Jesus Invites Us into His Life

For too long, we've called unbelievers to "invite Jesus into your life." Jesus doesn't want to be in your life. Your life's a wreck. ...

Beautiful and Cracked Vases Teach about Self-esteem

Editor's Note: The following illustration could be used as a simple but powerful object lesson. Discount or thrift stores usually carry plenty of ...

Chicago Man Discovers His Real Name

The headline in the Chicago Tribune was poignant: "Living a Life Unknown." The subhead said, "Dozens of John, Jane Does turn up yearly ...

God Chooses Ordinary People to Get His Work Done

In his book, “Love Does,” Bob Goff writes:

I do all of my best thinking on Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland. There's a picnic table at the ...

Russian Pastor Reminds Outcasts of Their God-given Dignity

In his book Your Church Is Too Safe, Mark Buchanan shares the following story about a Russian pastor named Father John Sergieff. Buchanan writes:

John ...

Author Writes a Break-Up Letter to His "Fear of What Others Think"

Dear Fear-Of-What-Others-Think:

I am sick of you, and it's time we broke up. I know we've broken up and gotten back together many times, but seriously, ...

'Unwanted' Indian Girls Receive a New Name

In October, 2011, the Associated Press ran a deeply moving story about a name-changing ceremony for girls in Mumbai, India. At birth the 285 girls had ...

Parents Who Worry Too Much About Their Kids Self-Esteem

In an article in The Atlantic titled "How the Cult of Self-Esteem Is Ruining Our Kids," therapist Lori Gottlieb observes a growing trend: parents ...

Young Woman Longs for Honest Love, Not Just Self-Esteem

Christian psychologist Mark McMinn recounts a story about meeting a young woman in his church who had recently come to Christ.

She described her childhood ...

Woman Idolizes Her Parents' Approval

In his book Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller writes, "Idols generate false beliefs such as 'If I cannot achieve X, then my life won't be ...