Tag Archives: Christianity Today Magazine

I needed to do more than hide my bruises and cover my pain. I didn’t want to show up at church. The black-and-blue marks already beginning to appear up and down my arms documented another night of fighting between my mother and me. I hadn’t slept much and was sure I wasn’t ready to faceContinue reading “Before I Could Forgive, I Had to Lament”

A white Christmas is a fresh reminder of Christ’s work. Well, this is my first Christmas in Wheaton, Illinois. That means snow and cold. It’s a far cry from Nashville. But, in all honesty, I love it. There is something beautiful about freshly-fallen snow that reminds us of the power of Christ’s death on theContinue reading “Christmas 2016”

Evangelist offers evange-telling encouragement “Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Luke 1:39-41) I have not had the joy of beingContinue reading ““I Can’t Wait to Tell You!” Learning from Mary”

It’s that time of year. (20) Ten Scripture Texts on God’s Mission This post from January 2010 was a Twitter-generated list in answer to the question: "What are the key passages or texts that speak of God's people (OT and NT) being on mission?” The top 10 Scriptures were Genesis 12:1-3, Exodus 19:5-6, Isaiah 6:8,Continue reading “Most Read Posts of 2016 (11-20)”

InterVarsity evangelist offers words of encouragement How to Respond When People Say ‘No’ to Jesus (Part 1) #4. Relate to the Response Entering into a person’s concerns and reasons for rejecting Jesus can be powerful where it is appropriate. Frequently, the very reasons why a person would say ‘no’ to Jesus are the same reasonsContinue reading “How to Respond When People Say ‘No’ to Jesus (Part 2)”

Associate Professor of Art History embraces Mary and Jesus in art Lynn Cohick (Professor of New Testament) and I welcomed Matthew Milliner to the podcast this week. He is Associate Professor of Art History at Wheaton College. His scholarly specialization is Byzantine and medieval art, with a focus on how such images inform contemporary visualContinue reading “Theology for Life (Ep. 3): Mary in Art and Icons”

World Vision president sees ‘America’s heart closing’ to Syria and Iraq. As thousands continue to evacuate Aleppo—once Syria’s most populous city and home to one of the largest Christian communities in the Middle East—American support for refugees is dwindling. American Christians are less responsive to the Syrian crisis than they were a year ago, accordingContinue reading “Pray for Aleppo? Survey Says Fewer Christians Pray for Refugees”

InterVarsity evangelist offers words of encouragement Getting up the nerve to share Jesus with others around us takes all the courage we can muster. We pray and ask God for wisdom, we review what we’ll say in our minds and perhaps a few Bible verses, and with palpitations in our chest, we begin to shareContinue reading “How to Respond When People Say ‘No’ to Jesus (Part 1)”

Christian tradition finds meaning in each of these mysterious monikers. They’re the three men in glittering velvet robes and fake beards in the living nativity at church. Sometimes they tow a live camel. Bearing gifts, they traversed afar, following yonder star through the back of the sanctuary in the grand crescendo of our beloved annualContinue reading “Magi, Wise Men, or Kings? It’s Complicated.”

The Nativity scene would be empty without Jews, Arabs, Africans, or refugees. Here’s what that means for your holiday. In October, I visited a Syrian refugee family who was recently resettled through World Relief. I went with friends and looked forward to getting to know the family and having our kids play together. When IContinue reading “This Christmas, Remember the Refugees”