Scriptures invites us to thank God in all circumstances. That’s easy to do when things are going our way. But it’s a lot harder when things aren’t. How can we thank God when a loved one has cancer? Or when we lose our job? Or our marriage… Read More

We all remember where we were on Sept. 11, 2001, the day a group of murderers attacked America. Although they managed to find a weakness in our nation, they exposed a strength. They bent us, but they did not break us. They killed our citizens, but not our spirits. They… Read More

The women of first century Palestine weren’t highly revered—until Jesus came along. This carpenter from Nazareth upended expectations about who women are and how they should be treated. Stories of widows, wives, sinners, Samaritans, loyal friends and faithful companions pepper the pages of the Gospels. Jesus—in the midst of the… Read More

Our names have special meaning. When we were born, our parents gave each of us a name that identifies who we are and who we will be. Jesus, too, was gifted with a name when he was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb. It is a… Read More

We all experience crises in our own lives, from anxiety about money to stress in relationships. But sometimes, watching the reports of violence, war and crime in the daily news can feel just as overwhelming as the difficulties we experience every day. From the chaos in Iraq and Ukraine… Read More

As the proud father of a young toddler, I delight in my son’s smiles, belly laughs and baby babble. But when my wife and I discovered we were going to have him, I was terrified. I became acutely aware of my weaknesses, sins and ignorance. I thought, ‘Am I ready?’… Read More

When I look outside the window of my apartment, I can see the shop down the street advertising fall clothes. Families fill the sidewalks holding shopping bags with brightly colored notebooks, rulers and pencils. And the library is full of kids cashing in prizes for their summer reading points. Read More

Praying with my husband is a humbling, vulnerable act that has comforted us in times of trouble, encouraged us in times of doubt and empowered us in times of weakness. We have prayed anthems of praise and laments of sadness together, prayers of triumph and prayers of defeat. In… Read More

When I ask people about their favorite Bible characters, I often get the same answers: Moses, David, Paul, Peter with the occasional Noah or Daniel. Don’t get me wrong. These are great guys. But the Bible also includes the stories of some great (and often overlooked) female role models. Whether… Read More

As followers of Christ, we should rejoice always, in good times and bad. Easier said than done, right? Fortunately, in Paul the Apostle we have a steadfast model for finding joy in times of great struggle through trust in Jesus. In his mission to spread the Christian faith, Paul endured… Read More