"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful" (John 15:2).

"Hook up or get out." That's what my brother always says to me. What he really meant is... don't mess around.

Isn't that the typical day-in-the life of a 20-something?

We're not sure of what we want or even who we are, so why the heck would it matter if I'm ____? Fill in the blank. Making out with strangers? Sleeping in someone else's bed? Taking prescription medication? Drugs? Consuming large amounts of alcohol? Anything to numb the void or the pain of life.

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Let's face it: Christianity in the Western world is quickly changing. If you've had a conversation with an average person on the street about what she believes about God or religion, it shouldn't surprise you to hear that she probably doesn't have regard for those topics. More and more people don't know what they believe, or simply don't believe in much at all. Many Christians are even having crises of faith. The things our parents believed about politics, the world, and spirituality in many ways now seem rote, in dire need of being reinvented.

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The end justifies the means. Or does it?

As people of faith, whether we identify ourselves with Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, even Atheism, this is a question we must continually wrestle with. It's easy to say the end justifies the means; it's easy to say the means justifies the end. It's hard to dig deep and humbly admit that maybe we really don't know. To believe is human; to doubt divine. (Peter Rollins)

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In her new book The Love Revolution, Joyce Meyer candidly talks about her childhood, life and how the church needs to get their act together. How religion has become the new God we praise and worship. How some churches will be singing the same old hymns and exclusively hoarding their offerings to line their church pews with gold. It is a challenging book for those who want something more than the dilapidated worn out versions of faith we sometimes defend. Her heart for the poor and unloved shines through like a beacon in the cold dark night that most of them call home.

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Twenty-first century America is a society rich in diversity.  However, that diversity proposes many challenges, not least of which is religious tolerance. The need for a plan of action in this area of society is clear when we see the FBI reporting religious bias as the second highest hate crime motivation. Notable religious leaders, such as Randall Terry, founder of the extreme anti-abortion ...

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Health care:  no other two words have stirred up so many emotions as these lately.  Some say health care is a right; others say it's only a privilege.  Some believe that there should be a government-run "public option"; others say it will only expand government control.  But where should we, as Christians, stand on the issue?  As people called to serve "the least of these"...

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I hadn't been in Switzerland long before my awareness of where I am in time shifted. We went for a walk in Olten, where I was staying.  Enjoying a latte mocha under an umbrella at a cafe, I saw the first of many clock towers.  As near as I can tell, most towns have a clock tower. Often, they are part of a church, but this one stands alone in a little "open square" area.   My...

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Like so many people, I wrestle with questions about what to do and how to live.  One of the areas that I struggle with is politics.  Recently, I've earned some clarity on this matter.  This clarity has resulted from two inter-related realizations. Once, God was his people's king. This is not hyperbole, nor is it symbolic.  Once, God was his people's king.  God lead h...

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In a world where credit cards reign supreme and all kinds of other celluloid worlds emerge, here is a movie for teens that deals directly with with the issue of someone who is struggling to find themselves. Sometimes there are movies that try to do this and fail, but in the movie To Save A Life, this isn't the case.

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