“Fear That Becomes Faith” is the title of Chapter 22 in Max Lucado’s book In the Eye of the Storm. Max asserts that the primary emotion propelling Peter to walk on water to meet Jesus was fear. Pastor Lucado further believes that had the evening been calm and peaceful, Peter would not have been motivated to […]
In Chapter 13 (“Doubtstorms”) of In the Eye of the Storm, Max Lucado remarks that while nature gives us rainstorms, hailstorms and snowstorms, life produces doubtstorms. Max’s “dictionary” entry: “Doubtstorms: turbulent days when the enemy is too big, the task too great, the future too bleak, and the answers too few.” During the storm on […]
In August of 2011 I was diagnosed with early Stage 1 prostate cancer following a biopsy. Not particularly pleased with my (now ex-) urologist’s bedside manner or his pessimistic outlook should I decline treatment, I sought a 2nd opinion from my current urologist, Dr. Brian Butler. Based on my medical records, he stated my condition […]
In Chapter 11 (“Seeing God Through Shattered Glass”) of In the Eye of the Storm, Max Lucado states that each of us has articulated and very well-defined expectations of what God should be doing in our lives. However, when pain enters our world, say in the form of a ministry downsizing or position loss, our […]
Max Lucado describes 4 characteristics of our journey through life toward our ultimate heavenly destination by drawing parallels with his traditional 6-hour drive to his parents for Thanksgiving, accompanied by 3 children under the age of 7: 1. In order to successfully reach our destination, God has to say no to some of our requests. […]
Two passengers sit in adjacent seats for a flight to Dallas, Texas. It is Passenger 1’s first flight- to visit a grown son. Passenger 1 talks incessantly to Passenger 2 throughout the flight, reveling in every aspect of the journey from the meal to the turbulence. From the vantage point of Passenger 2, Passenger 1 […]
In Chapter 4 (“When Fishermen Don’t Fish”) of In the Eye of the Storm, author Max Lucado asserts that God brings hurting people into our lives in order for us to gain perspective on our situation. As we minister to others, we put our own hurts on the back burner. Max illustrates his observation by […]
The focus of Max Lucado’s book In the Eye of the Storm is on what the author describes as the second most stressful day in Jesus’ life. First Jesus hears of John the Baptist’s death and King Herod’s threat on His own life. Soon the disciples arrive, exuberant from their proclamation of the Gospel and the […]
Before you begin reading Max Lucado’s In the Eye of the Storm, the author introduces the reader to a parakeet named Chippie. One day Chippie’s owner decided to clean his cage with a vacuum cleaner. Immediately after the owner had placed the vacuum hose in Chippie’s cage, the phone rang. Poor Chippie never saw it coming! He was […]
Timothy Keller discusses the topic of spiritual darkness in Chapter 11 (“The End”) of King’s Cross. He notes that all four Gospel writers emphasize that the critical events of Jesus’ death happened in the dark. Just as those events initially seemed senseless to the followers of Jesus assembled around the cross, Pastor Keller states that […]
In Chapter 16 of King’s Cross, author Timothy Keller contrasts living completely in the values of the kingdom of this world with belonging to the kingdom of God. When we’ve been spiritually, emotionally and professionally uprooted by our ministry downsizing or position loss, our natural human tendency is to feel a loss of identity as we […]
Following our ministry downsizing or position loss, our despondency or pride may lead to a growing sense of isolation from God, making approaching and connecting with Him difficult. In King’s Cross, Timothy Keller uses Mark’s account of “The Faith of the Syrophoenician Woman” (Mark 7: 24-30) to model approaching and connecting with God. Pastor Keller […]