In loving memory of Pastor Josue Raimundo, Don Lorentz, and Benjamin “Dima” Banner, whose lives—and in different ways, whose deaths—have shaped me and my wrestling with the questions explored in this article. Everyone has experienced this kind of loss at some point in their lives. As we get older, we seem to experience it more – like a bright blue neon sign – a reminder that this life is short and could end at any moment. How does our western culture think about death? What

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Whether you’re spending it with your closest friends, your family, or your significant other, Valentine’s Day has a way of making us think a little more about love. Valentine's Day is  filled with flowers, cards, romantic movies, and messages about what love is “supposed” to look like. Oftentimes, if we’re not careful, we can unintentionally internalize the lies the world tells us about love and begin to replace the truth of what the B

When I started working at YouVersion, I was surprised by how often people asked me a simple question: “What’s your word for the year?” While it might being a familiar practice to you or in other Christian spacaes, I had never really heard of it before. I wasn’t someone who made New Year’s resolutions, and honestly, I felt hesitant to participate in something that felt more like a trend than a spiritual discipline. Scripture doesnt’ comman us to choose a word each January, aft

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Actually, it seems to me that one can hardly say anything either bad enough or good enough about life.” The journey of being human twists and turns between delight and misery, joy and pain. We run down the road as fast as we can, all the while hoping the trip doesn’t end any time soon. The new year is a natural time to reflect on the year that has been. All I can say about my year is that it has been unexpected, but when I reflect, I realize I’ve never

While studying the topic of spiritual gifts this week, I stumbled upon a curious path and thought I would share my findings. Probably, when you think of spiritual gifts, accounting is not the first one that jumps to mind. I promise you that no one gets into ministry because they have a burning passion for budgets and spreadsheets. Still, as I said in a lecture to some college ministry students a few years ago at Oklahoma Christian University, "You can’t do any more ministry t

I recently watched the new Fantastic Four movie with my family. Compared to some of the recent Marvel movies, this one was good, and I enjoyed it. Beyond the cinematic entertainment, the film also carries a fascinating moral dilemma worth exploring. I think I can say without spoilers that the movie’s premise revolves around one ethical decision: would you sacrifice your baby son to save the earth? The plot is reminiscent of the old philosophical riddle about having five adult

Advent, the season of expectation and preparation, turns our hearts toward the marvelous truth that Jesus came so that our joy may be complete. John 15:11 summarizes this profound promise when Jesus tells his disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” This isn’t a wishful thought; it’s the very purpose of his coming. More Than a Feeling The joy Jesus speaks of is not the fleeting happiness of a holiday morning

Since we are in the middle of Advent 2025, now is a great time to reflect on some of the biblical passages that we sing in our Advent hymns. The two hymns that I will focus on in this article are primarily about prophecies in the Old Testament that foretell Jesus’ coming. Part of the inspiration for this post comes from the Nine Lessons and Carols service, originally held in Truro, England, in 1890 and later established by King’s College, Cambridge, in 1918. These services us