Rediscovering joy
Most of us experienced the cumulative impact of the COVID pandemic on our everyday lives throughout the past few years. For some of us, this resulted in a lessening of ou... »
Peter Amsterdam
Peter Amsterdam has been active in Christian service since 1971. In 1995 he became co-director (together with his wife, Maria Fontaine) of the Christian community of faith known as the Family International. He has authored a variety of articles on Christian faith and theology. (Articles by Peter Amsterdam used in Activated are adapted.)
The good Samaritan
Many of us are familiar with the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37. However, because we live in cultures very different from that of first-century Palestine,... »
The birth of Jesus
The story of Jesus’ life begins with the story of His birth, as told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The Old Testament foretold His coming, revealing specific informa... »
Jesus’ life and message: light
Shortly after Jesus taught His disciples how to pray,[[See Luke 11:1–4.]] He proceeded to speak about light in three short sayings. He started with a reference to physica... »
Jesus—His life and message: Zacchaeus
The Gospel of Luke tells of Jesus’ surprising interaction with Zacchaeus, a Jewish man who was a chief tax collector for the Roman government. Jesus entered Jericho and m... »
Give it all to Jesus
Forgiving is one of the most difficult things for a person to do. But whenever we give our hurts to God and tell Him, “Jesus, take this. I don’t want it anymore. I’m tire... »
Feeling unsettled?
In Philippians 4:6–7, the apostle Paul instructs the believers: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, pres... »
Got potential?
What can you realistically expect to be or accomplish? That depends in part on how you define “realistic.” Nobody knows what we’re capable of better than God, and often H... »
Christmas echoes
For many of us, an important feature of Christmas is remembering the story of Jesus’ birth, whether through reenactments and plays of the first Christmas, readings of the... »
God’s Christmas gift
Christmas celebrates the most important birth in human history, when the Creator of the universe entered our world in bodily form as both God and man in Jesus. An angel a... »
More like Jesus: Joy
Christian joy is intimately connected to faith, hope, and gratefulness. It’s about taking a long-range view of life that is based on faith in God, trust in what He has to... »
Reason to celebrate
All throughout history, people have marked great advances, victories, and momentous occasions with celebration—some of which continue till today, such as birthdays, anniv... »
When it gets boring
“If you abide in My word,” Jesus said, “you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”[[John 8:31–32]] We all know that co... »