The Journal

For most of my life I read the Bible the way many of us were taught to — as information to be studied, analyzed, and understood. And there is a place for that. But somewhere in the jungle, hungry and stretched beyond my strength, I discovered that the Word of God was never meant to stay in my head. It was meant to reach my heart.

The Passion Translation is my attempt to carry that discovery to you. Working from the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, I’ve tried to render not only the meaning of the words but the fiery affection behind them — the love language of a God who is passionately in love with His people.

When you read Scripture as a love letter rather than a lecture, everything changes. You stop trying to master the text and start letting it master you. That is my prayer for every reader: that the Word would become alive, and burning with passion, for you.

God rarely shouts. In more than fifty years of following Him, I’ve found that His voice most often comes as a whisper — gentle, unhurried, and easy to miss if your life is too loud to notice it.

Learning to hear that whisper is less about technique and more about posture. It’s the quiet decision, made again each morning, to turn down the noise and turn your face toward Him. He is always speaking. The question is whether we have made room to listen.

Start small. A few minutes of stillness. An open Bible. A heart that says, ‘Speak, Lord.’ You will be amazed how near He has been all along.

When Candice and I took our three children into the rainforests of Central America, we thought we were going to give something to the Paya-Kuna people. In the end, the wilderness gave far more to us.

We faced sickness, danger, and challenges far beyond our strength. But it was there, with nothing to lean on but God, that I learned the lesson that has carried me ever since: His presence will sustain you no matter where He leads you.

The wilderness is not a detour from the plan of God — sometimes it is the plan. If you find yourself in a dry place today, take heart. It may be the very ground where your miracle is born.

Many believers carry a picture of God as a stern judge — arms folded, waiting for us to fail. But the God revealed in Scripture runs toward His children. He is a Father whose heart burns with love, and a Bridegroom King who has set His affection on you.

This is the revelation that has fueled everything Candice and I have done: that the Gospel is not merely a transaction, but an invitation into intimacy. You were made for His presence.

When you truly encounter the fire of the Father’s love, striving falls away. You no longer serve Him to earn His approval — you serve Him because you already have it.