In his book The Jesus Revolution, pastor and author Leith Anderson shares a story about the tension that sometimes comes between obeying God and obeying the law of the land. A number of years ago, he and three others were traveling to a Communist country where Christians were regularly being persecuted. They did not have a direct flight to their destination, so they had to stay in a neighboring country ...

In his book The Unexpected Journey, Thom Rainer shares the story of Kathi, a woman who left behind a life of witchcraft and Wiccan paganism to become a follower of Jesus Christ. Immediately after her decision to become a Christian, she describes to Thom how God delivered her from the powers of evil in her life, as well as her physical deafness (Kathi had been suffering progressive hearing loss for ...

In the winter of 2007, a close friend of mine was felled by not one but two brain aneurysms. For weeks she lingered on life support, growing weaker each day. As her condition deteriorated, her children were called in to say their goodbyes, and her church prepared for a funeral. Then Linda suddenly snapped out of her coma. As she came to, she looked over at her husband and asked, "Where is everybody ...

Recently I spoke with a friend named Carol (name changed) who had just returned from a difficult ocean cruise. She works for an organization that was helping to sponsor the getaway for a group of more than 1,000 people. In the middle of winter, Carol flew with her colleagues from Chicago to Mobile, Alabama, where they were to board the ship. As she and hundreds of other excited vacationers waited ...

I recently read an article about 2009's Tyson, a documentary about the life of former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Tyson is remembered for being one of the most feared boxers of all time, not just for his knockout punch—he knocked out 44 of his 50 losing opponents—but also for his anger, his unpredictability, and the impression that he was a powerful man wildly out of control. In 1992, ...

According to a 2009 study by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, women are more religious than men:

• Women (86 percent) are more likely than men (79 percent) to be affiliated with a religion.
• Women (77 percent) are more likely than men (65 percent) to believe in God or a "Universal Spirit."
• Women (66 percent) are more likely than men (49 percent) to pray daily.
• Women (44 percent) are more likely than men (34 percent) to regularly attend worship services.

Note: This clip is preceded by an incident where a character takes the Lord's name in vain. If you use this clip, please pay special attention to the elapsed time noted at the conclusion of the illustration.

The story of Ghost Town centers around Bertram Pincus—a dentist who detests all people and only enjoys his work because he gets to stuff cotton balls into his clients' mouths and doesn't ...

Dr. Katrina Firlik was the first woman admitted into the neurosurgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Her recent book, Another Day in the Frontal Lobe, provides a glimpse into the training of a brain surgeon. In one chapter she shares a story from the last year of her residency—a time when she was already becoming jaded to the tragedies of neurological devastation: ...

Horton Hears a Who! is a movie adaptation of Dr. Seuss's well-known book of the same name. The story centers around two characters: Horton, an elephant living in the Jungle of Nool, and the tiny mayor of Whoville, an extremely small world that is contained in a small speck that Horton carries around on a flower.

Horton discovers the world of Whoville by accident. But after learning of the tiny world's ...

A 2008 study by the Pew Forum indicates many conservatives have changed their position on churches speaking out on political issues. Four years ago, just 37 percent of conservatives felt the church should stay out of politics. Today, 51 percent share this view. This virtually matches the views of moderates and liberals (52 percent).

The study also found that a growing number of people are uncomfortable ...