In her book Choosing Gratitude, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth shares a pledge written by a Bible teacher named Russell Kelfer. He challenged believers to write these words on a sheet of paper, and sign their names, then make a habit of recommitting themselves to it on a regular basis: Having been born into the kingdom of God, I do hereby acknowledge that God’s purchase of my life included all the rights and control of that life for all eternity. I do further... Read more
A week ago yesterday, I spoke at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, led by Louie Giglio, who has become a dear friend in recent years. I love this church, and the grace and truth of Jesus is so obviously at work in the people and leaders there. I did a Q&A with my friend Todd Peterson, who I first knew as the kicker for Nanci’s and my beloved Seattle Seahawks back in the 90s. Todd has since led The... Read more
When suffering and evil come our way, they’ll exert a force that either pushes us away from God or pulls us toward Him. The perspectives we’ve cultivated between now and then will determine our direction. In my experience, most Christians lack grounding in God’s attributes, including His sovereignty, omnipotence, omniscience, justice, and patience. We dare not wait for the time of crisis to learn perspective! The time to study these things in the Bible is now. Now is the time... Read more
Just because God has made us righteous and guiltless in Christ doesn’t mean we automatically experience the benefits of who we are. Our minds are like audio players, constantly running a message. We see our entire lives in the light of this message. We interpret everything in a way that reinforces our fundamental beliefs about ourselves. I may interpret everything I do as great, meaningful, more special and significant than what anyone else does. Everything I see reinforces my inflated... Read more
Doug Nichols is the former head of Action International Ministries, and now in his 80s, is still serving the cause of world missions, with a focus on the Philippines. In 2009, Doug read my blog post about Francis Schaeffer, philosopher/theologian/servant of Jesus, and how he sent me a handwritten letter. In my early 20s, I had written to Schaeffer thanking him for his marvelous books and their profound influence on my life, and he kindly replied to me. I still... Read more
To answer the question, “Should animals matter to us?” we must start with a more foundational question: “Do animals matter to God?” Scripture answers this question decisively: “All the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine” (Psalm 50:10-11). God claims every creature as His own. He takes personal interest in them, on their own merits, not... Read more
In my last blog, I shared some resources to help us evaluate whether we’re using AI in a way that honors Christ. Today’s blog also touches on the subject of AI, but specifically related to writing books. I know many people in ministry who are writers on the side, but I find in conversations that because of the demands of their ministries (often as pastors) they just don’t have the time to carefully research and sift through or think through... Read more
For better or worse—and there is plenty of both—artificial intelligence is here to stay. I’ve found it enormously useful for various projects, especially when it comes to summarizing large amounts of information I’ve written. For instance, I fed into it my latest book manuscript and asked for 150-word summaries of each chapter. The summaries were 95% accurate, and with maybe thirty minutes of editing they were helpful enough to share with sales and marketing people at my publisher and I’m... Read more
G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) has been widely credited with saying, “Jesus promised His disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.” It might be argued that most Western Christians aren’t any of these three—least of all “absurdly happy.” Christianity is perceived to be about tradition and morality, not happiness. I’ve taught college courses on biblical ethics, and I make no apologies for believing in morality. But some Christians, in the name of moral obligation,... Read more
The movie Slumdog Millionaire, despite the controversies surrounding it, won eight 2009 Academy Awards and gained popular acclaim. The story’s poverty, violence, crime, and child exploitation provide a backdrop for a young man’s pure, unwavering love for a girl he met in the slums. The pair is tragically separated for years, and after they see each other briefly, she’s taken from him again. Yet he never stops trying to find her. Against impossible odds, the boy and girl finally reunite.... Read more
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