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, proclaiming kingdom values that invert worldly expectations. "Blessed" (makarios) announces divine favor on unlikely recipients: the poor, mourning, meek, and persecuted.
At Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, even the most senior software engineers — the architects of systems used by billions of people — don't ship code...
Barry Sanders was arguably the greatest running back in NFL history. During his ten seasons with the Detroit Lions, he rushed for 15,269 yards, earned...
At the end of nearly every manuscript he completed — cantatas, fugues, the *Mass in B Minor* — Johann Sebastian Bach wrote three small letters...
George Eliot's *Middlemarch*, published in 1871, follows Dorothea Brooke — a brilliant young woman who burns to do something meaningful with her life. She imagines...
In Fyodor Dostoevsky's *The Brothers Karamazov*, there is a moment that shocks everyone in the room — including the reader. The aging elder Zosima, revered...
In 1990, astronomer Carl Sagan convinced NASA to point Voyager 1's camera back toward Earth one last time. The probe had been traveling since 1977...
In December 1995, astronomers at NASA made a bold decision: they pointed the Hubble Space Telescope at one of the emptiest-looking patches of night sky...
In Peter Jackson's *The Return of the King*, there is a moment that stops audiences cold. Aragorn has just been crowned King of Gondor. The...
Consider the humble act of a gardener tending to their plants. Each spring, they kneel in the dirt, hands caked with soil, nurturing fragile seedlings that would otherwise wither away. This sacrificial investment is not just for their own garden;...
As we explore *humility* today, let’s look at Galatians 5:22-23, where Paul speaks about the fruit of the Spirit. Among them is *praotes*, or gentleness, which is closely tied to humility. This quality is not just a private matter; it...
Imagine a weary traveler trudging through a vast desert, his feet heavy with the weight of exhaustion and despair. This is the picture Isaiah paints when he speaks of those who hope in the Lord—those who humble themselves before Him,...
As we reflect on 2 Timothy 1:7, which tells us that God has given us a spirit not of fear, but of power, love, and self-control, we must consider how humility weaves these elements together in our everyday lives. Humility...
As we reflect on Matthew 28:19-20, where Jesus commissions us to go and make disciples, we discover a profound call to humility. This passage reminds us that the Great Commission is not just about authority but about serving in love...
When we look at Isaiah 40:31, we see a profound promise: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and...
As we reflect on 2 Timothy 1:7, where Paul writes, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” we recognize that humility and forgiveness are rooted in...