Preaching Amid Suffering: An Interview with Adam Hamilton

"All of us go through times of tragedy. We experience tragedy in other people's lives, and that seems to fly in the face of the Christian gospel of a God who is loving, just and kind. We share those stories and it's not just theory you're sharing, it's how it really worked in people's lives; but you have to have the theology to link those together."

Illustration: Honesty

A man was trying to pull out of a parking place but bashed the bumper of the parked car in front of him. Witnessed by a handful of pedestrians waiting for a bus, the driver got out, inspected the damage, and proceeded to write a note to leave on the windshield of the car he had hit.

Illustration: Sin

David Jeremiah writes: "Reuters recently reported about a hunter in Belarus who shot a fox from a distance, but as he approached the wounded animal it sprang on him. As the two scuffled, the fox got its paw on the trigger of the rifle and shot the man in the leg. The hunter was transported to the hospital and the fox escaped."

Radical Together

Radical Together (Multnomah) by David Platt builds on his earlier bestselling book, Radical, by arguing that a correct understanding of the church will fuel radical obedience to Christ.

Illustration: Service

Fred Craddock was the visiting preacher at a church one Sunday afternoon when a van full of ragged teenagers pulled in. They looked in bad shape as they sat on their bedrolls, waiting for their parents to pick them up.

Proper 17: The Truth About God

Have you ever heard about Pocket God? This is a popular video game app for Apple's iPhone. Here is the game's description found on iTunes: "What kind of god would you be? Benevolent or vengeful? Play Pocket God and discover the answer within yourself. On a remote island, you are the all-powerful god that rules over the primitive islanders. You can bring new life, and then take it away just as quickly." Through acts of vengeance and power, players get to discover who they would be as god.

Proper 16: Life’s Most Important Question

My son is renowned in our family and circle of friends for asking questions. He asks questions about everything. His inquisitive mind constantly seeks knowledge. When the air conditioner repairman and pest exterminator visit our house, he stands right beside them, asking questions about their jobs. We have thought about having a T-shirt made for him with a big question mark on the front because questions are so important to him.