Let’s first agree on what faith is. The Bible doesn’t say, “Throw your mind away and believe in someone or something blindly.” Rather, it says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The two important words there are assurance and conviction, which stem from personal knowledge. You have faith that planes are safe, for example, because of FAA rules that keep them flying. You had faith in a parent who cared well for you. You have faith that the sun will set and rise. The Israelites put their faith in God after seeing Moses perform numerou ..read more

Does the noise of the world get to you, too? Living in an age where, because of the internet, everything can be shared on a whim, we are constantly exposed to all the different views and opinions of the world. It all can feel very confusing, especially if we’re teens struggling to figure out our path in life. As someone living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), sometimes all the noise can really get to me. But when I find myself overwhelmed, I know there is one solid foundation that I can always turn to for clear direction: the Bible. Peace Amid the Noise The Bible is the Word of God ..read more

Names are significant. It’s always a big deal when someone knows your name, which is why we all try to be better at remembering them. I meet a lot of people, and I hate forgetting and having to say, “Hey, you!” or “Good to see you, man!” Remembering a name is a big deal, and not just because it makes it convenient to get someone’s attention. A name is a revealer of character, like when someone says, “Oh, she’s got a really good name in the industry.” It’s not just what you call someone, but what they are. The same goes for God. The Bible calls Him by many names. Each has a story, an ..read more

I can still recall the precious moment that I devoted myself to Christ. I remember becoming totally sold-out, convinced that Jesus rose, saved me from my sins, and loves me forever. From that point on, spreading His message of salvation became so meaningful to me that it had to be my life’s purpose. I wanted nothing more than for people to accept the historical and spiritual truths of the Christian faith. But early on, as I began talking to people about Christ, I found that most people were not receptive to the message. To my surprise, many conversations ended quite abruptly. I couldn’t under ..read more

Do you have any hobbies that you really enjoy in your free time? Perhaps you like to watch movies or play computer games, or you’re a big fan of sports or music. Personally, I enjoy collecting action figures, LEGO sets, and comic books. I also like to spend time watching online entertainment reviews. All positive, fun hobbies. But my hobbies can become a problem when I give them too much of my time. Sometimes, when I allow my hobbies to consume me, I put really important things like my family and my Christian faith on the back burner. I can forget what’s really important in life. Can you rel ..read more

Friends! We’ve reached the final post in this blog series based on Josh’s best-selling apologetics classic: More Than a Carpenter! Our goal in these 17 posts has been to definitively answer “Who is Jesus?” This week we’re sharing with you how Josh made the leap from diehard skeptic to sold-out believer.  In Josh’s case, the journey took time. The historical evidence he’d studied for months in libraries across Europe had convinced Josh of the facts supporting the truth of Jesus being the Son of God. Yet Josh still “felt a strong reluctance to make the plunge” of asking Jesus to be his Sa ..read more

Jesus is our focus in this blog series based on Josh’s best-selling apologetics classic: More Than a Carpenter. Why does learning about who Jesus is matter? Because this exploratory journey helps us to definitively answer “Who am I? … “Why am I here?” and “What’s the point of life?”  Why is Jesus the only way to understand ourselves and the meaning of life? Read on! Jesus: The Only Way? In our world of seemingly unlimited choice and personal preference, it can be really hard to believe there is ONE way to the truth. “Why is Jesus the only way?” many ask, when Buddha and numerous other ..read more

Jesus! He’s our focus in this blog series based on Josh’s best-selling apologetics classic: More Than a Carpenter. In this post let’s look at whether prophecy helps us to identify the identity of the Savior. Is Jesus really who He claimed to be — the Son of God and the Jews’ long-awaited Messiah?  Of all the men ever born, Jesus is the only one to fulfill all Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah’s birth, death, and resurrection. Let’s look more at that astounding fact! More Than a Carpenter blog #whoisjesusProphecy Reveals the Messiah Jesus repeatedly pointed to Old Testament ..read more