Reads from Lighten

All good stories have beginnings but the greatest story ever told has no end. After much prayer and consideration, we believe Lighten's time has come to an end. While this season has been shorter than we had hoped, we trust God's plan and know that He had a purpose and reason for our time together at Lighten. But don't worry, you can still access all of the YouTube videos and our website content through the Summer of 2023. So, go give it look and a listen! It was created to give hope and light to a dark world, and we want to make it available for as long as we can. Thank you for listening. We know that God's work will continue, His love endures forever, and that He is always inviting us to ask Him Why?   Below are some resources of ministries that we've had the pleasure of working alongside. We'll also be adding additional resources on our website below. Lighten YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/LightenGroup (https://www.youtube.com/LightenGroup) Stand to Reason - https://www.str.org (https://www.str.org) Reasons to Believe - https://reasons.org (https://reasons.org) World Race - https://worldrace.org (https://worldrace.org) Alex McElroy - https://alexrmcelroy.com (https://alexrmcelroy.com) Jude3 - https://jude3project.org (https://jude3project.org) Additional Resources - https://lightengroup.org (https://lightengroup.org)

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. In today's article “What Is Love?,” written and read by Kristen Henriques, Kristen takes a deeper look at the true meaning of love and where we can find a love that lasts.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. What did Jesus mean when He spoke about the last being first and the first being last? What does this mean for us? In today's article, “Red Light, Green Light,” Xandra Carroll explores this concept and helps us to unpack its meaning. In a world where comparison is a killer, Jesus levels the playing field and brings hope to all.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘When God Doesn't Answer Our Cries,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, wrestles with the silence of God in difficult times.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. If God is such a good designer, why did He design things so poorly? That's the heart of the question behind today's article, ‘The Argument from Poor Design: A Christian Response,' written and read by Xandra Carroll.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Have you ever had a moment in your life when nothing made sense? How did you find the solid ground in that moment? In today's article, ‘Do You Trust Me,' Xandra Carroll explores how we find stability in a Person when we're lost in a sea of unknowns. We hope it brings you encouragement today.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Blessed are the Lonely in Spirit,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, peers into the problem of modern loneliness and asks why, with all of our technological connectivity, we live in an internal wilderness. 

We're concluding our conversation with Derek Caldwell on violence in the Old Testament. We focus on the Law of the Old Testament and how, if we look at it closer, instead of being a set of rules to condemn it actually shows the world a way to bring mercy to those who need it most. Humanity. Make sure to listen to part 3 as we conclude our conversation on Old Testament violence and click the link below to read Derek's articles. https://lightengroup.org/old-testament-violence-series/ (https://lightengroup.org/old-testament-violence-series/) https://lightengroup.org (https://lightengroup.org)

We're continuing with part 2 of 3 of our conversation with Derek Caldwell on violence in the Old Testament. We're talking about how God viewed war in the Old Testament and how it changed the way the world viewed warfare, why the plague on the firstborn of Egypt in Exodus can be seen as problematic, and how the Flood continues to show more than just anger and judgement on a world overrun with sin and death. Make sure to listen to part 3 as we conclude our conversation on Old Testament violence and click the link below to read Derek's articles. https://lightengroup.org/old-testament-violence-series/ (https://lightengroup.org/old-testament-violence-series/) https://lightengroup.org (https://lightengroup.org)

Today I have Derek Caldwell in the studio for part 1 of 3 talking about a series of articles he's written about violence in the Old Testament. We talk about why violence in the Bible is seen as such a problem, why God is seen as being judgmental, jealous, and hateful in the Old Testament, and we talk about the fear of the Lord and how that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Make sure to listen to parts 2 and 3 as we dive into more Old Testament misconceptions and click the link below to read Derek's articles. https://lightengroup.org/old-testament-violence-series/ (https://lightengroup.org/old-testament-violence-series/) https://lightengroup.org (https://lightengroup.org)

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Honoring Sabbath' written and read by Xandra Carroll, is the second in a two-part series on the Sabbath and outlines a method for observing the day of rest in our modern times.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Discovering Sabbath' written and read by Xandra Carroll, is the first in a two-part series on the Sabbath. Xandra explains that all of us long for rest, no matter our cultural background or religious beliefs, and the Sabbath brings us that rest.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Our Fathers,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, considers the legacies of fathers in our lives and of Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, "A True But Desolate Place," is the first in a series on finding meaning in life. In it, Olivia shares how an experience in an emergency room made her meditate on the brevity of life.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘What Pentecost Is All About,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, explores the history of division and how Pentecost heals our painful pasts.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘6 Ways Depression Taught Me to Live,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, is a look at how, even through the pain and suffering of depression, God can teach you to cherish life as a precious gift.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘My Life Among the Tombs,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, is a personal account of the author's struggle with mental illness, and Jesus's pursuit of those who feel unreachable and unlovable.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Don't Stop Believing in Miracles,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, is a meditation on time, memory, and looking back at miracles long forgotten.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, “Out of Sight,” written and read by Danielle DuRant, considers the familiar aphorism “Seeing is believing.”

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, "Distracting Ourselves from Loneliness," written and read by Lou Phillips, explains how Christ shows us that we can trust Him with our most vulnerable experiences, including our loneliness.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. In her article, “On Changing the World,” Lighten writer Olivia Davis shares a moment where she questioned if she was supposed to be a world changer, and, if not, what her purpose was.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, "Losing Faith in Times of Uncertainty," written and read by Lou Phillips, asks how we can take our struggles with God to Him, as John the Baptist once did.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. In her article, “God, do you still love me?,” Lighten writer Olivia Davis shares how God met her in the midst of a season of brokenness and sorrow. 

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, “Left on Boylston,” written and read by Danielle DuRant, talks about running the Boston Marathon and the stories we tell ourselves.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘The Good News of a Crown of Thorns,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, explores the ways that the God who suffers alongside us meets us in the midst of rejection and trauma.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, “A Perfect Ending,” written and read by Danielle DuRant, imagines how Palm Sunday could be the perfect ending to a children's story.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘The Disappearing World, Part 2: Wilderness,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, is the second in a two-part series on the imagination. In this article, we explore how the imagination helps us persevere through trials and tribulations.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘The Disappearing World, Part 1: Imagination,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, is the first in a two-part series on the imagination. In this article, we look at the role imagination plays in our understanding of the world and worship.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, is a meditation on why we seek out beauty, and what it tells us about ourselves.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘A Universe Rigged for Life,' written and read by Lou Phillips, reflects on the fine-tuned nature of our existence and the likelihood of a God behind it all

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘The Man Behind the Curtain,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, reflects on the images we create for ourselves and how to live free of the shame of the past. 

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. In today's article, "A God Who Weeps," written and read by Olivia Davis, Olivia shares what a Beethoven Sonata taught her about God's relationship to suffering.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's conversation focuses on an article written by Xandra Carrol called "What Does This Mean For My Faith?: Three Different Perspectives On Origin" and we discuss how to display God's love even we have conversations and debates with those with differing views. 

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Seen,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, reflects on the offering of a widow and what it has to say about the love of God for those who feel invisible.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. In today's article, "A Necessary Extravagance," written and read by Olivia Davis, Olivia shares how flowers have prompted her heart to worship God.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Living in the Light,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, looks at what it means to be a human being for the first time. 

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Dining in the Dark,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, stares into the darkness and sorrow of the fall. 

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, “Getting Noticed,” written and read by Danielle DuRant, suggests that Jesus continually challenges our paradigms of justice and fairness.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, "At Magic Reservoir," written and read by Olivia Davis, shares how God met her in an unexpected way.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, "Drawing Hudson Taylor," written and read by Olivia Davis, considers how God knows us and cares for us.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, “A Day of Doubletakes,” written and read by Danielle DuRant, observes that Ash Wednesday invites us to take a second look at our lives.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article “Why Do I Continue to Open the Door?,” written and read by Kevin Abshire, explains why he continues to open his door to Mormon missionaries.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article “The Power of a Story,” written and read by Kristen Henriques, examines the importance of storytelling in our culture.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘A Subject of Divine Grace,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, discusses the life and times of 18th century African American poet Phillis Wheatley, whose works of poetic genius shone in, and on, the darkness of the age.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's conversation focuses on a collection of articles written by Derek Caldwell on the historical existence of Jesus Christ and considers the claim that some or all of His life is an amalgamation of borrowed myths and legends.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's conversation focuses on a collection of articles written by Derek Caldwell examining the charge that Old Testament scriptures and beliefs are plagiarized from other religions and ancient mythologies.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, “A Universal Language,” written and read by Danielle DuRant, considers where our ability to make meaning with words comes from.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Suffering Without Sinking,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, asks the question: is God really with us in our suffering?

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, ‘Take, Eat,' written and read by Derek Caldwell, looks at the difficult question of evil and suffering, and a God who takes on both for the life of the world.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, “Do Not Despise these Small Beginnings,” written and read by Xandra Carroll, is an encouraging word about God doing great things with our small acts of faithfulness.

Reads from Lighten is a collection of writings intended to help you step into the rest, clarity, and joy found in Jesus, the Light of the World. Today's article, “At the Watering Hole," written and read by Olivia Davis, considers how a painting made her reflects on the importance of vulnerability.