Sep 10, 2013

A Sure Hope for the Future

1 Min Read

Here's an excerpt from A Sure Hope for the Future, R.C. Sproul's contribution to the September issue of Tabletalk:

I've spoken at more conferences than I can remember, and one of the highlights of these events is the book signing wherein attendees visit with the conference speakers and the speakers sign their books. These signings are a privilege because they give the speaker a glimpse at the impact his words have had on people. I've talked to seminarians, grandmothers, businessmen, and just about anyone else you can think of during these signings. On occasion, children have even given me pictures that they drew for me.

As enjoyable as these signings can be, there's one phenomenon I haven't been able to get used to fully, and that's the request to sign one book that I didn't write—the Bible. I'm happy to do it, however, and often the people who want me to sign their Bible ask me for my life's verse. The first time someone asked me for such a verse, I was perplexed. "What's a life verse?" I asked, never having heard of this tradition whereby people pick one verse from the Bible to base their lives upon. In any case, I chose Romans 12:12 the first time I was asked to provide a life verse during a book signing. This verse features one of Paul's great summaries of the Christian life: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

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