I really have a way with plants—a knack for turning them brown. So this note isn’t full of tips about tulips, or pointers for primping your petunias. But it is about gardens. As I spend time mulling over the biblical texts of Easter, I’m struck by the contrast between two garden trials. The first, through […]
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A Valid Life
I had a long conversation recently with a man I had just met, and he had a theory about human nature. He asked me if I knew what the basic requirements of life were, and of course we soon agreed on the traditional list of water, food and shelter. “Ah, but!” says he, with a […]
Read MoreThings That Strangle Us
As a communicator, Jesus was nothing short of remarkable. Without the assistance of a public address system or the comfort of beautiful music, soft seats, and air-conditioning, His audiences listened with rapt attention. And most of His teaching occurred outside, amidst the distractions of nature and/or the noise of busy city streets. But none of […]
Read MoreWas Jesus Married?
For decades, pseudo-historians, false teachers, and fiction writers have occasionally asserted that Jesus of Nazareth actually had a wife. Controversial works such as The Last Temptation of Christ; Holy Blood, Holy Grail; and The Da Vinci Code all argue for the same fanciful version of history. Often, people will appeal to Jesus’s true humanity to […]
Read MoreThe Gathering Storm
Introduction While Jesus was indeed gentle and kind, He also took a bold stand against sin. In fact, when confronting evil dressed in the garb of religion, His formidable anger took many by surprise. He sharply rebuked the religious leaders in Israel for turning their privileged status into an opportunity to gain wealth and power. […]
Read MoreNostalgia
Occasionally, I will hear an old song that resurrects memories in the tender spots of my soul. People and places step out of the shadows and visit with me for a brief moment or two. Does that happen to you, too? If so, you understand what’s hard to put into words. Suddenly, without announcement, nostalgia […]
Read MoreJesus Has a Question For You
At the zenith of His career, Jesus pulled away to the secluded area of Caesarea Philippi. On His mind was a crucial question for His disciples—and for us as well. Travel back with me to the scene as it unfolds. The surroundings are impressive. Flowing springs. Lush gardens. Monuments and temples dedicated to the worship […]
Read MoreAn Invitation to Touch the Skin of Infinite God
Childbirth is something no man can completely appreciate. We can marvel as an observer—a helpless one at that—but we cannot experience it as a woman would. My wife tells me, “I cannot completely describe the feeling that came over me as the doctor held up Curt, cut the cord, and then laid him right across […]
Read MoreJesus on the Brain
Christians in the days and years just after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus had a situation unique from our own. When we think of the Bible today, we think of both the Old and New Testaments. When the earliest Christians thought of the Bible, they thought only of the Old Testament—because the New […]
Read MoreHow Do We Know That Jesus Is God?
Question: I recently read the book, The Da Vinci Code. I know that it is fiction, but it has caused me to question everything that I’ve always believed about Jesus. How do we know that Jesus is God in the flesh and not simply a good teacher? Answer: For two thousand years, critics have chipped […]
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