Tag: Good Friday

redemption stories – FREE e-book

redemption stories e-book

over at the podcast, we’ve just released a FREE e-book, redemption stories.

(I say “we” but Stewart did most of the hard work in bringing it all together and doing the layout.)

The e-book includes stories, pictures and verse, but all of them tell a story — a redemption story.

We received great input from Adele Sakler, Ben & Joy Thomas, Laura Bridge, Jason Duke, Adam Howie, Christine McIntosh, Trent Yaconelli, Emma Boyd, Angus S. Mathie, Paula Spur, Avril Cutler, Emma Boyd and Rob Griggs-Taylor.

Every submission was wonderful but these few paragraphs from Ben Thomas really grab me…

John Wesley said, “catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn”. This reminds me of Jim and Patty. Ten years ago, their neighbors wanted their boat. Today, they are a inspiration to hundreds of others in our community of what God can do when you allow Him unrestricted access to your life and resources. Our lives may become less predictable, but as our desires slowly start melting away and blending into God’s desires, our hearts become oddly comforted by the uncomfortable.

I think being a fixer means being okay with these messy, imperfect situations. Doctors mustn’t be squeamish, mechanics mustn’t be afraid to get oil on their pants. Being fixers with Jesus means we’ll encounter questions we can’t fully answer and pain that can’t be explained away by pat answers and bumper stickers. Often, the fix is simply our presence, reassuring the broken world around us that “no, God has not forgotten about you”.

Its hard-wired in us all to fix something. If you want a neat and tidy situation to fix, you should probably stick to fixing up your kitchen. If you’re up for something a bit more adventurous and long lasting, consider following this Jesus character, who invites us into a Fixers’ Collective called the Kingdom of God, where we’re invited to enter into the broken mess and tell a story about a God who loves the unloveable, reassuring them that “it’s okay” because “you’ll get better soon”.

I hope you’ll take some time to download the book, read it, chew on it and then share it with friends.

Thanks again to everyone who took part!

Good Friday thoughts

I thought this was a great post from Mark Batterson:

Good Friday

Since it’s Good Friday I thought I’d share a devotional thought:

Did Peter feel a twinge of guilt every time he heard a rooster crow?

There is a poignant scene right after Peter denied Christ. A rooster crows. And Luke 22:61 says, “At that moment, the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” I don’t think it was a vindictive look. I think Jesus wanted to establish eye contact to maintain relationship with Peter, but Peter went out and “wept bitterly.”

You know how certain sights or sounds or smells can trigger a memory? I’ve got to think that every time Peter heard a rooster crow he winced. It was a daily reminder of his failure. He was haunted by three denials.

Peter gets a bum rap. He is forever remembered as the disciple who denied Christ three times, but we forget the fact that he is the only one who got close enough to get caught. Peter is the disciple who sinks in the Sea of Galilee, but he is also the only disciple who walks on water! And Peter is the disciple who impulsively cut off Malchus’ ear when the religious leaders come to arrest Jesus. But I don’t see any of the other disciples coming to Jesus’ defense do you?

Lack of Evidence

All four gospels tell the story of Peter cutting off the right ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest. Luke 22:51 says that Jesus “touched the man’s ear and healed him.”

Let me state the obvious: you don’t cut off someone’s ear and get by with it, especially if that someone is the High Priest’s servant. Worst case scenario: Peter gets charged with attempted murder. Best case scenario: Peter gets charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

We tend to overlook this subplot, but Peter is in a world of trouble!

Then Jesus intervenes.

Somehow he reverses the irreversible. He reattaches the amputated ear. But he does more than heal this man’s ear. I love the way my friend and mentor, Dick Foth, puts it: “Jesus destroys the evidence against us.”

Stop and think about it.

Malchus files a civil suit against Peter and takes the witness stand. He says, “Peter cut off my ear.” The Judge says, “Which ear?” Malchus says, “My right one.” The Judge says, “It looks fine to me.” And the case gets thrown out of court for lack of evidence!

This isn’t just a story about Jesus and Peter and Malchus. It’s a picture of what Christ accomplished on the Christ. He destroyed the evidence against us. It’s like the Accuser of the Brethren brings charges against us, but the Judge says, “The evidence has been destroyed.” And the charges are dropped.

That’s why it’s called Good Friday.

Grace, it’s a name for a girl. It’s also a thought that changed the world.