Guidance: Lost Without a Map
We weren’t meant to navigate life alone. God knows how tricky it can be to hear his voice in the noise, so he gives us each other — friends who pray, listen and help us discern his will. Guidance begins with humility, continues with seeking him and deepens when we listen together. Alone we guess; together we hear.
Jesus’ Family Was More Dysfunctional Than Yours
Matthew’s Gospel doesn’t shy away from Jesus’ messy family tree. His genealogy includes adulterers, outsiders and deeply flawed people — names like Tamar, Rahab, David and Bathsheba. In a world where ancestry was your résumé, Matthew highlights dysfunction on purpose. Why? To remind us that God works through broken families and broken people. If Jesus’ family was a mess, there’s hope for the rest of us too.
Reviving Mission: Jesus’ Holistic Approach
Jesus didn’t just have a mission — he was the mission. Sentness shaped his identity, his actions and his authority. He washed feet, healed the broken and called the forgotten — not just to do good, but to live from a place of divine sending. That same calling is ours. To follow Jesus means stepping into his mission, letting his Spirit move through us, shaping how we live, love and lead.
Sane Ways to Re-Engage With the News
Too much news can be a wrecking ball to your peace. Too little, and you risk disengaging from the world entirely. How do you stay informed without losing your mind? A more measured approach — one that values brevity, levity and dignity — might just be the way forward. Re-engaging with the news doesn’t have to mean drowning in it. It can be about wisdom, perspective and keeping your heart tender.
When Life Becomes Unmanagable
We all have something — something we chase, something we can’t stop, something that’s making life unmanageable. So what do we do when willpower isn’t enough?
Because Our Longing Is Ageless
Today, I am not at ease with myself, which is the opposite of what you hear people my age and older say.
I am supposed to say, “I’ve never felt more like myself. I have settled into a newfound freedom as I care less about what people think of me and am less tied down by the attitude of striving.” And I usually feel that way.
But I resonate with both mindsets: I care less about what people think of me and feel good about balancing work, rest and play. But still, I feel listless and confused. There is an edge I think I am missing.
Perhaps I have become complacent? Where has my desperation for God gone?
Perspective in the Wandering
The lights have gone out in the cafe.
The wind gusts the leaves outside, orange and yellow fluttering in tufts, and the November light shines through the windows. My shadow on the wall outlines me dimly. I see it on the cream-colored paint beneath stains from coffee splatters and gray scratches where furniture was scraped.
Justin was gone for a few days last week, and I was lonely. It made me think of Berta, my former neighbor, 86 years old, who used to live next door. And Meg, our neighbor on the other side of our house, who also lived alone. After having a houseful of kids—and a dog—collectively requiring my energy and attention for two decades, I thought the quiet would be welcome. But it was strange. I wonder if I like quiet better when I choose it rather than when it happens to me.
Reintroducing A Familiar Debate About The Holy Spirit
When many are seeking a deeper, more experiential faith, Tyler Staton’s “The Familiar Stranger” urges Christians to reintroduce the Holy Spirit into their daily lives. But does this emphasis on experience risk sidelining discernment? Staton’s call for a more Spirit-led faith resonates with some, while raising concerns for others who worry about mistaking emotion for divine guidance.
We Are Way Too Trusting
We trust lies too easily. “You’re not enough.” And we believe it. But God says something different — something truer. You’re his child, loved and seen. Created with care. Walked with daily. Maybe it’s time we stop agreeing with everything else and believe him instead. Real freedom begins when we trade the whispers of doubt for the steady voice of truth.
There’s Something About Mary: ‘No Person Knew Christ With Greater Intimacy’
When kids are hurt or lost, their first instinct is often to call out for their moms. There’s a deep, natural connection there — a bond that comforts and guides. In the same way, Mary, the mother of Jesus, stands as a figure of profound intimacy with Christ. No one knew him more closely, and her role offers timeless wisdom for reconnecting with faith.
Tony Campolo: Evangelist to the evangelicals
Tony Campolo’s life was a sermon — one that proclaimed “good news to the poor” in both word and deed. A fiery preacher and sharp sociologist, he bridged the divide between evangelical faith and social justice, reminding countless audiences of Jesus’ call to liberate the oppressed. From his iconic “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming” message to co-founding Red Letter Christians, Tony’s legacy is a gospel lived boldly, for the least of these.
Posthumous Wiersbe Devotional Joins Author’s Storied Body Of Work
A newly discovered manuscript from Warren Wiersbe offers readers a fresh journey into God’s Word, crafted with care by his grandson, Dan Jacobsen. In “Becoming New,” this 100-day devotional distills Wiersbe’s legacy of biblical insight into clear, transformative reflections, accessible for both lifelong believers and new followers of Christ.
The Surprising Power of Identity
What if the name God calls you could reshape your entire life? In the stillness of a mountainside, you hear him speak a new identity over you — one that invites you into deeper trust, adventure and surrender. It’s a reminder that knowing who you are in his eyes can transform everything, guiding you into a life of purpose and connection like never before.
How Religion Influenced Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers
From Tolkien’s reflections on redemption in "The Lord of the Rings" to Dostoevsky’s deep dive into sin and salvation in "Crime and Punishment," faith is at the core of some of the greatest stories ever told. These writers invite us to wrestle with big questions about life, faith and purpose — reminding us that there’s always something deeper at work, even in our own lives.
Dangers of Reactive Thinking
We’re born ready-made with a predisposition toward the negative, which motivates us with an urgency the positive rarely equals. I think this is why religious leaders and politicians place so much emphasis on the negative, on fury and fear-mongering. They know what moves us. If they can scare us or make us angry — fear and fury are twins — they can push us wherever they want us to go.
What I Want To Tell My Grandkids
Some years ago, I decided to write a book I’d call something like, “Things I Want to My Grandkids to Know.” I’d self-publish it and provide a copy to each of the kids. I started writing it with a lot of energy, then gradually let it peter out, and then … totally forgot about it. Recently, I happened across my notes, dated 2016. I liked what I’d said. I even added new observations.