Staff/Lifeway Christian Resources

The idea of redemption has multiple meanings. We might redeem a gift card for payment. We might want to redeem ourselves after a failure. To redeem means to buy back or exchange, to deliver, or to make amends, depending on the context.

The Spirit of God is absolutely committed to producing fruit in your life. The more fruit produced, the more like Christ you become.

There’s nothing as difficult as the sudden, tragic loss of a family member. For two sisters in Bethany in biblical times, a family friend was life for their brother who had already died.

Ask any student and they would say, “I hate tests.” No one likes tests, but they’re needed for school and for life. Tests reveal what we know and if we have learned what we have been taught.

Home ownership is a blessing that carries with it responsibility. People can feel a sense of pride when they sign the paperwork and receive the keys to their new home. That sense of pride can turn to dread when the air conditioning breaks or the roof needs replacing.

Some of us are willing to experience personal pain before asking for help. But when someone else is involved like a spouse, child, parent or friend, we’re willing to get whatever help we can to see someone we love receive the help and care they need.

God’s presence is a constant in the lives of believers, but sometimes we forget or ignore that reality. This can happen whether we’re on the mountaintops of life, or in the valleys of despair.

Remember living rooms? These were always separate from a family room or den. The living room was used only for special occasions. It always had the nicest furniture in the house, furniture the kids were not to play on.

Perhaps you’ve seen the image known as “Rubin’s Vase,” where from one viewpoint a vase is seen and from the other, two men are facing each other. It’s a classic trick that our own brain can play on us. We see what we’re expecting to see.

If you have ever read an online review for a restaurant, hotel or product, you know that there are those who love to complain. The truth is, we all complain at one time or another.