Locations & Times

Imagine sitting across from your spouse one evening after a long week.  You’ve been working hard. Paying the bills. Taking care of the house. Running kids to practices. Showing up where you're supposed to show up. Then your spouse looks at you and says: "I know you're here...but I...

Have you ever wondered what it felt like to be the person living inside one of the stories we read in Scripture? We often read these moments knowing how they end, but we forget there was a real person standing in the middle of the story — feeling the fear, the shame, and the uncertainty...

“But he said to Him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.’ Then He said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.’” (Luke‬ 22‬:33–34‬...

  Sometimes I read Scripture and feel a little disconnected or unable to relate to a particular historical account. Then I do a deeper dive and Bam!, my heart is right there in the scene. Such was the case when I read of the Roman centurion in Matthew 8 and Luke 7. The centurion was a man...

I walked toward the plaza with my head down. I knew better than to look around. I could feel everyone’s eyes boring holes into me. I could feel their mean stares burning on my neck like the hot sun. I could hear the whispers of some and the shouts of a few, proclaiming their hatred for me...

Relating to ancient people with whom Jesus interacted can be difficult. I find that bringing those characters into a modern context can help me better understand the gravity of the interaction. What follows is a fictional interview based on the conversation the Rich Young Ruler (RYR) had with...

I couldn’t get to Him on my own. I’d heard the news. Jesus was back in town. And people were saying the same things again … He’s healing people … He’s different … You’ve got to see Him. But for me, just getting across the room was a struggle...

Dressed in the garments of fear and shame, I stood outside the town gate. Hundreds of people were expected to arrive at any moment. The air was filled with aromas of wood fires, freshly baked bread, and fish. Folk music played in the background as women wove and local blacksmiths forged tools...

The Man Nobody Could Fix   He broke every chain they put on him. Literally. The townspeople had tried everything … rope, iron, even sheer manpower. But nothing worked, so they eventually gave up. Instead of trying to contain him they just kept their distance. Now this man lived in a...

  The Samaritan woman carried brokenness from her past. Her story is found in John 4:1-42. During the height of the midday sun, while seeking water at Jacob’s well, she has an unexpected encounter with a Jewish man. A thirsty woman meets a weary Messiah. Their cross-cultural paths...