God’s Love vs. Culture’s Love: Unmasking 3 Dangerous Lies
Our culture is lovesick. Partly because we are created to love, and partly because the modern understanding of love is greatly distorted. Our media is filled with stories that shape our expectations of what love should be, and it’s not always for the better. We hope for love, try it out, and are often left […]
How to Offer a Christian Response to Cancel Culture: 3 Steps to Lead with Grace
In the age of cancel culture and condemnation, as believers, how should we be responding and engaging? The Culture of Condemnation vs. The Example of Jesus In New Testament times, amidst a society which held to punitive action in response to wrongdoing, Jesus entered the scene – with mercy. That must have been earth […]
What Is God’s Justice and Why Is It Truly Fair?
In today’s society, discussion around justice mostly involves either fair distribution of resources or punishment of lawbreakers. God’s justice reveals a bigger picture that involves how we treat one another, especially those in need, and how we deal with sin. The Problem with a Human-Centered View of Justice What it means to be just has […]
10 Emotional Needs only God can Meet
The Root of Our Insecurity: Unmet Emotional Needs According to Dr. David Ferguson, we have 10 essential emotional needs that we are seeking to fulfill: Attention, Acceptance, Appreciation, Support, Encouragement, Affection, Respect, Security, Comfort, and Approval. Much research has been done to identify why people struggle with unwanted behaviors such as addictions and compulsive behaviors. […]
Your True Identity: Loved by God, Not Used by Culture
The “Usefulness” Trap of Modern Culture We live in an age of consumerism and industrialization where things are made efficiently and disregarded the minute they break or are no longer useful. Their goodness to us, their value, is directly related to their usefulness for our pleasure or purposes. My fear is that we don’t only […]
Jesus Understands Your Pain
“the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down.” ~Psalm 146:8 Jesus identifies with our feelings, including our personal pain. By becoming human, Jesus experienced daily life as a baby, child, teenager, and man. In his ministry, in which he selflessly poured himself out, he suffered embarrassment, humiliation, abandonment, betrayal, and rejection. He knows how […]
The Mountain-Moving Power of Faith
Let’s talk about faith. Faith is an important and recurring theme in the Bible. Believers are called to put their faith in God’s word. But what is faith, and why is it so important that we develop it? Does faith change our lives? The Bible provides what I consider to be the definitive answer. Hebrews […]
Finding God in Scripture
The Bible discusses many topics, from our human limitations and weaknesses, to the nature of life, to the sublime magnificence of our God. Much more than a descriptive list of facts, Scripture hints at the truth of things – the essence and purpose of God’s creation – the things that are real beyond our human […]
I Am Who I Am: God’s Most Important Name
Names are significant. It’s always a big deal when someone knows your name, which is why we all try to be better at remembering them. I meet a lot of people, and I hate forgetting and having to say, “Hey, you!” or “Good to see you, man!” Remembering a name is a big deal, and not just […]
Why God? Come and See!
Come and see my Jesus. I heard about The Chosen television series about the ministry of Christ. Friends highly recommended it, but I didn’t expect much. I mean, how many ways can you tell the Jesus story? It’s been done many times before. And typically on a low budget, with marginal acting. So I didn’t […]
Why God? Because He’s Trustworthy
Throughout Scripture we are instructed to lean into the fact that God is trustworthy. We are to free our minds and hearts of worry. We are to give up control (as if we had any to begin with!). We are to entrust our lives to Him. The universe is a messy place, filled with forces […]
Look Ahead, Leaning on God
In a handful of days we can finally say, “See ya!” to 2020. Yay! Let’s finish strong, trusting God, as we look ahead with hope to the new year. As 2020 finally winds down and we close out our Bridging the Gap blog series, let’s remember to thank God for being with us through every […]
Book of Ruth: 3 Lessons For Us
Perhaps you are familiar with the Old Testament book of Ruth, a 4-chapter story layered with tragedy, blessings, and the reminder to trust God. Naomi, a Hebrew, along with her husband and two grown sons, forsakes her hometown of Bethlehem to escape a famine. The family settles into nearby Moab (modern day Jordan), for about […]
Like Peter, Get Out of the Boat!
The Bible story of Simon Peter momentarily walking on the Sea of Galilee: It’s thrilling to consider what we can do, when we trust Jesus. Many Christians view this story as yet one more failing on the part of this impetuous disciple. But it’s important to remember that Peter was the only disciple willing to […]
Inspiration: Doubting Thomas
For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ. What Doubting Thomas Teaches Us When we are uncertain, it can feel […]
WWJD During These Hard Times?
WWJD: What Would Jesus Do? Lately we’ve been hearing people say, “2020 is turning out to be a very. bad. year.” Agreed. And not in just one corner of the globe, but all around it. People are tired, worried, and afraid. So perhaps it’s time to revisit an acronym that peaked in popularity for Christians […]
He Knows
John 6: The Feeding of 5,000 The miracle of Jesus feeding a crowd of more than 5,000 people has many lessons. But one currently stands out for me during the coronavirus. “Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great […]
3 Reasons Suffering Serves a Purpose
Human suffering is arguably the most common and difficult problem raised against the goodness of God. Why does God allow us to be hurt and wounded? Isn’t suffering a bad thing? Doesn’t it point to an uncaring and distant God? Let’s look at three reasons that suggest that suffering may actually benefit us. For 50+ […]
Romans 8: Chapter of Assurance
What Scripture is giving you assurance right now? The 39 Bible verses in Romans 8 are packed with God’s promises of care and provision. Let’s look at some of them! Bridging the Gap blog #hurthealedwholeFor 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer […]
Devotional: Recognize God’s Majesty
Are we “woke” to the presence of our amazing God? Or are we so dependent upon our own strength that we fail to acknowledge His majesty all around us? For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and […]
Devotional: God Wants Your Prayers
God wants our prayers! Since creating Adam, He has yearned to be in close relationship with us. Especially during the moments we find hard and scary, God wants us to bring our fears and doubts. Because He cares. He is listening. He is working through all circumstances for the good of those who love Him. […]
Devotional: When Life Gets Tough
Life is a roller coaster of situations and emotions. We know how to handle the easy and fun times. How does God want us to respond when life gets tough? For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge […]
Devotional: How to Have Peace In Suffering
“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you.” ~Psalm 55:22 I lost my loving mother when I was 7 years old. She was still present with us, but after brain surgery to remove a tumor, her fun-loving nature and ability to closely connect with us was lost forever. She died just days […]
Why We Need to Trust God’s Goodness
Welcome! In this post we’ll talk about trusting God’s goodness. I don’t know about you, but I find myself cringing when people post on Facebook about their new house or car or health recovery with the joyous declaration, “God is GOOD!” This bothers me, I think, because I rarely see these same people joyfully declare […]