There is a moment in the book of Jonah that should stop every reader cold. A reluctant prophet walks into one of the most violent, bloodthirsty cities in the ancient world, delivers a sermon that amounts to barely eight words in English, and the entire city — from the king on his throne to the lowest commoner in the street — falls to its knees in genuine repentance. The result? God relents of the ...  Read More

There is a word that has nearly vanished from modern conversation. It is not a complicated word, and it is not a new one. But its absence from everyday speech says something significant about the age we live in. The word is contrite. To be contrite means to carry a deep, genuine sorrow over your own wrongdoing. Not regret that you got caught. Not embarrassment over consequences. But a true, settle...  Read More

There is a moment in the life of nearly every person when everything is stripped away. Plans collapse. Comfort disappears. The illusion of control evaporates. And in that moment, a choice presents itself — reach for something to fill the void, or reach for God. The second chapter of Jonah is a profound meditation on exactly that choice, and what it means to pray from the depths.Distress Is by Desi...  Read More

We all have something in common, running away from God. When a task feels too hard, when obedience feels too costly, when God's call points in a direction we would rather not go, the instinct to flee is almost universal. The ancient story of Jonah captures this instinct with startling honesty, and it turns out the lessons buried in that old narrative are not simply about a prophet and a fish. They...  Read More

There are moments in most people's lives when the circumstances around them become so overwhelming, so perfectly timed, so undeniably orchestrated, that even the most hardened skeptic looks up and thinks — someone is in control of this. That moment is not coincidence. It is not luck. It is not the universe conspiring in your favor or against you. According to Scripture, it is the steady, sovereign...  Read More

There is something deeply relatable about the account of Jonah. Not in a sentimental or flattering way, but in the uncomfortable, convicting way that forces us to look in the mirror. Jonah is not a story about a man and a fish. It is a story about a God who governs all of creation, a messenger who runs the wrong direction, and a grace that refuses to let rebellion have the final word.The book open...  Read More

The Question That Will Not Go AwayThe plain of Dura is not as far away as it seems. Every day presents its own version of that moment — the music plays, the crowd bows, and the furnace waits for those who refuse to comply. The idols are different. The pressure is different. But the question is the same.What are you living for? What could you not give up without feeling like your life had lost its ...  Read More

There is a prayer that Christians have been reciting for centuries, passed down through generations, spoken in cathedrals and living rooms and prison cells alike. Most of us learned it as children. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." It rolls off the tongue with a kind of comfortable familiarity. But have you ever stopped to consider what it actually means for God to ...  Read More

Marriage and family life are not simply social arrangements or cultural conventions. They are, according to the apostle Paul, a living picture of something far greater than themselves. When we understand what that picture is meant to display, everything about how we live in our homes changes.John Piper captured this truth powerfully: "God did not create the union of Christ and the church after the...  Read More

There is a moment in one of Jesus' most striking parables where a man who has just been forgiven an incomprehensible fortune turns around and grabs a fellow debtor by the throat. It is a jarring image. And it is meant to be. Because Jesus is holding up a mirror, and the reflection is uncomfortably familiar.The parable of the unforgiving servant, found in Matthew 18:23-35, is not a pleasant story. ...  Read More

There is a question worth sitting with before reading another word: What are you boasting in?It is an uncomfortable question, because the honest answer is rarely as noble as we would like it to be. We boast in our accomplishments, our discipline, our reputations, our religious track records. We boast in what we have built, what we have achieved, and sometimes in what we have experienced. But the A...  Read More

There is a well-known story about the city of Miami and a stretch of beautiful royal palm trees lining Flagler Street. When vandals destroyed six of those magnificent trees, a generous donor stepped forward to replace them — at their own expense. The replacement trees were taller than the originals, which turned out to be no accident. The donor was Eastern Airlines, and the new trees completely ob...  Read More