One of the sad ironies about the way that church is done today: we are a relationship-based organization that is really bad at relationships… It’s a miserable revelation that many committed Christians have had to endure in these recent years of scandals and schisms–that a lot of our church friends are fair-weather friends, whose love and support depends on if you’re still in good standing…

Jesus placed a high value on friendship, demonstrated through his words and modeled in how he related to others. This holds true for us in our current world… close friendships provide protection against mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, response to stress, and heart health in difficult times, while loneliness increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and premature death…

When my wife, Linda, passed away in April 2023, I wasn’t prepared to go through the pain that comes with such a grief journey. The first three months were the hardest for me.

I must thank at least six different kinds of friends who brought their caring gifts to minister to me during my time of suffering. Each friend came at just the right time using their different gifts which contributed to my timely and proper healing. I hope you can learn and follow the examples of my friends so you can also care for your friends well as they are going through their suffering.

How can Christians better understand and better respond to the tragic events surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza? Here's a look at the three central views shaping today's conversations around war in the Middle East...

It is a mistake to think that being a Christian be­liever, church, or nation means that we will have a stronger moral character or a clearer conscience. It is even more of a mistake to think that one’s be­liefs are right because they are “Christian?"

I had growing concerns about my church. At one time, it had been the organizing center around which my entire life had revolved: spiritual, social, and even professional... But that was before the new “vision” the head pastor had sprung on all of us...

A look at how the paradigm shift shared in 1st Timothy is needed to build better relationships with the opposite sex, a further step towards healthier Christian relationships.

Looking back, I can clearly see it as one larger theme gifted to my Big Grand Uncle, my family line, and to me by our Creator God. It is larger because God in His grace pointed us to His majestic attributes and design—the invisible beyond the visible of the world. God revealed Himself not only in my youth through creation but to my family in a hunger for the truth of His character.

There are a handful of times in my life where God has surprised and ‘spoken’ to me even more overtly than I’d ever expected. At a time when I was feeling particularly discouraged with the re­turn on my efforts in life, I was grumbling internally (partly to God, but mostly to myself) as I walked the short distance down the street…

“…and to this day I weep at the remembrance of being and feeling seen by God that day."

An encouragement to those Christians trying to build a close relationship with God, from one who has been practicing and refining his relationship with God for many years.

“In my heart, I was craving for a true relationship in which I could see God as a Father and a Friend… With this kind of spiritual pursuit, I have been blessed to be on a pathway to continue developing a really close and intimate relationship with God.”

What wisdom would you give to your old self on following Jesus well?

I say, “The Lord sees you. It feels insufficient, but plant that truth deep in your heart. He sees you, and he’s with you…” and “He will use the mundane to reveal Himself. God will use the mundane to reveal Himself…”

One of the key elements to forming good friendships is simply to be willing to be open to new experiences, to cater to each others’ needs.

The loneliest people I know tend to have a narrow idea about what they are willing to or be interested in doing.

I’m more and more convinced that the best way you can foster a good friendship is to go and do some­thing they want to do (even if you really don’t want to).

As a Christian, what do you do when you realize that the life you always thought you were going to live has disappeared? When your ca­reer, your future, your hopes and your dreams, all of it has turned into an insubstantial mist that vanishes in the morning light. This is the same revelation that burdens the writer of Ecclesiastes when he laments: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

Much ink has been spilled over the legitimacy of historical revivals. The Jesus Movement and Asbury revivals remind us of the full Gospel, and remind us to be open to the things God is doing, so we can fling wide the doors of the church to a new generation.