The Rag-Tag Army of Jesus

When David was fleeing from King Saul, long before he was crowned king himself, he ended up in a cave in the wilderness called Abdullam, which means “fortress” or “refuge.” While there, as improbable as it seemed, he gathered to himself a group of 400 men ready to follow him. Their “qualifications” weren’t exactly what [...]

Sojourners

A sojourn is a relatively short period of time when a person stays somewhere other than home. It’s a temporary stay or visit that’s usually associated with a specific purpose. During a sojourn, people are outside of their natural environment. They adjust to their new place of residence to some degree, but it never becomes [...]

Setting Our Hope on Him

Picture the scene with me. Jesus has risen from the dead, validating His claim to be God in the flesh. He’s appeared to more than 500 people in the past 40 days (1 Corinthians 15:6) and now He’s gathered together His remaining disciples to give them their new assignment: something we call the Great Commission. [...]

But God …

Sometimes we think our culture is particularly wicked and beyond God’s reach. We begin to imagine life without the influence of the Gospel and wonder: What will guide and inspire the generations that come after us if it vanishes from sight? But a cursory look at history will reassure us that "when the enemy comes [...]

Long Haulers

My son Sky has always liked machines and big challenges. One vivid memory I have is of him driving our tractor across the field as Tony and I threw bales onto the hay wagon. Sky was only six or seven years old, so his feet barely reached the pedals. But he was grinning from ear [...]

A “God’s-Eye” View Will Help

Do you remember riding a Ferris wheel for the first time? Perched on the bench seat—scared but excited—your stomach likely dropped as the machine whisked you up into the sky. Suspended in air, with little between you and the hard earth below, you might have giggled nervously or distracted yourself by teasing the kid sitting [...]