Gandalf Sends Bilbo on an Unwanted Adventure

At the beginning of The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins enjoys a comfortable and predictable life in his home in the Shire. But when the mysterious Gandalf drops ...

Uruguayan President Eschews Luxurious Lifestyle

As of November 2012, Jose Mujica, the president of Uruguay, held a unique position—the BBC called him "the world's poorest president." ...

The Real 'Santa Claus' Rescues Three Innocents

History seems to confirm at least a few key details from the life of Nicholas of Myra, the real early church leader we know today as Santa Claus. One ...

Scaling Mount Everest (Like Marriage or Advent) Requires Preparation

Nobody who wants to keep on living wakes up one morning and suddenly decides, "I think I'll climb Mount Everest today." Such a monumental ...

Jesus' Birth Unleashed a Movement of Mercy

How did the birth of Jesus change the world? Historian Rodney Stark argues that there was one huge factor that helped capture the attention of the ancient ...

Like a Magnet, Jesus Will Attract or Repel People

Jesus is the great polarizer. It's as if all of humanity were iron filings laid out on a sheet of paper, and Jesus is the magnet. Every single filing ...

Christmas Carol Points to the Gift Christ Wants—Our Hearts

In 1872 the poet Christina Rossetti wrote a poem that only appeared after her death. About thirty years later the poem was set to music and titled "A ...

The Epidemic of Loneliness at Christmas Time

A British medical doctor named Ishani Kar-Purkayastha shared a story about his interaction with Doris, an 82-year-old hospital patient. Two days before ...

U2 Singer Bono Contends, "There Must Be an Incarnation"

After returning home from a long tour, Bono, the lead singer for U2, returned to Dublin and attended a Christmas Eve service. At some point in that service, ...

Many Christians Just "Play with the Box" of God's Gift

Pastor Paul Tripp writes:

I gave birth to a son who just doesn't understand gifts. My wife and I would go out when he was a little guy to buy what ...