Mere months after becoming a Christian, I met Tabor Zebulon, a twitchy, bearded young prophet who supposedly lived in the high desert amidst a stockpile of food and ammo. He’d changed his name to something more “biblical” and withdrew from society, believing that the Great Tribulation was imminent. Tabor knew his Bible inside and out [...]

Contrary to what many ministers and church members think, Easter Sunday is NOT the most important Sunday of the year. Sure, we act like it is. Expensive ad campaigns, visitor invites, expanded services, a polished sermon followed by an impassioned appeal. Couple that with a larger-than-average crowd and more new outfits than a J.C. Penney [...]

An average story that is well-written will hold my interest lots longer than a good story that is poorly written. I realize, in making that statement, that I am probably in the minority. Story always trumps technique. Nevertheless, I still find myself reading books with pencil in hand, hunting for new words or creative phrases. [...]

This is an excerpt from the Lenten Devotional I assembled for North Hills Community Church: For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. I [...]

Shortly after Sandra Bullock won the Academy award for Best Actress this month, she discovered that her husband had been cheating on her. The Academy Award is huge, something that happens only to a chosen few. Marital infidelity, on the other hand, happens all the time. But somehow, Bullock’s achievement was overshadowed by her husband’s [...]

There is no shortage of books for new Christians. Often these books take on a “how to” feel and focus on points of doctrine and spiritual disciplines. While learning to pray, study Scripture, and live in community are essential to the Christian life, what is often missed by such an approach is the broader picture. [...]

Zombie friends are low maintenance. They don’t have feelings, so you can’t hurt them. They’ll always lend a hand… when they’re done gnawing on it, of course. And they’re oddly infectious. In fact, over the last year, my zombie friends have, rather unusually, multiplied. Maybe something’s going around… Merrie Destefano’s How to Draw Zombies — [...]

Being “environmentally conscious” will not necessarily make you a better person. In fact, it may make you worse. That’s the “surprising finding” (their term) of two Canadian psychologists. And all this time I thought a smaller carbon footprint was my ticket to sainthood. From The Guardian’s How going green may make you mean: According to [...]