Cost of Ownership Some cars have a high cost of ownership. But people happily buy them for a particular lifestyle.
Ground Cloud The fog of suffering and injustice is disconcerting. It's confusing and disorienting. We hear sounds we can't place: accusation, condemnation, ridicule, disaffiliation, dehumanization.
Stiff-Necked and Unbowed Being stubborn can be a good thing. The question is, who gets our allegiance?
Clouds on the Horizon Standing on the beach, looking inland. It's sunny here, but in the distance, we see dark clouds and lightning. Do we run to the car or stay?
Sliders! There's a form of backsliding that looks like taking the Lord's name in vain, claiming to be his but behaving like the world we were rescued from. Churches make much of this.
Our Deliverer Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Temptations, trials, and testing. The Greek word can mean all three. Jesus experienced these. And so did Stephen, Paul, and Jesus' other disciples.
Blessed Faith is trust that's able to take a step. When we take that step, we courageously exercise our trust, drawing on God's grace.
The Only Thing That Matters Here, Paul says faith and love are two sides of the same coin in the right system.