Most people who are not Christians, especially in Western nations, are unfamiliar with the data around how many followers of Jesus die for their faith each year. But this topic has hit headlines recently due to a spate of kidnappings of Christians in Nigeria, which also happens to be the deadliest nation for Christians, with thousands of people killed for their faith each year.

In John’s Gospel, one of the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible, there is a story in the 9th chapter about Jesus healing a man born blind. There are three sets of characters in the story worth your pondering.

This is the fourth and final of a four-part series on the four Gospel authors. Yesterday I looked at Luke. Today, I look at John.

I'm skipping a day in my short series on Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John today since it's Thanksgiving. I didn't think on Monday when I started writing the series of posts about how I would run into this holiday, which is worth commenting on. Thanksgiving is perhaps the most spiritually appropriate holiday for two reasons: Gratitude and a shared meal, two countercultural ideas in our day.

This is the third of a four-part series on the four Gospel authors. Yesterday I looked at Mark. Today, I look at Luke.

This is the second of a four-part series on the four Gospel authors. Yesterday I looked at Matthew. Today I look at Mark.

This is the first of a four-part blog series on the four Gospel authors. Today's post is on Matthew. Tomorrow I will look at Mark.

One of the biggest benefits I've gained over the last 18 years of following Jesus is the community of others who are trying to follow him, too. This is also one of the hardest parts! The first community I found among fellow followers was with the woman I'm now married to.

Jesus was a storyteller. The types of stories he told are called parables. Parables are very short, simple stories that convey deep, hidden philosophical truths.

One of the most significant objections to the idea of God is that if there is a good God, he wouldn't allow suffering. Jesus completely upends that, though. The argument goes like this:

One of the most significant objections people have to taking Jesus seriously is the hypocrisy they see among Christians. Perhaps this resonates with you? It resonates with me. Mostly because I can be a hypocrite, sadly.

I remember when I was younger, the basic impression I got from religious people was that I had to have "faith." Faith just in general, but sometimes more specifically in "god," generically. But faith is worthless first of all if it is not in Jesus, and also if it doesn't show itself in action.

Today was a hard day for me. Actually, the past six months have been unusually tough, including a flood in my house and our family sadly deciding to “rehome” (give away) our dog, among other challenges. Meanwhile, today, many followers of Jesus around the world languish in prisons for their faith.

Pop quiz: Do you know which country has been labeled frequently to have the fastest-growing Christian movement in the world? Iran. Surprising, right?

You don't need someone to give you evidence that there is a God. You know deep down that there must be more to life than meets the eye. The complexity, the magnitude, the beauty.

Jesus is still alive and is active in our world. One evidence of this is the enormous number of Muslims over the last 20 or so years who have had dreams where Jesus ("Isa" in Arabic) appears to them. Typically, these dreams are of a man in bright white light who either identifies himself as Jesus or gives them instructions to find followers of Jesus who will show them what to do.

If you're unfamiliar with the Bible, it can be a daunting book to try to start reading. I know! I got started about 25 years ago, and I attempted to read it from front to back, cover to cover, like a regular book.

There is a troubling confusion afoot. For so long, people have said things like this: that we need to believe in God. That we need to accept Jesus, perhaps even accept him in our hearts.