Somewhere in the World One of my favorite stories in my faith journey begins with my praying momma. In 1985, Christian artist Wayne Watson released a song called Somewhere in the World. One lyric especially captured my mom’s heart: “And I don’t even know her name, but...
For days the discussions stretched late into the night. Drafts were written, revised, and intently analyzed. Words were chosen carefully. Diverse opinions had to be honored. Intense discussions arose from every corner of the room. Their decision here would pave the...
In the summer of 1925, a small courtroom in Dayton, Tennessee became the stage for one of the most consequential legal and cultural confrontations in American history. A high school biology teacher, John T. Scopes, was charged with violating Tennessee’s Butler...
A few years ago, I spoke at a faith-and-work event here in Indianapolis. It was a day-long gathering filled with popular speakers talking about God’s work through the business world—tech CEOs, entrepreneurs, sports personalities…and me. I had 13 minutes to talk about...
I found myself in a recent conversation that felt heavier than I expected. It started casually. Coffee. Catching up. A friend talking about faith, culture, and the state of the world. At some point, the word radical came up. He said Christianity was supposed to be...
A couple of months back, my wife and I were enjoying a rare, peaceful midweek moment in the living room, most likely running on fumes after a full day of teaching preschoolers for my wife and chasing the rush of everyday life. In walked our 17-year-old son, RJ, the...
“Please, do not pray that we will not suffer. Pray that we will have boldness and courage to share the gospel.” These were the words our African brothers spoke to us as we left their radical Muslim hometown. Their families had tried to kill them on multiple...
Most of us genuinely believe in the power of the gospel. We have experienced it. We have watched it touch parts of our lives that no self-help book ever could. Some of us can even point to the exact moment Jesus interrupted our story. But believing the gospel and...
A few weeks ago I stumbled across a strange piece of TV history. Something I still can’t fully wrap my head around. During the first two seasons of The Flintstones, the show was sponsored by Winston Cigarettes. Yes, that Flintstones. Fred and Barney. Yabba-dabba-doo....
Back when I began this whole Missional Marketplace journey, I attended a faith and work conference in New York. The event drew attendees from all over the country and from a wide variety of faith backgrounds and denominational affiliations. The conference was...
What Is Your Daily Work REALLY Saying About God? Most marketplace believers have spent years feeling spiritually invisible from 9 to 5. Dr. Allen Tennisen, chief theologian for the Assemblies of God, makes the biblical case that your job isn't just a way to fund...
A Baptism That Changed Everything Picture this: a single man standing in a small inlet of the Indian Ocean, about to be baptized. It sounds like a simple moment, maybe even ordinary. But this baptism was anything but ordinary. This young man was the first known...
The Lunch Tray That Changed Everything Picture a school lunch tray. You know the one: rigid compartments keeping the mashed potatoes far away from the fruit cup, the main course separated from the dessert. For many of us, this tray has become an unintentional...