Emily Bronte, in her poem Fall, Leaves, Fall, writes: Every leaf speaks bliss to meFluttering from the autumn tree.  Here in Oregon, as I write this, autumn has come and (nearly) gone. Leaves are aground wherever one looks––golden yellow, ochre red, and a million hues besides. Each one tells a...

No one is answering. Andy Hausted and Karla Martinez stand before a door refusing to open up. As Andy looks around, he notices two people in the backyard sitting on couches in a sort of outside porch area. The current ARISE Cornerstone track is making itself known for their energy...

At the core of the Old Testament is what theologians call the biblical covenant. In other words, it’s a relationship, fellowship time, or… chill-time, or hanging out. It’s in the foundation of every sanctuary offering, every patriarch’s command, and every prophetic utterance. In turn, the core of the New Testament...

I ascended the dark stairway at my childhood home to retrieve a toy I knew was in the upstairs closet for one of my children. As the creak of the steps sounded beneath my weight, memories from my childhood came rushing back. I reached the summit of the staircase and...

As many of you know, we have a group of ARISE graduates that are part of a yearlong internship program. They are actively engaged in frontline ministry. They are serving in local churches, giving Bible studies in the community, conducting training for the laity, organizing small groups, visiting backsliders, integrating...

[ABOVE: Photo of a fractal riverbed. Fractals are naturally occurring, self-similar patterns that are very complex and incalculably detailed. While they may appear to be random and chaotic at their initial formation, they exhibit an array of beautiful complexity when fully developed.] In the fourteenth chapter of the Book of...

Wow, I was so blessed by David's “world” that I’d like to expand the vision to the church. In my world, the church would be a place in which Jesus is the one Truth that gives meaning and heart and healing significance to all other truths. In my world, church...

In my world, there would be no sexual slave trade, because there would be no customers. In my world, there would be no promising politicians, because people would be too informed and intelligent to believe them. In my world, there would be no illegal drug use or trafficking, because people...

Here’s some raw data that ought to blow your mind, make you want to cry, and arouse your suspicions all at once: “According to the UN Environment Program, the earth is in the midst of a mass extinction of life. Scientists estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird and...

I distinctively remember my General Relativity classes. Every one of them was a joyful experience, and yet I often came home frustrated because I hadn't understood a particular equation, mathematical reasoning or structure that day. Even so, the feeling of anticipation was nearly overwhelming. A great and beautiful mystery was...

Quick: what do Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, and Jimmy Swaggart all have in common? Answer: they’ve all made my life harder. At various times, and in various ways, they all succeeded in sullying my profession, my faith, and, worst of all, my Savior. (He’s their Savior too, of course!) They...

Someone told me that someone had a friend who was told by someone else that, “ARISE Bible workers don’t get results.” Sure, a rumor is a rumor, but the alleged statement does actually raise an important question, one that I’ve been asking for more than a decade: What is ARISE...