Randy Alcorn's Blog

Will You Choose to Trust God with Your Life Today?

Randy Alcorn — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

In her book Choosing Gratitude, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth shares a pledge written by a Bible teacher named Russell Kelfer. He challenged believers to write these words on a sheet of paper, and sign their names, then make a habit of recommitting themselves to it on a regular basis:

Having been born into the kingdom of God, I do hereby acknowledge that God’s purchase of my life included all the rights and control of that life for all eternity.

I do further acknowledge that He has not guaranteed me to be free from pain or to have success or prosperity. He has not guaranteed me perfect health. He has not guaranteed me perfect parents. He has not guaranteed me perfect children. He has not guaranteed me the absence of pressures, trials, misunderstandings, or persecution.

What He has promised me is eternal life. What He has promised me is abundant life. What He has promised me is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness, and self-control. He has given me all of Himself in exchange for the rights to my life…

Therefore, I acknowledge this day the relinquishment of all my rights and expectations, and humbly ask Him by His grace to replace these with a grateful spirit, for whatever in His wisdom He deems to allow for my life.

In other words, this day—like every other day—belongs to God, not me. So, if God determines that I should spend time contending with a flat tire, an unpleasant confrontation, or even an unexpected trip to the emergency room, that’s completely up to Him. He knows best. He’s the master, I’m His servant. I have trusted Him with my eternal life, and I will trust Him with my life today.

We have a God who loves us and is sovereign over the universe, including all evil. We can’t find peace without believing in the sovereignty of a loving God. The beauty of the Christian worldview is that while we’re encouraged to take initiative and control what’s within our power, we also know that the enormous part of life we can’t control is under God’s governance.

Scripture tells us that God is intimately involved in His children’s days:

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23).
“Many plans are in a man's heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).
“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands” (Acts 17:26).

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). And since God is eternally wise and good and happy, and we’re not, we’re far better off with Him, not us, in control.

Because Jesus willingly entered this world of evil and suffering and didn’t spare Himself, but took on the worst of it for my sake and yours, He has earned my trust for what I can’t understand. I and countless others have found Him to be trustworthy!

The Secret of Joyful Giving: My Message at Passion City Church

Randy Alcorn — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

A week ago yesterday, I spoke at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, led by Louie Giglio, who has become a dear friend in recent years. I love this church, and the grace and truth of Jesus is so obviously at work in the people and leaders there.

I did a Q&A with my friend Todd Peterson, who I first knew as the kicker for Nanci’s and my beloved Seattle Seahawks back in the 90s. Todd has since led The Seed Company and co-led Illuminations, the amazing cooperative ministry that has united the world of Bible translators.

Todd and I have shared the platform together at Illuminations and Pro Athletes Outreach, and this time at Passion City he interviewed me about giving, generosity, and stewardship, related to my book The Treasure Principle. I’ve received many texts and emails from people who were at the services, and who God spoke to, and I’m deeply grateful.

Passion shared a clip from the message, when I talked about Nanci and our giving together. It was pretty emotional for me, but was reposted repeatedly by many people and groups, and I was stunned by the number of texts and emails I received from those who were seeing it in a variety of places, including Instagram, Facebook and other social media.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Passion City Church (@passioncity)

I say this in my updated version of my book The Law of Rewards:

That unforgettable Monday morning in 2022, when I held Nanci’s hand as she exited her body and entered the presence of Jesus, I could picture Christ’s outstretched arms and hear his loving words, “Well done.” I could imagine her broad smile as he hugged her. Home at last! And I thought of all the people from all over the world she would then meet and get to know and love—those we had the privilege of helping through our giving, and who thereby received the gospel, food, clothes, clean water, medicines, Bibles, and good books. Sometimes I feel like part of me went to Heaven with Nanci. That’s not only because of our deep love for each other, but because she and I partnered together to invest in people for eternity. I so look forward not only to seeing old friends but to having Nanci introduce me to these new friends we invested in before we ever met them!

Here’s my full message at Passion City:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t3ciz6_ulw

Finally, you might want to take a few minutes to explore what Passion City Church is all about. Some of this may serve as a model for what you would like your own church to be. Whether you are starting a church or seeking by God’s grace to reform an existing church, consider these core characteristics that the people of Passion City seek to put into practice:

Glory of God. Radical Grace. Extravagant Worship.

We are a Jesus Church. A small tribe of His followers connected by our common faith and a deep desire to see our city [and the world] come to know His power and beauty. We are not perfect. But Jesus is. Thankfully, we are a Jesus Church.

Here’s what Passion City says under “Know what we Believe,” also stating “Jesus is our Lead Story”:

1. Knowable Truth

We believe in the accuracy, truth, authority and power of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God.

2. One God

We believe in a personal God who has revealed Himself as One. God exists in three persons–Father, Son and Holy Spirit–each distinct, yet all of One essence.

3. Uniqueness of Christ

We believe Jesus Christ to be the virgin born Son of God who lived in flesh, died for the sins of the world, was buried, rose again, and ascended to the Father according to the Scriptures.

4. Grace Life

We believe that the death of Jesus Christ was the final and complete sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Salvation is obtained by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. All who repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are born again into eternal life as children of God.

5. Indwelling Power

We believe that life on earth is to be lived in the power of the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers, enabling them to live distinctive lives in the life and power of Christ, making famous the Father in heaven.

6. God’s People

We believe that those who have placed their faith in Christ are knit together in one Body, the Church, a distinctive community of faith expressed in local clusters, engaging culture on every front with God’s hope and love … a Church for which Christ will personally return.

7. The Knowledge of the Holy

Created by and for God, we seek to passionately pursue an intimate relationship with God in response to His great love for us. To know God is the ultimate treasure of the soul.

8. Whole Life Worship

More than outward forms, theologically informed worship must encompass our entire existence, whereby in all circumstances our words and actions bring glory to God.

9. His Renown

We echo and affirm the Westminster confession: “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” All things exist for the glory of God.

10. Community of Faith

The worldwide Body of Christ functions best in localized communities of believers. Thus we seek to plant churches that amplify His fame, strengthen the lives of people and repair communities so that all people can know the healing power and grace of the Savior.

Bobbie the Wonder Dog, Whose Loyalty Compelled Him to Walk Thousands of Miles to Return Home

Randy Alcorn — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

It was a delight to share some animal stories in my new book All God’s Creatures, which will be released on November 17. Though the book has a great deal of Scripture and deals with theological topics (which are certainly important and, I believe, compelling!), I also wanted to include enjoyable stories for readers. Some of them are more lighthearted; some are especially touching. One of my favorites—and in my opinion, one of the most remarkable—even has a connection to my home state of Oregon.

In February 1924, the Brazier family of Silverton, Oregon were shocked to see their two-year-old scotch-collie mix Bobbie appear on their doorstep. They’d been certain they wouldn’t see him again. Why? Because during a car trip to Indiana, he’d disappeared, after being chased off by some local dogs. Finally, after a desperate search, the brokenhearted family returned home.

Then six months later, Bobbie showed up at their house, mangy and scrawny, his toenails worn down to almost nothing. He appeared to have walked the entire distance—nearly 3,000 miles—with no map, no GPS, no human to guide him. He was utterly exhausted; his family fed him a sirloin steak and a bowl of cream, and Bobbie didn’t move for three days!

Officials from the Oregon Humane Society launched an investigation into the family’s claims because they were so unbelievable. By talking to witnesses who had seen him at campsites between Indiana and Oregon, some of whom had given him food, they confirmed that somehow Bobbie had indeed traveled the entire distance, the last three months of it in the dead of winter. (Bobbie lived in an era where dogs in rural or small towns usually didn’t wear tags; so this wasn’t a case of a kind soul tracking down his home and taking him there!)

Dogs have been known to follow the scents of people on foot for hundreds of miles. That’s extraordinary. But to follow his family who rode in a car traveling thousands of miles? Bobbie’s journey defies explanation.

Across the Great Plains, through high desert, and over mountains—including the Rockies and the Cascades—and then along highways and city streets, Bobbie had undoubtedly faced many dangers. Did kind strangers help him? Did angels guide him? Did God magnify his natural instincts? However it happened, Bobbie pressed on, no doubt fighting hunger, fatigue, and countless obstacles. Once he reached home, he lived out the rest of his life with his adoring family. To this day, only God understands how Bobbie made it.

His story went viral, long before the internet or social media. Newspapers across the country told his story of love and perseverance. Bobbie was featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and a 1924 silent film, “The Call of the West,” starred Bobbie himself. A hundred years later, in the little town of Silverton, a statue of Bobbie and a mural telling his story honor his memory. Here’s a picture of that statute, which Stephanie, one of our EPM staff, sent me:

Check out these photos of Bobbie and his family. And here’s a six-minute video that a local news station put together about him:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbK0PeOWh7w

Bobbie’s loyalty is a reflection of his Creator’s steadfast and loyal love: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

It’s no stretch for me to believe that the same God who will one day reward faithful humans for their labors in this life might also reward faithful creatures like Bobbie—and countless others—for their love and loyalty and willingness to do seemingly impossible feats to be reunited with their families.

4 Right Responses to Times of Suffering

Randy Alcorn — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

When suffering and evil come our way, they’ll exert a force that either pushes us away from God or pulls us toward Him. The perspectives we’ve cultivated between now and then will determine our direction. In my experience, most Christians lack grounding in God’s attributes, including His sovereignty, omnipotence, omniscience, justice, and patience. We dare not wait for the time of crisis to learn perspective! The time to study these things in the Bible is now.

Now is the time to contemplate these words of God about the future that awaits us:

Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:3–5)

But what about when we’re already experiencing suffering—when it’s too late to prepare, or even when we’re as prepared as we could realistically be? What can we do to more fully embrace God’s purposes in the midst of our ordeal?

We should realize it is not too late to prepare, because the time we spend today worshiping God and learning from His Word and His people will prepare us for tomorrow.

Based on what God has given us in Christ, we can be sure He’ll give us all we need to endure evil and suffering. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). When God has given us the greatest gift, the one that cost Him everything, shouldn’t we trust Him to give us the good gifts that cost Him nothing?

Trusting God for the grace to endure adversity is more an act of faith than is trusting Him for deliverance from it. And we can demonstrate that trust with actions and attitudes like these:

1. Look to God’s promises for comfort.

Holding on to Scripture sustains us through suffering. A woman in our church who has suffered reads her Bible each night, then hugs it as she falls asleep. She asked a pastor self-consciously, “Is that weird?” It may be unusual, but it certainly isn’t weird. By clinging to God’s promises, she clings to God.

In a time of dark suffering and dread, David affirmed,

The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?... Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.... Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.... I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:1, 3, 10, 13–14)

Notice how David talks to himself about God’s faithfulness and goodness, encouraging himself to wait on God. It’s worth listening to self-talk if it involves speaking God’s Word.

Years ago I turned off talk radio to listen to the Bible instead. Scripture, loaded on my iPod, accompanies me as I travel. I never regret investing my time this way—why listen to one more human voice when you can listen to God’s?

2. Anticipate God’s rewards.

Evil and suffering are temporary, but God’s goodness and our joy will be eternal. Jesus told suffering believers to “rejoice... and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven” (Luke 6:23). Greater suffering for Christ will bring us greater eternal rewards.

The believers described in Faith’s Hall of Fame (see Hebrews 11) all endured severe tests. None of them had an easy life. Yet they all clung to their belief in God’s promises, trusting His goodness and believing “that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (verse 6, NASB).

Sadly, the doctrine of eternal rewards is one of the most neglected teachings in the Western church today, partly explaining our failure to face suffering with greater perspective and to anticipate what awaits us in Heaven.

Knowing that suffering will one day end gives us strength to endure this day. Though we don’t know exactly when, we do know for sure that either by our deaths or by Christ’s return, our suffering will end. From before the beginning, God drew the line in eternity’s sand to say for His children, “This much and no more, then endless joy.”

3. Lighten the load through prayer.

Suffering often induces stress and anxiety. If you pray in light of God’s sovereign grace and unfailing love, your anxiety will eventually give way to peace. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).

Worry is momentary atheism crying out for correction by trust in a good and sovereign God. Paul, whom we seldom think of as vulnerable, wrote, “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8–9, ESV). God uses suffering to break us of self-dependence and bring us to rely on Him.

He helps us learn that He alone can bear the full weight of our pain, and give us strength and life when we feel only weakness and death. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Looking back at her eighteen-month-old son’s death, my friend Ann Stump said, “I learned what it was like not to be able to do something on my own. I couldn’t get up in the morning without the Lord’s help.”

4. Share your life with others who suffer.

I encourage you to get in touch with the suffering of others. Reach out to those who suffer. Give your time and energy and money to work with the poor, the unemployed, the lonely, and those who battle illnesses, disabilities, or addictions. My time spent with suffering people has been an investment not just in their lives, but also in mine.

Consider this: “The God of all comfort... comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4). When God uses us to help others, we discover a joy we’d never have known if we had never suffered.

Four Opportunities for Christians to Be Salt and Light during Pride Month

Randy Alcorn — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

A few summers ago, a friend sent me this photo of the word PRIDE prominently displayed outside a church. Pride is the root of all sins, but historically most people have been ashamed of their sins, not proud of them. And that gives the hope of repentance and turning to Christ for forgiveness. But to commit or endorse sin (including greed, gossip, gluttony, and self-righteousness, as well as sexual sins) and then publicly declare pride in it, is not only sad, but frightening, in light of the prospect of God’s judgment. It is picking a fight with Almighty God, who has never lost a fight, and never will.

We don’t need a pride month. We need a humility month in which we align ourselves as with God, not against Him. “…be clothed with humility, for ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:5-6).

Every false worldview is a death-giving alternative to the life-giving gospel of God’s kingdom. God’s charge to the Apostle Paul was to go to the Gentiles, “to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me’” (Acts 26:18). May we pray for God to do the same in the lives of so many today who desperately need to turn from darkness to light, from hopelessness to the eternal hope Jesus offers. (I shared a series of articles on my blog related to gender confusion, and how we can respond with grace and truth. They remain timely, and I hope you’ll take the time to read them.)

Author and pastor Garrett Kell shared these four opportunities we have to respond to Pride Month:

June uniquely provides many opportunities for Christians to be light in a dark world.

1. Opportunity to pray for God to save the lost.

Colossians 4:3-4 – “…pray…that God may open to us a door for the word” God calls all people, gay or straight, to repent of sin and trust in Christ. Pray for open doors to declare the good news that Jesus died and rose to forgive all sorts of sinners.

2. Opportunity to answer questions from those in the LGBTQ community.

1 Peter 3:15 – “…honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Believers should be ready to kindly, compassionately, and courageously explain from Scripture why we believe God’s design of humanity, gender, and sex are good and joy-giving. We should also be ready to explain that someone’s sexual orientation is not the most important part of who they are, but rather knowing Jesus is what matters most.

3. Opportunity for struggling Christians to get help from the church.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 – “…admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”

Pride month can present a unique season of temptation for believers who struggle with same sex attraction or who have come out from a gay lifestyle. The church must be a refuge for the struggling so they can receive help to continue walking with Jesus.

4. Opportunity for Christians to suffer for Jesus’s sake.

1 Peter 4:12-13 – “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.”

For many Christians, Pride Month brings pointed times of persecution. Family members may malign you, employers may pressure you, and friends may cancel you. Dear believer, never be ashamed to stand with Jesus and suffer for His Name. He is worthy of whatever following Him may cost you.

Experiencing Your Identity in Christ

Randy Alcorn — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Just because God has made us righteous and guiltless in Christ doesn’t mean we automatically experience the benefits of who we are. Our minds are like audio players, constantly running a message. We see our entire lives in the light of this message. We interpret everything in a way that reinforces our fundamental beliefs about ourselves.

I may interpret everything I do as great, meaningful, more special and significant than what anyone else does. Everything I see reinforces my inflated prideful opinion of myself:

I am more important than other people. My ideas are always better, my insights more profound, my work more skillful. Without me, my family and church would crumble. I am indispensable. God needs me on his team, and everybody should be grateful I’m around. I will see that I get all that’s coming to me. After all, I deserve it.

This is the kind of attitude that Romans 12:3 warns us not to have: “Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought to think.” However, the verse also says we are to think of ourselves with sound judgment, which means we are to think accurately about ourselves. Thinking accurately means that not only are we not to think too highly of ourselves, but neither are we to think too lowly of ourselves. Some people certainly do have a pride problem, but many others have a self-depreciation problem. This is the sort of audio they runs through their minds:

I am a failure, a loser. I lack the personality, good looks, and brains of successful people. I will never be as good as others. I don’t do anything right. Nobody likes me, and those that seem to must just be pretending. God can’t use me. I’m not a worthwhile person and probably never will be.

Both the prideful and the self-depreciating views are a product of a conformed mind, a mind that takes its cues from the world or self or Satan rather than from God. The transformed mind is very different. The audio that runs through it says this:

I am far from perfect, but I’m immeasurably valuable to God. He specially created me in his image, and I’m unique. Christ thought enough of me to die for me and not consider it a waste.

As a Christian, I’m a child of God. I am clothed with Christ’s righteousness. God is on my side. According to his promise, I will spend eternity with him. God has seen me at my worst and still loves me.

This means that regardless of how I feel about myself and how I think others feel about me, I am loved by God. I am totally secure in Christ’s unconditional and unfailing love. And as long as he has me here, there’s a great purpose to my life.

As you re-read these messages, consciously reject the wrong ones and embrace the right one. The more you fill your mind with the biblical truth about who you are, the more your self-image will come into line with God-revealed reality.

The Stranger: A Short Film about Humility

Randy Alcorn — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Doug Nichols is the former head of Action International Ministries, and now in his 80s, is still serving the cause of world missions, with a focus on the Philippines. In 2009, Doug read my blog post about Francis Schaeffer, philosopher/theologian/servant of Jesus, and how he sent me a handwritten letter. In my early 20s, I had written to Schaeffer thanking him for his marvelous books and their profound influence on my life, and he kindly replied to me. I still have that letter.

Doug then told me this wonderful story about Francis Schaeffer, that we also posted in a blog. Doug's story about his personal encounter with Schaeffer has now been depicted in a 12-minute video, and I think it’s very moving. To me, it is priceless in showing the humility of a towering intellect, who is one of my great heroes.

You can watch it on the Angel Studios website for free (you’ll need to put in your email address to create a free account). It is well worth your time!

For more perspective on Francis Schaeffer and his impact on the church, I enjoyed listening to these brief words by Chuck Colson, who became my friend as our ministry supported his organization Prison Fellowship with our book royalties, which we continue to do today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j-MXm1DH2w?si=5X3nHxqb2Fbdvu6u

Colson, a great Christ lover, and eloquent intellectual himself, carried on some of the legacy of Francis Schaeffer. I not only miss Schaeffer, I miss Chuck Colson. I wrote of him and his impact in several blogs, including these:

Chuck Colson, Faithful Brother and Servant of Christ

Chuck Colson, the “Untouchables”, and the Great Reunion

When I ponder men like Schaeffer and Colson, I consider how impoverished my life would be without them. I think it is very sad that many younger evangelicals don’t recognize the names of either man. Sometimes we move on to what is new and fresh and contemporary, and tend to forget that many of the best books were written before we were born.

In light of that, let me recommend my favorite four books by Schaeffer and my favorite four by Colson.

Francis Schaeffer:

He Is There and He Is Not Silent (one of my favorite books ever)

True Spirituality

How Should We Then Live?

A Christian Manifesto

Chuck Colson:

Born Again (updated version; tells his conversion story; connected to Lewis’s Mere Christianity)

How Now Shall We Live? (springing two decades later from Schaeffer’s How Should We Then Live?)

Loving God (a masterful and life-changing book)

God and Government (originally titled Kingdoms in Conflict; this book inspired me to understand the history of civil disobedience, and God ultimately used it and Schaeffer’s books to draw me in to civil disobedience to save the lives of unborn children)

Should Animals Matter to Christ-Loving, Bible-Believing People?

Randy Alcorn — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

To answer the question, “Should animals matter to us?” we must start with a more foundational question: “Do animals matter to God?”

Scripture answers this question decisively: “All the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine” (Psalm 50:10-11).

God claims every creature as His own. He takes personal interest in them, on their own merits, not simply in conjunction with humans. He delights in them and tells His people to look after them: “The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel” (Proverbs 12:10).

That doesn’t mean we can’t swat a fly or step on a cockroach, but we are told never to be cruel, which would mean never pulling the wings off a fly or the legs off a cockroach or leaving an animal squirming in pain. God is never indifferent to brutality. Cruelty is wicked in His sight and will come under His judgment.

God commanded that animals be permitted to rest on the Sabbath, just like people (Exodus 20:10). He also insisted that oxen not be muzzled but allowed to eat what they choose while they work (Deuteronomy 25:4). Oxen are large animals; they can weigh 800 pounds and have large appetites. An Israelite family might have been tempted to muzzle their ox to save more grain for human consumption, but God’s law forbade it, demonstrating His compassion for animals and calling on His people to exercise that same compassion.

God also gave specific commands to care for lost or struggling animals:

If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don’t ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner. If its owner does not live nearby or you don’t know who the owner is, take it to your place and keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then you must return it. . . .

If you see that your neighbor’s donkey or ox has collapsed on the road, do not look the other way. Go and help your neighbor get it back on its feet!

Deuteronomy 22:1-2 , 4

Jesus reflected His love for animals when He asked, “Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water?” (Luke 13:15). And, “If your son or your cow falls into a pit, don’t you rush to get him out?” (Luke 14:5). Both are urgent priorities—your child first, of course, but your animal’s welfare very much matters too.

God’s law even directed care for wild animals: “Let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves” (Exodus 23:11).

In Job, the longest divine monologue in Scripture spans nearly four chapters where God speaks about animals, revealing His love for and delight in them (Job 38-41). (Despite these passages and many more, how many sermons have you ever heard about what God thinks of animals?)

If God—who created the animals—loves them, then obviously we, who are made in His image, should care for them too. Yes, it’s possible to make an animal into an idol by having an unhealthy attachment; but when it is properly held and demonstrated, our love for animals reflects God’s nature and affection.

Because Christians are being renewed in God’s image, as Colossians 3:10 declares, we should be the first to care deeply about what He created and values. As we see in the Gospels, Jesus places a high value on something as common as a sparrow or a raven (Matthew 10:29; Luke 12:24). And by implication, He shows a genuine affection for sheep, calling Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).

When speaking of sparrows, Jesus didn’t just affirm that God cares about them in general, but in particular: “Not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care” (Matthew 10:29, NIV).

Sparrows are important enough for God to keep track of and care about their lives and deaths—each and every one. He surely doesn’t intend for us to see sparrows as the exception, but as the rule. He shares the same loving-kindness and caring attention for these ordinary birds with every other animal. Since He cares for each living or dying sparrow, shouldn’t we care for His animals too?

In a parallel passage to Matthew 10:29, Luke includes words Matthew doesn’t, suggesting Jesus made similar statements on different occasions: “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them” (Luke 12:6).

What does “God does not forget a single one of them” mean?

Sparrows are the most common bird in the world. One scientific study says there are 1.6 billion house sparrows—by far the largest number of any sparrow species—and also more than sixty other species of sparrow. Jesus said that God is attentive to the life and death of every single one. He could hardly have chosen an example that more clearly affirms His love for every animal He has created. If God loves and pays attention to each sparrow—out of billions over the course of history—what animal does He not care about?

Not everyone considers themselves “an animal person,” and that’s OK, but it’s not right to dismiss animals as unimportant simply because you don’t own a pet or have no desire to. I hope I’ve made a convincing case that that if animals matter to God—and Scripture shows us they do!—then it’s only right that they matter to God’s people, too. They are meant to point us to their Creator, and increase our worship of Him. My prayer is that my book All God’s Creatures, which will released on November 17, will help believers think through the subject of animals from a biblical perspective.

I’m grateful for those who provided endorsements for All God’s Creatures. My friend, author Ann Voskamp, lives daily in the world of farm animals, and graciously offered this endorsement:

As a farmer's daughter, and a farmer’s wife, I have spent most days of my life caring for animals. I thought I understood animals—and then I read this book. With rigorous biblical scholarship and breathtaking scope, Randy Alcorn's All God's Creatures is the book I did not know I was waiting for—meticulous where it needs to be, tender where it earns it, and genuinely world-enlarging throughout, Alcorn will change what you see when you look at the animals around you, and you won't be the same. More than that: he will change what you see when you look at their Creator! This is not a book about any trite sentimentality. It is a book about the staggering generosity of a Creator who is larger and wilder and more delightfully attentive than we can hardly dare to believe! It completely undid me. Read this book and let your vision of eternity grow into the glorious expansiveness of God.

May thinking about God’s words concerning animals, and His self-revelation through animals, cause us to have a bigger and more joyful view of our magnificent Creator and Savior!

(See my other blogs related to All God’s Creatures, including My New Book All God’s Creatures, Coming This Fall; We Can Simultaneously Make Room in Our Hearts for God, People, and Animals; and Why a Book about Animals, and God’s Eternal Plan for Them?)

Are We Forgiven for the Sins We Can’t Remember and Therefore, Don’t Confess?

Randy Alcorn — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

A reader wrote me:

I’m a Christian, and I know Jesus died for me. My question is, is it vital to remember all of my sins, so that I can ask for God’s forgiveness? I try, but I know I’ve probably left many out, though not on purpose. When I’m aware of sin, I immediately ask God’s forgiveness. But am I totally forgiven if I don’t ask for forgiveness for a sin because I can’t remember it? I thought of King David, who lived with unconfessed sin; it seems that he wasn’t forgiven until he asked God for forgiveness. I’m just so scared that I might not enter into Heaven unless I can remember all the sins I need to confess. Sometimes I think that I’m being attacked by Satan. Please, can you help me?

Scripture assures us that forgiveness is rooted in God’s grace, not in our ability to remember every sin. Ephesians 1:7 tells us, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” God’s forgiveness is complete and covers all sins—past, present, and future—when we place our faith in Christ. He is well aware of our hearts and our struggles with sin, which is why we need a Savior in the first place!

You referenced David; his story illustrates that unconfessed sin leads to spiritual turmoil. However, David’s eventual confession (Psalm 51) was not about recalling every specific sin but about a genuine acknowledgment of his need for God’s mercy. God had not rejected David over this sin, but He also was not going to allow David to fester in his sin, without confessing and dealing with it. In grace, He sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. Despite the serious consequences of David’s sin (consequences can remain, even when there is forgiveness), Nathan tells the king, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die” (2 Samuel 12:7).

Our assurance of salvation does not hinge on memory or perfection in confession. That would make salvation all about us and our performance, not about what Christ has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” It’s about faith in Christ, not a meticulous inventory of sins.

I, too, suspect that the torment you feel could be an attack from the enemy. Satan seeks to instill doubt and fear, distorting our understanding of God’s grace. Remember that 2 Corinthians 10:5 encourages us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” When doubts arise, we’re to challenge them with the truth of God’s Word.

1 John 1:9 reassures us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This doesn’t mean we must remember every sin, but that our posture of repentance and reliance on God’s grace is what matters. While we have a settled once-and-for-all forgiveness in Christ, we also have a current ongoing relationship with Him that is hampered by unconfessed sin. God loves us too much to allow us to be entangled by sin.

It’s good that you seek forgiveness immediately when you sin. This reflects a heart aligned with God. However, remember that God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). Your relationship with Him is not contingent upon your memory but upon His faithfulness.

John Piper reminds us that “The payment was perfect. You can’t add to it at all. You can’t add to your sin-covering at all.”

He says in a message about why we confess sin, when we are aware of it:

Jesus, once for all, by his life and death, purchased our forgiveness and provided our righteousness. We can add nothing to the purchase or the provision. We share in the forgiveness and the righteousness by faith alone. But in view of the holiness of God and the evil of sin, it is fitting that we appropriate and apply what he bought for us by prayer and confession every day. “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:11–12). Daily request for bread, because he has promised to meet every need; daily pray appropriation of forgiveness, because it is fully purchased and secured for us by the death of Jesus.

As a believer, you are assured of your salvation. The Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16). Allow that assurance to bring you peace. Instead of fearing you might forget to confess a sin, focus on the relationship you have with Christ and what He has done for you. We should joyfully celebrate God’s forgiveness! David described it this way: “Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psalm 32:2, NRSV).

It’s crucial to embrace the freedom and peace that comes from knowing you are forgiven in Christ. Don’t let the enemy rob you of the joy of your salvation and the assurance that you are secure in God’s love. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).

Remember, for those of us who are in Christ, God won’t ever say, “Well, if I’d known that, I never would’ve let you into Heaven!” God knows all your sins and my sins. Jesus died for them all. No exceptions.

So keep seeking God, growing in your relationship with Him, and trusting in His promises. You are loved, forgiven, and secure in His grace!

Wrestling with the Question of Why God Permits Evil and Suffering Is Intensely Practical

Randy Alcorn — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Live long enough and you will suffer. In this life, the only way to avoid suffering is to die. Since suffering will come, we owe it to God, ourselves, and those around us to prepare for it.

Bethany Hamilton grew up surfing on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. At age five she chose to follow Jesus. When she was thirteen, a fourteen-foot tiger shark attacked her, severing one of her arms. Bethany returned to surfing one month later. A year later, despite her disability, she won her first national title.

Bethany says, “It was Jesus Christ who gave me peace when I got attacked by the shark.... And it was what God had taught me growing up that helped me overcome my fears...to get back into the water to keep surfing.”

She continues, “My mom and I were praying before the shark attack that God would use me. Well, to me, 1 Timothy 1:12 kind of tells me that God considered me faithful enough to appoint me to his service. I just want to say that no matter who you are, God can use you even if you think you’re not the kind of person that can be used. You might think: why would God use me? That’s what I thought.... I was like thirteen and there God goes using me!”

Bethany and her parents had given careful thought to the God they served and His sovereign purposes. Obviously not every tragedy leads to winning a national title, but Bethany began where all of us can, by trusting God; in her case, with a support system of people having an eternal perspective. Hence, she was prepared to face suffering when it came, and to emerge stronger.

Unfortunately, most evangelical churches—whether traditional, liturgical, or emergent—have failed to teach people to think biblically about the realities of evil and suffering. A pastor’s daughter told me, “I was never taught the Christian life was going to be difficult. I’ve discovered it is, and I wasn’t ready.”

A young woman battling cancer wrote me, “I was surprised that when it happened, it was hard and it hurt and I was sad and I couldn’t find anything good or redeeming about my losses. I never expected that a Christian who had access to God could feel so empty and alone.”

Our failure to teach a biblical theology of suffering leaves Christians unprepared for harsh realities. It also leaves our children vulnerable to history, philosophy, and global studies classes that raise the problems of evil and suffering while denying the Christian worldview. Since the question will be raised, shouldn’t Christian parents and churches raise it first and take people to Scripture to see what God says about it?

Most of us don’t give focused thought to evil and suffering until we experience them. This forces us to formulate perspective on the fly, at a time when our thinking is muddled and we’re exhausted and consumed by pressing issues. Readers who have “been there” will attest that it’s far better to think through suffering in advance.

In this two-minute video, I share that helping God’s people think through this subject is a major reason why I wrote my book If God Is Good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu-Nwcm79sA

Here is a three-minute clip from a message on this topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sScsS7BBhc

And I share more thoughts about suffering in an interview with Pastor Greg Laurie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwBWFgZGP_Q

AI, Ghostwriting, and the Ethics of Book Writing

Randy Alcorn — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

In my last blog, I shared some resources to help us evaluate whether we’re using AI in a way that honors Christ. Today’s blog also touches on the subject of AI, but specifically related to writing books.

I know many people in ministry who are writers on the side, but I find in conversations that because of the demands of their ministries (often as pastors) they just don't have the time to carefully research and sift through or think through what they are writing about.

For all the years I’ve been writing I’ve known “content creators” who research and write on behalf of celebrities or pastors, without their names being recognized as the author. This is a moral problem for both the celebrity and the ghostwriter. If people put their own name to what they didn’t write, my belief is that it is simply lying. I’ve had people tell me it’s not lying if the ghost writers agree not to be mentioned, but in fact, lying with consent is still lying. Others have “editors” who do 90% of the work, including composing the first draft. They are not true editors but ghostwriters!

I firmly believe in editing, of course, and I don’t know what I would do without our staff editors, Stephanie and Doreen, as well as the editors who work for my publishers, but it seems obvious greater care should be exercised both in giving more credit to the people who’ve done the most work in creating a book, and that less credit or none at all be given those who have not done the work.

In 2002, I wrote on “The Scandal of Evangelical Dishonesty,” one component of which was the common practice of ghostwriting motivated by pride and financial profits. I got significant pushback on this, but years later many Christian writers joined me in speaking out against ghostwriting.

In 2020 I addressed this issue again, citing the excellent work of another author, Jenny Rough:

Angela Hunt received a call from an editor one day asking Hunt to ghostwrite a novel for a famous female Bible teacher. The teacher wouldn’t provide materials—or even the idea for the novel. “Anything with this celebrity’s name on it sold a lot of books, so the editor said, ‘Let’s get a novel with her name on it,’” Hunt recalls. Inventing characters and a plot felt different than bringing someone else’s message to the page. Hunt turned down the project. But the editor continued to shop around for a writer, and Hunt soon saw internet chatter about it in an online writing group.

Randy Alcorn was a member of that same group. Amid the banter, Alcorn posted a link to his article “Scandal of Evangelical Dishonesty” that included his views on ghostwriting. Hunt read it—and decided to stop ghostwriting unless she was named on the cover or title page. She realized it wouldn’t cost authors anything to reveal they had help. “It doesn’t belittle them to admit they’re not professional writers. Many secular writers refuse to ghostwrite for the same reason we Christian writers do—it’s not honest, and it disparages the work of the writer who has worked hard to learn the craft.”

Seventy-five writers from the group signed a letter and sent it to editors and publishers asking them to stop using ghostwriters for fiction. “We pretty much blanketed the Christian publishing industry,” Hunt says. The letter, finalized in January 2007, said ghostwritten novels are a form of false advertising and quoted Proverbs 20:10: “False weights and unequal measures—the Lord detests double standards of every kind.” Some publishers became defensive. Others promised to tighten practices.

But no industry standards exist.

Ghostwriting can be especially unpalatable in Christian publishing precisely because the book’s message often focuses on the Bible, a text that speaks against deceit. Karen Swallow Prior, the English professor, sees ghostwriting as misrepresentation plain and simple. “I don’t pretend to be a pastor giving sermons, so I don’t know why pastors pretend to be writers,” she says.

Alcorn makes the same point in one of his most popular books, Money, Possessions, and Eternity: “If we’re not telling the truth about who wrote the book—on the cover in large print—why should people believe what’s inside the book, in small print?”

In other cases, pastors or speakers turn in their sermon notes or transcripts to be crafted into a book, which is certainly better if the original work was actually theirs, not created for them by another person or by AI. I say better, since at least the named “writer” did the initial work. If that initial work is substantially produced by the named author, and an editor is simply proposing changes in wording, the editor should definitely be credited in the acknowledgments, and if 90% of the work was done by the named author, not the “editor,” that’s acceptable.

But when the named celebrity or pastor hasn’t done a substantial amount of the work (sometimes they don’t even look over the manuscript), and feels it was really his even though many of the best illustrations and the very best composition came from the “editor,” to me that is a major problem. There are Christian leaders going on podcasts and television being interviewed about “my book,” which in fact they did not write! When the predominant writer is not mentioned and someone who is listed as an author did a small percentage of the actual work, that is failing to acknowledge that readers have the right to know whether or not the celebrity wrote the book. If it’s “about” the celebrity and the actual author is made known, fine, there is no attempt at deception.

Where this hits the fan with artificial intelligence is that some believe if there is no human collaborator to receive credit, it’s fine for the user of AI to lay claim to being the writer—simply because he gave instructions to or asked questions of AI to produce a 30,000 word book on, let’s say, an evangelical theology of substitutionary atonement. Then he edits it (or not) and could conceivably “create” such a book in a matter of minutes, hours, or days. Or even if it took weeks or months, the primary “writer” would still be AI, not the person whose name is on the cover and is listed as the author on Amazon. As someone who has spent thousands of hours researching and writing articles and books for nearly 50 years, I know a bit about what writing is and is not! And I can guarantee you that having an idea for a book and handing it over to a person or a computer program is not even remotely the same as writing a book!

In this era of AI, I’m concerned that now everyone can have a ghostwriter without having to find and pay a ghostwriter! People can feed their thoughts or a few notes into AI and be delighted with how well written what comes out is. And yes, the results can be remarkable. But just as it was in the days of ghostwritten books that authors or publishers paid for, it is blatantly dishonest to take credit for what you did not write even when no other human wrote it!

A huge part of writing is the discipline of researching, writing, and word selection—all products of being created in God’s image and learning and applying and growing in actual human skills—which I fear will be largely lost. If you don’t do the hard work of research and thinking and putting your thoughts into words, it won’t just be taking shortcuts; it will rob you of the life skills that can only come in applying your mind to writing over the course of years.

If all of us could take shortcuts to become highly skilled runners, high jumpers, and pole vaulters, countless people surely would do so. We do not because we cannot. In contrast, the skills of a researcher and writer are every bit as real as that of a sprinter and marathoner, shot-putter and swimmer. AI cannot create a fake athlete, but it can be used, and is being used, to create fake researchers and writers!

A bestselling author friend and I were reminiscing recently in an email exchange about how things used to be so different in the industry, when both of our first books came out in the 1980s. He has good editors, as do I, but it all starts with what he writes. If the occasional sentence or paragraph is written by an editor as a proposed correction that the author gratefully accepts, that is one thing, but when entire chapters are written by editors—or by AI—they should be recognized as co-writers!

A further irony and complication is that by now I am relatively certain many career ghostwriters, including believers, are having AI compose their original drafts of books. Given the convoluted ethics of ghostwriting in the first place, why wouldn’t they? Now we don’t just have people claiming to have written books other people have written, but we have people taking credit for books not written by any human being at all!

How many people are now going to AI and saying, “Write for me a warm evangelical 25,000-word Christmas devotional, containing many biblical quotations, especially from the gospels and Isaiah, and also including quotations from Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Stott, Phillip Keller, and C. S. Lewis”? They come back to their computer later and begin to read “their” first draft!

Isn’t it reasonable for both Christians and non-Christians to be able to buy a Christian book with the confidence that the person identified on the book and publicized as the author actually wrote it?

I’ll ask what I asked 25 years ago: If we’re not telling the truth about who wrote the book—on the cover, in large print—why should people believe what we say inside the book, in small print?

How Can We Utilize AI in a Way That Honors Christ?

Randy Alcorn — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

For better or worse—and there is plenty of both—artificial intelligence is here to stay. I’ve found it enormously useful for various projects, especially when it comes to summarizing large amounts of information I’ve written.

For instance, I fed into it my latest book manuscript and asked for 150-word summaries of each chapter. The summaries were 95% accurate, and with maybe thirty minutes of editing they were helpful enough to share with sales and marketing people at my publisher and I’m confident will help others—for instance, people wanting to do a group study of the book.

On the negative side, someone asked me for some additional biographical info, so I asked AI, thinking it would be reasonably accurate by piecing together things online, especially from my blogs and books and our ministry website. But there were a number of inaccuracies in what it said, including that I attended Oregon State University (never have), majoring in business administration (never did). I can’t figure out what sources would have made these claims in the first place, which is one of the mysterious aspects of AI, making us personalize it, saying things like “I get the feeling AI is making this up” or “AI seems to be deliberately misleading me.”

AI has also informed me that I got remarried a few years ago, two years after Nanci died, which was quite surprising, as I think I would have been aware of that. I feel like I need to ask my [nonexistent] new wife for forgiveness since I’ve clearly been neglecting her! Not only have I not been taking her out for dinner, I’ve never met her nor do I know her name! (Though one source did give me her name, which I didn’t recognize.) Generally, I find AI to be 80-90% accurate, but unless I have firsthand knowledge, how do I know which 10-20% is inaccurate?

This is one of the interesting things about AI—sometimes it confidently (again, I am personalizing it) states false information. Why did it not say I had attended Multnomah Bible College and Western Seminary, when there are many online sources that say I did? If it was less than certain (personalizing again), which had to be the case, why not say, “Alcorn may have attended Oregon State and may have majored in business administration,” which would at least serve as a yellow flag, suggesting “Don’t put this in the speaker bio without further confirmation!” Likewise, why did it not say, “It’s possible Alcorn has remarried”? What’s remarkable is, If I hadn’t lived my own life, I would not know what about me was true and untrue!

I directed AI to come up with some questions on chapters I’d written. Some of the questions weren’t good, most were okay, and some were great. So I deleted the okay questions and some of the good ones, replacing them with my own questions which I thought were better. Hence instead of AI editing me, I edited AI. I was the researcher and writer of the book, but this was a time saver and also allowed me to do what I never would have had time to do. This is very different than asking AI to write something I should have researched and written myself!

If AI did the writing for me, I would feel like I needed to credit it just as if I were quoting a source on the web. My recommendation is that if you want to come up with questions for discussion on a book you’re leading a study of, first come up with your own questions, and then ask AI for other questions. I believe that if I am the primary researcher and writer, and if AI is a secondary help, that is the best and natural order of things. But were AI to become the primary and I the secondary, I would no longer be a writer but merely the programmer/instructor of a writing machine. Those, to me, are two radically different things. And they are the difference between true human intelligence that uses a tool, and artificial intelligence that can become a poor substitute for what it means to be created in God’s image.

John Piper gave a helpful answer to how a Christian can wisely approach AI use. He encourages us to ask, “How can I most effectively benefit from its potentials, and avoid its pitfalls?”

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Also see John’s answer to “Should I Use AI to Help Me Write Sermons?”

A good rule of thumb I’ve seen mentioned is that we shouldn’t ask AI to do what we reasonably (and ethically) wouldn’t ask other people to do for us. For example, it is reasonable to ask someone to help compile a grocery list, proofread a paper, brainstorm ideas, summarize information, or assist you in balancing your budget if you’re stuck. But it’s cheating for a student to ask a fellow student to write their paper for them, and therefore, they shouldn’t use AI to do that. It’s unethical for an employee to rip off another person’s report and put their own name on it, acting as if it were their own work and effort, so likewise, if you employ AI for projects, you must acknowledge you have done so, crediting it as you would credit a person. If you wouldn’t do that, probably because you don’t want to admit you were lazy, maybe it will push you to do the work yourself and learn valuable life skills!

In her article “3 Questions to Evaluate AI Use,” Bethany Broderick encourages readers to ask:

1. Am I using AI to push past my God-given limits?

“With each new technological advance, we’re tempted to believe that God’s good boundaries no longer apply—that we can know more, do more, and exercise more control than we were meant to. If we’re not careful, we can use AI in an attempt to be gods over our own lives.”

2. Am I using AI to replace wisdom gained from in-person relationships?

“Our AI use should never hinder the real human relationships for which God designed us.”

3. Am I using AI to neglect the work God has entrusted to me?

“AI should never lead us to sloth—allowing technology to do what God has given us the energy and ability to do ourselves. Instead, believers can use AI to support, not supplant, the good work God sets before us.”

Read the whole article here.

If Christians Shouldn’t Be Happy, Who Should Be?

Randy Alcorn — Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) has been widely credited with saying, “Jesus promised His disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.” It might be argued that most Western Christians aren’t any of these three—least of all “absurdly happy.”

Christianity is perceived to be about tradition and morality, not happiness. I’ve taught college courses on biblical ethics, and I make no apologies for believing in morality. But some Christians, in the name of moral obligation, go around with frowns on their faces, dutifully living a paint-by-numbers religious existence and proudly refraining from what “lesser” people do to be happy. They seem to wear their displeasure as a badge of honor.

Ironically, the church has given unbelievers reason to fear that becoming a Christian will result in their unhappiness. They’ve known—as many of us churchgoers have also known—professing Christians who go out of their way to promote misery, not gladness. I’ve seen Bible-believing, Christ-centered people post thoughts on a blog or on social media only to receive a string of outraged responses from people who wield Scripture verses like pickaxes, swiftly condemning the slightest hint of a viewpoint they consider suspicious. If I were an unbeliever reading such responses, I certainly wouldn’t be drawn to the Christian faith.

I wonder why it’s not immediately recognized by those engaging in such behavior that what they’re doing is utterly contrary to the faith they profess and the Bible they believe. How is it that perpetual disdain, suspicion, unkindness, and hostility are seen as taking the spiritual high ground? Perhaps the message that Christians shouldn’t be happy has really been taken to heart!

Curmudgeonly Christianity abounds. Some professing Christians feel morally superior to those who engage with culture, and as a result, they major on making world-condemning judgments. They proudly abstain from laughter. They assume that barbecues and ball games are the spawn of sin. Grim-faced pharisaical “Christians” make Satan’s propaganda campaign far easier by undermining the Good News and promoting a negative view of happiness.

Who would ever be drawn to the worldview of decidedly unhappy people? Consider satirist and journalist H. L. Mencken’s (1880–1956) definition of Puritanism: “the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” (On the contrary, Puritans, judging by their writings, were some of the happiest people who have ever lived! Considerably happier, judging by his writings, than H. L. Mencken.)

In most unbelievers’ perceptions, Christianity hasn’t brought much joy to the world. As a religion, it’s primarily known for its rules, self-righteousness, and intolerance—none of which convey gladness and merriment.

This is not the whole story, of course. Throughout history, the Christian worldview has accounted for happiness-generating developments such as hospitals and schools, science and industry, music, drama, and the arts. And on a more personal level, nearly every community includes people with quiet confidence in Christ who are extraordinarily loving, kind, helpful, and cheerful. They gladly give of their time and money to those in need. Such people are rarely in the public eye, but they certainly exist. Sadly, however, to many people, they seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) wrote, “Man is unable not to wish to be happy.” This means that all attempts by Christians to disregard or demean happiness are misguided and unfruitful. By creating distance between the gospel and happiness, we send the unbiblical (and historically ungrounded) message that the Christian faith is dull and dreary.

Let’s speak against sin but hold up Christ as the happiness everyone longs for. If we don’t, then we will assure our own unhappiness and feed the world’s perception that Christianity takes away happiness instead of bringing it.

Holy Spirit, please remove from me anything that would turn someone away from you. Please fill me so full of yourself that your happiness spills over onto everyone I meet today. Thank you that in your presence there is fullness of joy. And whenever I lack that joy, please draw me back to your presence for a refill.

Why a Book about Animals, and God’s Eternal Plan for Them?

Randy Alcorn — Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

On a flight out of my hometown of Portland, Oregon, I struck up a conversation with the passenger seated beside me. I asked her about her work, and she in turn asked about mine. When I said, “I’m a writer,” she wanted to know about my books, so I told her about a few novels and mentioned I had also written nonfiction. But when I said I’d written books about Heaven, her body language changed, and she appeared very uncomfortable. My “religious” reference shut down the conversation. I wasn’t entirely surprised, because Portland has the highest percentage of people in the US without any religious affiliation—9 percent higher than San Francisco and Seattle, the nearest runners-up.8

In an effort to revive the conversation, I asked, “Do you have any pets?” Suddenly, her face brightened. “Yes, I have a dog!”

She showed me a photo, happily telling me all about him. I showed her a picture of my dog and shared how much my wife and I loved animals. I mentioned that two chapters in my big book about Heaven address whether animals, including our pets, might have an afterlife.

She looked at me wide-eyed. “Are you saying you believe there will be animals in Heaven?” I briefly explained the Bible’s teaching about the new creation and God bringing Heaven down to the New Earth, where many different animal species will live together peacefully with people. Just minutes earlier, she had disengaged at the very mention of Heaven. But now we were talking not just about animals, but about Jesus—the central figure of Heaven and the only way to get there.

Like many people I’ve met over the years, Christian and non-Christian alike, this woman had never heard of the biblical doctrine of the New Earth—a beautiful, restored planet with all its current wonders and much, much more, yet without evil or suffering. The prospect of such a place, a true Earth that included animals, moved her from disinterest in the afterlife to genuine curiosity.

Many people distrust organized religion but love animals and the natural world. They don’t know God, yet they cherish what He created. They catch glimpses of Him in nature (Romans 1:19-21). Their love for animals flows from being God’s image-bearers and can be a bridge to the gospel. Why? Because the God who created them also made the animals they adore.

Scripture tells us Jesus went to the cross primarily for humans, but also for the good of His entire creation: “Through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross” (Colossians 1:20).

God’s love for animals and His plan to restore all creation is a major biblical theme, though many believers haven’t yet grasped it—or, worse yet, have never heard it. For me, embracing this truth brings paradigm-shifting joy, which explains why the devil has worked so hard to hide what the Bible says about Heaven, even from those who regularly attend church.

That’s why I’m so excited about my latest book All God’s Creatures: What the Bible Says About Animals, Heaven, and the New Earth, which will be released from Tyndale House on November 17, 2026. It’s been many years since I’ve been this enthusiastic about one of my books! A large part of my excitement is that it is truly unique. There are many self-published and warm-hearted books about animals in Heaven, but they lack serious treatment of the biblical texts or the arguments throughout church history. Perhaps because of our biases, and partly because seminaries don’t address it, for pastors the subject of animals in Heaven is outside the box of orthodox thinking.

But it’s a biblical fact that God has revealed Himself in His creation, and we can see Him through it, even though creation is fallen. After human beings—the only creatures made in God‘s image—His next most important self-revelation is in animals—the other sentient beings in our world. The attention they get in Genesis 1–2 and again in Genesis 6–9 should clue us in to that.

As I was researching the book, I read Job 38–41 repeatedly. In all the times I had read those chapters before, never once had it sunk in that while Job is struggling with the problem of suffering, God’s response is His longest monologue in all of Scripture—a lengthy self-revelation—20% of which is about the inanimate wonders of His creation and 80% of which is about animals. I had long been struck with God’s obvious admiration for the horse and other animals, including Behemoth and Leviathan, but I never noticed that of all the topics He could’ve shared to win Job over, He chose to talk about animals! God’s revelation somehow brings Job to his knees in wonder and repentance. Clearly, God sees something in His animals beyond what many believers do today.

It’s ironic that the only theologians who talk most seriously about animals are liberal, but they import evolutionary assumptions and reason instead of appealing to God’s Word. I think the conservative overreaction, minimizing animals, is partly due to the liberal proclivity toward embracing evolutionary theory. Several wonderful conservative theologians, whom I admire and usually agree with, have argued, “Animals aren’t made in the image of God and therefore, have no place in the world to come.” Try telling that to the angels!

I haven’t asked for book endorsements for 15 years or so, but with All God’s Creatures I knew I would be swimming upstream with some readers who might not take a theology of animals seriously. Max Lucado and Sean McDowell graciously offered these endorsements:

Randy Alcorn’s books have blessed my life for decades. His volume Heaven guided me from a vague, ethereal perspective to an exciting view of the life to come. My copy is underlined, highlighted, and dog-eared! I have the same enthusiasm for All God’s Creatures. It specifically addresses the question of animals on the New Earth by explaining the promise of Scripture regarding our eternal home. Prepare to be informed, inspired, and empowered. Thanks, Randy for this brilliant work.

Max Lucado, pastoril; author of Tame Your Thoughts

Do animals have souls? Will they be in Heaven? Why does God allow animals to suffer? In All God’s Creatures, Randy Alcorn’s answers—based on Scripture texts—might surprise you. You may disagree with some of his conclusions, but you will undoubtedly enjoy his insights and be guided to wrestle biblically with these important questions. I love this book and believe you will too.

Sean McDowell, PhD, professor of apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, author; popular YouTuber

If, like me, you were never taught a theology of animals but would like to learn, I hope All God’s Creatures guides you a good distance on that journey!

Note from Eternal Perspective Ministries: You can now preorder All God’s Creatures from EPM, and your book will ship by media mail when it releases this fall.

One Day, God Will Wipe away His People’s Tears

Randy Alcorn — Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

The movie Slumdog Millionaire, despite the controversies surrounding it, won eight 2009 Academy Awards and gained popular acclaim. The story’s poverty, violence, crime, and child exploitation provide a backdrop for a young man’s pure, unwavering love for a girl he met in the slums. The pair is tragically separated for years, and after they see each other briefly, she’s taken from him again. Yet he never stops trying to find her.

Against impossible odds, the boy and girl finally reunite. He pulls back her dupatta, revealing a long, captor-inflicted scar that disfigures her face. As she looks down in shame, the young man, his eyes full of tears, holds up her face and kisses her scar. Not first her lips, but her scar. It’s as if the scar itself is at last redeemed, somehow made beautiful.

The extraordinary power of the story lies in the depth of their love, forged in a context of years of injustice, evil, suffering, and separation. That climactic, love-filled moment could not have happened without the story’s disturbing setting. He could not have kissed her scar if she had no scar.

Likewise, the climax of Revelation 21:4, when God wipes away all tears from every eye, could not happen without the billions of tears shed because of the evil and suffering we’ve endured (and inflicted). It could not happen had Jesus not borne it on the cross for us.

David asked God, “Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record?” (Psalm 56:8). David believed his suffering mattered, that God counted it as precious, so precious that the Lord kept an account of every tear.

This gives special meaning to the promise that God will wipe away every tear from His children’s eyes. Our tears are all recorded in Heaven’s books. God is keeping track of the pain behind each and will deal with them one by one.

When Jesus wipes away all our tears with His gentle, omnipotent hand, I believe our eyes will fall on the scars that made our suffering His, so that His eternal joy could become ours. “He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 25:8).

Hasn’t God in Christ kissed our scars? And when we look at the scars on the hands and feet of Jesus, might we not, with tear-filled eyes, wish to kiss them?

Put a diamond only in light, and you will see some of its wonders; but set it against something dark then shine a light on it, and you will see what otherwise would have remained invisible.

I fell in love with astronomy years before I fell in love with the Lord of the cosmos. Night after night I observed the marvels of planets, stars, nebulae, and galaxies. As every backyard astronomer knows, streetlights and bright moonlight obscure the wonders of the night sky. In order to see the full glory of the stars, I learned that you must stay out for hours in the cold darkness. I did this night after night because what I discovered was worth it.

As the Heavens declare God’s glory in the absence of other light, so God shows Himself against the backdrop of evil and suffering—if only we are willing to look... and to discover that seeing Him is worth even the cold darkness.

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