Refusing to Believe: A Retelling of Jesus’ Appearance to Thomas
Young John escaped the ravenous agnosticism tormenting the other disciples by insightfully seeing meaning in the evidence Jesus left in the tomb: the nearly undisturbed shroud meant Jesus had levitated through it, and the carefully folded headband lying apart meant Jesus had finished housekeeping before departing. It didn’t impact Simon Peter that way, however. And […]
The Shepherd
They come out of their gates each morning and follow him down the street because they know him. In the evening they slip back through their gates as he walks along the street. I grew up as a missionary kid just outside of Mexico City. Our town had a population of 30,000-40,000 people. It was […]
I’ve Stopped Praying for Safety—And You Should Too
Growing up, I remember more than one man who, when appointed to lead Sunday morning’s closing prayer, would always conclude the final benediction along these lines: “and keep us all safe until the next appointed time.” What innocent-sounding heretics we are. Maybe I overstated that. But I want your attention. There’s nothing wrong with praying […]
Should We Use Generative AI Chatbots for Ministry?
Editor’s Note: Is generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) a morally neutral tool helpful for generating sermon outlines and small group discussions? Or is it something attractive on the surface but deceptive in its core—which we should avoid in our ministries? As with other issues not directly discussed in Scripture, navigating GenAI calls for a lot of […]
Leading from the Subway: The Importance of Knowing Whom You Lead
Faced with one of the most daunting decisions to make, Winston Churchill found himself in a dilemma. One decision would plunge the United Kingdom into world war. The other choice would place the people of the United Kingdom under the mercy of a ruthless dictator. Those within his own government were torn. One party wanted […]
6 Tips from a Passionate Educator on Discipling Youth
*Editor’s Note: Dr. Tamara Turner is the Chief Executive Officer of Quality Education Academy, a premier public charter school in North Carolina. She is also a Christian who teaches Bible classes and cares deeply about the spiritual survival of the younger generations. Below, Dr. Turner gives six insights she’s learned from helping to disciple the […]
Finding Your Way Again: Learning from King Josiah in the Bible
My wife and I were driving to a home we had never seen to help some friends who were preparing it for another family to move into. I typed the address into Google Maps, and we set off on the short trip. The voice told us to turn left, go straight, take another left, continue […]
What Does the Bible Say About Loneliness?
Before the pandemic, I think it’s safe to assume many people would not have thought of loneliness as a big issue. Maybe it was an unfortunate inconvenience, but one that was fairly easy to overcome. But once isolation, quarantine, and distance became a reality, more and more people began to understand the impacts of loneliness […]
