The Gift of Trials
The two men conquered human flight, but the Wright brothers’ journey to success was never easy. Despite countless failures, ridicule, money...
Let My People Go
The acclaimed painting Let My People Go by Aaron Douglas uses vibrant colors of lavender, green, and gold, along with traditional African imagery...
Still Fruitful for God
There’s an old folktale about a woman who carried water home every day from a river using two buckets at either end of a long pole—on...
Made Right with Jesus
“We’re ready to board our flight to Montego Bay,” came the announcement. I was traveling as a speaker for and leader of a high ...
Don’t Lose Heart
Weary. That’s how Satya felt after nine months in his new job. As a believer in Jesus, he’d sought to follow God’s principles i...
Easy and Hard
Mark was a promising young pastor. Then one morning his son, Owen, collapsed and died while kicking a ball with him. Mark was devastated and stil...
A New Beginning with God
“Did your sin also put Jesus on the cross?” That’s the question Dutch painter Rembrandt seems to be asking in his 1633 masterpi...
Walking with God
For years, fitness experts have stressed the importance of running for cardiovascular health. But recent scientific studies have demonstrated tha...
Scouting for Truth
Reflecting on why people tend to be entirely convinced they’re right—even when they’re not—author Julia Galef suggests th...
God Will Act
A hardworking clerk, Erin always did her job well. But after she was accused of dishonesty, Erin was put on leave while being investigated. She f...
Out of the Mouths of . . .
What if you could understand what your dog was saying? New technology uses “bark” recognition to help determine what feelings canines...
What Scripture Reveals
In April 1817, a disoriented young woman was found wandering around in Gloucestershire, England, wearing exotic clothes and speaking an unknown l...
Better than Life
After another unexpected health setback, I joined my husband and others during a retreat in the mountains. I trudged up the wooden staircase that...
A Deaf Heart
To improve her sign language skills, Leisa immersed herself in the world of the Deaf. Soon she learned the problems they face. The Deaf are awkwa...
Seeing God in Creation
Kenny stood before the congregation he’d left years before after he’d lost faith in God. He shared that his belief had been restored....
Little Town of Bethlehem
Phillips Brooks wrote the lyrics to the beloved carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem” after visiting Bethlehem. Brooks, pastor of a chur...
God Knows Everything
God truly knows all. But according to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the National Security Agency knows a great deal about as well throug...
Giving Back to God
One year, the leaders of our congregation invited us to give, in addition to our regular weekly offerings, gifts to build a new gymnasium—a...
Fear of the Unknown
Fear woke me at 3 a.m. on the first day of the new year. The year ahead weighed heavily on me, overwhelming me with dread. Illness in the family ...
God’s Promise Beyond the Ruins
As Hurricane Laura raged toward Louisiana’s coast in the US, the warnings were dire. One sheriff, noting the 150-mile-per-hour winds, issue...
The Jesus Story
Most have never heard of Kate Hankey, but she was a remarkable woman. A teacher, evangelist, school organizer, missionary, and poet, she faithful...
The Hand of God
In 1939, with the recent outbreak of war for Britain, King George VI sought in his Christmas Day radio broadcast to encourage citizens of the Uni...
Why Me, God?
Jim has been battling a motor neuron disease for more than a year. The neurons in his muscles are breaking down, and his muscles are wasting away...
Building What Lasts
When I was a young boy in Ohio, we lived near several construction sites. Inspired by them, my friends and I gathered leftover scraps to build a ...
