Read For God so loved the world‚ that he gave his only Son‚ that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) Reflect Early in the morning‚ I wake and quietly make my way to the gray wing chair in my home office. I’m determined to be productive in these precious predawn hours. Only a few minutes into my routine‚ however‚ the door next to me slowly opens and my 4-year-old son walks in‚ bleary-eyed. All he wants to do is crawl into my lap and put a tired head on my shoulder. My plans for this moment are spoiled‚ but I couldn’t care less. Why? Because I’m this boy’s father‚ and he’s my son‚ and that’s enough to make me welcome his intrusion with joy. One of the reasons we miss drinking more deeply of God’s love is that we forget to think of him as Father. We may know it’s true because we’ve read our Bibles‚ but our intuitions still imagine God as a more distant figure. This isn’t merely a shortcoming in our thinking; it’s a tragic distortion of our view of God. “Father” isn’t a random nickname for God. It’s who God fundamentally is. He is Father. God the Father has eternally begotten God the Son. Jesus taught us to pray‚ “Our Father.” Why? Theologian Michael Reeves puts it like this: “This is who God has revealed himself to be: not first and foremost Creator or Ruler‚ but Father.” One of the reasons we miss drinking more deeply of God’s love is that we forget to think of him as Father. Not all of us have fathers who loved and protected us. For many‚ the word “father” is a pain‚ not a comfort. God sees this pain. He is the perfect Father‚ the One our hearts were made to know. Understanding the perfect‚ fatherly character of God awakens the love of God in us. Jesus reminded us: if even sinful human fathers can genuinely love their children‚ our heavenly Father is infinitely more eager to shower unfathomable riches of love on us (Matt. 7:11). We’re not tolerated employees or hired hands but adopted sons of the Father (Rom. 8:15). God’s love for his people isn’t something he was manipulated or forced into feeling. God the Father‚ in his perfect‚ insurmountable fatherly compassion‚ sent his only begotten Son to the world to die so that dying spiritual orphans‚ enslaved to sin‚ could become his children and hear their Father singing over them (Zeph. 3:17). Savor your position in the household of God—he delights in you‚ he loves you‚ and he welcomes you into his presence. When we look at the Christmas manger‚ we need to see more than a baby. We need to see a heavenly Father‚ the One who gave his only Son to us so we might become adopted sons and daughters. Could a Father this good‚ who gave this much‚ be anything but perfect for our weary‚ sinful‚ broken hearts? Respond How does knowing God as Father change how you feel toward him? How does it change what you think he feels toward you? Rejoice Of the Father’s love begotten‚ Ere the worlds began to be‚ He is Alpha and Omega‚ He the source‚ the ending he‚ Of the things that are and have been‚ And that future years shall see‚ Evermore and evermore. – Prudentius (trans. J. M. Neale)‚ “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”

What’s special about church? For this final episode of Post-Christianity?‚ Glen Scrivener and Andrew Wilson are joined by Rebecca McLaughlin‚ author of Confronting Christianity and The Secular Creed. They discuss the unique nature of the in-person church as the place where the vertical dimension of worship meets the horizontal dimension of embodied community. Reflecting on the long history of Christianity‚ they acknowledge that the church simply “doing its thing” has a transformative‚ leavening influence on the world. McLaughlin critiques some of our attitudes toward church and personal evangelism and offers encouragement to keep proclaiming Christ even when it feels fruitless. Scrivener examines how our fear of being labeled “bigots” can lead us to disqualify ourselves from sharing the gospel‚ even though our friends might be more receptive than we imagine. The podcast ends on a hopeful note: we’re actually living in pre-Christian times—Jesus is Lord‚ he is returning‚ and summer is coming.

111 years ago today‚ the bust of Nefertiti was discovered in the workshop of the sculptor Thutmose’s workshop by German archaeologists. It has become one of the most widely-reproduced images of ancient Egypt‚ and the woman depicted an icon of feminine beauty. She may have been co-ruler along with her husband Akhenaten‚ but she was […] The post Good News in History‚ December 6 appeared first on Good News Network.

Each year‚ millions of people travel thousands of miles across the globe to see famous landmarks with their own eyes. But for those unconcerned with originality‚ there are plenty of replicas scattered about. While some of them are undeniably tacky—like the reproductions of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower on the Las Vegas […] The post 10 Interesting Replicas of World-Famous Landmarks appeared first on Listverse.

Medicine has come a long way since history was first recorded‚ and even farther in the past hundred years or so. People are living longer than ever‚ medicine is breaking new ground all the time‚ and technology is gaining ground even as we speak. More and more new medical treatments are being experimented with‚ and […] The post Top 10 Overused and Bogus Medical Treatments appeared first on Listverse.

Heather Lawless came close to never existing on this earth. Due to her mother’s medical condition‚ Lawless’ mom was advised by her physicians and her family to have an abortion.  “There was an abortion appointment made‚ and she didn’t show up to it‚” Lawless said of her mom‚ adding‚ “She chose life for me‚ and I was able to experience the life that I have now.” When Lawless had an unplanned pregnancy herself‚ she chose life‚ and years later when her daughter found herself unexpectedly pregnant‚ Lawless supported her as her daughter chose life as well.  Her mother’s story and her own are “the main reasons why I started Reliance‚ why I do what I do‚” Lawless said.  She founded Reliance Ministries and the Reliance Center in Idaho to serve women facing unplanned pregnancies.  “We have a four-part model that includes a holistic reproductive health clinic and a men’s program‚ a maternity home and a coffee shop‚” Lawless explains.  “We wanted to figure out whatever the barrier was to life and remove the barrier‚” she explains‚ adding that‚ for example‚ “if a woman wants to choose abortion because she doesn’t have a place to live‚ we want to give her a place to live.”  Heather Lawless (Photo: Reliance Ministries) Whether the obstacle to choosing life is housing‚ health care‚ finances‚ or an abusive relationship‚ Lawless says she and her team at Reliance Ministries seek to eliminate and overcome the barrier for the mother so she is free to choose life.  Lawless joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share her own story and how Reliance Ministries offers a practical model for pregnancy resource centers around the country.  Listen to the podcast below:  The post She Was Close to Never Existing‚ but Her Mother’s Choice Changed That. Now‚ She’s Giving Back. appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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