Explore the River Blog

It was a shocking moment, caught on multiple cameras. Charlie Kirk was a well-known young advocate for free speech and traditional American values, and one who often freely spoke about his faith in Jesus. He was known for gracious interaction with those who...

God was leading His people out of the slavery of Egypt into a new life. He had done that with displays of great power—the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the exhibition of His control of nature on Mount Sinai. Even with all of that, Moses asked a...

Thinking about my friend, Craig, in his passing. By Brian Onken, Academic Director of The River Craig Alan O’Neal January 3, 1954–July 15, 2025 Why a post about Craig O'Neal on The River's website? Because he was a great friend of the ministry and instrumental in...

You are shown several "ink blots"–black images on white cards. You are asked to say something about what you see in the images or what thoughts are triggered by these splatters on a white background. Based on your response, assessments are made about your...

I like to stand outside during a thunderstorm–not in an open field, but on my front porch or in the open garage. There is something startling, something awe-inspiring, and even a bit frightening about the lightning that flashes across the sky and the thunder that...

There are a large number of resources available for those who long to read and understand the Bible for themselves. And often, those resources suggest there is a great wealth of "background" information you need to become familiar with to make sense of what you...

As we approach the celebration of Easter, I have been thinking about what we find in the Gospels that lead up to Jesus' death and resurrection. Those moments in His ministry are some of the most defining and most memorable. But there are a few other Gospel...

I recently presented a simple challenge to attendees in a "Reading Scripture" class. This was what I asked them to do: Please read the following sentence and count the number of "f" in the sentence. Here's the sentence, and you are invited to do the same (before...

Why did Jesus ask, “Have you never read?” (See, for example, Matthew 12:3; 5; 19:4; 21:16, 42; 22:31.) When He asked that question, typically He was speaking to someone raised in the Jewish community. Sometimes He was even addressing a Jewish leader. Every week,...

Although they are not omniscient, they have been around for a long time. Since they were first created, the angels have watched God carry out His plans for the rest of creation. As the Spirit prompted and inspired prophets throughout the ages, the angels heard...