The example and teaching of Jesus lead us to keep on praying!
Again and again, Jesus teaches us not to give up, to trust God’s timing, and to keep on praying.
Two prayers, two perspectives, and a challenge for us to choose
The sting in Jesus’ parable was for the spiritually proud who heard him then—and now.
It will happen to all of us, and for all of us the work will continue
None of us has the promise of old age. But if we live to enjoy it, God will still need us to spread kingdom influence.
Few or many? The answer from Jesus has always been surprising
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made a point that may help us understand his answer to the man who asked if few would enter the kingdom. According to Jesus, the wide gate is easier to navigate.
When God’s people bring good over evil, watch for the celebration!
We tend to celebrate when whomever we designate as the “good” side wins a victory.
I didn’t earn my mother’s favor: an essay about privilege
My mother liked me best. I was born right-handed instead of left-handed. Neither fact is anything to feel guilty about. But they're true, and they've made a difference in my life.
After the mentoring you’ve received, is now the time for you to lead?
It is one thing to support the leader and his or her decisions. It is a completely different thing when you are the one leading.
Both Jesus and research help us see why we do well to resist anxiety
The challenge of Jesus speaks to the pressures of the age: “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”
The message isn’t difficult to understand. But what comes after that?
The history of people of faith over the centuries has demonstrated that the instructions we’ve received are not that hard to understand. Our trouble is with implementation!
How to be content with what we know, instead of secrets unrevealed
The truth is, we don’t do a particularly good job with the things God has already revealed, so giving us more would probably not make things any better for anyone.
What do you do, how do you cope, when the problem is bigger than you?
We just celebrated the biggest victory in human history, the resurrection of Jesus. So why talk of difficulties, obstacles, and enemies?
Tempted by suffering: A meditation for the day before Easter
On this quiet Saturday before the hallelujahs of the resurrection, what are we willing to ponder as we pause at the grave of Jesus?
Tender, sobering words—and then silence before it all makes sense
They remind us of our actions and behavior toward the sin of others, the promise of eternal life, our relationships with family, our loneliness in times of struggle, our thirst for God, the reality of what we can and can’t do, and our complete surrender.
We’re not the first or the only believers to ‘drink from a fire hose’
When you read any or all of the four Gospels, you quickly see that the disciples were having their own trouble keeping up with all the amazing things they were seeing and experiencing with Jesus. We can relate.
Here’s how to show our gratitude for what Jesus did on the cross
There is no holding back for later when it comes to our discipleship. When it comes to following Jesus, we are called daily to give ourselves away to Jesus as well as to his visible body in the world today, the church.
Wondrous deeds, unimaginable sacrifice, all from our marvelous God!
Why did Jesus make such an astonishing statement? And how was it a preview of the marvelous gift he is to us?
No matter how real the danger, we need not doubt our protection
Pursued by enemies intent on his destruction, David hid—and he turned to God.
‘Pure in heart,’ a standard for our times, a challenge for our lives
When our eyes are on another simply for the purpose of pleasing ourselves, we’re not seeing God. And that’s a truth that extends far beyond any discussion of sex.
How to remember, in all our rush, where our blessing comes from
We may think we are the source of the good aspects of our lives. But if we’ll just stop and remember and meditate, we can come up with a more accurate answer.
Let’s share the details of God’s part in our stories. Here’s why
When we share what God has done in our lives, we make a difference in the lives of those who follow.