I was young, on my own, struggling to make a living. Then a friend said, “Pssst. You wanna write some Bible lessons? You’ve been going to Sunday school all your life. Maybe you could create some curriculum and pull in some extra cash.” Those probably weren’t the exact… Read More

The transformation started nearly 500 years ago, when we changed the way the Bible looks. Beginning with the Geneva Bible in the 1550s our sacred writings were redesigned to make them easier to reference. The chapter numbering system we know had been introduced 300 years earlier, but it was… Read More

The story of the gospel is the most powerful, transcendent, compelling story that the world could ever possibly know. The Scriptures bring life and hope and freedom to humanity. Once you’re inside of it, it will set you free. But we’ve let other people tell the story about us. Read More

“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14 KJV). This prophetic vision inspired the founders of American Bible Society 200 years ago, and it still drives us today. But it… Read More

One of the things that pastors should keep in mind when they preach the biblical narrative is to allow the narrative to open us up first. You have to allow the story to start to unfold for people. This use of story is very effective and important for us to… Read More

There was another shooting this week. Our souls ached as the reports trickled in. How many dead? How many wounded? What was the motive? As the news cycle began spinning, we gathered the grisly details. Around the world, people expressed their condolences to the grieving families. Pundits explored the… Read More

The RightNow Conference gathered about 3,000 church leaders at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, TX, for three days of worship, talks, and workshops November 4-6. Plenary speakers included an impressive array of nationally known pastors and authors—Batterson, Chan, Greear, Horton, Metaxas, to name a few. Reading the Bible… Read More

“Lord, please give her an amazing experience of you.” This had been my recurring prayer for a friend who had grown up in the faith but had lost the fire. She still believed in God but wasn’t so sure about Jesus and had drifted away from the church. Read More

“Can I shine your shoes?” asked a man with bucket and brushes in hand. I paused and looked at my supervisor, who was in midsentence discussing a work project. He looked around the crowded street, wavered, and then lifted his shoe onto the man’s stool. The man knelt down and… Read More

As a native Southern Californian, I like to think summer lasts all year. Some people speak nostalgically about crisp fall air and white Christmases, while I have fond memories of going to the beach with my family on every major holiday. But the change of seasons is about more… Read More