Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the […]
God Doesn’t Want Just Your Money; He Wants Your Life
A missionary has come to visit. They went to your home, your church, or your prayer group. They told stories. They spoke with passion about the work they are doing in distant lands. Their words stirred your spirit. You wept when you heard about a brother or sister in Christ’s […]
Book Review: Upright Downtime by Dr. Brian Hand
Entertainment dominates modern life. It is everywhere. And yet, Christians don’t seem to talk about it enough. We study doctrine and other key areas of Christian living, but a biblically sound, God-honoring theology of entertainment seems to be missing from the discussion. Oh, there’s plenty of reactionary discussion, i.e. whether […]
Home Away from Home
I recently returned to the United States after a year on the mission field. I grew up on that mission field, so it is coming to the U.S.A. that is always a bit of an adjustment. When people say, “Welcome home!” it usually doesn’t compute. However, when I was standing […]
Count the Cost–and Then Go!
When I was seven years old, my dad got sick. He never got better. I remember one day, years later, I was sitting upstairs in our house when a memory struck me. Daddy, healthy and strong, playing with me. Startled, I realized that my siblings (all younger than me), could […]
A Christian Philosophy of Writing Fiction: God’s Reality
In the last post, I discussed objectionable elements in fiction, and three reasons that writers tend to include them: for realism, for hedonistic purposes, and to further an agenda (for or against). Using principles from God’s Word, I evaluated whether or not these reasons are valid for the Christian writer. […]
A Christian Philosophy of Writing Fiction: What to Do with Sin
We all know good stories, the ones that endure, that break your heart and change your life—that get told and re-told across centuries, ones children beg for at bedtime. Stories are powerful. No one denies this. They strike deep, and they linger; they enchant, and they slap us with reality; […]
Forever a Foreigner?
It was the day of opening ceremonies for the new school year. Every student stood in the dusty school yard, dressed in white shirts and black or blue pants/skirts. The late morning sun beat down hot on the branches of the huge, spreading tamarind trees that overshadowed us. Several speakers […]