Although neuroscience has made great progress in understanding how the brain works scientist admit they rsquo re still in the early stages of understanding it They understand brain architecture some aspects of its function and regions that respond to environment activate our senses and generate movements and contain emotions But they still can rsquo t figure out how all these interactions contribute to behavior perception and memory God rsquo s incredibly complex created masterpiece mdash humanity mdash is still mysterious David acknowledged the marvels of the human body Using figurative language he celebrated God rsquo s power evidenced by His [... more]

On July scientists awaited the first images of deepest space from the new James Webb Space Telescope The state-of-the-art telescope can look farther into the universe than mankind has ever looked before Suddenly a breathtaking image emerges a color space-scape of the Carina Nebula never before seen like this One NASA astronomer quoted Carl Sagan a noted atheist ldquo Somewhere something incredible is waiting rdquo Sometimes people can look God in the eye and not see Him But the psalmist David looked into the sky and knew exactly what he was seeing ldquo You have set your glory in the [... more]

Decades ago I went to a college retreat where everyone was talking about a personality test ldquo I rsquo m an ISTJ rdquo one said ldquo I rsquo m an ENFP rdquo another chirped I was mystified ldquo I rsquo m an ABCXYZ rdquo I joked nbsp Since then I rsquo ve learned a lot about that test the Myers-Briggs and others such as the DiSC I find them fascinating because they can help us understand ourselves and others in helpful revealing ways mdash shedding light on our preferences strengths and weaknesses Provided we don rsquo t overuse them they [... more]

My friend Raleigh is sprinting toward his eighty-fifth birthday Since my first conversation with him more than thirty-five years ago he rsquo s been a source of inspiration When he recently mentioned that since retiring he rsquo d completed a book manuscript and started another ministry initiative mdash I was intrigued but not surprised nbsp At eighty-five Caleb in the Bible wasn rsquo t ready to stop either His faith and devotion to God had sustained him through decades of wilderness living and wars to secure the inheritance God had promised Israel He said ldquo I am still as strong [... more]

A video of a dad comforting his two-month-old son while the baby received his routine vaccinations garnered international attention for the way it captured a dad rsquo s love for his child After the nurse finished administering the vaccinations the dad tenderly held his son close to his cheek and the boy stopped sobbing within seconds There is almost nothing more reassuring than the tender care of a loving parent In Scripture there are many beautiful descriptions of God as a loving parent images that invoke God rsquo s deep love for His children Old Testament prophet Hosea was given [... more]

At my new school near a large city the guidance counselor took one look at me and placed me in the lowest performing English composition class I rsquo d arrived from my inner-city school with outstanding test scores excellent grades and even a principal rsquo s award for my writing The door to the ldquo best rdquo writing class in my new school was closed to me however when the counselor decided I wasn rsquo t right or ready The church in ancient Philadelphia would rsquo ve understood such arbitrary setbacks A small and humble church its city had suffered [... more]

A mail carrier became concerned after seeing one of her customers rsquo mail pile up The postal worker knew the elderly woman lived alone and usually picked up her mail every day Making a wise choice the worker mentioned her concern to one of the woman rsquo s neighbors This neighbor alerted yet another neighbor who had a spare key to the woman rsquo s home Together they entered their friend rsquo s home and found her lying on the floor She had fallen four days earlier and couldn rsquo t get up or call for help The postal worker [... more]

Too often we follow our sinful desires mentally justifying our lusts King David's enemies drove him to thirst after God rather than his own desires In this message Pastor Lutzer notes three ways David was driven to be closer to the Lord What brings us to the point of saying Only God can meet my ultimate needs This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount Get yours at rtwoffer com or call us at - - - [... more]

When a single mother had to find work to take care of her family in the s she took on typing jobs The only issue was that she wasn rsquo t a very good typist and kept making mistakes She looked for ways to cover up her errors and eventually created what rsquo s known as Liquid Paper a white correction fluid used to cover-up typing errors Once it dries you can type over the cover-up as if there were no errors Jesus offers us an infinitely more powerful and important way to deal with our sin mdash no cover-up [... more]

We make plans regularly whether for big events or daily schedules Plans generally help us stay organized and be properly prepared But when does planning become presumptuous Hear Scripture's answer when you listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg ----------------------------------------- Click here and look for FROM THE SERMON to stream or read the full message This program is part of the series 'A Study in James Volume Warnings against Worldliness ' Learn more about our current resource request your copy with a donation of any amount Helpful Resources - Learn about God's salvation plan - Read our most recent [... more]

A man owned more than million in bitcoin but he couldn rsquo t access a cent of it He lost the password for the device storing his funds and disaster loomed after ten password attempts the device would self-destruct A fortune lost forever For a decade the man had agonized desperately trying to recall the password to his life-altering investment He tried eight passwords and failed eight times In he lamented that he had just two more chances before it all went up in smoke We rsquo re a forgetful people Sometimes we forget small things where we placed our [... more]

Just one Sunday after I rsquo d started working as a youth leader at a church and had met several of the young people I spoke to a teen seated next to her mom As I greeted the shy girl with a smile I said her name and asked how she was doing She lifted her head and her beautiful brown eyes widened She too smiled and said in a small voice ldquo You remembered my name rdquo By simply calling that young girl by name mdash a girl who may have felt insignificant in a church filled with adults [... more]

Chuck an actor and martial artist honored his mother on her hundredth birthday by sharing how instrumental she rsquo d been in his spiritual transformation ldquo Mom has been an example of perseverance and faith rdquo he wrote She raised three boys on her own during the Great Depression suffered the death of two spouses a son a stepson and grandchildren and endured many surgeries ldquo She has prayed for me all my life through thick and thin rdquo He continued ldquo When nearly losing my soul to Hollywood she was back home praying for my success and salvation rdquo [... more]

I frowned at my cellphone and sighed Worry wrinkled my brow A friend and I had had a serious disagreement over an issue with our children and I knew I needed to call her and apologize I didn rsquo t want to do it because our viewpoints were still in conflict yet I knew I hadn rsquo t been kind or humble the last time we discussed the matter Anticipating the phone call I wondered What if she doesn rsquo t forgive me What if she doesn rsquo t want to continue our friendship Just then lyrics to a song [... more]

We may never understand why we must suffer Job was never completely told why but he learned to believe God would meet the deepest needs of his heart In this message we consider three lessons to soothe a suffering heart Can we trust God even in those areas where we see no purpose whatsoever This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount Get yours at rtwoffer com or call us at - - - [... more]

We were not created to bear the load of all the anxiety we carry In the middle of his unpredictable suffering Job heard the voice of God in a whirlwind In this message Job realized how he'd underestimated God and overestimated himself If we're going through unspeakable pain we too must listen to God's voice amid our anxious thoughts This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount Get yours at rtwoffer com or call us at - - - [... more]

No one is exempt from suffering in this life not even believers When the painful circumstances of life arise depression falls upon the human soul In this message we hear four sighs of the soul from a depth of pain to which we all can relate Why did Job feel God had abandoned him This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount Get yours at rtwoffer com or call us at - - - [... more]

Sometimes well-meaning friends can do more harm than good Job's friends sat down with him in his pain In this message we're introduced to three of Job's comforters through their lengthy speeches right in many ways yet limited in understanding How might a friend go wrong when reflecting on God's ways in suffering This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount Get yours at rtwoffer com or call us at - - - [... more]

When we experience loss outside our control the pain can seem senseless Yet as Job found long ago God has a supreme purpose in our suffering In this message we discover four essential lessons for our present or future suffering Is it possible to worship God without any explanation This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount Get yours at rtwoffer com or call us at - - - [... more]

ldquo Tell all the truth but tell it slant rdquo the poet Emily Dickinson wrote suggesting that because God rsquo s truth and glory is far ldquo too bright rdquo for vulnerable human beings to understand or receive all at once it rsquo s best for us to receive and share God rsquo s grace and truth in ldquo slant rdquo mdash gentle indirect mdash ways For ldquo the Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be blind rdquo The apostle Paul made a similar argument in Ephesians when he urged believers to be ldquo completely humble and gentle rdquo [... more]

A Colorado mother proved she would stop at nothing to protect her child Her five-year-old son was playing outside when she heard him screaming She rushed outside and to her horror saw that her son had an unexpected ldquo playmate rdquo mdash a mountain lion The large cat was on top of her son with his head in its mouth The mother summoned her inner mamma grizzly to fight off the lion and pry open its jaws to rescue her son This mother rsquo s heroic actions remind us of how motherhood is used in Scripture to illustrate God rsquo [... more]

I love a good game of Scrabble After one particular game my friends named a move after me mdash calling it a ldquo Katara rdquo I rsquo d been trailing the entire game but at the end of it mdash with no tiles left in the bag mdash I made a seven-letter word This meant the game was over and I received fifty bonus points as well as all the points from all of my opponents rsquo leftover tiles moving me from last place to first Now whenever we play and someone is trailing they remember what happened and hold [... more]

When I was shopping for engagement rings I spent many hours looking for exactly the right diamond I was plagued by the question What if I miss the best one According to economic psychologist Barry Schwartz my chronic indecision indicates that I am what Schwartz calls a maximizer in contrast to a satisficer A satisficer makes choices based on whether something is adequate for their needs Maximizers We guilty have a need to always make the best choice The potential outcome of our indecision in the face of many choices Anxiety depression and discontent In fact sociologists have coined another [... more]

When God judges His people His question is clear Don't you see how serious your sin is Turn to me Great deception took hold in ancient Israel leading to idolatry and judgment The same deception infects our thinking today In this message Pastor Lutzer identifies four crossroads where America chose the wrong direction calling darkness light Let's discover why we can hope in God despite the direction of our nation's morality and spiritual state Click here to listen Duration [... more]

No one who stands against God will ultimately win God's plan for the devil involves unlimited torment in a lake of fire that will never go out In this message we'll identify five characteristics of hell prepared for the devil and his angels Let's take a sobering look at the ultimate punishment for rebellion against a holy God Click here to listen Duration [... more]

The Bible says Satan is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour But he can't get in unless the door is open In this message we conclude an overview of ten doors where Satan harasses us Pastor Lutzer offers five truths to overcome the enemy's attacks and not allow any foothold We can walk in the light by putting on the full armor of God and completely submitting to Him Click here to listen Duration [... more]

I helped my elderly dog Wilson out to the grass and in the process released the leash of our younger dog Coach for just a minute As I bent to pick up Coach rsquo s lead he spied a bunny Off he went ripping the leash from my right hand and corkscrewing my ring finger in the process I fell to the grass and cried out in pain After returning from urgent care and learning I rsquo d need surgery I begged God for help ldquo I rsquo m a writer How will I type What about my daily duties [... more]

What began as a simple spring nature walk turned into something special as my wife and I trekked along our hometown rsquo s Grand River We noticed some familiar ldquo friends rdquo on a log in the rippling water mdash five or six large turtles basking in the sun Sue and I smiled at the amazing sight of these reptiles which we hadn rsquo t seen for many months We were delighted that they were back and we celebrated a moment of joy in God rsquo s magnificent creation God took Job on quite a nature walk see Job The [... more]

For six years a woman tried to make herself the ldquo perfect minister rsquo s wife rdquo modeling herself after her adored mother-in-law also a pastor rsquo s wife She thought that in this role she couldn rsquo t also be a writer and painter but in burying her creativity she became depressed and contemplated suicide Only the help of a neighboring pastor moved her out of the darkness as he prayed with her and assigned her two hours of writing each morning This awakened her to what she called her ldquo sealed orders rdquo mdash the calling God had [... more]

We trekked deeper and deeper into the forest venturing farther and farther away from the village at Yunnan Province China After an hour or so we heard the deafening roar of the water Quickening our steps we soon reached a clearing and were greeted by a beautiful view of a curtain of white water cascading over the gray rocks Spectacular Our hiking companions who lived in the village we had left an hour earlier decided that we should have a picnic Great idea but where was the food We hadn rsquo t brought any My friends disappeared into the surrounding [... more]

As I drove home after lunch with my best friend I thanked God out loud for her She knows me and loves me in spite of things I don rsquo t love about myself She rsquo s one of a small circle of people who accept me as I am mdash my quirks habits and screw-ups Still there are parts of my story I resist sharing even with her and others that I love mdash times where I rsquo ve clearly not been the hero times I rsquo ve been judgmental or unkind or unloving But God does know my [... more]

Needles milk mushrooms elevators births bees and bees in blenders mdash these are just a fraction of the many phobias attributed to Mr Adrian Monk detective and title character of the TV show Monk But when he and long-time rival Harold Krenshaw find themselves locked in a car trunk Monk has a breakthrough that allows him to cross at least one fear off the list mdash claustrophobia nbsp nbsp It rsquo s while Monk and Harold are both panicking that the epiphany comes abruptly interrupting Monk rsquo s angst ldquo I think we rsquo ve been looking at this the [... more]

ldquo God is crying rdquo Those were the words whispered by Bill Haley rsquo s ten-year-old daughter as she stood in the rain with a group of multiethnic believers in Jesus They had come to Virginia rsquo s Shenandoah Valley to seek God and make sense of the legacy of racial discord in America As they stood on the grounds where former slaves were buried they joined hands in prayer Then suddenly the wind began to blow and it started to rain As the leader called out for racial healing the rain began to fall even harder Those gathered believed [... more]

When their bank accidentally deposited into their account a couple went on a shopping spree They purchased an SUV camper and two four-wheelers in addition to paying off bills Discovering the deposit error the bank told the couple to return the money Unfortunately the husband and wife had already spent it They were then charged with felony theft When the couple arrived at the local court the husband said to a reporter ldquo We took some bad legal advice rdquo The two learned that following bad advice and spending what wasn rsquo t theirs could lead to making a mess [... more]

South African Fredie Blom turned in widely recognized as the oldest living man Born in the year the Wright Brothers built their Flyer II he rsquo s lived through both World Wars apartheid and the Great Depression When asked for the secret for his longevity Blom only shrugs Like many of us he hasn rsquo t always chosen the foods and practices that promote wellness However Blom does offer one reason for his remarkable health ldquo There rsquo s only one thing it rsquo s God He rsquo s got all the power He holds me rdquo Blom echoes words [... more]

When my grown son faced a difficult situation I reminded him about God rsquo s constant care and provision during his dad rsquo s year of unemployment I recounted the times God strengthened our family and gave us peace while my mom fought and lost her battle with leukemia Highlighting the stories of God rsquo s faithfulness stitched into Scripture I affirmed He was good at keeping His word I led my son down our family rsquo s God-paved memory lane reminding him about the ways He remained reliable through our valley and mountaintop moments Whether we were struggling or [... more]