Dirk Willems was arrested in his hometown of Asperen, Netherlands in 1569. His crime โ choosing to be re-baptized as a devoted follower of Christ and hosting worship services in his home โ was completely unacceptable to the religious and governmental leaders of his day. The young Dutchman was carted off to a palace that had been converted into a prison to stand trial alongside other religious โtroublemakers.โย
rescue
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- AccidentBad DecisionsDangerGood SamaritanHelpHeroPrioritiesRescueSaved
Save My iPod!
by davidrsmithby davidrsmithLetโs say youโve accidentally ran your truck off a mountain-side road. Now, youโre trapped in a vehicle thatโs dangling over the side of a deep cliff. In that situation, whatโs your first priority?
For driver Mathew Sitko, the answer was as obvious as it was wrong.
- CelebrationConfusedCruelFreedomHolocaustJoyPrisonerRescueSurvivalWorld War II
The Day Freedom Came
by davidrsmithby davidrsmithImagine that youโve just been set free from an oppressive concentration camp. Youโve been ruthlessly worked and have seen friends and loved ones die in the process. How would you react to your freedom?
Itโs a safe bet that Viktor Frankl responded differently.
- AbandonAdoptionBabyCareChildrenHelpLoveParentsPastorProblemProblem SolvingRescueSaveSolution
Babies in a Box
by davidrsmithby davidrsmithEach year, millions of babies are abandoned by their parents for a variety of reasons: physical deformities, mental handicaps, or the motherโs inability to care for them. In South Korea, one man is making sure no more children die this way.
His strategy hinges on the love of Jesusโฆand a box.
- AngerBloodCareDogsEnemyFatherFightingForgivenessHelpJesus' TeachingKillLoveMenNeighborPetsRevengeSaveViolence
Killing Mr. Cook
by davidrsmithby davidrsmithDr. Fred Craddock had no qualms about calling his childhood neighbor, Mr. Cook, a โhateful manโ; after all, when Fred was just a young boy, Mr. Cook killed his dog. Fredโs sentiment toward Mr. Cook is easy to understand because many people have had a neighbor like Mr. Cook.
But few people have had a father like Fredโs.
- AnimalsBad DecisionsDangerEvangelismFaithFoolInterpretationPreacherPreachingRescueRiskStupidity
Modern Day Lion’s Den
by davidrsmithby davidrsmithBeliever or not, just about everyone is familiar with the account of Danielโs night spent with the lions. In the well-known story, a pagan king threw one of Godโs prophets into a den filled with the terrifying animals. Of course, Daniel walked out the next morning completely unscathed.
The same cannot be said about a man in Taipei who willing confronted a group of lions.
- AthleteFootballHeroLife-SavingRescueRiskSacrificialSelflessTaking ActionTeensViolence
Kaleb Eulls’ Biggest Tackle
by davidrsmithby davidrsmithKaleb Eulls, a 6โ 4โ 255 lb defensive end, is used to protecting against the pass rush for his Yazoo County High School football team. But on Tuesday morning, September 1, 2009, he had to protect a school bus full of kids from a student carrying a .38 caliber pistol.
- ChildrenChristmasFamilyFreedomGiftsJesusLawLiePoliceRescueSalvationSavedSaviorSlaveryWork
Wrapping Up Freedom
by davidrsmithby davidrsmithWhile no two Christmas lists are ever the exact same, itโs a sure bet that most kids want the hi-tech staples that have come to define our culture: an iPad, a video game or two, and a new cell phone. But a few kids from India had a different list entirely; they just wanted to be set free from slavery.
And thanks to a recent raid, they got just what they wanted.
- AnimalsBoundariesBreaking RulesCommandsDisobedienceFreedomGod's WillGod's WordLawLessonLifeObediencePetsRescueRules
Living in a Bowl
by davidrsmithby davidrsmithRules. Statutes. Laws. Decrees. Commandments. It doesnโt matter what you call them, most people donโt like them. Many simply view them as constraints in life that keep them from experiencing what they call โtrue freedom.โ
But goldfish disagree. Just ask Albert.
- FriendsGood SamaritanHelpMilitaryPrisonerRescueSavedSnowSoldierWarWorld War II
Saved Again…And Again…And Again
by davidrsmithby davidrsmithOn a snowy February night in 1940, William Millerโs speeding car careened off an icy road near his hometown of Harrisburg, PA. He was ejected through the windshield and landed in a snow bank, unconscious. Fortunately, a man named Warren Felty was driving by, found him, and took him to a hospital.
But this wouldnโt be the last time Warren Felty would pull William Millerโs unconscious body from the snow.