COVER STORY

“Wanted: From Dead to Alive”
by Brian Lionberg

Guilty of two heinous crimes, locked in a prison for life, would there be any purpose for living? Brian Lionberg found that purpose when God’s grace transformed him from dead to alive, from “Prisoner #40594” to “child of God.”

Read this story now.

FEATURES

“Closed Door, Open Hearts”
by Sherry Pinson
Open door or no open door, God is worthy of worship.

“P. S.”
From Fiji to England, from wax lips to a stray dog, God answers prayer in dramatic and charming ways in the lives of our readers in this installment of “Publishing our Subscribers.”

“The Deaf Will Hear—Firsthand”
by John W. Cashman

Sure, God can open the ears of the deaf. But sometimes He has an even greater miracle in mind.

“Three Doors Down”
by Claudine Stubbs Henry

God’s answers can come in any size package–even in a pint-size
third-grader dribbling a basketball.

“God, Can We Talk?”
by Jan Coates

Dialing and smiling—two giant steps toward childlike, absolute faith in the Heavenly Father.

COLUMNS

Change Agent: “The Wind Beneath Our Wings”
by Jon Johnston

Nothing we fail to commit to God is ever safe. Trying and tugging must give way to trusting.

Commission: “New Generation Faith-Building Stories”
by Jerry D. Porter

As leaders we must confront problems on our knees in radical obedience, permitting Almighty God to create new faith-building stories for generations to come.

The Deeper Way: “Wisdom—Let Us Attend”
by Gerard Reed

Wise folks avoid both scoffing and stupidity, seeking factual details as well as God’s guidance in the decisions they make.

Essay: “Getting Crossed”
by Jeff Crosno

There is no resurrection if nobody dies, so forget any notion that faith is a self-help course for personal growth.

Family Tree: “Angels on 18 Wheels”
by Rick and Bonnie Ryding

Our faith had been tied in knots by the “impossible” circumstances. But the children had prayed and believed.

Footprints: “Hsu Kwei-pin”
by Floyd T. Cunningham

Hsu Kwei-pin stood out among Nazarene leaders in China before World War II. For many years he was the only ordained Chinese Nazarene minister.

Fruit of the Spirit: “The Face of Faithfulness”
by Dean Flemming

Faithfulness is not just an abstract virtue, something to be written in fancy lettering on a stained-glass window. Faithfulness needs a face.

Holiness: “The Lord’s Lamp”
by Wesley D. Tracy

The abundant life comes only when you discover that God is not part of your life; rather, you are a little part of God’s life.

Interconnected: “Dealing with Grief ‘Like a Christian’: What the Bible Really Teaches”
by Daniel Spaite

Let’s stop trying to “fix” grief and instead do what Jesus did.

Portraits: “Roger Pacholka: Starting with the First in Line”
by Debbie Salter Goodwin

Roger fell to his knees in desperation over the enormity of the job and his limited time and energy. “How can I possibly help all of these people? Where do I even start?”

COMING NEXT MONTH
HOLINESS BETRAYED: ATTUTUDES THAT BELIE OUR DOCTRINE

“The Pothole of Legalism: or ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Highway of Holiness’”

by Bud Reedy

If legalism is more than a gnat on the neck of the church, perhaps it’s time for an uncomfortable but necessary self-examination. It starts with each individual.