in our hearts
After observing the warm fellowship of believers in Jesus, this was the reaction of the unbelieving Greek writer Lucian (AD 120–200): “It is incredible to see the fervor with which the people of that...
View Articlea sure investment
I sat on the gift-shop bench while my family looked for souvenirs. We had just finished climbing nearly 300 steps of spiral staircase to the top of a towering memorial. As I leaned against the wall,...
View Articleenough to share
There was a season when my son Wasswa and I had 12 little guests at our dinner table in Uganda every night for 3 consecutive years. Previous to our sharing dinner with them, the children had often gone...
View Articleheavy lifting
An elderly man saw me struggling to carry a heavy box from my car to the post office. Rather than let his age, a pronounced limp, or hot weather deter him, he rushed to my assistance.
View Articlerotten fruit
There’s a “quick sale” area in my local supermarket where fruit is offered at a huge discount. If not sold quickly, the fully ripened edibles will become soft, flabby, and infected with fungus.
View Articleextending grace
When I was growing up, my family often became frustrated because I would take whatever I wanted into my possession. If anything went missing, the invariable response was to “look in Gina’s room,” for I...
View Articlelove as you love yourself
Following a mass shooting in which a dozen victims were murdered, a writer lamented that the horrific event received a lack of media coverage and national attention. “What number of dead here would it...
View Articleuse my room
When I agreed to help start a book club at my church, I was excited about choosing the titles and discussing the literary works. I wavered, however, when I had to decide where to hold the meetings. (My...
View ArticleJuly 14, 2014
World Cup elicited great passion and emotion from fans around the world. How can we use the draw of sports to point others to Jesus?
View Articleclear communication
Many battles in life stem from false assumptions that are made due to lack of communication. For instance, we share a wall with our neighbors and—since moving in 6 months ago—they’ve been redecorating....
View Articlecoffee house
A pastor wanted to break his church out of their formal traditions and nudge them in a fresh direction. He sensed that the congregation’s formality was discouraging the local community from walking...
View ArticleAugust 11, 2014
Why is it vital that believers in Jesus present their faith and its claims in a winsome, loving way?
View Articledon’t judge?
Do not judge others” may be the most popular verse in the world. It’s the one phrase from the Bible that everyone seems to know—and often misapply. A former politician continued to text inappropriate...
View Articleflood of justice
God judges sin because he loathes what it does to us and to others. There is no other motive in God, nothing deeper than His love for us. He wants us to loathe sin, too—and be its executioner. If we...
View Articleyou choose Q: how can I be a blessing to people who don’t know Jesus?
Q: How can I be a blessing to people who do not know Jesus as their Savior? —Grace A: Being a blessing to unbelievers is a matter of being sensitive to their areas of spiritual need and nurturing them...
View ArticleHis kids
Two teenage Chinese brothers are living with us as they attend school in the US. Since we have three biological sons, my wife and I call Dongyao and Dongpeng our “Chinese sons.” They have loving...
View ArticleOctober 13, 2014
How can we effectively reach and help the poor and broken in the city?
View Articlebridging the chasm
When a supervolcano erupts—and thankfully that’s extremely rare—it leaves behind a massive basin known as a caldera. But they are so huge we tend to overlook them completely. As geophysicist Bob Smith...
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