Gratitude Conquers Fear (And Other Stuff)
Psychologists have shown that gratitude is one of the strongest predictors of happiness. And why is that? Because to feel grateful is to experience life as a gift, as an experience of grace and joy. Thus the practices of gratitude—the cultivation of the experience of receiving a gift—replace scarcity with an experience of abundance. When life is experienced as a gift, our anxieties lessen and the capacity to share freely and spontaneously is increased.
What Is Worship? A Survey of the Bible
In the Bible there are two major kinds of words for worship. The first means to bow down, to kneel, to put one’s face down as an act of respect and submission. Our body language is saying, I will do whatever you want me to. I am ready to listen to your instructions and I am willing to obey. The other kind of biblical word means to serve.
Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline
Jim Martin keeps a daily journal and has for a number of years. The practice has been one of the most significant contributors to his spiritual growth and has become a crucial component in his relationship with God.
‘Sacred Alaska’ Explores Native Culture And Faith
“Sacred Alaska,” an award-winning documentary.
Experiencing God through the Creation Psalms
God comes near through his Word, and he comes close through his creation. If we don’t know and see this, we will miss so much of who he is and how he longs to be with us.
Choosing Humility Even When It’s Hard
Humility will come to us all. ... But there are two paths to humility. The first is to humble yourself. It’s the decision to wake up to your reality, to say to God, 'I don’t know why this is the way it is, and I don’t know when it will end, but I trust You. I want to serve You. I will humble myself to show up today with joy and obedience and a heart to serve others.' The other way is to be humbled.
Book Excerpt: Marvin Olasky’s ‘Pivot Points’
Marvin Olasky describes his journey from Judaism to atheism to Marxism to Christ and his adventures in evangelical, conservative, compassionate, and journalistic circles.
The Long Tradition of Tattooing in Christianity
For some Christians, both in the United States and around the world, tattoos are an important way of representing their faith in Jesus. For example, pilgrims to Jerusalem will sometimes get tattoos during their time in the Old City, usually crosses on their forearms. But the evidence is clear that the practice started a long time ago—shortly after Jesus’ crucifixion, in fact—and has continued down the centuries.
Scorsese’s Faith Is Rarely Far off in His Films
Scorsese doesn’t need to defend his faith or burnish religion’s image. His movies are steeped in Catholic sensibilities but embrace painful questions that can accompany belief.
The Gift of Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction helps us to learn to ask better questions like, “Where is God in this?” It creates a space where we can search for hints of the divine in our lives.
Qualities of a Good Friendship
The joy and messy beauty of genuine connections between people—from shared purposes to meaningful conversations and navigating conflicts with grace.
What is Repentance?
Contained within Martin Luther’s sermon entitled “The Sermon Christ Preached to His Disciples,” written by him in the first half of the 16th century and included in his work, ‘Church Postil,’ is a particularly excellent discussion of the question, What is Repentance?
Are You Living Your God-Given Dreams?
Our role model for living the Christian life shouldn’t be found on the stage or screen. Our ultimate role model is found in the pages of the Bible—Jesus.
What is Listening Prayer?
In Scripture, God spoke to Elijah by his “still small voice.” By telling this story, God seems to be revealing a preferred way of communicating with us, too—today.
The Spiritual Discipline of Study
“What we are talking about is the study that permeates life. It is what A. W. Tozer would call 'Following hard after God.” Though, for many, study may be a discipline of habit, the study we speak of is more a discipline of heart.”
‘How Great Thou Art’ Gets New Ending
The well-known and beloved-by-many words of “How Great Thou Art” have had a long and varied trajectory from Swedish poem to German hymn to a tradition at Billy Graham crusades. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the hymn’s popular English translation, Grammy-winning Christian singer-songwriter Matt Redman has teamed up with 15 other artists and released a new version, continuing the hymn’s transatlantic trek that has led it to be featured in countless hymnals and recorded on hundreds of albums.
‘The Chosen’ Wraps Up One Of Its Best Seasons
‘The Chosen’ is a ground-breaking series. From its unprecedented crowdfunding campaign to its innovative theaters-first strategy the last two seasons, the series about Jesus and His disciples manages to be both creative and faithful. Focusing on the rising danger from Jesus’s enemies and His upcoming death, the fourth season, in particular, has been one of the strongest.
Wilderness to New Life: A Guide to Lent for Everyone
“During Lent we inevitably experience the lengthening of days, the increase of warmth and light,” Walter Hesford writes. “We might,” he encourages us, “think of ways we want to grow along with the new green life spreading before us.”
What Religious Freedom Can Look Like During Lent
Lent, a period of spiritual reflection and preparation leading up to Easter, holds a rich history intertwined with religious freedom. This season, observed by Christians worldwide, invites believers to mimic Jesus's 40-day fast in the wilderness, a time often interpreted as a practice of making space.