Returning to the Garden

In Hebrew, the word Eden means “delight.” When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, it contained everything he’d need to enjoy life—streams, vegetation, rich soil, sunlight, plenty of food, and living creatures of every kind. God even provided another human (Eve), who would partner with Adam in ruling the world under God’s direction. [...]

I Have Called You Friends

Do you cringe when you declare “Jesus was fully human”? Many Christians do. We’re afraid that, in saying this, we’re somehow undermining the equally true statement “Jesus is fully God.” But, the truth is, we must recognize the vital role His humanity played in securing our salvation if we want to fully grasp our spiritual [...]

God is Writing Your Story!

Every story worth telling begins with an “inciting incident” … something that upsets the balance in a person’s life and drives them forward in an unpredictable and sometimes scary direction. As they react to the incident—trying to restore balance and regain control—their lives are forever altered. Their decisions and subsequent actions either help or hinder [...]

My Awesome Older Brother

Growing up I had an awesome older brother. He was five years older than me. To be sure, he wasn’t very pleased to share his home with a sibling at first. Rumor has it that he tried to trade me to my grandma for a cat when I was born. But as we grew up, [...]

Taste & See: How Experience Builds Faith

The Baby Boomers among us will remember the old Phil Spector song (1958) that declares: “To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him; Just to see him smile makes my life worthwhile. To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him. And I do. And I do.” Of course, he [...]