“Do not be afraid, little flock,” Jesus told His followers, “For your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). I love this verse, don’t you? It reminds me of a similar verse in the Old Testament. There God tells His people, “Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do [...]
Vacation season has begun. Many will be heading out to various destinations—cell phones and sunscreen in hand—excited to see and experience new things. Some of us will travel great distances and enter a totally different culture for a few days or weeks; others will take their vacations closer to home. Whether we revisit familiar places [...]
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 [...]
In this day of increasing persecution towards Christians worldwide, it’s important to know how to fight our adversaries in the right spirit. In Matthew 10 Jesus sends out His followers to share the Gospel with their fellow Israelites. He makes it clear what they are to do in His name—proclaim that the kingdom of heaven [...]
I can imagine how breathless and scared the women must have been as they made their way to the tomb that early Sunday morning. The night before, after Sabbath ended, they’d purchased spices for Jesus’ body, which was now in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. They’d watched His crucifixion from a distance and had followed those [...]
In 1971 the English zoologist Desmond Morris wrote a classic study about human intimacy and how it develops. He suggested that all bonded couples go through twelve distinct stages that build on each other before the couple reaches full intimacy. The first two stages he proposes both involve our eyes. Morris called stage one “eye [...]
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 [...]
In Christian circles the idea of “sharing our testimony” about Jesus has fallen out of fashion to some degree, maybe because it smacks of tent evangelism, street witnessing, and in-your-face spiritual confrontations from years ago. But in all other areas of life, testimonials are welcomed among neighbors and friends. We often hear: “Hey, do you [...]
Psychological tests reveal babies less than an hour old will stare at faces far longer than any other object or pattern. They seem to “know” they need to recognize the faces of those who will care for them – those who can be trusted. By four months their brains are processing facial recognition at levels [...]
“They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!'” (Mark 4:41) Every disciple of Jesus must grapple with this question – not just at the beginning of our relationship with Him, but at every stage following. Who is He? And how does that knowledge impact my [...]
Adventuring with God 