Last spring I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for NFL players put on by Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), a group which exists to unite a community of pro athletes and couples to grow as disciples of Jesus and positively impact their spheres of influence. They have a fantastic outreach to professional football and baseball athletes and their wives. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing difference they’re making. In the off-season I exchanged emails and texts with dozens of NFL players and cha..Continue reading→
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Thoughts
Motherhood Is a Marathon
I wanted to do great things for God. In the spring of my senior year of college, on the brink of embarking upon my own journey into adulthood, my future was undecided and that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. As a philosophy major, my path was narrower than I had realized, but I was sure it would take me on some grand and glorious adventure. I knew the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “Glorify” sounds like such a grand term. It evokes images of battlefie..Continue reading→
1 Peter 5:7–8: How Not to Battle Anxiety
Anxieties attack our faith and torment our peace. The question with anxiety is not whether it will come, but rather, how can I fight it when it does? Watch NowContinue reading→
Is Love of Money Really the Root of All Evils?
Is the love of money the “root of all evils” or only the “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)? “All evils” is the formal English equivalent of the original Greek (pantōn tōn kakōn). It is remarkable that all older versions of the Bible translate 1 Timothy 6:10 in the more literal way: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (or all evil). This includes the Wycliffe Bible, Luther Bibel, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Douay-Rheims, Darby Bible, and Revised Standard Version. Bu..Continue reading→
Daily Verses
Matthew 7:13-14 (07-13-16)
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.— Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Over two decades ago, Juan Carlos Ortiz criticized European and American evangelists for offering a carrot stick gospel that focused on the pay off and not lordship of Jesus. Jesus, es..Continue reading→
Philippians 2:9-11
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”Continue reading→
Matthew 7:12 (07-12-16)
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."— Matthew 7:12 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Some things don't need a lot of explaining, just a lot more implementing. My Prayer... Loving God, Almighty Father, forgive me of my selfishness. You have blessed me so richly through Jesus. Please move me by your Spirit to be as generous, loving, forgiving, and kind with others as I wan..Continue reading→
Matthew 4:4
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’””Continue reading→
Job 7:11 (07-11-16)
Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.— Job 7:11 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... We sometimes think of God as too fragile, too distant, or too brooding to speak with him honestly about our dilemmas. Job wasn't so shy. He is the great reminder that God prefers us to maintain our relationship with him, even if it is stormy. No matter where you are in your struggles, be honest with God — not..Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Titus 2:2
“Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.”Continue reading→
2 Corinthians 9:8 (09-08-16)
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work...— 2 Corinthians 9:8 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... What a powerful promise! If we are willing to generously share with others in the name of Jesus as the apostle Paul discusses in the previous two verses, we will have what we need and our lives will be full of good deeds that bring glory to God. So let's remind ourselves of one the very ..Continue reading→
Psalm 143:10
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”Continue reading→
Mark 9:7 (09-07-16)
And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.— Mark 9:7 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Who are you listening to in your life? We can hear all sorts of different voices, but we can follow only one. So who are you going to listen to as you make your decisions about morality, values, ethics, and character? Who has earned the right to be heard regarding life, death, salvation, and sin? God makes it unmistak..Continue reading→
Prayers
Daily Prayer for July 14
At that time I will answer the prayers of my people Israel. I will make rain fall on the earth, and the earth will produce grain and grapes and olives. I will establish my people in the land and make them prosper. I will show love to those who were called "Unloved," and to those who were called "Not-My-People" I will say, "You are my people," and they will answer, "You are our God." Hosea 2:21–23, TEV Lord our God, kindle true light in our hearts and minds, that we may recognize what we are and become free of everything false and dishonest. Let this light of righteousness, this judgment, go through all nations, that people no longer use empty words when they talk of "mercy" and "truth." Grant that your mercy and your truth find the right soil and bear fruit. May they find soil prepared by you, for you judge us and make right what is wrong in our earthly life. We thank you that however painful many of our experiences are, we may still say, "Through how much need has not our merciful God..Continue reading→
Living as a New Creation
Passage: Galatians 6:12-18 Prayer: Dear Father, creator of new creations, Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. For neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation! Let your peace and mercy rain down upon all of us who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God, called both from Jews and from non-Jewish people. Thank you, Father, for calling me to be part of your holy nation. Let us take..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for July 13
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2, NIV Lord our mighty God, look upon us in our poverty, for you call us your children and give us of your Spirit. From your fullness we constantly need to receive strength for the struggle meant for us in life. Grant that light may come wherever darkness still reigns, especially where it is so black that we do not know which way to turn. Hear our prayer for all people, and let your justice and your truth alone be victorious. Let all people receive what you have promised them, and let them realize that no matter what happens, they remain your children. Amen.Continue reading→
Anticipating the Harvest
Passage: Galatians 6:9-10 Prayer: Dear Father, just yet merciful God, May I not become weary in doing good but rather work diligently, energetically, and enthusiastically, keeping in mind the rich harvest you will send at the proper time. Don't ever let me give up on doing good or give up on you. And God, don't ever give up on me! As I have opportunity, let me do good to everybody, especially to those in my family of fellow believers. In the name of Jesus I ask these things. Amen.Continue reading→
Church & Ministries
How Pastors Can Stop Preaching Legalism
While reading Timothy Keller’s new book, Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism, I ran across a quote that, I believe, is wildly telling. In this passage, Keller is talking about legalism (dependence on morality to save us) and antinomianism (the belief that God’s grace doesn’t mean we have to live holy lives). “Here is where the issue affects your preaching. If you think legalism is simply too much emphasis on the law, then you will think the antidote is to talk less about obed..Continue reading→
Reflection: The mystery of Fr Jacques Hamel’s final words
Cardinal Vincent Nichols has reflected on the final words of Fr Jacques Hamel in a speech to Birmingham priests. Just a few weeks ago, on a drive down France, I went to visit the church where Fr Jacques Hamel was brutally killed. The town, or suburb, of Sainte Etienne-du-Rouvray, is a small, quiet place beside the railway tracks, south of Rouen. The church was still closed, surrounded by barricades. There was a small, moving and tired-looking array of flowers, cards, mementos and t..Continue reading→
Retiring Archbishop of Wales delivers parting shot to conservatives: Bible can support gay marriage
The Archbishop of Wales has argued that taking the Bible seriously can lead to supporting same-sex marriage as he defended his acceptance of LGBT relationships. Dr Barry Morgan, who will retire in January, used his last address to the governing body of the Church in Wales on Wednesday to deliver a parting shot to conservative critics who said he had been "swayed by the liberal culture of our age" and "ignored Holy Scripture". He argued the Bible had more than one view on LGBT relationships as ..Continue reading→
4 Habits for Building a Healthy Organizational Culture
“Culture is a balanced blend of human psychology, attitudes, actions, and beliefs that combined create either pleasure or pain, serious momentum, or miserable stagnation.” Culture is the combination of what we believe and how we behave. It’s been said that we are creatures of habit. The same can be said for the organizations we lead. They are simply a product of our habits! There’s always a gap between what we say we value and what we..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Top 7 Nations With Worst Record of Christian Persecution: Report
The seven nations where persecution was branded so extreme that “it could scarcely get any worse” include: Afghanistan, Iraq (northern), Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Syria. “A virulent and extremist form of Islam emerged as the number one threat to religious freedom and was revealed as the primary cause of persecution in many of the worst cases,” the report noted. A global charity that investigates the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities has issued a new ..Continue reading→
The Real Reason Evangelicals Don’t Baptize Babies
For most evangelicals, what stands in the way of baptizing infants isn’t a lack of biblical evidence, but an interpretive lens they wear when reading Scripture. That lens–shaped by revivals, rugged individualism, and a sacramental theology untethered from the church’s means of grace–makes conversion the chief article of the faith. We should expect this, since American evangelical theology was forged on the frontier, in camp meetings, to the sound of fire-and-brimstone preaching. Friends (especi..Continue reading→
The End of Identity Liberalism
But the fixation on diversity in our schools and in the press has produced a generation of liberals and progressives narcissistically unaware of conditions outside their self-defined groups, and indifferent to the task of reaching out to Americans in every walk of life. At a very young age our children are being encouraged to talk about their individual identities, even before they have them. By the time they reach college many assume that diversity discourse exhausts political discourse, and ha..Continue reading→
The History of Advent
Unlike modern Advent ceremonies, most celebrations of Advent in history had a twin focus. The Latin word adventuswas the translation of the Greek parousia—a word used for both the coming of Christ in human flesh and his Second Coming. Advent, then, always tended to focus on both. Many churches lit the first of their Advent candles today (hopefully without needing the fire department!). Even churches averse to liturgical practices find a way to mark the Advent season, if only by marking the days..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Church raps Austria’s far-right presidential candidate for invoking God
Reuters Austria's Protestant church has criticized the far-right candidate for president for using the phrase "so help me God" on his campaign posters, saying his party's anti-immigrant stance ran against Christian principles. Norbert Hofer, the anti-immigrant Freedom Party's (FPO) presidential hopeful, uses the line in the hope it will help persuade voters to make him the European Union's first far-right head of state in a run-off election on Dec. 4. The result of a previ..Continue reading→
How Revival Saved This Ugandan Tribe From Devil Worshipping
Pixabay For centuries, a remote African tribe called the Batwa Pygmies in Uganda worshipped the devil and performed witchcraft. But thanks to Christian missionaries who introduced them to Jesus Christ, they have given up their past, sinful ways and embraced salvation. "We smoked; we drank; we performed witchcraft," said Jovanis Nyirakayanje, a Batwa Pygmy. "We were devil worshippers [and] we used to live like animals in the jungle." Their conversion to Christianity began in 1992 when the gove..Continue reading→
Christian Bakers Who Lost Appeal Against Gay Activist Say Their Faith Is Stronger Than Ever: ‘God Is In Control’
Daniel and Amy McArthur are seen walking outside Belfast County Court.(The Christian Institute) Christian bakers Daniel and his wife Amy McArthur, who run Ashers Baking Company, lost the appeal they made against a judgment that said they discriminated against gay activist Gareth Lee. The McArthurs are saddened by this development, but despite all the upheavals they're facing, their faith in God remains strong. "We never meant to cause anyone any offence, but at the same time, as Christian..Continue reading→
Is It a Sin to Watch Porn Together With One’s Spouse? This Pastor Provides an Answer
(Wikimedia) People have often wondered if watching porn constitutes as cheating towards one's spouse. Many Christians believe so. But what if spouses watch porn together? Will it be considered acceptable then? In his recent podcast, Desiring God founder Pastor John Piper said he is often asked by listeners if watching the sexual acts of other people, even with their spouses, is considered a sin in the Lord's eyes. Piper gave a straightforward answer. "Yes, it is." In an article th..Continue reading→
Music
Word Entertainment Scores Two Trophies For Christian Retailing’s Best Awards
It was announced earlier this week that Word Entertainment was honored two times at the annual Christian Retailing's Best Awards. Big Daddy Weave's acclaimed album Beautiful Offerings (Fervent Records) won in the music category and When Calls the Heart Complete Season 2 (Word Films) won for the DVD Movie division. The awards, honoring the best new products of the year, were given on Monday, June 27 in Cincinnati during the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS). "At Word Entertainment, we are passionate and intentional about delivering the best in Christian entertainment to people everywhere," shares Rod Riley, President & CEO, Word Entertainment. "Big Daddy Weave's Beautiful Offerings and When Calls the Heart Complete Season 2 are two projects that we have seen impact thousands and thousands of lives with the good news of the Gospel. To be recognized with awards for each of these projects from Christian Retailing's[...]Continue reading→
Metalcore Group Toarn Signs With Luxor Records
Christian metalcore band Toarn has announced their signing with Luxor Records, making their upcoming EP Giant Killer their debut with the label. Toarn released a new song titled "In Flander's Fields" alongside the label news, giving fans an initial taste of Giant Killer prior to its July 15 release. Preorders for the EP are available through major retailers like Amazon, BestBuy and Barnes & Noble as well as through VictoryMerch.com. The Washington-based band has developed a grassroots following through the release of past independent projects Protoevangelium and Brood of Vipers. Toarn will be hitting the road with Hemarosa in support of the release, with tour dates listed here. You can listen to "Flander's Field" below.Continue reading→
Leeland Announces Pre-Order For New Album
Today Bethel Music announced the pre-order of Leeland's first album as part of their artist collective. "We're excited to announce that Leeland's first album with Bethel Music is now available for pre-order on iTunes. 'Invisible' offers a refreshing perspective on a gospel that is alive and moving in us and through us," Bethel shared. Invisible will mark Leeland's first release since 2014's Christ Be All Around Me EP and will be available July 22. Click here to pre-order the album now and get 3 instant song downloads "Invisible," "Carry It All Away" and "Son Was Lifted Up." Invisible Track Listing 1. My Treasure 2. War 3. Spirit 4. Ever Love You Lord 5. For Your Glory 6. Perfect Love 7. Lock & Key 8. Invisible 9. Breath of God [...]Continue reading→
Project 86 Announces PledgeMusic Campaign for 10th Album
Project 86 has launched a special PledgeMusic campaign in support of their upcoming tenth studio album and their 20 year anniversary as a band. The project will be comprised of ten original songs and five covers. All of the songs will be available to backers on a one song per month basis, beginning with a cover of Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" as an immediate download for all backers. The PledgeMusic campaign is designed as both a preorder for music to come and a celebration of music past, with offers including vintage merch. Accompanying tour dates are coming soon, with Project 86 promising to play fan favorites from their early days alongside current tracks. Above all, the band sees the campaign as a way to celebrate the past two decades alongside their fans. "You have stuck by us for twenty years. We want to meet you, spend[...]Continue reading→
Britney Spears Endorses Pastor/Author Max Lucado
Britney Spears has a new album coming out and is about to kick off a two-year residency in Las Vegas, so she’s out there working the publicity machine. During a recent Twitter chat, a fan asked Britney what her favorite book was, and the singer replied, “Anything by Max Lucado.” Lucado is a Texas-based preacher and author of a hundred (yes, a hundred) Christian-themed adults and kids’ books. Their titles include Grace for the Moment, Outlive Your Life: You Were Born to Make a Difference, and God..Continue reading→
Katy Perry’s Song “By the Grace of God” Is a Flashback to Her Christian Singer Days
Before Katy Perry was an animal-print-and-candy-loving pop star, she was Katy Hudson, aspiring Christian singer. Though her switch to the secular side of music helped make her a star, Katy (whose parents are pastors) hasn’t given up on her Christian background. Her new album Prism features the ballad “By the Grace of God,” which probably won’t ever be released as a single but does a bang-up job appealing to one of her core constituencies. But what does John Mayer think?Continue reading→
American
The Myth of Inclusion (Jonathan Storment)
The Myth of Inclusion, Part 1 Maybe you saw over the holidays, there was a fascinating conversation in the New York Times between the Journalist Nicholas Kristof and the well known Pastor, Tim Keller. The name of the article interestingly enough was “Am I a Christian, Pastor Keller?” And Keller’s answer was no. It was a bit surprising to stumble upon a conversation like this in the New York Times, I found it refreshingly honest and respectful, even while they talked about their disagreements. Kr..
Listening to a Sexual Abuse Survivor (Becky Castle Miller)
Becky Castle Miller is the Discipleship Director at an international church in the Netherlands and writes about emotionally healthy discipleship at medium.com/wholehearted. She conveys her five kids around town on bikes and studies New Testament in the middle of the night via Northern Live. Our words can succeed at the level of doctrinal correctness but fail at the level of pastoral care. I’ve seen this happen over and over to survivors of sexual abuse, when church leaders, communicating about s..
Senate Committee Confirms Pro-Life UN Ambassador Nominee Nikki Haley
A Senate committee today signed off on the nomination of pro-life Governor Nikki Haley as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. During her confirmation hearing, the Trump UN Ambassador nominee told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she will oppose abortion on an international level, saying she is “strongly pro-life.” The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday easily approved Nikki Haley’s nomination with Democrats putting up little opposition. Haley was approved on a voice..
Planned Parenthood Injures Woman in Botched Abortion, Put in Ambulance Under “Healthcare Happens” Sign
As the 44th memorial of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that decriminalized abortion approached, Planned Parenthood provided us with a cautionary tale — one it hoped would never become public. While Planned Parenthood prepared to celebrate “safe, legal” abortion, one of their own abortion patients was transported by ambulance from Planned Parenthood’s flagship Margaret Sanger Center abortion facility in New York City. The incident took place on January 18, 2017, at approximately 11:45 a...
US
“They have pierced my hands and feet”
As we contemplate the prophecies of Christ for Advent, we should turn to perhaps the most remarkable of them all. In Psalm 22, we have a first person prophecy (not “he” but “I” and “my”), one which takes us into the consciousness of Christ on the Cross. Here we have the manner of His torment (“they have pierced my hands and feet”); the bodily racking of crucifixion (“all my bones are out of joint”); His thirst (“my tongue sticks to my jaws”); the mockery (“all who see me mock me”); the taunting ..
The word of the year
The Oxford English Dictionary–that mammoth reference book that chronicles the history of every word in our language–has announced the word of the year for 2016: post-truth. Most commenters are relating the term to the lack of truth in today’s politics, particularly with candidates that the commenter opposes. The implication is that they think being “post-truth” is a bad thing, that they would like objective truth to come back as a category for our time. But “post-truth” is nothing more than what..
America’s first Independent president?
Donald Trump not only beat the Democrats. Before that, he beat the Republicans. Dan Balz argues that Trump, in effect, is America’s first Independent president. He doesn’t mention it, but Bernie Sanders is an actual Independent, who ran in the Democratic primaries. So this was the year a big proportion of Americans voted against both party establishments, though in the context of a two-party system. What Trump did, Balz says, is pull off a “hostile takeover” of the Republican party. Read his arg..
Reproduction as resurrection
Peter Leithart gives a splendid reading of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 3, in which he is trying to persuade his “fair young friend” (contrary to the homosexual readings of the sonnets) to get married and have children. Leithart shows how Shakespeare and his age thought of what it means to have children, including the connection of sexuality to nature (for example, the link between “husband” and “husbandry”) and the notion that the reproduction is an image of resurrection. From Peter Leithart, Womb or T..