Insight for Living Canada

Insight for Living Celebrates 35 Years

robertl — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Sharifa Stevens

It’s our 35^th anniversary!

Insight for Living Ministries opened its doors in Fullerton, California, on July 1, 1979. What began in the Swindolls’ garage with just a single sermon broadcasted on 63 radio stations soon grew into a budding radio ministry housed in three rooms in a small bank building. But the ministry didn’t stay there…and it didn’t stay small. Within the first year, Insight for Living Ministries’ staff grew from five to 25!

Over the years as we’ve continued to expand, two passions have directed our every move: an unwavering commitment to the clear communication of God’s Word and an overwhelming devotion to seeing God’s grace transform lives.

Listeners are the focal point of the ministry. Around the corner or around the world, Insight for Living has faithfully reached listeners with the message of God’s great grace…and with that great grace, it will continue to do so.

Join us as we celebrate our 35^th year of broadcasting by honouring the past, reflecting on the present, and dreaming about the future.

A Couple of Pioneers: Chuck Swindoll and Al Sanders
Without Al Sanders, there might be no Insight for Living. An industry pillar, Al helped launch the broadcast with the innovative sermon-to-radio format. The rest is history—Al Sanders hosted Insight for Living for more than 5,000 episodes until he retired in 1997.

That Other Familiar Voice: Dave Spiker
Besides Chuck’s, Dave Spiker’s voice may be the most recognizable one in our history. His rich, warm baritone has become as ubiquitous to Insight for Living as the theme music. As we celebrate our 35^th anniversary, we rejoice over Dave’s 18^th year as our broadcast announcer.

From the Studio to the Airwaves: Living Bridge Media
Whenever Chuck steps to the microphone to present a message, a veritable and virtually invisible army stands behind him to help deliver his voice to homes around the world each day. Established in 1996, Living Bridge Media serves as our media agency, responsible for all production, marketing, distribution, and syndication of the radio program. Living Bridge truly connects Chuck to listeners worldwide. We’ve come a long way from the Swindolls’ garage!

Behind the Music: Don Wyrtzen
Who doesn’t know that eight-note musical intro? Dr. Don Wyrtzen—friend of the Swindolls, accomplished musician, and seminary professor—penned Insight for Living’s trademark musical flourish at the program’s inception. It’s been a radio staple ever since.

A Guardian of Truth: Cynthia Swindoll
Chuck’s wife Cynthia, president of Insight for Living Ministries, has always been the ministry’s guardian and curator, ensuring that each sermon receives detailed historical notation and proper framing before broadcast. Among her many responsibilities, Cynthia faithfully reviews sermon transcripts, directs Living Bridge Media to remove ambient noises, and writes endnotes for our translators to provide context for events and phrases unfamiliar to non-English speakers. For 35 years, listeners have enjoyed the results—sparkling, quality broadcasts that pack great sermons into half-hour time slots.

The Future: Broadening Our Horizons
Insight for Living Ministries currently broadcasts in seven languages to almost 50 countries in their native language. One thriving example is Visión Para Vivir (VPV), the Spanish-language counterpart of Insight for Living. Carlos A. Zazueta translates Chuck’s sermons, bringing God’s grace to Spanish speakers. Carlos is just one of 11 translators currently interpreting Insight for Living broadcasts in the heart-languages of their people. We can’t wait to see where God will take us in the next 35 years!

Paws & Tales: Helping Kids Hear the Shepherd’s Voice

robertl — Fri, 01 May 2015 09:00:00 +0000

Sharifa Stevens

On a typical afternoon, I get home from work just in time to kiss my husband goodbye before he heads out to work. My almost-two-year-old, Zion, will probably be swatting my four-year-old, Judah, over a matchbox car, and Judah will most likely be erecting a kingdom of Legos that blocks the front door. Then, I’ll remember we haven’t been grocery shopping, so I have peanut butter, one egg, and pickled artichokes to work with. And alas, the boys would rather wrestle than snuggle.

Sometimes, in order to finish a writing project or start dinner, I allow “Cartoon Moments”—those times I let the boys watch educational programming just so they’ll sit still. Recently, during one such moment, a kids’ program gave advice about what a child should do when he or she is scared: “Close your eyes, and think of something happy.”

No. No. That is not good theology.

I explained to Judah that believers don’t daydream when we’re afraid; we pray to God. We go to Immanuel—God with us—because we know that He will be present, even in the midst of the toughest circumstances.

Early on, my husband and I determined to apply Deuteronomy 11:18-19 to our day-to-day:

“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul. . . . You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.”

Theology is taught in church, but it’s also learned during bath time, at the dinner table, in bedtime lullabies, and after time outs. Theology—what one believes about God—is implicitly and explicitly taught on the Internet, print ads, books, highway billboards—even in kids’ TV programs. I don’t want to cloister my sons from the world, but it’s my God-given priority to teach them to be familiar with the Shepherd’s voice (John 10:27) and develop their ability to discern between godliness and falsehood.

Insight for Living Ministries’ Paws & Tales animated series has been a great way for my family to engage in Cartoon Moments and talk about God. Wildwood—the verdant, forest-y setting of Paws & Tales—is inhabited by talking animals. Judah loves watching Paw Paw Chuck, Staci, CJ, Booz, Ned, and Hugh. But there’s more than fuzzy friendship in Wildwood—there’s prayer. Grace. Forgiveness. All these concepts are discussed and explored by the characters. The little animals of Wildwood are my allies in my quest to help my children know the Shepherd’s voice.

Paws & Tales is packed with proper theology. It’s been a great conversation starter for Judah and me. And I am elated that Zion is exposed to these conversations at such a tender age; I look forward to talking with him about theological concepts too. Even though he can’t yet express all his thoughts, Zion is plugged in to each Paws & Tales cartoon from start to finish—the music; the sweet, childlike voices; and the vibrant colours draw him in.

Paws & Tales doesn’t underestimate children. Their songs—they have CDs that reinforce biblical themes!—and scripts are accessible without sounding fluffy or condescending. It’s such a relief not to have to engage in theological damage control after watching a kids’ program. Because Paws & Tales is produced by Insight for Living Ministries, I can trust the material is God-centred, biblically founded, and practical.

Paws & Tales cartoons on DVD are our kids’ current favourite at home, but my husband and I grew up listening to radio programs, so we love listening to dramas on the go. And even though our cars are no-frills—not swagger-wagons equipped with DVD players—we’re thrilled that we can bring Wildwood along during car rides with Paws & Tales audio episodes and music on CDs.

As I was writing this article, Judah sidled over to see what letters I was typing.
“Judah, what do you want readers to know about Paws & Tales?”
“Tell them I like it, Mommy!”
“What do you like about it?”
“I like that there are bears. And fire. And Lasso the dog sneezed, and there was a lot of snot,” he laughed.
Of course. The snot.
“Did Paw Paw Chuck use any special words, Judah?”
“Grace. Grace is getting something good that you don’t deserve. Like how you gave me chocolate milk after time out.”
Heart. Melted.
“Mommy, can I watch it again?”

Sharifa Stevens is a writer for the Creative Ministries Department of Insight for Living Ministries.

Timeless Truths for Years to Come

iflcadmin — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Colleen Swindoll Thompson

Not long ago, I came across a story about a 1923 meeting of some of the wealthiest businessmen in the United States. Among them was a Wall Street tycoon, a major stockholder in the steel industry, and a head of a manufacturing monopoly. At the time, this group of men controlled more wealth than the United States Treasury.

But in the 25 years that followed, their money bought anything but happiness. By 1948, two of those businessmen had committed suicide, two others had served time for embezzlement and misconduct, and another died $301,000 in debt. Even though the world viewed those men as successful, rich, and wise, their lives ended in moral, financial, and personal bankruptcy.

An old maxim comes to mind—“Only time will tell”—and time tells more than we realize. Time doesn’t just pass. As if it were a great magnifying glass, time reveals what is important, valuable, and worthy of our daily thoughts and efforts. Rich or poor, young or old, healthy or ill; no matter who we are, our days are all numbered. Therefore, each day offers a God-given opportunity to plunge in, participate, develop our character by His grace for the time He has determined.

Ponder these words:

Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. (Psalm 39:4 NIV)

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 KJV)

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. (Proverbs 27:1 NIV)

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT)

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. (James 4:13–14 NLT)

This really hit home the other night while I was sorting through a stack of papers. A worn, wrinkled card—dated October 29, 2008—slipped and fell to the floor. It was from my dad to my daughter—grandfatherly wisdom written during a difficult time in her life. In the sun’s setting shadows, I read his note, which closed with 10 timeless truths for her to remember. As night fell, I was reminded again of what is timeless in God’s economy.

Dad wrote:

Encourage at least one other person every day for the rest of your life.
Forgive quickly…completely…permanently.
Stay positive, since life is comprised of 10 per cent of what happens to you and 90 per cent of how you respond to it.
Finish what you start.
Say “I was wrong” whenever you are.
Be kind and considerate to those who can’t keep up.
Think about your own flaws and failures before you criticize anyone else.
Teach yourself to replace worry with prayer.
Tell the truth no matter what.
Always take God seriously; never take yourself all that seriously.

What would a magnifying glass on your life reveal? Are you focused on acquiring fame, fortune, a sparkling stock portfolio promising prosperity and security? Earthly success and riches come and go, but only one’s investment in knowing God’s Word, cherishing His grace, forgiving and loving with a humble heart can bring infinite riches that satisfy and saturate our days with joy and peace. The choice is yours…are you really living in each moment? Are you focusing on the things of God, or are you just focusing on the things of self while waiting for the moments to pass?

Only God knows how much time we have on earth…this day could be your last. How do you want to be remembered? What is important to you, and does it show by how you spend your time?

My prayer is that you relish the wealth of moments you have by investing them in the things that matter to God.

The Trainer Trained

iflcadmin — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 10:00:00 +0000

Mandy Hornbuckle

We all thought he was joking, the way Insight for Living Ministries international pastors often do during recording sessions.

“Can I take one of you back with me to edit these videos?”

Pastor Charlie Costa was in town, visiting from our Insight for Living Arabic office in Beirut, Lebanon, recording in our studio the first set of Arabic-language Video Insights.

“No, really,” he continued after we laughed and gave the usual “Wouldn’t that be nice!” comments. “I want one of you to come train my team. I think I can find the budget for it.”

And so a trip to Beirut was planned for me and my colleague, Brenda Peña. We would have exactly one week to train a video team—some of whom had never touched a camera or editing software.

During the weeks prior to our departure, I wondered how many times I would embarrass myself (turns out, several). We packed. Our families watched the news and asked us if we were really sure it was safe to go where we were going. (It was.) We prayed for efficiency and for safety. I wrote a training curriculum and went over it again and again. I thought and thought about how to present in just one week this vast amount of technical information so that the Insight for Living Arabic team would understand it. What I didn’t think about, though, was the impact the Insight for Living Arabic team would have on my view of ministry.

On the first day of training at the Insight for Living Arabic office, I met the new video team. Marwan exhibited a passion for actually ministering to the individual listener, which inspires me to work harder at my own job. Sandy has the most beautiful smile and was always eager to help me and others. Walid understood the concepts of everything I said to him faster than I could explain them. Danny wowed us with his talent as a video editor and artist and with his wildly creative ideas and wildly funny jokes. And in addition to the video team, an entire row of teenaged volunteers showed up on their own time to learn video production, so they could help record their church services as well as assist Insight for Living Arabic with its video ministry needs.

These folks remind me why I’m in ministry. They remind me of something I didn’t even realize I had forgotten.

They care about every person they build the Insight for Living Arabic broadcast for. They care about every person who picks up a book they’ve translated into Arabic. They care about every person who will watch the videos they are learning to create.

People are their focus. Honestly, prior to this trip, I hadn’t really thought much about who I build my broadcasts and shoot my videos for.

I do now.

I wish I could adequately explain the depth of work the Insight for Living Arabic team does over there. I wish I could adequately explain what God has done though their ministry. I wish I could adequately explain how their ministry is so worth supporting…and how worth praying for those men and women are.

Through God’s grace intervention, the people in our Insight for Living Ministries international offices are doing incredible things around the world. They have dynamic personalities and heavy job descriptions. They have beautiful families. They have unreal talent.

And now they have our hearts.

I went to Lebanon to train a team how to do videos.

I came back having been trained how to do ministry.

A "Renewed Mind" Is Essential

iflcadmin — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 10:00:00 +0000

Chuck Swindoll

Let's talk about some positive input on the correct mentality of a servant. Is it possible to think so much like Christ that our minds operate on a different plane than others around us? Not only is it possible—it's essential!

The familiar words of Paul in Romans 12:1-2 need to be reviewed.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

At this point in his letter to the believers in Rome, Paul drops to his knees, as it were, and pleads. That means it's important, perhaps one of the most important truths he would ever write. After urging us to present ourselves to God as living sacrifices, he adds a warning. Let's read it this time as J. B. Phillips paraphrased it:

Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves toward the goal of true maturity.

Stop being squeezed in! Quit aping the system of thought that surrounds you, its line of reasoning, its method of operation, its style and techniques! How? By a radical transformation within. By a renewed thought pattern that demonstrates authentic godlikeness.

Living differently begins with thinking differently. A life that is characterized by serving others begins in a mind that is convinced of such a life. That explains why that great section of Scripture describing Christ's willingness to take upon Himself the form of a servant begins with the words: "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).

Jesus' life of serving was the outworking of His mind—"unsqueezed" by the world system in all its selfishness—and remains, forever, our example to follow.

For us to be true servants of God, our minds must be renewed.

Go for It

iflcadmin — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 10:00:00 +0000

Chuck Swindoll

How many people stop because so few say “Go!”?

In his fine little book Fully Human, Fully Alive, author John Powell relates an experience, which happened to a friend while he was vacationing in the Bahamas. The friend was sightseeing when he noticed a crowd gathered toward the end of a pier. He walked down to investigate the commotion. Powell says:

…he discovered that the object of all the attention was a young man making the last-minute preparations for a solo journey around the world in a homemade boat. Without exception everyone on the pier was pessimistic. All were actively volunteering to tell the ambitious sailor all the things that could possibly go wrong. “The sun will BROIL you!” “You won’t have enough food.” “That boat of yours won’t withstand the waves in a storm.” [And, of course, those familiar words] “You’ll never make it.”

When my friend heard all these discouraging warnings to the adventurous young man, he felt an irresistible desire to offer some optimism and encouragement. As the little craft began drifting away from the pier towards the horizon, my friend went to the end of the pier, waving both arms wildly like semaphores spelling confidence. He kept shouting: “BON VOYAGE! You’re really something! We’re with you. We’re proud of you!”

Had you been there as that homemade boat was leaving, which group would you have joined? C’mon, be honest. No doubt the great majority of us would have thought more of the danger than the adventure. Most of us would have anticipated the rigors and the difficulties and the risk rather than the fun, the discoveries, the incredible opportunities that lay ahead of the man putting out to sea. How few are those who see beyond the danger…who say to those on the edge of some venture, “Go for it!”

Funny, isn’t it? I suppose it’s related to one’s inner ability to imagine, to envision, to be enraptured by the unseen, all the hazards and hardships notwithstanding.

I’m convinced that one of the reasons mountain climbers connect themselves to one another with a rope is to keep the one on the end from going home. Guys out front never consider that as an option…but those in the rear, well, let’s just say they are the last to get a glimpse of the glory.

I’ve been thinking recently about how glad I am that certain visionaries refused to listen to the crowd on the pier. I’m glad…

that Edison didn’t give up on the light bulb
that Luther refused to back down
that Michelangelo kept painting
that Lindbergh kept flying
that Papa ten Boom said “Yes” to frightened Jews
that the Julliard School of Music saw beyond the braces and wheelchair and admitted a violin student named Perlman.

You could add to that list. You may even belong on the list.

Almost every day—certainly every week—we encounter someone who is in his or her own homemade boat, thinking seriously about setting forth. It may be a friend, a mate, a colleague, a neighbour, a family member. The ocean of possibilities is enormously inviting, yet terribly threatening. Urge them on! Shout a rousing “You are really something …I’m proud of you!” Dare to say what they need to hear the most, “Go for it!” Then pray like mad.

How much could be accomplished if only there were more brave souls on the end of the pier smiling and affirming.

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, “Go for It,” in The Finishing Touch: Becoming God’s Masterpiece (Dallas: Word, 1994), 134-35. Copyright © 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Operation Arrival

iflcadmin — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Chuck Swindoll

For the longest time I didn't understand the new-car industry. I had always thought it worked like this. When a guy wanted a car he dropped by the local dealership, kicked a few tires, slammed some doors, and fiddled around with radios, hoods, and trunk lids. Then he would rap with the salesman, dicker over prices, choose his favourite colour, and place the order. I figured that when headquarters got the specs, they'd scurry around the shop finding the right steering wheel, engine, chrome strips, and hubcaps, then make sure all that stuff got stuck on correctly before it was shipped. You know, kind of like whipping up a last-minute meal with grub from the kitchen.

But that's not the way it is at all. To my amazement, I discovered that a computer card puts into motion dozens of contacts all over the country. One spot makes only engines. Another, the glass and plastic parts. Some other outfit does the steering wheels, and yet another the carpet and vinyl. As the order is placed, it triggers action in all these related areas. And—hopefully—at just the right time the special things arrive at the assembly plant where it all comes together—everything from bumper bolts to windshield wipers. And within a relatively short period of time, a shiny new car is punched out, rolled onto a transport truck, and sent to its proper destination.

Now then—if man can come up with an organizational plan as complex as all that, think of how much more efficient God's arrangement was…over 2,000 years ago. I'm referring to the perfectly synchronized events surrounding the Saviour's birth. For sure, it was no afterthought. Scripture assures us that when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son (Galatians 4:4).

Fantastic statement!

At just the right moment, precisely as God arranged it, in keeping with a plan we might dub "Operation Arrival," enter Messiah.

Micah said it would be in Bethlehem, Judah. It was. But I thought Joseph and Mary were of Nazareth, Galilee. They were. Aren't those places miles apart? Yes, in those times days apart. Then…how? Well, you see, that's just a small part of the plan, nevertheless amazing. Especially when you consider Mary was almost "term" in her pregnancy. To get them down south in time required fairly good roads—unheard of prior to the Roman takeover. And they certainly needed to be forced to travel…hence a required census from Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1) that forced Joseph to register in person in the city of his family roots, Bethlehem (2:4).

But before a Saviour could be born, there also needed to be some natural means of common communication—a familiar tongue that would quickly spread the news. No problem. Thanks to Alexander the Great, the father of koine Greek, that language was ripe and ready for rapid dissemination of the Gospel message through the pen of the evangelists and apostles from then on.

Thanks to good roads, a decision in Rome, and a bothersome census, it happened at just the right place. At just the right time…with an articulate language as the perfect verbal vehicle. A little baby that the world hardly noticed arrived. Rome was too busy building and conquering. Augustus thought he was hot stuff prancing about the palace demanding that census. In reality he was little more than a wisp of lint on the prophetic page…a pawn in the hand of the Commander of "Operation Arrival."

The things God pulled off to get His Son delivered on time 21 centuries ago would make the pride of North American ingenuity look like an organizational afterthought by comparison.

Scriptural Support for Christ's Return

iflcadmin — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Chuck Swindoll

These facts from biblical prophecy about Christ’s return may surprise you:

One out of every 30 verses in the Bible mentions the subject of Christ’s return or the end of time
Of the 216 chapters in the New Testament, there are well over 300 references to the return of Christ
23 of the 27 New Testament books mention Christ’s return
In the Old Testament, such well-known and reliable men of God as Job, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, as well as most of the minor prophets mention Christ’s return in their writings
Christ often spoke specifically about His own return to earth
Throughout the centuries, Christ’s disciples and followers have adamantly believed, written, and taught that Christ would someday return to earth

The Bible teaches it. The Lord Jesus stood upon its truths. The apostles declared it and wrote about it. The creeds include it and affirm it.

Quite obviously, His return has not been considered an insignificant issue through the centuries. But the strange thing is that many Christians in this generation either ignore it or are somehow confused by it. Too bad. It is a marvellous truth.

Adapted from Growing Deep in the Christian Life: Essential Truths for Becoming Strong in the Faith (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 266-267. Used by permission.

An Attitude of Genuine Thanksgiving

iflcadmin — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Chuck Swindoll

Paul had an attitude of genuine thanksgiving: "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak" (Col. 4:2-4).

Here's a man in his sixties who has been preaching for years asking for prayers for a clearer delivery. There was no pretence with Paul. No degree of success or number of years in the ministry gave him a false sense of ultimate accomplishment. He knew he had not yet arrived. He was convinced his preaching could be improved. And so with a genuinely thankful heart, he entreated his fellow believers for their prayers. Can you see the power of that kind of attitude? Very refreshing.

No wonder the man had such lasting impact for Christ. His secret bled through every one of his letters. He had learned to be content in all things. But we can't leave the ink of these truths to simply sit and dry on the page. We must embrace the same secret for ourselves if we are to have the same lasting impact. Some personal reflection is in order.

Let's turn the spotlight away from the man housed in Rome back then and focus it on you and your life, wherever you find yourself right now. Are you making a difference in the lives of those closest to you by the way you respond to your circumstances? Are others inspired by your faith, or are they discouraged by your fears? Are the attitudes of unselfish humility, joyful acceptance, strong determination, and genuine thanksgiving evident in the way you respond to circumstances? Maybe it's time to make some changes. Let's see if I can help.

Start by refusing to let your situation determine your attitude. When your attitude overshadows your situation, transformation really begins. As we saw in Paul, the power to transform stubborn attitudes of fear and bitterness, anger and defeat, comes from Christ. The Lord our God stands ready to pour His strength in you. He alone has the power to deliver you from those relentless foes and send you soaring.

Keep an attitude of genuine thanksgiving.

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives: Daily Insight from Great Lives of the Bible (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005). Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

A Reflection of Christ: A Lesson from the Life of Joseph

iflcadmin — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Chuck Swindoll

Joseph’s life offers us a magnificent portrayal of the grace of God as He came to our rescue in the Person of His Son, Jesus. So many come to Him, like Joseph’s guilty brothers, feeling the distance and fearing the worst from God, only to have Him demonstrate incredible generosity and mercy. Instead of being blamed, we are forgiven. Instead of feeling guilty, we are freed. And instead of experiencing punishment, which we certainly deserve, we are seated at His table and served more than we can ever take in.

For some, it’s too unreal. So we desperately plead our case, only to have Him speak kindly to us—promising us peace in our own language. We then try to fend off His anger by bargaining with Him, thinking our hard work and sincere efforts will pay Him back for all those evil past deeds we’re guilty of. But to our astonishment, He never even considered our attempts important enough to mention. What we had in mind was earning just enough to silence our guilt, but what He had in mind was overwhelming us with such an abundance we’d realize we can never, ever repay.

What a beautiful picture of Christ at the cross, bearing the sins we committed, forgiving us in the process. Isn’t such grace amazing? The One who was rejected is the same One who goes the limit to get us reunited with Him.

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him. (Isa. 30:18)

Do you long for Him? I’ve got great news! In an even greater way—greater than you could ever imagine—He longs to be gracious to you. He is offering you all the things you hunger for. The table is loaded, and He is smiling, waiting for you to sit down and enjoy the feast He prepared with you in mind. Have a seat—grace is being served.

Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, “A Reflection of Christ,” in Great Days with the Great Lives (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005), 29. Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Insight for Living Canada

Insight for Living Celebrates 35 Years

It’s our 35th anniversary!

Paws & Tales: Helping Kids Hear the Shepherd’s Voice

Timeless Truths for Years to Come

The Trainer Trained

A "Renewed Mind" Is Essential

Go for It

Operation Arrival

Scriptural Support for Christ's Return

An Attitude of Genuine Thanksgiving

A Reflection of Christ: A Lesson from the Life of Joseph

It’s our 35^th anniversary!