The run up to our annual Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction is always a very hectic time here at FaithSearch—so much so that my co-laborers have often heard me lament that it is my least favorite time of the year. It is also a very important time of the year, as the event enables a large part of our ministry budget. It also celebrates highlights of the ministry year and anticipates another year of active service in the mission God has called us to: “Proclaiming the Gospel with Evidence to All Peoples Everywhere.”

As they say, “No pressure.” Right!

As I was preparing to lead staff devotions on Wednesday, I happened to read a devotional by Charles Spurgeon, based on 1 John 4:13. Spurgeon was a nineteenth century pastor in London, known as the “Prince of Preachers.” He was also a prolific writer.

This devotional focuses on John’s discussion of love, as in “God is love” and draws out the argument that we “abide in Him.” (Read the complete devotional.)

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After nearly a year of schedule juggling and mid-stream retooling, I finally finished editing the video from the 2013 Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction.

The annual event was held on 27 April 2013, at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN. This year’s gathering featured the return of international award-winning illusionist Adrian Van Vactor (Web site), and was hosted by emcee Dr. Irv Woolf, director of the National Coalition for Purity (Web site).

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Each year, we seek the Lord for direction in choosing our annual Benefit Dinner’s theme. Sometimes we struggle to discern a direction at all; others we can’t decide among multiple options. Eventually, God does what only He can do: builds unity out of uncertainty; anticipation from anxiety; peace from panic.

Each time we recognize with the acuity of hindsight that He has carefully and precisely woven the circumstances, the timing, and our hearts, to bring us to a beautiful place. This year is yet another opportunity for praise. Our theme this year is taken from Luke 5:5-8:

“As you say… Lord!”

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My ministry here at FaithSearch is by and large behind the scenes. I’m not usually the one out front bringing the Gospel with evidence to people around the world. I produce stuff (books, DVDs, PowerPoint^® presentations, newsletters, etc.) which are used in the ministry, but I don’t always get to see or experience them in action.

On occasion, however, I am quite emphatically blessed to hear how I am intimately involved in making a difference—most often without having been previously aware of it. That’s what happened Wednesday. [Read more…]

At last! We received our shipment of the newly revised, THIRD Edition of Surprised by Faith. I’m very happy with how it turned out, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Now we will begin using it to continue proclaiming the Gospel with evidence.

For fun, here’s  a little video I made about the “birth” of the book as it comes out of the bindery.

There are new features in this edition, including:

• Updated scientific and historical evidence, particularly the analysis of the relative number of manuscripts among various recognized documents from antiquity;
• New material on the nature of faith;
• Transition material between the chapters, highlighting the “Ah-ha!” discoveries along the way. This ties the book more closely to the FaithSearch Discovery presentation, for which it is the text.

If you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you to do so. We hear time and again from people who say, “I wish someone had told me this earlier!” And the most common comment after our events presenting this material is, “I wish I had known how powerful and good this would be; I would have brought my friends.” Check out our calendar for an event near you, and bring your friends.

Thanks for making it possible for me to work on this and other projects here at FaithSearch.