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After you’ve heard “Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 5,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard Part 5, check out the Media Player starting October 17. You can also find a station in your area.)



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By Elizabeth Goldsmith

I have a moderate fear of heights, and, on a good day, an above-average adventurous streak, so when I was invited to go rock climbing for the first time in my life, I eagerly…and nervously…said yes. It was one of the best decisions I made that summer. It won’t say that it wasn’t hard or even scary at times, but getting to the top made the entire climb worth it. And until I set out on this adventure, I never realized how rock climbing can be a lot like living the Christian life. Stick with me on this one.

Ignoring your fear of falling is very important in rock climbing. There comes a time when you have to leave secure hand and foot holds…when you have to reach up and hope there’s something above you to hold you. The good news is that, no matter what happens in the climb, the rope is always there. Even if you make a mistake and slip from your holds, the rope will keep you from falling very far. Oh how hard it can to turn that mental knowledge (“I know this rope will hold me!”) into physical action (“So I’m going to climb higher off the ground.”)!

As a Christian, it’s sometimes easy to get comfortable and stop growing in our faith…to stop reaching higher. But God wants more for us. He calls us to keep striving to be more like Him, to keep stepping up in faith, and to pursue a deeper relationship with Him. And if we make a mistake when we strive to know Him more, He’s there to catch us if we fall.

Being anointed as the future king of Marus hasn’t made Darien’s life easy, as we’ve heard so far in Darien’s Rise. He’s had to make many sacrifices: he left his home and his family, he had to hide in caves, and danger was around every corner. He could have rejected the Unseen One’s call and said, “But I like my life just the way it is!” And yet, despite his hardships, Darien knows that he is following the Unseen One’s will and calling in his life, and that makes it all worth it.

The Christian life is a time of challenge. Instead of being content with our relationship with God, we need to reach higher, serve him more, and come to know him better. If we don’t, we’ll could miss out on all the exciting (and challenging!) things that God has planned for us. There will be hard times, complete with scraped knees and sore fingers, but don’t let them stop you from climbing higher. Remember, God is always there, ready to catch you.

How are you seeking God in your day-to-day life? Post a comment and tell us!

• Get a summary and discussion questions for Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 5.
• Check out the Passages website and submit your entry for the art contest!

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After you’ve heard “Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 4,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard Part 4, check out the Media Player starting October 10. You can also find a station in your area.)



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By Elizabeth Goldsmith

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

I usually try to avoid driving in the winter when the weather’s bad, but one snowy January day I had to get to the airport. I was praying during the entire two-hour drive, and my arms were sore because of how tightly I was holding on to the steering wheel. Finally, I made it to the airport. I was so thankful to God for keeping me safe.

But what about normal, sunny days when everything’s going great? How easy it is to forget that God provides for us in the good times, too! Part of being a Christian means depending on God to meet all our needs. But when everything at home and at school is going well, it’s sometimes easy to forget Who is holding us up. It is, after all, God who provides us with air to breathe, food to eat, and water to drink.

In this week’s episode of Passages, it seemed like danger was following Darien around wherever he went. King Lawrence was out to get him, but the Unseen One was there too, protecting him. Darien had a close relationship with the Unseen One, but it wasn’t just because of the dangerous times. Before the King turned against him, back when he was just a farm boy living a peaceful life, Darien had faithfully followed the Unseen One even when so many others were turning away from Him.

It’s comforting to know that God is there when you’re sad, lonely, upset, or scared, and that nothing can happen to you that He doesn’t know about. But God is also there when you’re happy, excited, and everything seems to be going your way. The closer we are to God during the good times, the more prepared we’ll be for the hard times. Learning to live for God every day isn’t easy, but it’s one of the most important things you or I can do.

What is a way that God provides for your needs? How can you thank God today for the blessings he gives? Sound off in the comments below!

• Get a summary and discussion questions for Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 4.
• Check out the Passages website.

Hear a preview of Part 5:

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After you’ve heard “Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 3,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard Part 3, check out the Media Player starting October 3. You can also find a station in your area.)



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By Jonathan Friday

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You may have noticed that the Unseen One in Marus is just like God in our world. So when the Old Judge and Anna are talking about following the Unseen One in Marus, they’re talking about following God in our world.

When I was trying to decide which college to attend, I prayed that God would give me signs to help me follow Him – like neon arrows in the sky, pointing me in the right direction. Surprise, surprise: those miraculous pointers never showed up. Instead, through “little things” like prayer, listening to my parents, and doing my best to serve God with my gifts, He made it pretty clear where I should go to college.

In today’s episode, Anna asks the Old Judge, “How do you know what the calling is?” The Judge’s answer for knowing how to follow God? “Sometimes the knowledge comes in very visible and tangible ways. For most, though, it comes in prayer and the study of the Sacred Scrolls.” (In our world, the Sacred Scrolls go by another name…the Bible!) So, in our world, knowing God’s calling comes from talking with God and listening to the commands he’s already called us to carry out.

Right now, I’m at another crossroads in life, getting ready to graduate from college. I still wouldn’t mind those neon arrows, but I know that the answers I’m looking for are more likely to be found through talking with the “Unseen One” and reading a certain book that I keep next to my bed. The “calling” that I’m looking for is right in front of me. For now, my calling is to follow God in everything – and trust Him to make my paths straight.

How has God guided your life? How can you be obedient to his calling? Let us know in the comments below.

• Get a summary and discussion questions for Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 3.
• Check out the Passages website.

Hear a preview of Part 4:

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After you’ve heard “Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 2,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard Part 2, check out the Media Player starting September 26. You can also find a station in your area.)



Hear a preview of Part 2:

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By Elizabeth Goldsmith

How many times have you seen a movie where a person wakes up one morning and says, “Hmm, I think I’m going to become a superhero today…”? My guess is never. Superheroes usually start out as normal people who suddenly find out that they can do something nobody else can do, and then decide to use their abilities for good. Sometimes it seems like heroes are just as hard to find as superheroes, but I’ve got good news for you: we can all be heroes.

Nearly everyone in Marus sees Darien as a hero. He killed Soren, their greatest enemy, took even more Palatian medals than were expected of him, and has proven himself to be a brave, strong soldier. He’s definitely the most obvious hero, but he isn’t the only one. What about the Old Judge, who saved Anna from slavery? Or Prince George, who warned Darien about the King and continued to be his friend even though he knew he would never be king himself? Or Kyle? The Unseen One used him to save Darien’s life even though he wasn’t an expert soldier or the strongest person around.

The word “heroic” means something brave and noble. It often takes bravery to do what God leads you to do, like telling someone you don’t know about Jesus. And it’s noble to be a friend to someone who’s lonely. Sometimes, God calls us to be “Dariens” and serve Him in very big, exciting ways. More often, though, we can be heroes when we do things behind-the-scenes.

How can you be a hero for God today? Tell us in the comments below!

• Get a summary and discussion questions for Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 2.
• Check out the Passages website.

Hear a preview of Part 3:

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After you’ve heard “Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 1,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard Part 1, check out the Media Player starting September 19. You can also find a station in your area.)


Hear a preview of Part 1:

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by Jonathan Friday

Kyle and Anna’s adventure in the land of Marus begins today. And to think it all happened when Kyle fell through the floorboards…and didn’t land on earth!

What makes this sort of adventure so fun to imagine? Why do we love the idea of traveling to “other worlds?” Don’t tell me that I’m the only one who’s wondered if there really is something over the rainbow, who’s tried to step through his mirror, or who checks the backs of wardrobes – just in case!

It seems we all share a desire for another world outside our own. It’s not that we don’t like our own world – it’s just that we long for another! C.S. Lewis, creator of the world of Narnia, had an idea about why stories like “Passages” appeal to us. He wrote in his famous book Mere Christianity, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

You know what? He’s right. We are made for another world. If you’ve accepted Christ, you’ve taken your first steps toward a new land. See, Jesus made it pretty clear that he’s from another world when he said, “You are from below. I am from above” (John 8:23). He also said that his kingdom “is not of this world” (John 18:36). When we declare allegiance to Jesus, we begin a life of preparation for that world. Every Christian is just waiting for the chance to get to that land – heaven. 2 Peter 3:13 says, “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth.”

So the next time you find yourself testing out floorboards in creaky houses, hoping to find yourself in Marus – remember: it’s okay to hope for “another world”…because it actually does exist. Hope to see you in it!

What kinds of imaginary worlds have you dreamed about? Tell us in the comments below!

• Get a summary and discussion questions for Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 1.
• Check out the Passages website.

Hear a preview of Part 2:

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