Exempla

I told a group of kids the story of young boy being saved from a fire. I was not prepared for how deeply my son would be affected by that story. It made me feel like a bad father, but over the next few days, I learned a...

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen is responsible for turning LEGOs into a global phenomenon. But when Godtfred’s father first told him about his idea for a plastic building block, Godtfred thought it was a terrible idea. In...

It’s hard to fathom the suffering and sorrow faced by Horatio and Anna Spafford. Even after facing one of the greatest tragedies of his life, Horatio penned the words to the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul”. But Horatio's...

Why in the world do I have a podcast? Good question. In this fiftieth episode of Exempla, I want to tell you about the series of events that led to me starting this podcast back in 2021. It encourages me to reflect on...

When I first met my wife, I was attracted to her—but I thought she was way out of my league. And I was right. But that didn’t keep us from accidentally ending up on a date… that led to a relationship… that led to...

When war upends Gladys Aylward’s life, she finds herself responsible for the care of two hundred children. When she discovers there’s a bounty on her head, she leads ninety-four of those children on a daring escape...

Gladys is finally in Yangcheng, China, where she can begin her missions work. But during her years in Yangcheng, Gladys’s life is going to take some unexpected turns. Through it all, she will learn that God sometimes...

Gladys Aylward was a small, unassuming woman from England—but her determination was unmatched. When a missions agency told her they couldn’t send her to China, she simply decided to find another way. In this...

My son broke his arm, and I didn’t know what to do. In the moment, I felt lost, but through all the fear and uncertainty, I learned something about God. This episode is about that day, what it taught me, and the quiet...

What happens to the soul of an Olympic athlete when he in interned at a prison camp during a war in which he has no part? Most would grow bitter or discouraged… but not Eric Liddell. You may know about Eric’s Olympic...

How many doughnuts is too many doughnuts? In Robert McCloskey’s Homer Price, a doughnut machine malfunctions, resulting in a hilariously enormous surplus of doughnuts. In this episode, I share this lighthearted tale and...

In the 1980s, Ted Ngoy’s American Dream turned into a nightmare. He unexpectedly started to lose all the things he held most dear… and it was no one’s fault but his own. In this second part of Ted’s story, I explain...

Ted Ngoy had to flee his home in Cambodia and start fresh in the United States. But even though he arrived as a destitute refugee, Ted managed to leave his mark on the entire LA area. In this first part of Ted's story...

How much impact does one preacher really have? Walt Coles served as a pastor for decades. He was my pastor during my junior high and high school years. But I don't think I could give you the title of a single sermon he...

On Christmas Eve, 1968, families all over the world gathered to watch a historic TV broadcast from the moon. The crew of Apollo 8 was asked to say “something appropriate” to mark the occasion. In this episode, I tell...