For all his greatness, we should most seek to imitate the late pastor's humility and indifference to fame.In spring of last year, many of us saw a photo of the late Timothy Keller sitting on a park bench. The photo was used on the cover of Collin Hansen’s biography of Keller, and it circulated around the internet in May when he passed away—on social media, blogs, and even Keller’s personal website.What most of us didn’t see, however, was the banana peel lying on the bench only a couple feet from Keller. The peel has been cropped from most versions of the photo, and understandably so. Who wants to see an ugly brown bit of organic waste in an author’s photograph?I confess that if I were a world-famous pastor and best-selling author having my picture taken by a professional photographer, I would most certainly have moved the banana peel before someone took my picture. Who wouldn’t? But Keller didn’t seem to care.I believe this points to a deeper character trait of Keller’s, which many observed during his lifetime of ministry: an indifference to fame and to curating an image—something many of us struggle with in the social media era. This is also part of why, I believe, he finished his race so well.Finishing well in life and ministry has been historically difficult for believers, especially for those in positions of leadership. Think of Gideon or Solomon in the Old Testament, Demas in the New Testament, or, of course, the many church leaders today who have infamously failed to persevere.The esteem that leaders receive from the Christian community can allow for hidden flaws to grow like rust on the hull of a ship, unnoticed and unaddressed at first. But as these leaders reach greater influence, greater weight is placed on these flaws—which can reach ...Continue reading...

A majority of American Protestants were raised by devout mothers, a study finds.The vast majority of American Christians were raised in the faith—and most can point to the influence of their moms.In a 2023 study, the American Bible Society found that a majority of believers remain in the same religious tradition as their mothers. This agrees with a large body of mainstream social science research dating back to the 1970s that says the active faith of mothers is a strong predictor of religious transmission.Some of this may be attributed to the natural bond children have with their mothers. But there is also research that shows that moms take a more active role in faith formation in America.A 2019 Barna Group survey found that Christian teenagers who say their faith is very important to them are 20 points more likely to talk to their moms about religion than their dads. More than 70 percent of Christian teenagers read the Bible, 70 percent talk about God, and 63 percent pray with their moms.Continue reading...

Parenting teens in today's world can feel beyond overwhelming - kind of like trying to stay cool when you're a piece of dry wood tossed into a dumpster fire. Many of us elder Millennials and Gen X'ers have parented teens through the evolution of smartphones, Snap Chat, and X-box Live. We have no earthly idea what we're doing. Yet, we're meant to serve as master-class-level digital police, culture war moderators, and spiritual warfare ninjas in an increasingly ludicrous world. Deep. Breaths.It's so difficult to keep the faith and remain optimistic while dealing with teenage mood swings, unforeseen drama, evolving personalities, and all the other magic that keeps our therapists equally horrified and entertained on the regular. However, just today, I had a God thought. It happened while spacing out at the kitchen sink, listening to my 14 and 16-year-old boys roam through the house, chattering away on their Air pods, leaving a trail of snack wrappers in their wake. The voice simply said, "They're both amazing. and they're both going to be okay." Admittedly, I was pretty caffeinated and high off a fresh Maverick City worship set, but my mind was heavily flooded with some assurances and truths I wanted to share with every mom of teens because, frankly, we never (ever) hear enough edification or comfort. We probably need to remind ourselves of these truths daily, but I hope this helps, even for today.Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Galina Zhigalova

Parenting teens in today's world can feel beyond overwhelming - kind of like trying to stay cool when you're a piece of dry wood tossed into a dumpster fire. Many of us elder Millennials and Gen X'ers have parented teens through the evolution of smartphones, Snap Chat, and X-box Live. We have no earthly idea what we're doing. Yet, we're meant to serve as master-class-level digital police, culture war moderators, and spiritual warfare ninjas in an increasingly ludicrous world. Deep. Breaths.It's so difficult to keep the faith and remain optimistic while dealing with teenage mood swings, unforeseen drama, evolving personalities, and all the other magic that keeps our therapists equally horrified and entertained on the regular. However, just today, I had a God thought. It happened while spacing out at the kitchen sink, listening to my 14 and 16-year-old boys roam through the house, chattering away on their Air pods, leaving a trail of snack wrappers in their wake. The voice simply said, "They're both amazing. and they're both going to be okay." Admittedly, I was pretty caffeinated and high off a fresh Maverick City worship set, but my mind was heavily flooded with some assurances and truths I wanted to share with every mom of teens because, frankly, we never (ever) hear enough edification or comfort. We probably need to remind ourselves of these truths daily, but I hope this helps, even for today.Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Galina Zhigalova

Christianity has changed the world in so many significant ways, many of which we are probably not even aware of on a daily basis. In his new book "Unimaginable: What our World Would be Like without Christianity," Dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston explores the ways in which Christianity has impacted the world for good and also what the world would be like if not for Jesus and the values He instills in every human life. Dr. Johnston looks at the impact Christianity has had--and is having--on the world from a cultural, historical, political, and personal standpoint. Below are excerpts based on Dr. Johnston's new book which draws attention to ten specific ways in which Christianity has influenced and changed the world for the better.Photo credit: ©Unsplash/Alicia Quan

Go Fish! God has sent me here to be a fisher of men, and after just one month, I already have some amazing fish stories! The Faithless Fish The first “fish,” a talkative retired teacher, sat down next to me on the train when I moved here. Madame Lucy told me, “I am probably going to shock you [...]