Take some time and evaluate your life to see if you need to do some spiritual math today.

Much like the dark side of the moon, when we as Christian's walk through a dark time there is nothing magnificent or beautiful about it. But when the Son shines his light on our darkness, transformation begins and the beauty of our faith begins to shine once again!

We all go through periods of "dryness" in our spiritual lives, those times in the dry desert when we feel empty, alone, and far from God. Though it may seem counter-intuitive, the remedy for spiritual dryness is  quite simple.

There is nothing casual or superficial about following Jesus. We are called to be devoted, but it is hard to be deeply devoted without a significant devotional life. What are you doing to practice devotion to Christ in your life?

Do you ever have those nights when you spend long periods wide awake... and anxious? Our problems seem more unmanageable in the middle of the night; but there is a more important truth to remember. The "Night Watchman" is keeping watch over our souls.

A few weeks ago, I moved… again. As an itinerant pastor, I have moved numerous times, and though I no longer pastor a church, I am pretty sure I will move again. There was nothing special about this one. We reserved a big moving truck, went through all our things, threw a lot away, gave to charity, and packed all we could into boxes. Eventually, we loaded everything onto the truck, drove to our destination, unloaded, and begun to unpack in our new home.

Have you ever experienced a day when everything seemed to go wrong? Perhaps your tire went flat in the middle of the road and then it started raining. Perhaps your paycheck didn't stretch to the end of the month, and to make matters worse, unforeseen expenses added extreme pressure. Maybe you were hit with the dreadful “C-word” diagnosis — cancer. Every day we are hit with bad news, big or small, but some days it seems to pile up. How can we overcome days such as these?

Devoted is a powerful word. It speaks of character, commitment, and integrity. This word can be misappropriated to be sure, but being devoted is something strong and significant. Being devoted is good, though it may not have a good application or a good end if one is devoted to the wrong thing. Being devoted to an evil leader, ideology, belief system, or an evil desire – like greed or selfishness – is obviously not a good thing, but devotion in itself is powerful and laudable.

A couple months ago, I awoke to half my face drooping like someone turned off the switch on all my facial muscles. After a quick visit to the doctor, I received my diagnosis: Bell’s Palsy. Fortunately, with the help of some medicine and a few small changes in my habits (like drinking coffee through a straw and wearing an eyepatch), not much has changed in my life. My recovery was quick; a couple weeks passed, and the physical side effects of Bell’s Palsy had completely worn off. I really looked fine.

ILI President, Wes Griffin, brings a live update on the Train a Leader campaign while he travels to meet with ILI alumni from the west coast in the USA.

When we talk about the risen Christ, we often use the term “nail-scarred hands.” Any picture or movie of the resurrected Jesus will include the scars from the nails that pierced His hands and feet, as well as the wound in His side. The remnants of Jesus’ crucifixion wounds are significant in the scriptures, but they are also significant in our own lives.

Love is part of being human. After all, we were created in God’s image, and God is love. We love and are happier for it, but at the same time, every form of love carries some level of danger. But is this dangerous love worth the risk?