ODB: Schooled in Love

Woody Cooper stood in the loud mob the day Dorothy Counts, a Black girl, enrolled in his all-White high school in North Carolina.

ODB: Remembering to Forget

Author Richard Mouw tells of a Black theologian from South Africa who struggled with dark memories of life under apartheid.

ODB: Living for Jesus

In 2023, Kenyan police intervened to end what’s being called the “Shakahola Massacre”—in which hundreds died after following a cult leader’s directions to starve themselves to meet Jesus.

ODB: Lavish Love

Todd invited his younger brother Alex, a recent college graduate, to come live with him in the house he’d built.

ODB: Divine Restoration

My heart sank. My mind started to swirl. A friend who’d been helping set up my new laptop accidentally deleted all the photos and videos I’d transferred to it.

ODB: Belle’s Belief

Belle wanted nothing to do with her parents’ faith in Jesus. In college, she proclaimed herself an agnostic and sought to live without God.

ODB: It Takes Humility

My cousins, who lived only two miles away when we were growing up, weren’t allowed to interact with my family.

ODB: God’s Eternally Beloved

One of the most dramatic and mysterious love letters of all time was penned by composer Ludwig van Beethoven and was only discovered after his death in 1827.

ODB: Be Careful!

After years of struggle and crying out in prayer, Frank quit drinking. He attributes his continued sobriety to God’s work in his life.

ODB: A Nonanxious Presence

In his 1985 book Generation to Generation, family therapist and Rabbi Edwin Friedman introduced the phrase “a nonanxious presence.”

ODB: Honoring Jesus

A twenty-dollar bill and two leaflets with messages about Jesus. That’s what was inside an envelope labeled “John Daniels Sr, Random Act of Kindness Day.”

ODB: The Exchange

Elijah had accidentally ripped a ten-dollar bill while playing with his friends. But instead of admonishing him, his father offered to exchange the torn bill with a fresh one from his wallet.

ODB: How the Proud Fall

John Taylor was a British eye surgeon in the 1700s who, driven by arrogance, fabricated a prestigious reputation.

ODB: When Love Shows Up

“Why are you crying?” The question was asked by a volunteer for a Christian relief ministry helping those whose homes had been destroyed by Hurricane Helene.