“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” (Luke 7:47) Of all the women mentioned in the New Testament, few compare with Mary of Magdala. Set along the Sea of…

Some days, I don’t feel like a light. I know that Jesus said to His followers, “You are the light of the world,”1 but can that really apply to you and me? It’s easy to be afraid to shine. We know the dirt of our thoughts, words, and actions. We…

Many religious leaders and experts of the Old Testament law expected a Messiah who would cast off the oppression of the Romans and establish an earthly kingdom. Instead, Jesus spoke of an invisible kingdom and died on a cross like a common criminal. He was, in the view of many,…

“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16  In Russia, it is a tradition for people to visit the sauna. People especially love to do this in the middle of the winter. This tradition is hundreds of…

The American founders knew that a sound government needed a virtuous citizenry. George Washington insisted that we distinguish "the spirit of liberty from that of licentiousness, cherishing the first, avoiding the last." Similarly, founder and statesmen Samuel Adams said, "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the…

So, today I've been thinking about fattening things. I must confess, I derive a lot of pleasure from chewing and swallowing the kinds of foods that cause one to be fluffy. There aren't too many things I enjoy more than a hearty meal or a heavy snack. Unfortunately, tasty and…

In her new book Fierce Beauty, Kim Meeder recounts in detail her experience diving with sharks in the Pacific Ocean. From the safety of a shark cage, she and her husband, Troy, came in extremely close contact with numerous man-eating creatures. God is so good to reveal himself, whether it's…

On February 1, 2003, President George W. Bush solemnly peered into a TV camera to address the American people: "My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9:00 AM this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia.…

As we enter an election year and obey the Bible’s exhortation to make “supplications, prayers, intercessions…for all that are in authority” (I Timothy 2:1-2), we offer these excerpts from Indivisible by James Robison and Jay Richards, which is available this week in bookstores and online. God is not finished with…

“Where fear is, happiness is not.” -Seneca I love it when the “great philosophers” only get things half right. Seneca, the revered Spanish-Roman writer who lived during Jesus’ time, only saw half the picture in his musings on the subject of happiness. Fear is typically depicted as negative, even in…