The Hobbit: the Lure of Riches

In his book The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's hero, Bilbo Baggins, must cross paths with a terrifying dragon named Smaug. But as Bilbo creeps into Smaug's ...

Timeline Shows How Luxuries Become Necessities

A 2012 article from The Atlantic observed that over the past 100 years we have often turned yesterday's luxury products into today's necessities.

• In 1900, less than 10 percent of families owned a stove, or had access to electricity or phones

Man Finds Bag of Money and Temptation

How does temptation come? Sometimes with lots of warning and time to think, and we may succumb or resist after much deliberation. At other times temptation ...

Tim Keller: We Can't See Our Own Greed

Tim Keller writes:

Some years ago I was doing a seven-part series of talks on the Seven Deadly Sins at a men's breakfast. My wife, Kathy, told me, ...

Thanking God for His Goodness Prevents Envy

"Envy is resenting God's goodness to others and ignoring God's goodness to me."

The Terrible Price of Sin

In his book Finishing Strong, Steve Farrar sums up well the terrible price of sin:

"Sin will take you farther than you want to go,

Keep you longer ...

Choosing to Live in Darkness

At first glance Steve and Kathryn's home might look like a dingy basement apartment. But then you notice that everything rests on crates. You see, ...

Tolkien's Gollum Illustrates Well the Deformity Caused by Sin

Gollum. What a great name. Just from the sound of it, you can tell that it is attached to a ne'er-do-well.

Gollum is the slimiest character in J. R. ...

Former Model Dies After Cosmetic Surgery

In a society that idolizes physical appearance, it's not surprising that many individuals are willing to sacrifice a great deal in order to look better. ...

A.W. Tozer on the Irony of What We've Made of Christmas

Christ came to bring peace and we celebrate his coming by making peace impossible for six weeks of each year …. He came to help the poor and we ...