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This Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of humankind’s first step on the moon. Only twelve people have set foot on that bright grey satellite we gaze at each night. Charlie Duke was the tenth. In this fascinating interview, you’ll hear him describe the experience in gripping detail. What's it like to be strapped into a violently shaking projectile that blasts you into space, with myriad possibilities of you dying in the process? What’s it like riding lunar buggies and playing ‘Moon Olympics’ on that powdery surface? Listen in. It’s just a shame he left his boots up there. More…

More and more of us are single. In the United Kingdom, over a third of the adult population of England and Wales are single, more than half of 25–44 year olds, and singleness is increasing in every age group with 50–64 year olds growing the fastest. Some embrace the single life with joy, others don't, and both society and church can send mixed messages about it. It's time to rethink our attitude to singleness. It is neither a curse to be pitied or a condition to be cured but a status with divine dignity. Here's why. More…

A few weeks ago I spoke at a secular conference for childless couples—an audience of men and women wondering what to do with their lives now they may not become parents. After I'd spoken, a woman approached me in tears. “I've been wondering all day why I came," she said, "but now I know. I needed to hear about Phoebe." How ironic that it was a story about an unborn child that made all the difference. But what's true of Phoebe is true of you too. More…

When you can't become who you want to be, you can still become who you're meant to be. And the person you're meant to be is so much bigger than you've dreamed. In the last few weeks I have done dozens of radio interviews across the US, UK and Australia sharing lessons like this from my book The Making of Us. Here is one of my favourites. In this far-reaching conversation, Susie Larson and I discuss the difference between primary and secondary callings, how fixating on our past achievements can blind us to what God is doing in and through us now, how to leave a legacy, and more. I hope you get as much out of this conversation as I did. More…

One surreal morning some months ago, Merryn and I woke to the news that her father had been taken to hospital following a serious car crash, and my father had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. To complicate matters, my dad is also my mother’s full-time carer, and they all live in Australia. With both parents now needing care, and us so far away, some stressful days followed. But then a man named Helmut stepped into our lives. Here's what happened next. More…

In recent days the world has lost a great hero of the faith. John Smith, legendary Australian preacher, commentator, evangelist and founder of the God's Squad Motorcycle Club has died after a long battle with cancer. He addressed the United Nations, nearly faced execution in the Philippines, and followed a radical call to reach outlaw bikers and the marginalised with the gospel. But in his early years he was anything but the radical. In this 2007 interview you'll hear how the once racist youth became a leather-clad preacher of peace, all because of the 'unconditional, indiscriminiative' love of Jesus. More…

What makes us who we are? How do we adjust when things don’t go as we hoped? Can we recover if we make a choice that’s less than perfect? In The Making of Us I explore these questions and more by telling a story of two friends walking through the rugged beauty of England’s north. May I read some of this story to you? The Making of Us releases on March 19 (April 16 in Australia) in paperback and now in audiobook too! Here are the first two chapters for you to listen to FREE. I can’t wait for you to hear the bit where God shows up in the motel room. And when I get to walk on the clouds. And when the seals start singing. And when I start to discover there’s more to us than our job titles. Go on. Take a listen. More…

One autumn morning not long ago, I walked to an Oxford cafe, took a window table, and pulled out my journal. I wanted to craft a statement - a creed of sorts - that would pull together what I'd learned while writing my new book The Making of Us. Something that captured what matters most in life. Something to read regularly to guide me forward. After many scribbled phrases and crossings out, I arrived at this: The Creed. Today we release it publicly, crafted into a beautiful video by Tyler Jackson, and ready to download as a print for your wall or smartphone. The hand that spins the galaxies wants you here... More…

A troubled home life. Feelings of insecurity. A longing for love. Self-hatred. For Malcolm Duncan these feelings developed into a destructive morning mantra he would repeat in the mirror throughout his earliest years. Then one night he had an experience that changed everything. Malcolm's moving story shows what can happen when we stop repeating lies about ourselves and start believing who God believes us to be. What lies are you believing, and what will you replace them with? More…

According to the experts, writing in a journal can help you reduce stress, increase creativity, solve problems, and manage conflict. I’ve also found it to be an incredibly helpful tool for making sense of our personal histories. In this season of New-Year reflection, here are four key themes a journal can help you track to bring clarity to your experience. More…

I was struck with wonder recently on a cold, rainy night in London, when I came across a dozen angels—made of thousands of pulsing lights, hovering above Regent Street. It’s the most jaw-dropping Christmas display I’ve seen. It got me thinking about what that very first Christmas was like, and the sense of awe that’s central to the story. More…

The surprising thing about talking publicly about childlessness, is the level of abuse that's come alongside the messages of gratitude. While many have thanked me for bringing it into the open, an equal number have seen fit to get nasty. I could let it get to me, or I could hit back – but I’ve found a better way to respond… More…

Last year I took part in a piece for a breakfast TV show. As the cameraman and I were driving to the filming location, he told me a story. "Last night some mates and I were in the pub," he said, "and the conversation turned to depression. It turns out some of the guys are on antidepressants. We could never have had that conversation a decade ago. We’d have been too afraid of looking weak." The cameraman and I agreed much progress had been made in men being able to discuss their problems without fear or shame. But I had a hunch there was one topic still too taboo for us to talk about with each other. So I put it to him. Perhaps breaking this taboo will be the next stage of progress in men's health. More…

Some days I wonder why I’m a Christian. In a secular age, it isn’t great for your career; in some countries, following Jesus can sign your death sentence. With so many spiritual alternatives, why believe? I got thinking about this recently. A memory of a close call in the Dominican Republic helped bring my reasons down to two. More…

Political antagonism is growing across the globe. Some have called this culturally polarised time the ‘age of outrage’. In taking a stand for our chosen cause, we’re losing civility. Here are some ways we can stay civil and respectful in the face of our differences. More…

There is a cost to giving. At it's worst that cost is burnout—the emotional (and often physical) collapse of someone who has spent too long pouring out without filling up. Psychiatrist Robert Coles wrote about the hazards that come with a life of service and giving. It was the warning signs of burnout that really grabbed my attention. More…

I have an embarrassing habit of forgetting people's names, even of people I've known for years (it’s pretty bad—you’ll laugh.) Since names are more than mere words, it’s a weakness I wish I could beat. Thankfully there’s Someone who knows you by name, and who will never forget it. More…

After 21 years, I sometimes look at my wife Merryn and wonder how our marriage works. I’m a writer and speaker, Merryn is a statistician. I work with words, she works with numbers. I want beauty, she wants function. And that’s only the start of our differences! Here’s what’s helped us stick together… More…

Modern Christianity has been criticized at times for being about little more than “a ticket to heaven”. But it’s so, so much more. Heaven is where God is, and since God is everywhere, heaven isn't just 'up there' but touches earth too. Here’s some ways we can glimpse heaven's reality now… More…

In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with a double-murder, found guilty by a jury, and sentenced to death. But he was innocent. His sentence was overturned only in 2015—nearly thirty years later. What’s most astounding about Ray’s story is that he faced those 28 gruelling, unfair years with joy. How? More…