Author: Jon Gauger

Like many workplaces, Moody has a wellness program that encourages employees to pursue a healthier lifestyle. You watch educational videos, do fitness exercises, and take a healthy eating lifestyle class—that sort of thing. For every course you take, you get points. When you earn enough points, you earn the reward: $20/month off the cost of your insurance. But here’s the thing. This is really about repentance! They want me to repent from my five-layered Taco Bell burrito. They want me to turn away from lounging on the couch while binge-watching TV. They want me to repent from my daily can…

I saw a strange sight. While waiting for the train, a shabby-looking man fiddled with the parking meter behind me. His bunched-up pants were way too big for his skinny waist. I was confused by how his fingers mashed the parking meter panel with such intensity. As if he'd somehow been cheated out of change (or was hoping to find some?). Then I looked down and noticed the guy had no shoes—only filthy socks, well-worn. They had been white in another world, but long ago, they'd morphed into a muddy gray. As the train approached, I wondered what this guy…

Nassau, Bahamas—the fifth busiest cruise port in the world. At Port Nassau, they can dock six massive cruise ships simultaneously. And nearly 100 ships do so monthly, bringing some 20,000 cruise passengers who tour Nassau daily. My wife and I are just back from an anniversary trip to the Bahamas (no cruise—just a few days in the sun). There, we observed Port Nassau passengers immediately ushered to a pristinely manicured neighborhood. The "Straw Market" is a collection of upscale shops and eateries with more diamond stores than any street I've ever walked. And this is the only version of Nassau…

Tree sap. Dust. Grime. They transformed our once-beige storage unit into a grimy gray. But I was sure the power washer would bring a quick restoration. Begrudgingly, the filth gave way, but at a snail's pace. The cleaning process was so slow I decided to entertain my wife by "drawing" the outline of a big heart on the lid of the storage unit using the jet stream of water. Because four-year-olds rarely miss anything, that drawing did not escape little Emma, who inquired of my wife, "Who put that heart on there?" “Grandpa did.” “Is it because he loves me?”…

As Christians, we’re angry. We’re angry that educators and legislators are attempting to deny parents any say in the sexual choices of their own children. We’re angry that criminals are put back on the street without posting bail. We’re angry that concerned parents who speak up at school meetings are branded as domestic terrorists. We’re angry about a lot of things. But we’re wise to test our anger against the standards of Scripture. It’s okay to be angry about sin. It’s okay to hate sin—we must! But it’s not okay to hate sinners.   Have you noticed that many Christians seem…

Imagine a pile of dead files shaped like an Angel Food cake. Disgusting, right? That’s what our fly trap looks like. It’s a green mesh cylinder with an inverted cone featuring an opening the size of a nickel. Attracted by smelly bait, the flies crawl into that hole, one by one. All day. Every day. Once inside the fabric cylinder, they flitter about. Eventually, they lose interest and want to leave the party. But they don’t. Instead, they flutter against the trap walls, figuring there must be an exit "out there." Or they zoom up to the top of the…

I am weary of apps and websites determined to collect my mobile number. From Amazon to eBay, we're assured the request is merely for our "safety," perhaps as a backup so they can contact us in an "emergency." But these aren't doctors. They're digital distractions! Still, they seem rabidly preoccupied with having me surrender my number. And the reason they want it is access. They want access to my wallet, my vote, and my mind.  But I resent the demand…ur request. I really don't want every business (or shyster) in the world to be able to tell me about The…

Frankly, I was struggling—in need of an honest perspective, That’s when I reached out to Mike Kellogg. A mentor at Moody Radio, Mike was the much-beloved voice heard on Music Thru the Night. I was in the process of becoming ordained and needed a second set of eyes on a sermon outline. As I handed him my stack of note pages, his eyes were laser locked onto mine. More than a stare, it was more like a glare. Glasses slid half-down his nose, he jostled those papers on his (always) cluttered desk. Then he growled as he graveled, “This had…

At 40, he was dead—and nobody knew. For several days, his body slumped, then stiffened in the Lazy-boy chair—his favorite. Finally, someone called the police, suggesting a wellness check. Just hours after his body was hauled away, my son Tim was asked to help clean out the house. “We’ll pay ya,” he was told. The money sounded good, as Tim was on the hunt for a pair of high-quality speakers. But a casket full of cash would not be worth what he encountered there next. Knee-high garbage proved this guy was well on his way to becoming a hoarder. There…

In about 1400, B.C., the walls of Jericho fell. Today, a literal stone’s throw from the ruins of ancient Jericho stands the Mount of Temptation Restaurant. Think grilled kabobs, squishy-soft pita, Mediterranean salads, and fresh knafeh—the ultimate Arabian spun pastry. Given the vast edible spread, there’s no shortage of temptation from a diet perspective.  Of course, the temptation the restaurant is named for is that of Jesus, who spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil—and yet did not sin.  Like any self-respecting tourist destination, the restaurant also features a gargantuan gift shop. As you enter this…