Many of you have asked about my wife Nanci’s memorial service. It will be held Sunday, May 15 at 3:30 p.m. at our home church, Good Shepherd Community Church, 28986 SE Haley Rd, Boring, OR 97009. A live stream will be available, and the video will also be available at that web address after the service. Thanks so much for your continued prayers for our family. We would also appreciate your prayers that the service will be honoring to Nanci and... Read more
I always appreciate the thoughtful, biblical and Christ-centered insights of Tim Keller, and have recommended his books, messages, and online videos. In June 2020, Tim was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Last Sunday The New York Times published a interview with him, and he explained how the solid hope of the resurrection impacts his and Kathy’s lives (and his cancer). As I read, I thought about how Nanci and I would both agree 100% with what Keller says in answer to every question.... Read more
Sean McDowell, who teaches at Biola/Talbot, has a self-described passion for equipping the church, particularly young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. Last year I was on his podcast to talk about Heaven, Hell, and the afterlife. We covered many great questions, including: Are There Pets in Heaven? Is there Marriage and Sex in Heaven? Will We Play Sports in Heaven? How Will Age Work in Heaven? What Language Will Be Used in Heaven? Are Near Death... Read more
As of two weeks ago today, Nanci is with Jesus. So happy for her. Sad for us. But the happiness for her triumphs over the sadness. Grieving is ahead, and it will be hard, but these last years and especially this last month have given us a head start on the grieving process. I am so proud of my wife for her dependence on Jesus and her absolute trust in the sovereign plan and love of God. Nanci is and... Read more
We come into this world needy, and we leave it the same way. Without suffering we would forget our neediness. If suffering seems too high a price for faith, it’s because we underestimate faith’s value. In the West, with our conspicuous prosperity and ease, Christianity’s popularity continues to shrink. In Africa, Asia, and South America, with much greater adversity and suffering, Christianity continues to grow. Josef Tson, nearly martyred in Ceauşescu’s Romania, told me that 95 percent of Christians pass... Read more
A few weeks ago I had a delightful conversation with Dr. Lee Warren for his podcast about my book Happiness. We talked about what true happiness is, and how to find delight even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Dr. Warren is a brain surgeon, inventor, Iraq War veteran, and author of I’ve Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon’s Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know. He honestly was one of the most thoughtful interviewers I’ve ever interacted with. (And we shared... Read more
We’re told that we are aliens and strangers in this world, and should be longing for a better country (Hebrews 11:13-16). However, that better country isn’t up in the clouds—it’s down on the New Earth. Scripture says, “in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). Yet very few Christians I’ve spoken with really are looking forward to the New Earth God promises us. We... Read more
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises ofIsrael. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. —Psalm... Read more
[originally written March 9, 2022] Last Thursday, after six days of increasingly poor health, Nanci was admitted to the hospital Emergency Room. She has since come home from the hospital, and a hospital bed has been moved into our room with a recliner next to it for me or others. Things have radically changed since Thursday. Nanci has been in an altered state mentally. We don’t know if that’s temporary or permanent. My daughters Karina and Angela and I were... Read more
Abigail Dodds is the author of (A)Typical Woman: Free, Whole, and Called in Christ and a regular contributor at Desiring God. She also blogs at Hope and Stay. I love her insights, and want to share what she posted on Facebook last year. Abigail is making a series of balanced points that remind us we shouldn’t buy into the myth that when we have one belief we must dismiss as evil or stupid every belief of those who disagree. Read slowly and carefully and... Read more
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