During a surgery, Dr Mark McDonough wakes up, and then has a near death experience. The bliss on the other side is real... but if you're still alive, it's because God has a plan for you.

Inspiration from Dr Mark McDonough's book "Forged Through Fire". During his recovery Mark received great encouragement from some special people. Perhaps you need to hear these words too today... or tell them to somebody else... 

This week we are getting inspiration from "Forged Through Fire" - the story of Dr Mark McDonough. As he recovered from the burns he sustained in a terrible fire, Mark learned what it really means to thirst. Are you grateful for the gift of being able to drink water? And have you tasted the living water that only Jesus gives?

After years of humble faithfulness, Moses (like all of us) loses it for a moment... and asks "must I do everything around here?" He forgot (as we all do) that every good gift comes from God.

As Moses' mountaintop turns into a desert, he asks yet another question: why is God allowing this to happen? We've all asked that one. One thing is certain: when we are in the desert, God is with us.

God does amazing things in Moses' life, and so he asks another question: who is like our God? Moses remembers to praise God during his big moments. Do you?

As God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, Moses asks a question: who am I? How can I do what you're calling me to? But eventually he stopped making excuses and followed his call. Will you?

Reading the life of Moses, we see that he often asked questions. It's ok to ask God questions in our journey with him.... because it's in Him that we find our answers.

When we hang out with our great Friend Jesus, we begin to look more like him... and this means offering mercy to people just as He did to us.

The greatest gift we receive from our friend Jesus is His forgiveness - the cancelling of our debts thanks to His payment on the cross. A story from John Ortberg illustrates this today.