What Are Common Objections to the Idea That God Wants Christians to Experience Happiness in Him?

July 31, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

In “Should Christians Desire to Be Happy?”, I shared that the belief that Christ is the answer to our deep longing for happiness can be credited to scholars, preachers, and teachers from every generation and from all denominational backgrounds. Despite being from different theological persuasions, they have generally agreed with these ideas: All people desire happiness. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers people both eternal happiness and present happiness. God’s glory and our happiness are inextricably linked—both are parts of His... Read more

God Is Sovereign Whether We Choose to Believe It or Not

July 27, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

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I don’t know whether the builder of the Titanic really said, “God himself couldn’t sink this ship,” but I do know that human arrogance daily makes foolish claims that beg to be disproven. Many centuries before Napoleon’s conquest of Britain was thwarted by a providentially timed rainstorm, another arrogant ruler, Nebuchadnezzar, made a humbling discovery. God promised to take Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom from him for a time, and told him, “Your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules”... Read more

The Ship Memorial Library Named after Nanci

July 24, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

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A year ago, I got a phone call from Operation Mobilization, an organization Nanci and I have loved for years. They asked how I felt about their naming the ship library on Logos Hope after Nanci. I was, of course, honored, and knew Nanci would be, because we absolutely loved our visit to the ship six years ago, when it was docked in Jamaica. By God’s grace, I have been in many countries and witnessed incredible ministries. But Nanci and I were touched... Read more

True, Lasting Happiness Is Found in Jesus, Not Sex or Sexual Identity

July 20, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

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Sex as God intended—in marriage, between a man and a woman—is a pleasure to be celebrated (see Proverbs 5:15-19). Sex outside of marriage brings serious negative consequences—emotional, physical, and spiritual. Promising long-term pleasure it can’t deliver, addiction to sex and pornography enslave and degrade everyone involved. “[The adulterer] follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter. . . . He does not know that it will cost him his life” (Proverbs 7:22-23). Research data from 16,000 American adults who... Read more

Our Longing to Go Home Will Be Ultimately Fulfilled on the New Earth

July 17, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

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May 31, the day before yesterday, was Nanci’s and my 48th anniversary. I thank God for His faithfulness and the time we had together. In the years before Nanci died, we experienced what it was to love and trust each other more than we ever had. It is my wholehearted belief that Nanci’s death was not the end of our relationship, only a temporary interruption. The great reunion awaits us, and I anticipate it and delight in imagining it with... Read more

Is There a Danger of Worshipping the Bible Instead of God?

July 14, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

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Perhaps you’ve heard someone say something like, “My faith is in God, not the Bible” or “Be careful you’re not worshipping the Bible or making an idol out of it.” I agree that there is a danger of having our faith in the wrong object. And there have been some people who seemingly hold the Bible in higher esteem than they do Jesus. But seen properly, the Bible is not a competitor with God; on the contrary, it is our God-given... Read more

107-Year-Old Generous Giver Stanley Tam Goes to Be with Jesus

July 13, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

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I found out recently that Stanley Tam went home to be with Jesus on Sunday, April 16. At age 107! I will never forget talking with him at length on the phone when he was a mere 102. This excellent 10-minute Generous Giving video about Stanley is well worth watching: Here’s what I shared on my blog about Stanley in 2021: When I was writing my book Giving Is the Good Life, there were some people of times past I... Read more

Material Wealth Is Not the Good Life

July 10, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

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In 2007, actor Owen Wilson slashed his wrists in an unsuccessful suicide attempt. People magazine’s cover story about the “funny man who had it all” implied that his material abundance gave him every reason to live. Public shock over his actions unveiled the widespread belief that money, fame, cars, sex, a second home on the shores of Maui, and the whole celebrity package really do buy happiness. After all, wasn’t Owen Wilson living the good life? In a subsequent issue of People, one letter... Read more

Joining the Real Party in Heaven

July 6, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

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Imagine someone takes you to a party. You see a few friends there, enjoy a couple of good conversations, a little laughter, and some decent appetizers. The party’s all right, but you keep hoping it will get better. Give it another hour, and maybe it will. Suddenly, your friend says, “I need to take you home.” Now? You’re disappointed—nobody wants to leave a party early—but you leave, and your friend drops you off at your house. As you approach the... Read more

Who or What Is Our Primary Source of Happiness?

July 3, 2023 By Randy Alcorn

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Happiness can’t be bigger than its source. God is primary; all other forms of happiness—relationships, created things, and material pleasures—are secondary. If we don’t consciously see God as their source, these secondary things intended for enjoyment can master us. Things such as winning a game, a promotion, or a contest; or taking a new job or a vacation are too small to bring big happiness. God, on the other hand, “satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills... Read more