Resources by Topic: Christian Life

A few times I’ve shared Jeremiah 29:11 on my Facebook page. The verse says, “I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope” (CEB). I always get some pushback on this. Recently a thoughtful reader asked, “But for whom and when does this apply? Is the context meant to include me/us?”

To me, there are not many joys comparable to that of leading someone to Christ. It’s thrilling and exhilarating.  May we all continually ask the Lord to give us opportunities to share His “good news of great happiness” (Luke 2:10).

In this post by my friend Jon Bloom, board chair and co-founder of Desiring God, he shares some helpful reflections on what humility looks like, and explains that we might sometimes be surprised by how it looks.

Lately I’ve been meditating on the familiar (and therefore neglected) words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30. Though I memorized the words as a new Christian 45 years ago, I have never pondered them as much as recently.

When you’ve been present where you invested in your church, neighborhood, community, schools, vocation, team, and all your working relationships, leaving that behind and starting in a new place is hard. (Something would be wrong if it weren’t.)

Francis Chan writes, "Death is not an easy thing to meditate on, but the wise person will think about death often."

Whether you suffer from specific phobias, a chronic fear of harm or death to yourself or loved ones, or any other fear, here are some suggestions for handling them.

One of my deepest concerns is to see men, young men in particular, who have become increasingly content with doing little in life, sometimes resulting in their wives becoming their caregiver and provider and, effectively, the sole parent of their children.

In a dark world, our hearts are cheered by seeing light wherever it appears. Often light is embodied in a Jesus-follower, in whom we see a secondary reflection of Jesus, who is the Primary, the Light of the world.

In June 2016, Randy Alcorn was a guest on Susie Larson's Radio Podcast Live the Promise, speaking on the subject of Happiness. In this clip, he talks about how love, peace, loyalty and trust can be misused and self-centered.

In June 2016, Randy Alcorn was a guest on Susie Larson's Radio Podcast Live the Promise, speaking on the subject of Happiness. In this clip, he talks about the importance of sharing what God is doing presently in our lives, not just about what He has done in our past. 

Instead of a paternalistic single-story, “those-poor-ignorant-people” point of view, Christians, of all people, should view others as true equals whose lives are as complex as our own and who do not have a single story but many stories that characterize themselves, their families and their culture.

I have heard many stories from restaurant servers, both believers and unbelievers, who say that they get the smallest tips from people who come to eat after leaving church on Sunday mornings. This should not be.

I really appreciated these insights from Andy Abelein, a young man I love, and who loves Jesus. As you read Andy’s thoughts, I hope you’ll open up your heart and mind and consider what new places and situations God may want to guide you to. And may I do the same!