The first earthly paradise, according to Genesis, was a garden. Chapter 2 of the first book of the Bible tells us that after God created his perfect universe “and saw that it was good,” he made the pinnacle of his creation–human beings. God then “planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the […]

As believers we have a new identity in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17 NIV). The problem we face is how to live out that new identity in a world where everything concerning Christianity seems to be under […]

The crux of the Christian faith is found in Easter. It is the story of a man called Jesus, who was killed by being hung on a cross, and then three days later rose from the dead. The Bible says in John 3:16 that because of this act of love, those who believe it will […]

Justin Bieber inks it on his calf. One-armed surfing inspiration, Bethany Hamilton, wears it on her would-be sleeve. Bono wears it in (RED). And former Denver Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow, displays it on his knees after every infield victory. This is how some of today’s biggest figures in sports and entertainment publicly display their faith. […]

One November day in 2010, much to my surprise and joy, I found a lesson somewhere I thought I’d already learned: Humble beginnings of people with humble hearts produce huge results. For nearly eleven years, I have lived in a small city in the Northern part of Arizona called Kingman. Just about the only great […]

Almost thirteen years ago, my wife and I took a herd of young adults down to San Diego at Christmas time to the Campus Crusade Winter Conference–or whatever they called it. John Eldredge was there. He ruined my life. I came to Christianity in my late twenties and all my early indoctrination had supported the […]

A few years ago I stopped at a cemetery in a town just like any other. The graveyard was small and most of the tombstones were dated before my great grandparents drew their first breath. The cemetery was deserted. No fresh flowers were scattered among the two dozen or so tombs, no fresh footprints marred […]

We’ve all experienced stress at one point or another. From being caught in traffic on our way to a job interview to dealing with the death of a family member, we’ve all been in a situation that makes us feel we’ve been given more than we can handle. Stress can also result when seemingly minor […]

“You have to forgive us,” said Adrian, “Romanians don’t quite know who they are. He went on to point out that for centuries his country had been controlled by other people. Most recently this small fish-shaped country in Eastern Europe had been under communist rule. It was only twenty years ago, in 1989, that a […]

It all started with a revelation, a vision that exceeded the previous capacity of my heart. I sat on my board, waist high in water, facing the horizon as the sun descended into its perfect setting, as if to acknowledge my thoughts. I was seeking, perhaps convicted of my past habit of seeking inwardly instead […]