Russian Pastor Reminds Outcasts of Their God-given Dignity

In his book Your Church Is Too Safe, Mark Buchanan shares the following story about a Russian pastor named Father John Sergieff. Buchanan writes:

John ...

Author Writes a Break-Up Letter to His "Fear of What Others Think"

Dear Fear-Of-What-Others-Think:

I am sick of you, and it's time we broke up. I know we've broken up and gotten back together many times, but seriously, ...

'Unwanted' Indian Girls Receive a New Name

In October, 2011, the Associated Press ran a deeply moving story about a name-changing ceremony for girls in Mumbai, India. At birth the 285 girls had ...

Parents Who Worry Too Much About Their Kids Self-Esteem

In an article in The Atlantic titled "How the Cult of Self-Esteem Is Ruining Our Kids," therapist Lori Gottlieb observes a growing trend: parents ...

Young Woman Longs for Honest Love, Not Just Self-Esteem

Christian psychologist Mark McMinn recounts a story about meeting a young woman in his church who had recently come to Christ.

She described her childhood ...

Woman Idolizes Her Parents' Approval

In his book Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller writes, "Idols generate false beliefs such as 'If I cannot achieve X, then my life won't be ...

Online Confessions Reveal Struggles with Body Image

Author Diana Spechler launched a website that gives people the chance to anonymously confess their true feelings about their bodies. So far, thousands ...

Reese Witherspoon Struggles with Her Self-image

Reese Witherspoon, one of the most successful actresses in the world, had this to say about herself:

I don't watch any movie I'm in. It's horrifying. ...

How Aging Became a "Disease"—and a Huge Business

Trying to look younger and prevent aging has become an $511 billion a year business [as of 2022]. According to a book by Arlene Weintraub titled Selling ...

Man Tries to Change His Name to "Boomer the Dog"

The following illustration shows how important names are to our identity, character, self-worth, and calling. It also shows why biblical names for God ...