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 ...

A Case Study: Imitate Jesus or Machiavelli?

Your dream job becomes available. The night before the crucial interview, you sit down to polish your résumé. You remember reading on the ...

Some History Behind "I Am the Captain of My Soul"

In 1875 a British poet named William Ernest Henley published a short poem that expressed one way to cope with life's circumstances. The poem, called "Invictus," ...

Our Servanthood Can Resemble a Garden Hose or a Sprinkler

One evening, while watering the garden, the sheer sacrifice of true service overwhelmed me. There amongst the tomatoes and parsley, I realized that most ...

Book Ranks the Most Influential People Throughout History

In his book titled The 100, astrophysicist Michael Hart asks a provocative question: Who are the 100 most influential people in history? Of all the human ...

An Illustration That Changed Tim Keller's Life

Manhattan, New York, pastor Tim Keller once said that in 1970 a Sunday school teacher changed his life with a simple illustration.

The teacher said, "Let's ...

An Orchestra Needs the Authority of the Conductor

In his book Up with Authority, Victor Lee Austin uses the analogy of an orchestra to explain why we need human authority. Orchestras need conductors because ...

Jewish Leader Prays for Everyone to Know Jesus, Even Christians

Arthur F. Burns, the chairman of the United States Federal Reserve System and ambassador to West Germany, was a man of considerable gravity. Medium in ...

Accepting Jesus Means Firing the Committee in Our Heart

You and I are not integrated, unified, whole persons. Our hearts are multi-divided. It's like we have a board room in every heart. Imagine: a big table, ...

Trained Elephant Recognizes the Voice of Her Master

Domesticated animals and pets recognize the voice of their master and learn to do so quickly. Charlie Frank raised the elephant Neeta from birth and trained ...