Apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia. Always be prepared to give an apologia, a reason for the hope that is within you. When Peter saw the confusion at Pentecost, he explained, “This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel.” He brought evidence to bear and gave an explanation. …

It was late May in Jerusalem and it was hot, especially where we were standing at 4:00 p.m. on old Mount Zion. The streets were filled with people, both inside the walls of the old city and outside the walls in the new city, and bustling with tour buses and…

As you work your way through the hundreds of mentions of the word heaven in the Bible, you soon realize there is a plurality of heavens. In fact, the Bible specifically speaks of three distinct heavens. When the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about his visions and revelations, he…

The framers of the Constitution knew that the freedom they offered demanded responsible citizens. At the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked an important question as he left Independence Hall on the final day of the meeting in Philadelphia. A woman asked Franklin, “Well, doctor,…

On my most recent trip to Africa I was attacked by the most vicious animal on the continent. It wasn’t a rhino or an elephant or a cobra (all of which are still on my bucket list)—it was a mosquito. No kidding. I’ve been traveling to Africa for the last…

The year was 2012. My daughter and four other teenage girls in a North Texas town wanted to pursue rodeo as their high school sport of choice. We had no coaches and no funding for them. As the only parent with a background in rodeo and western sports, I was…

“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Luke 18:1 (NLT) I was 38 years old when Barry and I were married. Because of my age, we took the business of getting pregnant very seriously, but as happens to…

How do you know if you've truly forgiven someone?  Any time I find myself in an antagonistic relationship with someone else, I eventually realize that I am only arguing my point of view... with myself. My mind runs through all kinds of self-justifying scenarios to prove I'm right, but all…

In Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus sent his disciples out onto the Sea of Galilee while he stayed behind because he'd had a long day. A big crowd had been following him, and now he just wanted to be alone with his Father. He said to his disciples, "I got an idea.…

“Show me your friends and I will tell you what you are.” So goes the Spanish proverb. But do our friends make us or do we choose our friends according to who we are? Good question, and one that could be argued either way. One thing is clear: our friends…