We preach sermons, write books on apologetics, conduct city-wide evangelistic campaigns. For those alienated from the church, that approach no longer has the same drawing power. And for the truly needy, words alone don't satisfy; "A hungry person has no ears," as one relief worker told me. A skeptical world judges the truth of what we say by the proof of how we live.

A philosophy may explain difficult things, but has no power to change them. The gospel, the story of Jesus' life, promises change.

It's easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you've heard everything before and that you have nothing left to learn.

Never do I see Jesus lecturing people on the need to accept blindness or lameness as an expression of God's secret will; rather, he healed them.

As I read the Bible, it seems clear that God satisfies his "eternal appetite" by loving individual human beings. I imagine He views each halting step forward in my spiritual "walk" with the eagerness of a parent watching a child take the very first step.

If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer.

The proof of spiritual maturity is not how pure you are but awareness of your impurity. That very awareness opens the door to grace.