That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” … A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Notice the order in Mark 4. First comes a sentence, then comes a storm. “He said to them, ‘Let […]

When Jesus says, “I am the vine, and you are the branches,” He is giving us more than a poetic image. He’s describing a reality we all live in. If you’ve ever seen a vineyard, you know the secret to its beauty and abundance isn’t just in the sunshine or the soil—it’s in the pruning. […]

Matthew 18:10-14 is one of Jesus’ most radical teachings. He tells us that God, like a shepherd, will leave ninety-nine safe sheep behind and set out after the one who’s gone missing. Most of us, if we’re honest, would hesitate to take that risk. Our nature is to protect what’s stable and let go of […]

Remember the old story of The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen? It begins with a duckling who looks different—awkward, gray, clumsy—and is rejected by all around him. No one sees any hope for him. He’s considered ugly, unwanted, hopeless—a weed among ducklings. Yet, throughout this story, there is patience. The duckling patiently endures harsh […]

Psychologist Barry Schwartz, in his insightful book The Paradox of Choice, reveals a powerful truth: endless freedom does not lead to endless happiness. Schwartz carefully demonstrates that while freedom to choose seems like the ultimate source of satisfaction, too many choices often lead to anxiety, regret, and dissatisfaction. We stand paralyzed in supermarket aisles, endlessly […]

The Black Mirror episode “Nosedive” powerfully captures the unsettling direction our culture is moving toward. It depicts a world where every human interaction—each smile, each greeting, each conversation—is instantly rated by others through a smartphone app. Your personal rating becomes your social currency, influencing your career, relationships, and even where you’re allowed to live. The […]

Think about a suspension bridge—one of those long, elegant structures stretched over a deep river or canyon. To the eye, it’s all strength and symmetry: solid steel, cables stretched tight, pillars rooted deep in the ground. It looks unshakable. But before any car or truck is allowed to cross, engineers put it through trials. Real […]

Life doesn’t always go the way we plan. In Acts 17:10–15, Paul and Silas arrive in Thessalonica ready to share the gospel, only to face angry crowds and threats that force them to leave. They travel next to Berea, where hearts are open—but soon danger follows again, and Paul must send Silas and Timothy onward. […]

In Arshil Gorki’s painting “The Artist and His Mother,” we see something quite beautiful and strange. Gorki was a famous painter, known for bold colors and moving images. Yet he never finished one of his most personal works: the portrait of his own mother. He spent years adding layer upon layer of paint, trying to […]