vg@volkhardgraf.com
Walking The Good Road
Following Jesus: "Creator-Sets-Free"
I am walking the Good Road is written to encourage other followers of Jesus to grow in “long obedience in the same direction,”* enabled, nurtured, and sustained by His grace. Let’s follow Jesus, “Creator Sets Free!”
One of the toughest parts of pastoral ministry for me is to find words of comfort and encouragement for those who experience suffering, sickness and loss. The question of “why” was my family member taken away from me by this tragic accident, horrible sickness or senseless act of violence, most often finds no answer. When …
There are many people in the world today, who say they don’t care for “organized religion”! What they usually mean is that they are unhappy with churches and ministries or their leaders. However, if one asks what they think about Jesus, they usually show a different attitude. They may not acknowledge him as the Son …
After having dug to a depth of 50 feet last year, Mexican scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago. Not to be outdone by the Mexicans, in the weeks that followed,Texans scientists dug to …
What a strange question to ask! Or could it be that struggling to find an answer to this question might be quite crucial? Usually we are so busy with work and activities that we don’t take the time to think through what is really important to us and our unexamined life just dissipates. Do you …
The fact that the Bible shows us the message of God of heaven and earth becoming man is celebrated every Christmas. However, does the Bible only give us instruction about our sin and His plan of salvation or does it also provide us with principles and directions for every area of life? Have we interpreted …
“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” Oh really? Don’t these last two lines of William Ernest Henley’s Poem “Invictus” seem utterly stupid? Is he the author of his own life? No, God, the Creator is the author and sustainer of life. Although there are many people who …
Esther seemed to have the whole world against her. Not only had her mother and father died, she was also a refugee in a strange land. However, she had an older cousin who loved her and took her in as his own daughter. Her adoptive father, Mordecai, later was instrumental in Esther becoming the Queen …
We had the opportunity to accompany a wonderful team of young people to the On Eagles Wings Leadership Summit, hosted by Ron Hutchcraft Ministries in Roach, Missouri. We traveled in a bus. The Summit brought about 500 Native American and First Nations young people together for a few days of encouragement and training. The team …
The year was either 1831 or 1832, when a delegation of Nimiipuu or Nez Perce as they later became known, made a difficult trek over treacherous terrain hundreds of miles from their home territory to the then most western outpost of the States, St. Louis. Their objective: Find the “Book of Heaven”. Some describe their …
A girl starts an ugly rumor about a friend whom she found kissing the boy she liked. By day’s end, the gossip has reached every corner of her middle school, and the victim was in tears that everyone now knows she’d been “making out” with this boy. She gets so upset that she hyperventilates, needs …
A survey of British teenagers in the mid-1970s found that the majority thought that “Amazing Grace” was a love song about a girl named Grace. Now, some 30 years later, the song has been recorded in more then 3,200 different versions. Most of these recordings have been made since Judy Collins had a surprise pop …
Indian Country Today reports the following story: A husband was in big trouble when he forgot his wedding anniversary. His wife told him: “Tomorrow there better be something in the driveway for me that goes from zero to 200 in 2 seconds flat.” The next morning the wife found a small package in the driveway. …
Anyone spending time in malls, shops, market places and elevators between Thanksgiving and Christmas has most likely been exposed to it! No, its not the most recent flue virus but some version the Christmas Hymn, “Joy to the World! The Lord has come!”. If you ever stopped to think about the words of the hymn, …
It is a fact of life that we are presented with many opportunities to be offended during our time on planet earth. Jesus told his followers: “It is impossible but that offenses will come”. Offenses are stumbling blocks or bait that the enemy of our souls loves to use to get us off track, to …
Growing up in a well-to-do family has its advantages. Growing up in a family with means and where everybody is loved and cared for is even better. Yet, even the best circumstances do not always lead to the best consequences. Jesus tells a story of a young man who became a runaway. He grew up …
The exuberant Vamonos! (Spanish for “let’s go”!) and upbeat music seems to betray the deep spiritual yearning of the hit songs lyrics. Los Lonely Boys sing about longing to be saved from being lost in their self-made prison, the misery they find themselves in. They ask: “How far is heaven, Lord, can you tell me”? …
If you tuned in to the news during the past weeks, you most likely heard the words Christmas and war used in the same sentence—something you might not have thought possible before. Essentially, the debate is about being “politically correct” by no longer naming Christmas as such but calling it “holiday” so as not to …
No doubt you have people in your circle of relationships who are “broken people”. Some people’s brokenness is obvious. Abuse, abandonment and rejection have left scars. For others, beautiful exteriors hide what they don’t want their family or friends to see. Whether obvious or hidden, brokenness is real! There is often so much of it …
Have you ever considered what your life is all about? Are you here to seek personal fulfillment, peace of mind, happiness, a great career (making good money)? Are you looking for a wonderful family with everybody healthy, loved and financially cared for? The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of …
Have you ever considered how radical it was when Jesus called people to just up, leave and follow him? The Bible doesn’t indicate that he gave a lot of explanation, laid out a clear-cut plan of action with job descriptions, salaries or benefit packages. He just told Peter and his brother Andrew and later James …
You might recognize this slogan of the very popular TV-Show CSI, Crime Scene Investigation. The careful search for clues, fingerprints, weapons, bullet fragments, DNA evidence etc. can reveal great detail of a crime scene to the scientists who try to piece the event together. Detectives working on cases often theorize what might have happened but …
Turn on the news and it stares you right in the face: Domestic disputes, strife with neighbors, divorce, adultery, kidnappings, ethnic unrest, war… Have you ever thought about the fact that just about every problem in the world has at its bottom line a problem of relationship? Society seems to recognize this fact and offers …
Here are a few quotes from the German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was martyred under Hitler: Suffering and Rejection are the summary expression of Jesus‘ cross. Death on the cross means to suffer and to die as someone rejected and expelled. Discipleship as commitment to the person of Jesus Christ places the disciple under the …
Paul writes to Timothy, that he loves him like a son and wishes him grace and peace from God. A few verses later he encourages him: “Endure hardship with us like a good warrior of Christ Jesus”. As followers of Christ we find ourselves in this field of tension between being a son or daughter …
