Philip Yancey is one of the most popular writers in all of Christian publishing. His 20 books, with titles like What's So Amazing About Grace?, Where is God When it Hurts?, Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference?, and Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church have sold more than 5 million copies. He is also an editor-at-large for Christianity Today magazine. He was interviewed by Dean Nelson (DN), Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) journalism professor, at PLNU's annual Writer's Symposium By The Sea.

The ranks of persecuted Christians continue to grow. But so does the size of the church-especially in the Horn of Africa.

Early church theologian and apologist, Tertullian, said, "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." He meant that the number of Christians seems to increase when persecution escalates.

Tertullian's quip is true of the Horn of Africa. The Church of the Nazarene is growing fast in the Horn of Africa. Locals estimate that 90 percent of evangelically oriented Christians are Nazarene in some areas where persecution is the greatest.

Within two hours of beginning our trip, I knew my friends and I had finally grown up.

Last summer, we celebrated our 40th birthdays by performing all six elements of the Tim McGraw song, "Live Like You're Dying." This song is set up as a letter from a guy who realizes life is too short. The chorus elicits adventure in the face of soulless security, a message sure to resonate with about 8 million people to hit age 40 by decade's end, according to the U.S. Census.

The denomination's Centennial Celebration that took place October 5 included 18,000 Nazarene churches in all 24 time zones. In many churches, celebratory events spanned the days and weeks before and after October 5.

Desperation is not often a good thing.

For instance, we should never fill a position in the church or even in a corporate setting out of sheer desperation. This can lead to a short-term fix that causes great disruption in the long run. Desperation can give way to a fear-based approach that sets a dire tone for the direction of an organization.

However, there is a kind of desperation that is positive and can lead to a sharp focus and a tenacity that seeks to quench spiritual hunger and thirst regardless of the cost.

As I watched the news about the conflict in Iraq, I wondered if I would get a phone call. Sure enough, it came in January 2004: "Colonel Morsch, sir, we've received orders on you, and you're being sent to Iraq." I met with my co-workers to prepare for my deployment.

Growing up, I had a deeply ingrained mental list of all the things I wasn’t supposed to do. I was not allowed to swear or use other “questionable” words. Even though I knew swearing wasn’t allowed, I was seriously reprimanded when my mom heard me utter a bad word after missing a shot in the neighborhood basketball game. I also knew that I was not allowed to smoke. I was told, and really believed, that God would strike me with a lightning bolt if I even tried a cigarette. I had a clear understanding of curfew and knew that good grades were a priority.

Characteristics of Emerging Adults

The six people sitting across from me were so powerful that it was illegal for them to be in the same room. They had to get special permission from the government to meet. And yet, here they were in a Warner Brothers board room, six of the most influential people in television: the network vice presidents in charge of programming. Five men and one woman sat along an oak table framed by a television screen the size of Kentucky on the wall behind them.

"When you're on the mission field, do you do anything besides travel around and eat?"