Martin Luther on "Mountainous Sins"

The genius of Christianity takes the words of Paul "who gave himself for our sins" as true and efficacious. We are not to look upon our sins ...

Discipline Is the Price of Freedom

We have not advanced very far in our spiritual lives if we have not encountered the basic paradox of freedom, to the effect that we are most free when ...

Roman Sentinel Stands Guard to the Very End

When the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius destroyed the city [of Pompeii in A.D. 79], many people were buried in the ruins. Some took cover underground, and the ...

The Early Church's Take on Sex

Not a single church father can be found who did not assume that Christians should remain chaste before marriage.

In the early second century, the Roman ...

"Mulan": Child's Sacrifice for Father

Mulan is a Disney animation based on an ancient Chinese legend in which a girl becomes a national hero through daring acts of self-sacrifice and courage. ...

Supermodels Suffer for External Beauty

In a joint interview, supermodels Kim Alexis, Carol Alt, and Beverly Johnson—who collectively have appeared on more than 2,000 magazine covers—spoke ...

Lenten Stillness

At my house, the TV is off. It will be until Easter. The first time this happened, it was unintentional.

Some years ago, a few weeks before Easter, a burglar ...

Max Lucado Confesses Struggle

Author and pastor Max Lucado said that giving up beer helped him get closer to God. Lucado said, "I come from a family of alcoholism. If there's ...

Humility Defined

What is humility? It is that habitual quality whereby we live in the truth of things: the truth that we are creatures and not the Creator; the truth that ...

Healthy Self-Denial

Self-denial has its place in a Christian’s life, but God doesn’t ask you to choose what is most painful to you. If you followed this path, ...