Identity

Jesus changed the names of several of His disciples. For example, Simon became Peter and Saul became Paul. On top of that, Jesus gave two of His disciples nicknames that…

“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.”

When a young man is “inked” by a gang, the tattoo signifies his adoption into a new family – one that’s often violent and criminally-minded. The tattoo is nothing short of a claim on the kid’s life by his fellow gang members.

So one priest in Los Angeles is removing kids from gangs by removing their tattoos.

It’s the phone call no parent wants to receive. Ever. But on Thursday, February 28, 1991, Cecil and Ruth were both informed that their son, PFC. Clayton Carpenter, was killed in action in the Persian Gulf War. In an instant, their lives were changed.

Until the phone rang again.

Jesus came to change the world. By all estimates, He did a terrific job. Not only did He leave His mark on human hearts, He also left His mark on human history, dividing it between BC and AD.

His influence is even seen in the names we’ve given many places around the globe.

For many, reading books is a popular pastime…whether on an actual page or on a portable screen. For some, the allure is in the story’s plot; for others, the action is the attraction. Still others are enthralled by the characters.

And thanks to one charity event, a few lucky readers got the chance to actually become the characters in their favorite authors’ books.

Christianity offers all kinds of churches: family churches, denominational churches, traditional churches, contemporary churches, emerging churches, and even mega churches. All of these churches have their own characteristics and personality.

But nothing compares to the “country church.”

With his request finally approved, a CNN News cameraman quickly used his smartphone to call the local airstrip to charter a flight. He was told a twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport.

Little did he know he was in for the flight of his life!

He owns at least 200 cars, and built a special pyramid in which to store them. He also constructed the world’s biggest pick-up truck…complete with a full suite of luxury rooms. He even has a custom-made, globe-shaped motor home that is exactly one-millionth the size of the Earth.

But evidently, not even that was enough for Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan.

2,000 years ago, Jesus preached a sermon on a mount that has changed millions of lives since. In 1984, Tommy Lasorda, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, delivered a “sermon on the mound” of his own…and it changed the life of Orel Hershiser.

It was so definitive in fact, that Hershiser even got a new name.