Author: Jon Gauger

What does heaven sound like? This week, I think I heard an excerpt. The Bible offers a surprising amount of detail about what heaven will look like: Streets of gold. Gates of pearl. Walls of precious stones. The River of Life. But what about the acoustic side of things—the sound? Revelation talks about saints singing Hallelujah. And Christians through the centuries have been convinced there'll be harp music. Revelation mentions seven trumpets played by seven angels, along with loud peals of thunder that help us imagine the voice of God. But last weekend, on a beach in Jacksonville, Florida, I…

The attacker stealthily inched his way forward. Finally, in range, he bashed Max on the back of the head—a blow sufficient to give him a concussion. When Max's friend Michael attempted to help him up, attackers broke Michael's wrist, requiring surgery. It all happened on November 6, 2024, on a public plaza at one of Chicago’s most respected campuses, DePaul University. Though police know there were two attackers, only one has been arrested, while the other is still at large. The attacker they did arrest wasn’t even a student. So, what was it that fueled this assault? What was there…

The dark side of repetition is numbness. When we hear things often enough, we cease to hear them. What should be foreground becomes background. Given time, even the profound becomes mundane. Perhaps that’s why I was taken aback by the simple declaration eight-year-old Ava wrote recently. Scrawled on a scrap of paper were these words: “I Love Jesus—and He Loves Me.” We pepper our prayers and praise music with the first half of Ava's message, "I love Jesus." But how often do we ponder—really contemplate—the second half of her message, "And He loves me.” I suspect that many of us…

Recently, I picked up a copy of The Hypochondriac’s Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have. It is equal parts informative and hilarious. From the back cover: Do you suffer from insomnia? Not good…soon your whole body might attack your brain. Are you bothered by a persistent fever and swelling? Beware…maggots are likely crawling beneath your skin. Have you noticed skin tenderness and discoloration? Yikes…a small horn is probably going to sprout from your head.   Funny—for sure. But there’s nothing humorous about the sickness afflicting many Christ followers today. Let me explain. We've just experienced the Easter season….

How many times a day do you reach for your phone? Surveys suggest we grab our phones between 144 and 205 times every day. In one study, 57%—more than half of all Americans—admitted they were addicted to their phones. While 54% of smartphone users report feeling more informed, 54% also report a sense of eye strain from all that screen time. 50% concede that checking in with their phones makes them less productive. Another 43% admit their phones cause them to struggle to pay attention. 30% say their phone use leads to anxiety. And 21% report all that phone time…

Americans are starving—not so much for food, but for fame. Driven by fads and fueled by social media, we are desperately trying to “be somebody.” The Inaugural Success Index study found that 92% of respondents believed fame and fortune come closer to society's definition of success. In a Pew Research survey, analysts discovered that among 18–25-year-olds, even getting rich is less important than becoming famous. After surveying a group of 1,032 sixteen-year-olds, a team of UK researchers determined that more than half had no desire to go into professions that didn’t involve being a celebrity. But believers are different. Way…

There’s big. There’s huge. Then there’s ridiculously massive. I refer to the teddy bear Tim bought for his two girls, Ava and Emma. Once home, the bear was an immediate hit: a friend at play, a guest at dinner, and a comfort at bedtime. It was also too big for their home, and just couldn't stay. But how to break the news to the girls? Tim took a wise approach and assured the girls that the bear was simply relocating to his office. Better yet, they could stop by to visit whenever they wanted to. With a reluctance recalling the…

A sliver of trees. Barely enough to be called a forest preserve. But big enough that it stands out from the cement and asphalt landscape you see peering out the windows of your train chugging toward Chicago. Because God has wired me to worship Him through His creation, I raise a hand and praise Him silently for the trees every time we roll by the splendor of this green scene. God must like it because He seems to jog my attention whenever I'm on the train and about to miss His handiwork. On a recent ride, I gazed into that…

I do not know whether this is a great or grim day for you. Either way, I invite you to ponder with me three things for which every believer can be thankful: #1 You have breath to praise. Not to be a downer, but the day is coming when you and I won't be able to praise because we will have taken our last breath. Psalm 115:17,18 soberly reminds us, "The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. But as for us, we will bless the LORD from this time and forever. Praise…

Be careful how you conduct yourself. Others are watching. As a seventeen-year-old kid, I had never lived away from home. But there I was, nervously pacing back and forth in the freshman registration line at Moody Bible Institute. Finances for that fall semester in order (thanks, Dad and Mom), I loaded my few belongings into the Culbertson Hall elevator and punched the tenth-floor button. That’s when I met my roommate, Dave. In some ways, we were total opposites. He was a car junkie—but I didn’t even own a junker. He loved auto racing while I played the French Horn. He…