Author: Nathan Smoyer, Logos Bible Software

Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a committed pacifist, left his native Germany in 1939 to avoid conscription, which would have entailed swearing an oath to Hitler and fighting in his army. He came to think of that decision as a sort of flight; after just four weeks, he returned to Germany on the last steamer to make the crossing. There he contributed bravely to the resistance; eventually captured, he was hanged on April 9, 1945. Bonhoeffer presents this remarkably orthodox theologian’s profound moral courage and extraordinary faith. FULL POST

Guest blogger: Bev Hislop

My mom was happy to see me. It had been months since we were together

We live on opposite sides of the continental USA.

Mom has severe dementia and I’m never sure if she will know who I am when I fly in to see her. I thought my visits would be beneficial to her — I so wanted to encourage her and bless her! But as it turned out, she blessed me in showing me what it’s like to live in the present.

Mom doesn’t live in the past or in the future. She is very much in the present.

Mom doesn’t live in the past or in the future. She is very much in the present. After she finished her first chocolate chip cookie, I asked if she wanted a 2nd cookie. She said, “Did I already have a cookie?” And she went on to explain how delicious this cookie was and how she was enjoying every morsel. She relished each bite as if it were the first. “I haven’t had a cookie like this before.” Each fragment was a new adventure and one she relished. FULL POST

Guest blogger: Kendra Smiley

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. — Proverbs 22:6

You may remember the news story out of California a couple of years ago. A woman was suing McDonald’s because her kids whined for Happy Meals. I have to admit; I found her lawyer’s comment priceless (and sad). “When she [the mother] tells them ‘no’ they become disrespectful and pout.” Whining and pouting became the grounds for a lawsuit. FULL POST

Guest blogger: Darlene Schacht

Rich beauty doesn't blossom over time unless the gardener is willing to till the soil, tend to the weeds and water each seedling as it grows. So it is with marriage. Those who stay the course with patience and humility reap the harvest of a strong and healthy marriage.

What are the things that a successful marriage requires?

What can we do to make positive change? And what are some ways that we can till the soil and water the land?

As much as some women prefer to avoid this fact, a successful marriage requires service and humility on our part. You're not going to hear that said too often around the water cooler. Instead you'll hear things like, "You have a right to be happy," and "Follow your heart." FULL POST

Author: Jayson Bradley, Logos Blog Content Manager

John Piper is a significant voice for evangelical Christianity.

In honor of Piper’s birthday, here are three reasons why he’s become so important.

1. He places a premium on faithfulness to Scripture

Whether you’re listening to a sermon or reading one of his books, you get the sense that Piper always begins with the biblical text. His affection for the Word is obvious and contagious. As Piper writes in The Supremacy of God in Preaching: FULL POST

Guest blogger: Leslie Nease

For the past month, they were celebrated.

People dressed them up, told stories around them, prayed near them, lit them up and hung precious family keepsakes on them. They stood tall, beautiful and lush.

Soon, they will be in a pile, stacked up, lying on their side with decorations taken off of them, lights stripped off and the only thing that is left from their month or so of glory is a few shiny tinsels left on the branches as they sit in the "recycle" pile, awaiting their destiny.

My heart broke as I saw the huge pile of used Christmas trees in a pile in my neighborhood. FULL POST

Author: Tayler Beede, Faithlife Women

As Logos celebrated the Lord Jesus Christ’s coming to dwell among us, it honored the glorious day by doing a Christmas Bible study during the month of December.

Today's post was written by a friend and co-worker, Jeffrey Kranz, who led several other Christimas Bible studies last month.

As we celebrated Christmas, many of us found our worlds brimming with reminders of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth: FULL POST

Guest blogger: Becky Harling

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. — Romans 15:13

Weeks ago before Christmas, my two little grandsons, Charlie and Tyler (3 years and 2 ½) were playing with the Fisher Price Manger set on my coffee table. After playing with the angel this last Christmas, baby Jesus and singing, “Away in the Manger”, Charlie and Ty grabbed their trucks and decided to deliver pizza to Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Great idea, don’t you think? Since there was no room in the inn, I’m guessing food was in short supply as well.

I doubt Joseph expected every hotel in town to be full.

Watching my grandsons play got me thinking about expectations. I’m guessing that when Mary imagined giving birth to the promised Messiah, she didn’t picture giving birth on a barn floor with the stench of animals filling the air. I doubt Joseph expected every hotel in town to be full. Wouldn’t you love to have a quiet conversation with Mary and Joseph and ask them how they handled their unmet expectations? Even though that first Christmas was far from perfect, we are told in Luke 2:19, that Mary treasured the whole experience in her heart. I think both she and Joseph were surprised by the hope that filled their hearts even though their birth experience was far from perfect. FULL POST

Guest blogger: Michele Cushatt

One minute ago, the hygienist took my twin five-year-olds and six-year-old to the back room of the dentist office. The room with reclining chairs, bright lights, intimidating metal instruments and a basket of stickers for children who don’t scream and flail at the prospect of a teeth cleaning.

I have twenty-nine minutes. Twenty-nine quiet minutes to write, write, write this post before my children come blazing back into the waiting room filling every nook and cranny of my life with the sounds of theirs.

Twenty-eight minutes. FULL POST

Author: Brandon Rappuhn, Logos Bible Software

If you're pastor and you're human, I know you've been in a similar crisis.

It’s Saturday night, and your preaching pastor or Sunday school teacher is sick / has a family emergency / is on a plane to Hawaii. And now you’re suddenly teaching in the morning. What do you do?

I’m going to show you how to build a memorable, powerful sermon with Logos 5’s new Sermon Starter Guide. Hopefully this will shave hours off your prep time—hours that you can spend with your family or give to other ministries in your church. FULL POST