Locations & Times

Does your reputation reflect your spiritual reality? When nobody is watching, is your faith as strong as your public appearance seems to portray? We may not like to admit it, but our appearance means a lot to us. We spend a lot of time curating perfect posts, saying just the right things, and...

Have you ever swam in the ocean and looked up to realize you're nowhere near where you started? A few years ago, my wife and I were living in a beach town. I decided to try surfing. I'm a lifelong snowboarder and thought, how hard could this be? Turns out it's a lot harder than it looks. But it...

Thirty-five miles north of Ephesus stood the city of Smyrna. The Church of Smyrna was the second of the seven churches to receive a letter, the words of Jesus, written by the Apostle John. Jesus encouraged the Church of Smyrna to remain faithful in the face of relentless opposition. Jesus...

Imagine sitting across from your spouse one evening after a long week.  You’ve been working hard. Paying the bills. Taking care of the house. Running kids to practices. Showing up where you're supposed to show up. Then your spouse looks at you and says: "I know you're here...but I...

Have you ever wondered what it felt like to be the person living inside one of the stories we read in Scripture? We often read these moments knowing how they end, but we forget there was a real person standing in the middle of the story — feeling the fear, the shame, and the uncertainty...

“But he said to Him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.’ Then He said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.’” (Luke‬ 22‬:33–34‬...

  Sometimes I read Scripture and feel a little disconnected or unable to relate to a particular historical account. Then I do a deeper dive and Bam!, my heart is right there in the scene. Such was the case when I read of the Roman centurion in Matthew 8 and Luke 7. The centurion was a man...

I walked toward the plaza with my head down. I knew better than to look around. I could feel everyone’s eyes boring holes into me. I could feel their mean stares burning on my neck like the hot sun. I could hear the whispers of some and the shouts of a few, proclaiming their hatred for me...

Relating to ancient people with whom Jesus interacted can be difficult. I find that bringing those characters into a modern context can help me better understand the gravity of the interaction. What follows is a fictional interview based on the conversation the Rich Young Ruler (RYR) had with...

I couldn’t get to Him on my own. I’d heard the news. Jesus was back in town. And people were saying the same things again … He’s healing people … He’s different … You’ve got to see Him. But for me, just getting across the room was a struggle...