December 2024

After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. —John the Baptist, Mark 1:7–8 Where Christmas is concerned, John the Baptist usually lies far from the…

Summary: A new study published in JAMA Cardiology reveals that cardiovascular health in children begins to decline around age 10, primarily due to changes in health behaviors such as diet, physical activity, and sleep duration. Using data from over 1,500 children, the research underscores a critical window for interventions to improve cardiovascular health before this…

A story starts “once upon a time.” It weaves through a tried-and-true narrative: a maiden in paradise violates a single prohibition, she is captured by a dragon, rescued by a knight in shining armor, and lives with him happily ever after. The shape of this tale is like an old blanket, familiar and comforting. But…

Audio Transcript Happy Monday and Merry Christmas! In this last episode before the holiday, we’re coming in with a Christmas meditation on happiness and anxiety, all spurred by this question from a listener named Derek: “Hello, Pastor John, and Merry Christmas to you! During the Advent season each year, I love to sing the hymn…

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O come, O King of nations, bindIn one the hearts of all mankind.Bid all our sad divisions ceaseAnd be yourself our King of Peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! ImmanuelShall come to thee, O Israel. Holidays have their ways of pouring salt into the wounds of broken relationships. The father who is absent. The sister who cut off…

Ten years ago today was the birth of our first daughter. We talk about her being our Advent baby, with the name Gloria. We thought November 21 wasn’t too early to start looking ahead to Advent and Christmas. I know we are a week from Thanksgiving, but would it be okay if I talked about…

“Praise God for boring days.” These are the words that my wife, Abigail, wrote to people who were praying for our one-year-old son, Calvin, as he lay hooked to an ECMO machine in Johannesburg, South Africa. ECMO stands for “extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.” It is essentially a life-support system that replaces a patient’s heart and lungs…

Summary: The FDA has approved Zepbound (tirzepatide) as the first prescription medication for adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity. Clinical trial results from the SURMOUNT-OSA phase 3 studies showed that Zepbound significantly reduced breathing interruptions during sleep and promoted substantial weight loss when combined with a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity. Nearly…