Illustration: Prayer, Blessing

A Christian farmer spent the day in the city. In a restaurant for his meal, he sat near a group of young men. After he bowed his head to give thanks for his food, one of the young men thought he would embarrass the old gentleman.

Fast Living

From 1981 to 2005, the percentage of the world's population living in extreme poverty (living on less than $1 a day) dropped from 52 percent to 26 percent. Now, says Scott Todd in his book Fast Living (Compassion International)...

The Heart of the Story

The Bible is a grand narrative, and in The Heart of the Story (Zondervan), pastor Randy Frazee navigates readers through the entire arc of the biblical story in a way that increases their understanding and helps them grasp its relevance to their own lives.

Hurt 2.0

Chap Clark is one of the key thinkers and writers in the area of youth ministry, and Hurt 2.0 (Baker Academic) is an important update of his original book which explored today's youth culture.

Preaching as Worship

Michael Quicke is one of the most insightful writers in homiletics these days, so his newest book Preaching as Worship (Baker Books) is one that every serious student of preaching will want to consult.

Illustration: Faith, Eagle

After watching the bald eagle in flight, some people are surprised to learn that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the wild turkey the American national bird. While turkeys are beautiful in their own way, they cannot soar as can eagles. It is the eagle's seven-foot wingspan and 7,000 lightweight feathers that allow it to rise thousands of feet into the air with seemingly no effort.

Illustration: Good News, Bad News; Power

A large, two-engined train was making its way across America. While crossing the Western mountains, one of the engines broke down. "No problem, we can make it to Denver and get a replacement engine there," the engineer thought, and carried on at half power. Farther on down the line (if you didn't guess by now), the other engine broke down, and the train came to a standstill in the middle of nowhere.