January 17th, 2018 transformed our lives. It was the day I (Patrick) heard the word cancer. “Would you spell that for me?” I asked the nurse over the phone. My head was already spinning. Heart pounding. I scribbled a word that I had, until now, never heard before onto the only scrap piece of paper…
You Are Worth Getting to Know
Just recently I lost a friend. I’m not sure if loss or death has been a part of your life, but it has most certainly been a part of mine. Prior to this loss, I had only ever attended one funeral: a friend’s father. Though my friend and I didn’t know each other too…
Man in White
Editor’s note: Legendary songwriter Johnny Cash, known to many as “The Man in Black,” was highly regarded for the raw honesty and storytelling ability within his songs. But later in life, he also felt compelled to tell another story… in the form of a novel about the Apostle Paul, for whom Cash felt a deep…
God and the Pandemic: How Do We Recover?
Perhaps the most vital question of all, and one which should be near the top of serious conversations at the highest level between Church, state and all interested parties, is how we move back towards whatever the ‘new normal’ is going to be. Some people have expressed the pious hope that when this is…
Becoming a Servant Leader
It was time. I stepped into the greenish water and walked until it came up to my chest. My white T-shirt clung to me, and I had to strain to hear the words of the rabbi over the wind that rushed past. He explained what would happen next. I nodded and took a deep…
Rescue from the Madness
There’s a madness to our moment, and we need to name it for the lunacy it is. Because it’s taking our lives hostage. First, there’s the blistering pace of life. I texted friends an announcement that was really important to me; they replied with little thumbs-up emojis. I think to myself, That’s it—you can’t even…
More than False Hope
“You can do anything if you put your mind to it.” I’m sure you’ve heard that inspirational saying. Maybe a guy at the gym quoted it, or maybe your wife has it written in cursive on a cute chalkboard she got at Hobby Lobby. Either way, I’m sorry, but whoever came up with that saying…
I Have a Dream
Editor’s note: This week marks the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington in 1963. Today, we are sharing the speech in its entirety from A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. While the events surrounding the…
Beyond Valor
I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. — Psalm 34:4 KJV Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. — John 15:13 KJV We have a lot of problems in this country, but we should never forget…
Secret Messages Inside New Folsom Prison
Editor’s note: Casey Diaz was a violent gangbanger whose crimes had caught up to him landing not only in jail but in solitary confinement. Then he experienced a miraculous encounter with Jesus and chose to follow Him. As he grew in his faith, he began to look for ways to share the Gospel among…