Quick Backdrop Psalm 73: It's one of the most gut-wrenchingly honest chapters in the entire Bible. It was written by a spiritual leader who was just about to check out of the faith. He was fed up with stayin...

Years ago, when I was participating in track and field in college, I had a coach who stressed the importance of pace. He was adamant that pace was essential—not only in long distance runs such as the mi...

Quick Backdrop In 10 years, you'll be well out of your teen years. At that time, you occasionally will look back on the summers of your teen years and find that each summer took on its own personality. You'l...

There is the story of the bamboo seed which, in its introduction into the soil, takes months actually to germinate and sprout. However, once the bamboo begins to grow, it is one of the fastest-growing plants ...

"I planted the seed. Apollos watered it" (1 Cor. 3:5, NIV). In his writing to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul used the metaphor of a seed to describe the way God works in the human heart. As any fa...

Back in the days of radio and the genesis of television, a popular show was "The Lone Ranger." This program featured a solitary cowboy (along with his trusty companion, Tonto) riding the vast range, looking...

Quick Backdrop Arrested. Released. Arrested. Released. That's pretty much the pattern the apostles experienced as they shared the message of Christ with the world around them during the first few months of Chr...

By now, many youth leaders and pastors have heard of orange, the concept of combining colors of yellow and red to form a new approach to church. Orange is about combining the passion we have for God with th...

Quick Backdrop Jesus had a lot to accomplish in the few years He was here on earth. Perhaps one of His biggest challenges, ranking right up there with conquering death and sin, was teaching His followers the n...

Family genealogy is all the rage now, and research centers are popping up all over the country. Online services help families complete their own research—even uncovering historical photos or gleaning valuable...