By Serena Woods I used to envy the religious elite. The spiritual pedigree of children who grew up to become Christian adults and preachers under the wings of cookie-baking Sunday School teachers and shiny-toed pastors. They had the glory of the church life crowning their heads from the moment of conception. They were bred to … Continue reading The Scheme of God: How Sinners and Saints Need Grace
By Jamie Finch This isn’t going to start out any other way than any other thing I have ever written. But it is very much unlike any other thing I have ever written. Because I don’t want to be writing it. This is one story I do not want to tell. But it is the … Continue reading The Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Had to Say
By David Roark Fantastic Mr. Fox is a unique and quirky animated film fantastically filled with Wes Anderson spirit. Inevitably, it is the characters that make this film so unique. Voiced by George Clooney, Mr. Fox is a clever, daring rogue who succeeds over every obstacle put before him, including his dangerous escapades stealing livestock … Continue reading Fantastic Mr. Fox: Roald Dahl’s Classic Comes to Life
By Jeff Goins, Editor One week night several weeks ago, my wife Ashley and I decided to see The Box, a movie with Frank Langella and Cameron Diaz that we thought would be a bit of a suspenseful thriller. I had no idea how wrong we would end up being. The films starts off with … Continue reading Film Review of The Box: Provocative Picture of Hell
By Sarah Fujimoto As I took a look at the cover again of He Is Just That into You, the phrase beneath the title struck me. It reads, “Stories of a Faithful God who Pursues, Engages, and has No Fear of Commitment.” I couldn’t help but remember that flick that came out last Valentine’s … Continue reading Book Review: He Is Just That into You
By George Elerick Religion is an opium for the masses Karl Marx once said. And sadly… he was right! Religion as a set of doctrinal statements that confirm canonical gospels or historical proofs to follow, become indicative of political tyrranical governments that tried to rule the life and deaths of its people. The ancient Roman government sought … Continue reading Christmas: Bringing Hope, Not Religion
By Brooke Luby “Feliz Navidad!” Jubilant voices welcomed us into their home as we made our way up the steep hill in the darkness,towards the twinkling lights, music and chatter. We were ushered in to yet another home in the village, hugs all around, plates of rice and chicken shoved in our hands. Everyone was … Continue reading Finding Christmas In the Jungle
By Sarah Fujimoto Oakland, California, Winter 2006 The night was still. An eerie still, where a stream of peace was surrounded by tensions of strongholds in the community, foundations, and air. We set off for the evening, midnight ministry of delivering hot meals to those on the streets seasoned with prayer and conversation for those … Continue reading Community: Seeing Through The Eyes Of A Homeless Man
By Jeff Goins, Editor I had the opportunity to sit with blogger/author Anne Jackson last week at Merridee’s Breadbasket in Franklin, TN (an excellent place to get a cup of coffee and breakfast, if you’re ever in the area), and we spent a couple hours talking about writing, missions, church, social media, and building a … Continue reading Anne Jackson: Permission to Speak Freely
By Lex Wisniewski Has the Church in the West abandoned the love of Christ for recreational theology? Last weekend I got to attend a conference with the students from [redefined]. It was a great time, as always, but one session in particular pierced my heart. The theme of the weekend was love. God’s love. Brotherly love. … Continue reading Are We Too Smart for Love?