Phil Vischer was just 22 when he launched an animated kids show starring a cast of talking vegetables. That was 1989. Today, those talking veggies are the stars of the globally renowned VeggieTales series. In this interview Phil talks candidly about the rise and fall of his company, and the lessons he learned about dreams, success, failure and God. More…

If you’re anything like me, you've probably been in a reflective mood as the New Year begins, contemplating all you’d like to achieve in 2016. I've spent the last few weeks pondering not just my goals for the year ahead, but re-thinking my life mission and what I'd like to achieve in my time on earth. Here's three great exercises that can help you do something similar. More…

The story of the Wise Men following a star to find the Christ child is one of the most retold stories at Christmas time. And for good reason. Beyond being a nice tale, it can be a paradigm for discovering a rich spiritual life. Many people have subscribed to my blog since this talk was first posted two years ago, so I share it again for you and the spiritual seekers in your life. More…

Frank Sinatra will forever be remembered for the song My Way, even though he hated it. The same thing happens to celebrities and politicians all the time as one song, controversy or policy failure becomes lodged in public memory. But there is more to them than that. And there is more to you than others see. In fact, there's more to you than you can imagine. More…

It's easy to feel insignificant in a world that values power and popularity. It's easy to feel weak in a world with so much violence. In this keynote talk I share the stories of a KKK leader, a black preacher, a seventh-century farmhand, and one of my own humiliating moments (ouch!) to suggest that Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is the ultimate guide to resilient living. When he's in the picture the insignificant become blessed, the small become great, hate becomes love, and weakness becomes strength. More…

Cynical, nihilist, commitment-phobic, dispassionate. Perhaps no age-group in history has had more negative labels attached to it than Generation X: that often ignored 'middle child' generation between the Baby Boomers and Millennials. As a Gen-Xer myself, I want to shout "We're better than you think!" But as I share in this BBC Pause for Thought segment, while many Gen-X stereotypes are exaggerated, one in particular is true. Thankfully, however, there's a remedy for it. More…

According to research, most French Islamists come from non-religious families. They are former secularists who are drawn into jihadist religion searching for meaning and purpose for their lives and a grand cause to live for. This is a desire every human being has - a desire secular society fails to fulfill - which leaves jihadists and others free to fill the void. But there's an even more radical way to meet this longing. More…

The stories come almost every day: terror groups like ISIS destroying lives and using every form of intimidation to get implement their radical vision for the world. How should we respond? I believe Jesus has something powerful to say to the problem, but his words need to be carefully understood before being applied. More…

I've never had much of a taste for beer. I know some see beer as such a societal menace, it's not worth talking about too. But keep this in mind: the first breweries were started by Christians to provide a healthy alternative to either drinking dirty water or getting drunk on gin, and the very existence of beer speaks of the generosity and creativity of God. I explored this in a BBC Radio 2 segment recently. Take a listen. More…

When people ask me what personal discoveries I made reading the Sermon on the Mount every day for a month (then two months, then three), I mention the fact this famous speech is ultimately about resilience, that praying the Lord's Prayer can be a powerful daily exercise, and that I was surprised how practical his teaching on relationships is. Jesus exposes the four main forces that destroy relationship and gives practical direction on how to overcome each one. Here's an overview. More…