November 14, 2026

Christian Living, Fear, Forgiveness, Leadership

John Beeson

In my last post, I confessed my sin of narcissism. It’s true: I can be a selfish, self-serving leader.

If it were only so easy to defend ourselves against sins from one direction. One of my favorite little leadership books to come out in the past decade has been Trevin Wax’s The Multi-Directional Leader. Wax’s thesis is simple: most leaders are only concerned about threats from one direction, but any shepherd knows threats come from all sides. A wise leader is aware not just of one threat from one direction, but many threats from many directions.

November 12, 2026

Recommendations, Biblical Studies, Faith, Marriage, Relationships, Science, Suffering

John Beeson

This Week's Recommendations

The profound connection between suffering and glory: Dane Ortlund concludes, “Our scars here will be beauty marks there. The uglier the scarring, the brighter the beauty.”
The four horsemen of the apocalypse (re: marital communication): “Decades of Gottman research has demonstrated four destructive communication patterns that can signal relationship breakdown if left unchecked.”

November 10, 2026

Counseling, Culture, Forgiveness, Wisdom

John Beeson

Would You Forgive Me of My Narcissism?

In the ancient myth, the hunter Narcissus was acclaimed for his beauty. Many sought Narcissus romantically, but he spurned them all. One day on a hunt, Narcissus paused to rest by a pool of water; stooping for a drink, he caught sight of his own reflection. He fell in love with his reflection and stayed by the pool, staring at himself for the rest of his life.

The American Psychiatric Association defines narcissistic personality disorder as, “a pattern of need for admiration and lack of empathy for others. A person with narcissistic personality disorder may have a grandiose sense of self-importance,

November 7, 2026

Biblical Studies, Church, Evangelism, Faith, Heaven, Hell, History, Religion

John Beeson

How To Read the Book of Revelation

If you lived in Western New York in the early 1800s, you had a front-row seat to one of the most exciting times and places in US history. The Erie Canal opened in 1825, and with its opening came a flood of commerce and people. Towns popped up and with the people came temptation. Stephen Nichols describes the spiritual mood, “Revivalist preachers set up their tents and, with impassioned pleas, called for revival and repentance.” Those pleas were often tied to fervent appeals tied to the return of Jesus.

Because of the great response to these revivals, upper New York was dubbed the Burned-Over District.

November 5, 2026

Recommendations, Comedy, Consumerism, Culture, Technology, Nature, Identity

John Beeson

This Week's Recommendations

You are no longer invited to dinner: Derek Thompson shares some sad news, “In the last 30 years, Americans have seen double-digit declines in practically every measure of socializing. They are less likely to play cards; attend a sporting event; go to the bar; volunteer; or work on a community project. When it comes to hosting people at home, the declines are particularly stark. Since 1995, the share of Americans who say they’ve hosted guests or attended a dinner party has declined by about 20 percent