Jacob had problems. And they were of his own making. He had deceived his father, Isaac, and stolen his brother Esau's blessing.

This did not make Esau happy. In fact, he was murderously unhappy with Jacob. So, on his mother's recommendation, Jacob decided that it was time to beat a hasty retreat from his home.

What follows shows...

Sometimes people think that God doesn't care. They feel like people don't really matter to God. Thoughts like this begin with natural questions...

Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why such great poverty? Why the illnesses and the natural disasters? Surely, if God is real, and truly as powerful as the Bible claims he is, he...

I don't know about you, but I wish I could stop being so shaky. I don't always make good decisions. I sometimes choose my next steps based on fear and avoidance of pain, rather than faith and fulfillment of my life's purpose. And when it comes to my faith, I find it far more convenient to rely on myself than depend on Jesus. It's just easier...

Anguish is defined by Merriam-Webster as "extreme pain, distress or anxiety."

You've been there. So have I.

We experience a loss. Maybe it's a loved one, or a treasured possession, or a capability we once possessed. It's painful.

We come under attack. Perhaps it's an attack on our health by a disease or injury. Maybe it's a...

Some people in Jesus' day clearly thought that Jesus had come to abolish all the rules. For some, I'm sure, this was great. Because they were feeling horribly burdened by the rules.

I might empathize with this. In the 3rd century AD, the rabbi Simlai is said to have counted 613 various commandments that had been given to the Israelites...