The Fossils Have an Order
The fossil record has a recognizable order. The question is not whether fossil succession exists, but what history best explains the pattern.
The Names Are Useful: The Geologic Column
Geologists use names such as Precambrian, Cambrian, Mississippian, and Permian to organize the rock record. Those terms are useful, even when we disagree about the numerical ages attached to them.
The Layers Are Real: What the Grand Canyon Actually Shows Us
The sedimentary layers of Grand Canyon are real, extensive, and ordered. The question is not whether the layers exist, but what history best explains them.
Hidden Life in Grand Canyon
Cryptobiotic soil forms dry desert areas like the Colorado Plateau, the Sonoran Desert, the Great Basin, and the inner Columbia Basin. Cryptobiotic means “hidden-life.” This top soil layer is composed of cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses, green algae, and microfungi. These living organisms jointly form a hard black crust enabling the soil to resist erosion, absorb rainfall, and provide nutrients and ground stability for neighboring plants. Over 70% of ground in the Southwestern United States is covered by this crust. Its depth can be 1–15 centimeters. Crusts in the upper
Praying for Those Impacted by the Bright Angel Canyon Flooding
The Grand Canyon is a place we deeply love, which makes the recent flooding in Bright Angel Canyon especially difficult to see.Our hearts and prayers go out to the families who have lost loved ones, and we continue to pray for those who remain missing. We are also praying for the rangers, first responders, pilots, river guides, and others involved in search, recovery, and response efforts throughout the canyon.For those who have reached out with questions about Canyon Ministries, we also want to offer some reassurance.The flooding was
Well Done, Mike Riddle.
On July 31, 2026, Mike Riddle passed from this life into eternity. For those of us who knew him personally, learned from him, or were shaped by his ministry, the loss is deeply felt. Mike was a strong and steady voice in the biblical creation movement for decades. He was a teacher, author, apologist, curriculum developer, international speaker, and mentor. Yet perhaps the role that best expressed his heart was that of a trainer. Mike did not simply want to give effective presentations himself. He wanted to equip other Christians
From Rim to River: Grand Canyon’s Vertical Habitats
From rim to river, the canyon is a living reminder that God is not only powerful enough to create. He is faithful enough to provide. Stand at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on a cool morning and the landscape below can look almost lifeless. The cliffs are dry, the slopes are steep, and the river is barely visible as a narrow thread winding through rock nearly a mile below. From that distance, the canyon seems like a monument made almost entirely of stone. Then you begin to descend,
The Pale Blue Dot God Chose to Visit
The stars declare the glory of God, but the cross declares His love. There is something wonderfully humbling about sleeping at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. On our recent Stargazer Special river trip, days were filled with the kind of beauty that almost overwhelms the senses. Towering canyon walls rose above us in layers of color and stone. The Colorado River carried us through narrow corridors, around sweeping bends, past cliffs, side canyons, fossils, and folds. But then night would come. As the last light faded from the canyon walls and
Florida’s Geology Through the Lens of Noah’s Flood
Florida is not a simple one-event landscape. It is more like a layered story. Being in Florida right now sharing about Canyon Ministries at the Southern Baptist Annual Meeting has me thinking about geology in a different way than I usually do. Out West, geology is obvious. You stand on the rim of the Grand Canyon and the rocks are right there in front of you, stacked in massive layers like a giant open book. In the West, you see cliffs, canyons, faults, folds, desert badlands, volcanic fields, and huge
Making the Invisible Visible — Remembering Ray Strom
Every sample had to be carefully cut, mounted, ground paper-thin, analyzed, photographed, and documented. In many ways, Ray helped make the invisible visible. There are some people whose names become widely recognized through books, films, and conference stages. Then there are others whose work quietly supports and strengthens the efforts of countless people around them, often without much public attention at all. Our friend Ray Strom was one of those men. Recently, Ray passed away, and many throughout the biblical creation community have been reflecting on the life and legacy