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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Patience is something that I struggle with, particularly when others slander and provoke. It keeps me on edge constantly. I’ve been watching my own reaction to when I’m impatient and it sparks other acts that I know are wrong. Is impatience actually a sin, and what is the secret to learning ...Read more

I hope this year’s rare confluence of Christmas and Hanukah brought you a spirit of joy and at least one present you will remember long past New Year’s Day.

Both Father Tom and I are/were big supporters of gift giving. I understand the common gripe of many that the holiday season is over commercialized and there is good evidence of that. ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I have many wonderful Christian friends who have helped me in my journey of faith. But it is upsetting when others who talk about Jesus all the time live in ways that I know do not please the Lord. Why does He put up with this? – C.D.

A: God does not ignore those who follow Him when they do wrong...Read more

MIAMI — For the first time in nearly 20 years, the first night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas Day, marking a rare confluence of Jewish and Christian holidays, which occur on separate calendars.

Many regions of the country are home to a variety of faith groups, with rich traditions and cultures. In South Florida, for instance, though there are...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Our church and school presented the nativity story weeks before Christmas. The narrator commented that though we look back on the night as magical, the truth is that most of the world had no idea what was happening in the little town of Bethlehem. Why didn’t God just make His Son’s first ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Our society is so saturated in “me” that few people, few families, give thought to what Christmas really means. Our world is in turmoil and it’s hard to imagine true peace. The news carries the beat of a funeral drum – doom and gloom – instead of casting our eyes and hearts on the starry ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: We’ve all heard that prosperity brings happiness, but it seems like our nation is getting a needed lesson in the fact that prosperity isn’t the key to peace and contentment, but rather having a thankful heart. Why is this so hard for us to learn? – T.H.

A: When comfort, ease, and pleasure are...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Is it possible to get a second chance to believe in God once we die, and is this getting the last rites, or returning to Earth as a different person? – S.C.

A: The Bible does not teach that we can make a decision for Christ after we breathe our last. In fact, Scripture teaches the opposite. It ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: What is the best way to answer children when they ask the true meaning of Christmas without talking about sin? Christmas is a time of joy, not a time of sorrow. – C.M.

A: The purpose of Jesus’ birth cannot be separated from the Christmas story, for the Bible says that Mary “will bring forth a...Read more

Only rarely do Chanukah and Christmas fall on the same day, but this year is one of those times. The first light of Chanukah will be kindled in Jewish homes across the world on Wednesday evening, Dec. 25 – Christmas Day. So let me use the rare and blessed gift of our shared sacred ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I was sharing with a co-worker how the Lord saved me from a life of trouble by my own making. When I finished, she just sat there. I got a little nervous but put the question to her: “Would you like to give your life to Christ?” Without a blink and a coldness in her voice, she said, “What’s ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Diocese of Orange has agreed to pay $3.5 million to a man who alleges he was sexually abused by a former administrator at Mater Dei High School in the late 1970s.

The settlement concludes a lawsuit filed in 2019 against the diocese and brings the amount the Catholic Church has paid out in civil cases involving Msgr. Michael ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I am ashamed to say that while I know I’m saved and going to Heaven, there are days I’m depressed and feel uncertain about the future. My friend tells me that I’m fickle, but I don’t want to be, because I know my future is secure. How can I overcome this dilemma? – F.F.

A: It’s amazing ...Read more

PAYNESVILLE, Minn. – The red wooden doors at Salem Historical Church have been tightly sealed and locked for most of the last half-century.

But on Saturday night, the doors were a portal to the past: Inside were twinkling holiday lights and a pine tree that stretched to the ceiling, its boughs draped in silver tinsel. A sugary aroma hung ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I am not opposed to Christians but I am opposed to the fact that they preach God’s love, the brotherhood of man, and we are people tied together by human bonds, while saying that only Christians make up the family of God. Isn’t this doublespeak? – B.F.

A: There is a great deal of ...Read more

DETROIT — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released the fourth of seven reports Monday related to a years-long investigation into clergy sexual abuse within Michigan's Catholic dioceses.

The report indicated that the investigation into the Diocese of Lansing, which began in September 2018, found that 48 priests, three religious brothers,...Read more

Two spray-painted swastikas were found outside Minneapolis’ Temple Israel, the largest synagogue in Minnesota, on Monday morning.

The symbols were found spray-painted in red on a pillar and a door on the temple’s Emerson Avenue S. entrance, according to Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman. A report has been filed with police.

“It is heartbreaking to ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’m “amazed” that the world accepts the song “Amazing Grace,” with its strong testimony of people being lost sinners and being saved by God’s amazing grace. Is this the personal testimony of John Newton, once a slave trader? – A.G.

A: In an English village, not far from Oxford and ...Read more

WILSON TOWNSHIP, Minn. – The last time the Catholic church here faced an existential threat was on New Year’s Eve 1935, when the church was set ablaze. Not even a trace of its sacred vessels was found in the debris.

The hardship of the Great Depression did little to deter the congregation. Within weeks, parishioners were rebuilding. Men of ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My mother is legalistic and won’t allow me to watch certain shows because of the language. I hear bad language in school all the time but she doesn’t allow me to quit school. Why is it so wrong to put up with a little bad language to enjoy the entertainment? – L.W.

A: A story’s told of ...Read more