Following a noteworthy career in magazine, curriculum, book and Bible publishing, Dean Merrill is now concentrating on indepen­dent editorial work. Some of his projects are solo writing, many are collaborations with well-known personalities, and still others involve overall directing of complex editorial projects.
READ MORE »

• The Clumsiness of Laws - When we get frustrated with today’s culture—the sleaze, the hostility toward religion, the broken promises, the disrespect for human life—we’re prone to want a legislature somewhere to ban such behavior…. read more »
• On the Receiving End of “the Look” - Did you grow up with a mom or a dad who, if you got out of line, could stop you in your tracks without saying a word? I certainly did. If I was doing or saying something inappropriate (especially in front of other people), a cold stare would let me know I had better cut… read more »
• Is Marriage More Chancy These Days? - A number of the old allies have fled—the traditions and forces that used to prop up marriage as an institution. Our generation is in greater need to distinctly Christian reasons to stay married…. read more »
• More than Naysayers - Good things happen when we balance our condemnation of sin with the Christian graces of mercy, love and hope. The sternness of “no” cries out for an offsetting “yes.” … read more »
• How Much Help Does a King Need? - God is sovereign. That leads to a puzzling question: How does he demonstrate his control? … read more »
• Is Baptism Optional? - The question is about more than getting your hair wet in public…. read more »
• My Right to Gripe - The contemporary style, you know, is simply I’ve paid my money, bought my ticket, and now I get to sound off about everything that’s wrong…. read more »
• A Husband’s Prayer - Zipping out of our bedroom the other day, I glanced again at a framed poem on the wall. I wrote it years ago on an American Airlines flight from Dallas back to New York, and two Christian magazines picked it up. It spoke about the special place my wife held then, and still holds, in… read more »
• Bible Translations: It Doesn’t Matter What You “Like” - Have you noticed that Bible translations even have their own Facebook pages now? The NIV, the NLT, the ESV, the NASB and others are busily telling their stories and collecting tens of thousands of “likes” from their fans. They’re all getting whupped, however, by the venerable King James Version, which has nearly 1.8 million…. read more »
• Blocks to Communication - Why is it that what once flowed so automatically in a courtship ends up slowing to a trickle? … read more »
• Welcome to the Minority - Did you know you belong to a minority group? Yes, you do, even if your skin is white, and you speak nothing but English…. read more »
• Are You Giving, or Shopping? - For kids in Sunday school, the offering process is pretty simple…. For grown-ups, things get sophisticated…. read more »