Faith Matters

God’s love for people who have been marginalized, discarded, and taken advantage of reverberates throughout the Bible.

I spend a lot of time listening. But is it worthwhile?

We are so covered in mud that we can’t even do something righteous without soiling it.

A desire to know Jesus was born within her and never left.

I look back with amazement at these four decades and find that I am still traveling, living often as a foreigner and stranger.

I found that when students spoke about Christianity with people of other belief systems, they often reduced their faith to actions.

There is enormous pressure in the church today to build a curriculum that is contemporary and to produce young leaders who will draw a crowd.

As I look at the miracles recorded in the four gospels, I see four general categories in which these miracles were performed: healing the body, casting out demons, controlling nature, and raising the dead.

I look back with amazement at these four decades and find that I am still traveling, living often as a foreigner and stranger.

Adam’s original creation covenant mandate from God of subduing or having dominion over the earth was to do it for God’s glory, not man’s.

Taking up my cross means accepting all the pain and injustice and misery life imposes on me as I attempt to be a faithful follower of Jesus.

We have a vague notion that heaven is somewhere “up there,” but more likely it is located well outside of our sense of space or even time.

In some ways we all just want to be happy—to have a jump in our stride, a smile on our face, a warm feeling in the chest.

When we begin to see Jesus as our shalom, we begin to understand the depth and hope of his shalom.

The myth of “the one” says the universe has picked out one special person for you, a soulmate perfectly crafted to meet your every need and fit your every curve of character.

This Canaanite intuits that Jesus gives spiritual bread. She is not too proud to beg.

One seldom hears or reads a news story without reference to a robust debate on some issue.

Would we have the gospel of Mark were it not for Barnabas? Had Barnabas not encouraged the lad and taken him on his own missionary journey, Mark might have disappeared into obscurity.

I wonder what I would have done if I was in Ebed-Melech’s place. Would I have acted courageously? Or would I have remained silent?

It felt as though every few hours I was hosting discussions between groups of students, or even the whole class, about the conflict that was occurring.

I was talking with some senior members of my church the other day. They were asked to give a talk to our high school youth group.

“Purity in the hands of a holy God is a powerful instrument.”

Have you ever driven yourself to your destination with no memory of the drive? Or perhaps you’ve discovered yourself lost in a daydream when you intended to be in prayer? Mindfulness can help you focus on the now.