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Do you know the gospel? If you had to sum up the gospel in just a few words, could you? Could you get in an elevator with someone and communicate the gist of the good news of Jesus Christ in the time it took to reach your floor? The pace of modern life is intense, and this pace brings with it a ruthless pressure to communicate quickly, to get to the point. People are rushed. The world is rushed. We are anxious not to abuse other people’s time. And we know that people today rapidly filter …

Yep. There is bad news; and, if we really love others, we have an obligation not to hide it. Rather than just one part of the good news—“God loves you”—modern people need to hear a four-part gospel. In addition to the good news about God’s love, for instance, they need to hear about sin (even if we don’t use that word). Only when we have admitted that we have turned away from God and rejected his friendship can we understand that the fullness of the gospel is …

The Immaculate Conception refers to Mary’s preservation from original sin from the very moment of her conception. The formal definition of this dogma was given to the Church by Pope St. Pius IX in 1854:We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all …

Our life has only one of two ends: eternal life with Jesus Christ or eternal damnation with the Evil One. There is no middle ground, no compromised position, no neutral or safe space. There is no supposed “better place.” There is only heaven or hell. We choose by the way of life we live and follow where we will spend eternity. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and …

Original sin introduced disharmony into the world on three levels. On each level, there is an effect on the relational aspects of human existence. The first level of disharmony is between the human race and God—demonstrated by Adam hiding from his Creator. On the second level, human beings are out of harmony with each other, beginning with the primary unity between husbands and wives. Adam blames Eve, and woman will now suffer male dominance that God did not intend. And finally, the human …