“Hey, Steve!” a cheerful voice called out behind me among the towering displays inside Walmart. I turned and saw a bright smile I had not seen in quite some time—one of our former summer campers from over a decade ago. I smiled and greeted her as she approached. The timing was both inconvenient and perfect. I was nine hours into my twelve-hour workday, feeling exhausted, but in a rush because I still had so much to do. Her joy and excitement, however, compelled me to stop an

We’re stronger when we work together. In Ecclesiastes 4:12, the kingdom of God is compared to a rope, not a chain. With a chain, if the weakest link breaks, it renders the other links useless. But with a three-strand rope, each cord is entwined with the others, making every piece stronger than it could ever be alone. When we as believers work together in our various ministries, callings, and professions, we make each other more effective. This is why my wife Jen and I are act

Bright lights, tinny music, and squeals of delight filled the evening atmosphere while the scent of funnel cakes and roasted corn drifted through the crowd at the Colfax Free Fair in nearby Ellenboro. I smiled as I maneuvered through the throng. I wasn’t here for the rides, the food, or the games. I was here for the people. I spoke with campers from last summer, local politicians running for re-election, and business people who support our ministry. A young man in his mid-twe

Have you ever looked at the figures in a nativity set and thought about the strange scene? You’ve got animals and angels, magi and a manger, shepherds and a Savior. These are some interesting characters for sure. It makes for a great story, but this is not just a story on display. This is Love on display. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…” John 3:16. The nativity scene shows us rich and poor, young and old, natives and foreigners—everybody is in

When I knelt down at the front of the church to pray on a Wednesday night in the Spring of 1992, I had no idea that the entire course of my life was about to change. As I prayed, I was suddenly interrupted by God. It wasn’t an audible voice, but in my soul it was just as clear: “Go to Uplift Mountain.” Two years earlier, at the age of fifteen, I’d spent my summer at this camp in Colorado. Now, on the verge of finishing high school, my parents had taught me to discern the voic