While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8 A church in Southampton, England, hands out a Welcome Card saying: “If you are a saint, sinner, loser, winner . . .” —and continues with other terms, such as liar, hypocrite, alcoholic, divorced, cheater, success, rejected, pierced, or just a misfit—“you are welcome here.” […]
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We love him, because he first loved us. —1 John 4:19 Helping Hand Home for Children, in Austin, Texas, has been a harbor for abused children since 1893. A child moving from their institutional custody into foster care or adoption is often cold and
If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. —John 8:32 Jorge scaled the fence, eluded border guards, slipped into the rail yard, dodged a 200-ton locomotive, and made a perilous dash for the one thing he craved above all else. Freedom! It’s impossible for those of us who have lived
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. —2 Peter 3:18 A line from the apostle Peter’s first letter runs: “Get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. . . . Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing” (1 Pt 2:1). He must have been writing to some bad dudes. Not
Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would . . . make it into something else. —Jeremiah 18:4 Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery. Shattered pieces are glued back together with a secret lacquer mixed with powdered gold, creating a beautiful, one-of-a-kind,
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Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. —Psalm 119:105 Dr. Charles Eliot, Harvard University president (1869–1909), once said a five-foot shelf of books could provide “a good substitute for a liberal education” to anyone who would devote fifteen minutes a day to reading them. Editors from Collier
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What profit is there if you gain the whole world—and lose eternal life? —Matthew 16:26 I remember when I first saw an IBM Selectric typewriter: “That’s the ultimate,” I thought—“they’ll never improve on that.” If you’re looking for a Selectric today, your best bet is a museum. Alistair Cooke, host of Masterpiece
Love each other as brothers and sisters. —Romans 12:10 You didn’t choose me. I didn’t choose you. But God chose us both, so we are family. Do we have differences? Sure. Differences can lead to divisiveness—but don’t have to. There are some to the “right” and some
The Lord bless you and keep you. —Numbers 6:24 Some churches close their services reciting the benediction of Numbers 6:24-26. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and
“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. —Jeremiah 29:11 “Your prayer has been heard,” angel Gabriel told Zechariah—“Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son” (Lk 1:13). The old couple had given up that dream long ago—hadn’t prayed that prayer in years. But it had been heard back then and
