Wayfarer

Luke begins his version of Jesus’ story by telling us that God’s glory no longer lives in a golden box inside a temple. God has moved out of the temple and into the neighborhood. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

God’s hand is often most present not in spectacle but in faithful people who quietly use whatever influence they have for the good of others. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 10. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Esther isn’t just a story of survival. It’s a story of  reversal . A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 9. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Both Mordecai and Esther have no control over the culture of the foreign Persian Empire in which they live. In this game of thrones, they found themselves having to shift, adapt, and learn to live under very different cultures and realities. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 8. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Evil eventually implodes—and when it does, it often finds its own unforeseen justice. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 7. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

The machinery of heaven is astonishingly quiet. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 6. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Esther reminds me that when it comes to dealing with enemies and those who wish me ill will, I don’t need to force the outcome. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 5. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

One of the lessons I've have learned along this life journey is that it’s best to choose to get real about what’s real. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 4. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

What would it take to make me bow? A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Esther isn’t Jasmine on a magic carpet singing  A Whole New World . Esther is more Destiny’s Child roaring out a gritty  I’m a Survivor. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

A poster in my high school classroom caught my eye. It changed my life. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Intellectual pride and control of others is as destructive an appetite as pleasures of the flesh. A chapter-a-day podcast from Jude. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

No matter how far I get in the journey, it’s always a good day to  grow . A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Peter 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Along my spiritual journey, Jesus has continuously asked me to set fire to my personal ladders. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Peter 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

God has His own Quality Assessment process — not one of condemnation, but of cultivation. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Peter 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

If I’m going to trust the Story. I have to trust His timing. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 5. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

What I am observing — and at times personally experiencing — in our current social landscape is a return of social ostracism as a form of punishment. None of this is new. It is as old as human empire itself. If Peter were to pay us a visit, he would say, “Welcome to the club." A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 4. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In my upcoming book I share the story of how as a young man I believed with certainty that I was supposed to become a pastor, and how God made clear that He had purposed for me a quirky career analyzing business phone calls (a la “This Call May Be Monitored”). My mother was greatly disappointed by the abrupt change in my vocational trajectory. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 3. The text versi...

I have for many years had a recurring brainstorm that returns every four years or so like the spring rains on the fields of Iowa. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Peter urges his fellow believers to embrace the very words Jesus spoke to him: Consider your investment strategy. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

James' final pleas feel far more poignant when I place my feet in the sandals of one of the letters’ original recipients. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 5. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As I did some spiritual cardio evaluation yesterday, I had to come clean with the fact that I sometimes allow my self-righteous desires and pride free rein when it comes to my attitudes towards certain individuals. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 4. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As I meditated on the tongue this morning I likened it to a living cardiogram — my words revealing symptoms of heart trouble. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Monday was one of my favorite days. Wendy made fresh, homemade Italian bread. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As I read through the chapter in the quiet this morning, I couldn’t help but pick up on a strong undercurrent in James’ encouragement: His ways are not our ways. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.