Serving Bread

Would you pay $16 for two cups of espresso? I generally would not, but in Beirut, we did just that. We probably weren’t paying for the espresso itself, but instead for the prime real estate where we we were enjoying our coffee. Located in downtown Beirut across from the house of parliament, this cafe was [...]

See larger image Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian (Hardcover) By (author) John Piper List Price: $22.99 USD New From: $11.74 In Stock Used from: $11.65 In Stock In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, John Piper made his latest book, Bloodlines, available as a free pdf download. This work explores his journey [...]

A couple years ago, my dad sent me a website that showed a picture slideshow of Lebanon, revealing some of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen in my life. I had grown up and lived in Lebanon for 10 years and had not seen any of these sights in person. So I replied to his [...]

As a father, I have an emotional connection to the story of the desperate father in Mark 9. This man has probably done everything in his power to see his son healed from whatever disease or demonic power that has engulfed his son. So it would make sense for him to take his son to [...]

This past weekend, I had the privilege of officiating my second wedding. Both weddings I have officiated have been of former students of our ministry–they met in the InterVarsity ministry at CSUN and have sinced graduated and still continue in ministry. Performing weddings are not a part of my job description nor a part of [...]

I arrived at 7pm local time in Beirut, Lebanon, and it still feels surreal. I am not sure what to have expected upon landing in the country. I know Lebanese culture enough to understand people’s various mannerisms and values. Things are familiar on that front. My father and I grabbed dinner in downtown Beirut, across [...]

Does Jesus want people to understand his teachings and his purpose? And if so, what kind of people does he want to know who he is and what kind of posture should they have in response to him? Even the ones closest to Jesus don’t seem to understand him. The disciples are confused about what [...]

Tomorrow, I leave back to my motherland, Beirut, Lebanon, after 25 years. We left Beirut when I was 10 years old and save for a summer visit the following year, I have never been back. I had spent half of my childhood in the war torn country that in the 1980s had become the symbol [...]

My finances just surprised me. A few days ago, I got an email alert from my bank telling me that my checking account has come dangerously close $0. At first, I thought this email was some sort of spam that is asking me for my bank’s credentials. How on earth could I have neglected my [...]