Hearing God in Scripture
When I was twelve, my parents taught me to read a chapter of Proverbs a day. Proverbs has thirty-one chapters, so the day of the month determined …
These Inward Trials
This past year was difficult for me. Nothing horrific: I lost no loved ones and received no dreadful news. But it was inwardly difficult to navigate. …
The Powerful Authority of Humility
My wife is not a fan of Tom Cruise. I see her point. It’s like his acting powers peaked in Top Gun (or maybe A Few Good Men), and all his subsequent …
Why Won’t We Admit the Evil of Our Deeds?
When I began Beliefs of the Heart, a friend suggested I adopt a Comment Policy. His site already had one, and I copied his policy almost word for …
God Doesn’t Need Our Greatness
On my twelfth birthday, I received four birthday cards, each with a personal message. My grandfather, my parents, my oldest brother, and an elder at …
The Worldly Deceit of Willpower
In 1975, three friends and I participated in a 200-mile bicycle marathon on Belle Isle, an island-park owned by the city of Detroit. The course was a …
The Unworthiness of Self-Esteem
The Times of London once asked leading British intellectuals to enter a competition, writing articles that answered this simple question: “What is the …
What Does God Sound Like When We Sin?
Years ago I told a friend of an embarrassing, recurring temptation. Over the next month, he shared my secret with dozens of people, spicing up my …
There Is Hope in Our Suffering
After my junior year at University, I wanted to spend a summer abroad, but money was tight, so tight that my Sunday feast was Raman noodles. I found a …
Controlled
Years ago I read a study asking people to list their earliest memories of world news. The results were fascinating, but I wanted to test them for …
Chasing Lovers
During its first fifteen years, my old software company only worked with domestic clients. In the late nineties, we landed Oxford University Press (a …
When Two Parties Claim the Same Throne
I vividly remember my introduction to spiritual warfare. I was in my Detroit high school prayer group, the New Vine, when someone got a hold of some …