Audio Articles

After his time as a reconnaissance Marine ended, Mike “Croz” Crossley struggled with the loss of brotherhood and mission that had defined much of his life. Realizing many veterans feel the same, he started Veteran Camp, an off-the-grid weekend designed to help veterans reset their direction, restore their purpose, and reconnect to their true mission. In this article, Croz shares four ways Veteran...

When Jesus died, some remarkable things took place—there was an earthquake, a veil torn at the temple, and the return of some long-dead heroes of faith. Wait, what? As strange as it sounds, these moments point back to promises God made in the Old Testament, and they point forward to what his power can still do in our lives today. At the death of Jesus, the whole order of things was shaken up, the...

Just before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus had a final meal with his disciples. This Last Supper contains some of the most profound teaching in all of scripture. In this article, author Caleb Mathis unpacks five key moments from this pivotal scene, and explains why they hold just as much power today as they did on that original night 2,000 years ago.  Read the full length article here .  Find more...

Nowhere else in scripture is Jesus’ humanity in such brilliant display than in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mere hours before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus wrestles with the pain of the future, asks God hard questions, and even sweats blood. Author Chris Pennington explains that there is something here for everyone—ever been scared of the future? Jesus was. Ever felt like God said “no” to...

Saint Patrick’s Day is an annual excuse to get decked out in green, pinch people, and swim in a sea of Guinness. Unsurprisingly, none of that has anything to do with the life that gives its name to the holiday. In this article, author Caleb Mathis shares the incredible true story of Patrick—from runaway slave to missionary who would actually return to the place that had once enslaved him. Patrick’...

Being a parent is hard. How much screen time is appropriate? Are they eating enough vegetables? What time is baseball practice this week? Did they actually finish their homework? What about that playdate? It’s easy for quality time, and spiritual growth, to fall by the wayside. But one weekend a year, all those things come together on 800+ acres along the Ohio River. It’s Family Camp! In this arti...

If God is eternal, does He have an age? How does He intersect with time? Does it even matter? In this straight-forward and accessible article, author Caleb Mathis tackles all those questions and more. While the age of God might seem at first glance like an unanswerable riddle, it is actually a powerful opportunity to revisit core aspects of God’s nature and character: his omnipotence, omniscience,...

When author Natalie Warrick discovered she had ataxia, a rare and progressive genetic disease, she made the intentional choice to let it push her toward—instead of away from—God. In this powerful piece, she shares her journey of coming to terms with suffering, and finding the faith to ask for healing—for herself, and for her mother who also suffers with the same disease. And God has been moving. B...

Though his day has become synonymous with chocolate hearts, flowers, and romantic gestures, Valentine’s life was anything but a bed of roses. An Italian clergyman who found himself in the crosshairs of the Roman Empire, Valentine preached love in a time when hate was powerful. His impact, and his legend, has only grown. In this segment of The Holy Behind the Holiday , a series of articles looking...

2,800 miles in 40 days? Author Tamara Brooks signed up for the RELENTLESS 2800 team challenge alongside some good friends, but it didn’t take long for the excitement to wear off and the muscle cramps to begin. What had she gotten herself into? Doubt tried to convince her that she wasn’t fit enough, committed enough, or tough enough to finish. Then one morning, while clocking in some miles, God spo...

Life is supposed to be easy, right? Not so fast. Author and pastor, Andy Reider, offers a wake-up call for the cultural narrative that everything in our life should always be up-and-to-the-right. The reality is that life is hard, and it takes twists and turns. A better goal than an easy life, is learning to develop resilience. And that, as it turns out, is only learned the hard way.  Read the full...

Suffering, difficulty, and hardship is, unfortunately, a regular part of the human experience. When things go bad, does it mean something spiritually? Author Rachel Reider gives an eye-opening deep-dive into what the Bible says (and also doesn’t say) about what hardship means in our lives. She maps out a hopeful path forward, pointing our focus off our difficulty and back onto a God that has an un...

Sabbath—an intentional day, each week, set aside for rest, worship and fun—sounds like a great idea on paper. Actually making it happen, though, can feel dang-near-impossible. In this article, author Caleb Mathis conducts short interviews with three people, in completely different stages of life, about how (and why) they practice the Biblical concept of Sabbath. Your mission? Borrow an idea from o...

If you want this year to be better than the last, you’re going to have to deal with your calendar. After finding her margins thin, her creativity zapped, and her joy for life diminished, author Rachel Reider made a desperate move—she started saying no. The freedom of intentionally reclaiming space on her calendar was the gateway to rediscovering the kind of life she wanted. In this article, Rachel...

In this best-of episode, Chris Pennington, the editor of Crossroads Articles, shares his five favorite audio article episodes of the past year, including pieces of friendship, the afterlife for pets, and how to overcome lies.  Read the full length articles at the links below:  “Do Dogs Go To Heaven?” by Brent Suer  “I Read 10 Books on Prayer So You Don’t Have To” by Donny Black   “How to be Friend...

The presents are piling up under the tree—or, you’re frantically tracking shipping progress on Amazon. But what about the birthday boy? Do you have anything to bring to Jesus this holiday season? Better than a drum solo for a newborn baby, scripture unpacks four things Jesus would love this Christmas. The good news? They’re all within arms reach. Your praise, tears, prayers, and action are gifts t...

What’s the last adventure you went on? Like a real adventure. Trying a new restaurant or switching up your laundry detergent doesn’t count. Been longer than you thought? In this article, author and pastor Andy Reider shares how riding his motorcycle from the northern tip of the world to the southern changed his perspective on adventure, and helped him realize the most important adventures are the...

Decision-making can be stressful, especially when there is a lot on the line. In this article, author Kirk Marshall outlines the two mistakes most people trip over when making big decisions—entering stress mode or escape mode. Instead of being derailed or distracted, Kirk offers a third choice, the one made by heroes of the faith: wrestling mode. His five simple steps for engaging wrestling mode m...

It’s a conversation most parents dread, but it doesn’t have to be. In this article, author and father of three, Caleb Mathis, explains how his family handled the truth about Santa Claus. By walking their kids through three intentional phases—belief, trust, and generosity—Caleb and his wife were able to do Santa in a way that built their kids’ faith. If you’re looking for wisdom on how to tackle th...

Gratitude isn’t reserved for times when everything is up and to the right. In this classic article, first published in 2018, author Caleb Mathis gets honest about the difficulties he faced that year—and why the antidote was, and always has been, gratitude. If your life isn’t trending the way you want it to this holiday season, there’s hope in the fact that gratitude can still grow, even when it fe...

A miscarriage is one of the hardest things couples go through—and not just for the mother. In this powerful and vulnerable article, author Chris Stewart shares how he began to acknowledge and work through the pain he felt as a father experiencing miscarriage. In the midst of it, he found an unlikely source of hope that led him on a path to healing.  Read the full-length article here .  Find more a...

While the Bible isn’t necessarily the easiest book to pick up, there are things parents can do to help their kids learn to engage and love the Bible—no matter their age. Author and father of two Chris Stewart shares how the simple power of making the Bible visible, casual, meaningful, and creative can help build lifelong bridges between the good book and your children. Whether your kids are teens...

Even after growing up in church, author Donny Black never really felt comfortable during times of corporate worship. Was he supposed to raise his hands or lower them, sing loud or softly, try to memorize the words or really listen to what they meant? He began to find answers in an unlikely place: a Shakespearean acting class in London, England. If you’re confused about how to engage when the churc...

Something spiritual is stirring around the world. When revival hits, will you be ready? In this practical article, author Caleb Mathis unpacks four ways we can prepare ourselves for revival—whether personal or corporately alongside other believers— taken straight from scripture.  Read the full-length article here . Find more articles by Caleb Mathis here .

While the experience of pregnancy might differ from one mother to the next, there’s at least one commonality: it’s freaking hard. The body changes and aches; the hormonal shifts and sleep deprivation; the nausea, nausea, and more nausea. For many women, every part of the process—from conception to delivery and beyond—is racked with pain and difficulty. Why is that? Author and mom, Lena Schuler, di...