Hope for Iran in the Gospel: The Intimacy of Heart Languages

August 11, 2023 By Guest Contributor

By Lana Silk “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36 The Iranian Christian church is the fastest-growing church in the world. However, due to local government religious oppression, this movement is largely underground, making the exact growth rate estimate-able, but far from exact. And while we know this movement is massive, with many statistics estimating over one million Christians in Iran today,... Read more

Can One Person Really Make a Difference?

August 11, 2023 By Guest Contributor

By Bob Burckle Have you ever wondered if you as just one person can really make a difference in the world? I’ve often asked myself that question as the tasks before us can seem so overwhelming, and yet we are so small. Throughout history, however, we’ve heard countless stories of individuals who had a profound impact on the world around them. We think of the many war heroes whose selfless acts of courage and valor saved the lives of... Read more

A Cry of Grief

June 1, 2023 By Philip Yancey

Earlier this month I spent a week in north Georgia in the home of the Johnsons, who for fifteen years have provided loving care for my aging mother. I had planned the trip to coincide with a publishing conference, but hospice workers urged me to come sooner. “She might not make it to her 99th birthday,” they said. “She could die at any time.” That first day, I awoke at sunrise in their basement guest quarters. Soft morning light filtered... Read more

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Jimmy Carter

March 24, 2023 By Philip Yancey

Former president Jimmy Carter is back in the news, this time because of his decision to forgo further medical treatment and live out his final days at home, under hospice care. Approaching his ninety-ninth birthday, he hopes to die as he has lived, with quiet dignity. Generations who read about Carter only in history books may miss the drama of his meteoric rise to the presidency. He grew up in rural Georgia, in a home without indoor plumbing or electricity,... Read more

Start Living Before It’s Too Late

February 13, 2023 By Guest Contributor

Guest post by Justin Brierly. In my recent post-episode podcast, I had the pleasure of hosting a Q&A with renowned pastor, writer and speaker Tim Keller; we discussed his journey with pancreatic cancer, his transformed prayer life and his new book “Forgive.” Towards the beginning of our conversation, he said something that struck me, setting a tone of holy reverence for the rest of our talk: “My wife and I would never want to go back to the kind of... Read more

4 Ways Christian Should Respond to Being Canceled

November 4, 2022 By Guest Contributor

Hurricane Ian has come and gone from my hometown of Naples, Florida. Yet, cancel culture isn’t going anywhere soon. Like a hurricane, cancel culture is fueled by heat. As temperatures rise, cancel culture gets bigger, stronger, and more destructive. No one escapes its fury. I recently talked to a tearful mother whose daughter had insisted she affirm her LGBTQ choices or she could no longer be part of her life. If you haven’t been canceled yet, you probably will be—especially... Read more

Music Amidst the Rubble

April 15, 2022 By Philip Yancey

As Holy Week approaches each year, I turn to my favorite part of the Gospels, John 13-17. Many other passages seem rushed. They leave me longing for more sensory detail and pondering the meaning of Jesus’ cryptic sayings. In these five chapters, the author slows the pace almost cinematically. After all, it’s the group’s last supper together. One by one, the key disciples make an appearance in John’s account. Peter picks an argument with Jesus and then quickly yields. John... Read more

Death Comes For “the Arch”

January 4, 2022 By Philip Yancey

The son of a schoolteacher and a domestic servant, Desmond Tutu would grow up to become a prominent figure on the world stage. With Nelson Mandela locked behind bars for almost three decades, the apartheid government in South Africa saw Tutu as their greatest threat. Tutu’s reputation belied his simple charm. Interviewers remember his impish giggle and his corny jokes. Wearing a standard bishop’s uniform—purplish shirt with a white clerical collar—he usually introduced himself as “the Arch,” short for Archbishop.... Read more