Topic > Evangelism & Missions
Should Christians Get Involved in Causes?
Everybody loves a good cause. We all want to fight for something, champion it, believe in it, and convince people of it. You need only to surf the web for a few minutes to stumble across somebody ranting about something or wanting to change how something is being done.
A Tribute to My Mother
My mother is one of the most amazing women I know. After my father died in 2011, she remained strong for the sake of her three children, making and selling Indonesian desserts known as “Lapet” and “Es Buah” to support us.
How A Facebook Contact Led Me to An Orphanage
Korea is a place that I’ve always wanted to visit—I’m a major fan of Korean dramas. Some would therefore say it’s a pleasant coincidence that I was sent to Seoul this year for a company meeting, but to me it was God answering my prayers.
When Passion Clashes with Obedience
Sometime in high school, I decided I had to do something about the political troubles in my country. I spent hours poring over the news, trying to get fully acquainted with the political complexities and their social consequences.
Are You “Unsuccessful” in Church?
You’re active in church. You’re there every Sunday morning, arriving early to arrange the chairs and set up the worship team’s equipment, or to help pick up disabled members from their homes and wheel them to their usual spots in the worship hall.
Treasures in Heaven
Poorly installed electric wiring caused a fire that burned down our newly built home. The flames leveled our house within an hour, leaving nothing but rubble. Another time, we returned home from church one Sunday to find our house had been broken into and some of our possessions stolen.
In our imperfect world, loss of material wealth is all too common—vehicles are stolen or crashed, ships sink, buildings crumble, homes are flooded, and personal belongings are stolen. This makes Jesus’ admonition not to put our trust in earthly wealth very meaningful (Matt. 6:19).
Jesus told a story of a man who accumulated…
Our inadequacies often distort our view of God
We live in a culture of comparison. Beneath our feelings that we don’t measure up to “so and so” is the fear that we don’t have what it takes. Do you feel uncomfortable when you’re told that “you’re beautiful in God’s eyes” because deep down you don’t really believe it?
Give It Away
Many charities that help people with various needs depend on donations of unwanted clothing and household items from those who have more than enough. And it’s good to give away unused things so they can benefit others. But we are often more reluctant to part with things of value that we use every day.
When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, he needed continuing encouragement and the companionship of trusted friends. Yet he sent two of his closest comrades to help the followers of Jesus in Philippi (Phil. 2:19-30). “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon .…
Consider the Poor
The year was 1780, and Robert Raikes had a burden for the poor, illiterate children in his London neighborhood. He noticed that nothing was being done to help these children, so he set out to make a difference.
He hired some women to set up schools for them on Sunday. Using the Bible as their textbook, the teachers taught the poorest children of London to read and introduced them to the wisdom of the Bible. Soon about 100 children were attending these classes and enjoying lunch in a safe, clean environment. These “Sunday schools,” as they were soon called, eventually touched…
Sharing Your Faith: What Not to Do
Christianity is contagious and yet, in this world of easy communication and hundreds of different beliefs, sharing the gospel with family, friends, dentists, garbage collectors, colleagues, enemies, taxi drivers, teammates or others can often go awry pretty quickly—without us even knowing why.
A Fragrance and a Letter
Every time I get close to a rosebush or a bouquet of flowers, I’m unable to resist the temptation to pull a flower toward my nose to savor the fragrance. The sweet aroma lifts up my heart and triggers good feelings within me.
Writing to the Christians in Corinth centuries ago, the apostle Paul says that because we belong to Christ, God “uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Cor. 2:14). Through His strength we can live a victorious life, exchanging our selfishness for His love and kindness and proclaiming the goodness of His salvation.…
Aylan’s Silent Scream
It was a picture that painted a thousand words: a photograph of a three-year-old Syrian boy, lying face down on a Turkish beach. His name was Aylan Kurdi. Last week, the world recoiled in horror and anguish over images of his lifeless body washed up on a beach in Bodrum.
Work as God originally created it
A lot of people live for the weekend, dragging in to work on Monday and counting down to Friday. But God wants us to have a different attitude about our work week.
Age Is Not a Factor
After owning and working at his dental lab for 50 years, Dave Bowman planned to retire and take it easy. Diabetes and heart surgery confirmed his decision. But when he heard about a group of young refugees from Sudan who needed help, he made a life-changing decision. He agreed to sponsor five of them.
As Dave learned more about these young Sudanese men, he discovered that they had never been to a doctor or a dentist. Then one day in church someone mentioned the verse, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). He couldn’t get the…
