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 Wisdom
Romans 12:4-5
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”Continue reading→
Romans 8:25 (08-25-16)
But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.— Romans 8:25 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... I'm not good at waiting. But, my hope in the Lord gives me patience that is beyond my human tendency. As much as the Lord has blessed me, I'm fully confident that I can't even imagine the good things he has in store for me. So while I wait, I try to stay busy; busy loving my Father in heaven and sharing his grace with others. My Prayer.....Continue reading→
Psalm 119:165
“Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”Continue reading→
John 8:24 (08-24-16)
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.— John 8:24 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... The crucial phrase, somewhat disguised by our translations, is this one: "Unless you believe that I AM, then you will die in your sins." As John so often does, he grabs a simple phrase, fills it full to the brim with meaning, and leads us to see Jesus in a dramatically fresh way. Jesus is I AM, God with us. How could ..Continue reading→
Church & Ministries
Bishop of Grantham: Conservative Christians who condemn me are still ‘brothers and sisters in Christ’
The Bishop of Grantham, Nicholas Chamberlain, was consecrated by the Bishop of Lincoln, who knew he was gay and in a relationship. The Bishop of Grantham, who on Friday became the first Church of England bishop to reveal he is gay and in a same-sex relationship, has said he "understand[s]" the backlash he has already received from some conservative Christians. Bishop Nicholas Chamberlain told the Guardian on Sunday: "There has been direct response – I've had a lot of ema..Continue reading→
Pope Francis proclaims Teresa of Calcutta a saint
A general view of Saint Peter's Square as Pope Francis leads a mass for the canonisation of Mother Teresa of Calcutta at the Vatican September 4, 2016. Pope Francis proclaimed Mother Teresa of Calcutta a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, 19 years after her death. Thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square applauded as the tiny nun known as the "saint of the gutters" in her lifetime was officially elevated to join the Church's more than 10,000 saints.Continue reading→
U.S. cardinal: Protecting life must be prioritised over other issues like immigration, environment
U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke says 'the fundamental question has to be the question of human life itself.' In our current world where there are so many complex problems like poverty, the racial divide and immigration issues to solve, which one should be prioritised? A Roman Catholic Church prelate from the United States recently provided an answer: The priority should always be the protection of life. In a recent teleconference hosted by Carmel Communications, U.S. Cardinal..Continue reading→
Mother Teresa’s mission lives on in Kolkata
On the eve of her canonization as a Roman Catholic saint, and 19 years after her death, the order founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta is going strong - even without her charismatic leadership. The Missionaries of Charity gained world renown, and Mother Teresa a Nobel peace prize, by caring for the dying, the homeless and orphans gathered from the teeming streets of the city in eastern India. They also drew criticism for propagating what one skeptic has called a cult of suffering; for failing ..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Education Pick, Is A Billionaire With Deep Ties To The Christian Reformed Community
But in religious circles, the DeVos name is synonymous with key philanthropic efforts in Christian communities. DeVos, 58, graduated from Calvin College, a Christian Reformed Church school that is named after the famed Protestant reformer John Calvin, where the DeVos name is well-known. The DeVos family, heirs to the Amway Corp. fortune, are prolific donors in Michigan Republican and religious circles. President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday [Nov. 23] that he would nominate Betsy DeVos..Continue reading→
It’s Only Politics
If only we could treat politics like plumbing. But no. Politics has to be a high and holy calling. What we are seeing is the result of all that every-square inch argument. And it’s not helpful for the nation or — get this — for the church. But it does allow evangelical academics to feel pious. Matt Tuininga echoes the idea that politics is evidence of sanctification (integration of faith and life and all of that): Will Republican evangelicals who see their sisters and brothers – their politica..Continue reading→
Is The World Becoming Protestant?
Whatever one may say about Evangelical Protestantism, empirically it is a massive fact on the global religious landscape, likely to remain so, with significant consequences in every area of social life. How one relates to this fact will obviously depend on one’s religious and political positions….Staying within an empirical perspective (that is, without invoking divine providence), Evangelical Protestantism is one of the two biggest religious explosions in the contemporary world, along with resu..Continue reading→
Mom Sues To Regain Parental Rights Over Transgender Teen
A Minnesota mother has filed a lawsuit in federal court to re-establish her parental rights after a legal aid attorney declared her minor son emancipated from his parents last year. The suit contends the emancipation letter allowed her then-16-year-old son to receive public assistance, which he used to begin hormone treatments for gender-transition therapy. (WNS)–A Minnesota mother has filed a lawsuit in federal court to re-establish her parental rights after a legal aid attorney declared her m..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Gay Man ‘Horrified’ That Christian Bakers Are Being Forced To Surrender Their Beliefs
Daniel and Amy McArthur are seen walking outside Belfast County Court.The Christian Institute Not all members of the LGBT community enjoy watching Christians being persecuted for their religious beliefs. In fact, some of them are appalled that the government is now interfering with the faith practices of Christians and compelling them to bend to the demands of the gay community — such as bake a cake. Neil Midgley, a self-confessed gay man, wrote for The Telegraph about the case of Christian ba..Continue reading→
One Million Moms Accuses Kraft of Releasing ‘Tasteless’ Ads With Sexually Suggestive Scenes
This is one of the images in the ads for Kraft's Devour microwave meals that have come under fire from the Christian watchdog group One Million Moms.(Facebook/Devour Foods) The Christian watchdog group One Million Moms has had enough of the "tasteless" food advertisements of the Kraft Heinz company. In the two advertisements for their Devour microwave meals, One Million Moms noticed that the company featured "inappropriate" content filled with sexual innuendo and suggestive language. "Pa..Continue reading→
Activist Seeks Punishment of Air Force Commander for Stating Jesus ‘Affects His Decisions’ in Interview
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey — An activist that often works to separate God from the military is seeking the punishment of an Air Force commander who responded to a recent interview question that Jesus is his guide and influences his decisions. The Incirlik Air Base in Turkey published the interview last month on its website, which recently decided to feature new faces to the base as an introduction to others. On Sept. 15, the focus was on U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Kersten, who serves with ..Continue reading→
School Reverses Decision After Removing Club Sponsor’s ‘All About Jesus’ Slogan From Jerseys
FLOWER MOUND, Texas — A public high school in Texas has reversed its decision to remove a sponsor’s business slogan that it’s “all about Jesus” from the bass fishing club jerseys after receiving a letter from a nationally-recognized religious liberties organization. According to reports, Texas Flower Mound High School had put out the call for sponsors for its competitive bass fishing team earlier this year. For a donation of $200, sponsors would have their name and logo placed on both the team ..Continue reading→
Music
Tanks by Satellites & Sirens
"We live in a world that recently feels so filled with hate. I know it has always been there but it seems like racism, war, bullying, and just a lack of care for others has become the focus of so many news stories and Facebook posts that it's in front of us more than ever. TANKS came from the idea that we as Christians are called to love even in the midst of all that this world could throw at us and if we chose to combat these things with love and make our heart beat louder than the cry[...]Continue reading→
Long Live the Rebels by Disciple
Two-time Dove Award winning Disciple is a staple in the Christian hard rock scene. Known for it's unique blend of faith with intense yet accessible music, the band has forged a deeply connected fan base along the way. Now, after a massively successful Kickstarter campaign, the band is poised to release its 13th studio album, Long Live The Rebels, on October 14 in partnership with Tooth Nail Records BEC Recordings.[...]Continue reading→
Reflection by Derek Minor (PRo)
Minor is slated to release his sixth album, Reflection, on October 14 on his Reflection Music Group in partnership with Entertainment One. The album includes the lead single "You Know It," "Until I'm Gone" featuring BJ The Chicago Kid, "Love Go High" featuring Chrisette Michele, "I'm Good" featuring Janice Gaines, among other tracks. "The overall message of this record is you really are made for greatness," Minor explains. "You're not the sum of your mistakes. We are all imperfect. You were made to be greater than your probably realize."[...]Continue reading→
Wonder by Jean Watson
Internationally acclaimed recording artist Jean Watson is busy prepping the release of her eighth and most ambitious full-length CD to date, WONDER, due to be released October 14, 2016 on Suite 28 Records/Shadowlands Music through Naxos of America, Inc., the nation's leading independent classical music distributor. "The music on WONDER is the most authentically 'me' music I have ever recorded," Watson says. "I believe the music is quite accessible to both the faith-based and general markets, and the opportunity to partner with Naxos to get the music into the hands of music lovers is huge. I really want to launch[...]Continue reading→
Michael Sweet’s ‘One Sided War’ Attacks The Billboard 200 Landing At #77
Stryper frontman Michael Sweet continues to grow musically. His latest release One Sided War, released via Rat Pak Records, made a massive impact on the charts this week. The latest solo album from Sweet landed at #77 on the Billboard 200 with over 8300 units sold and was also #1 on the Hard Rock Albums and Top Christian Albums charts. One Sided War was also the #4 on Top Rock Albums, #6 on Independent Albums and #21 on Top Current Albums charts. The album was also #1 on the Amazon Hard Rock cha..Continue reading→
Jamison Strain Releases ‘Beautiful Beginning’
Singer-songwriter Jamison Strain hasn't had much down time since the July release of his latest album, Beautiful Beginning. He's toured relentlessly, including a September tour with Building 429 and Finding Favour, and the upcoming Wonder Tour 2016 alongside OBB and Love Collide. Sponsored by ChildFund International and Adelphoi Music Group, the Christmas tour will hit cities nationwide through mid-December. Growing up as a pastor's kid, Jamison grew up with a desire for people t..Continue reading→
TODDZERO Gets Brutally Honest With New Album
Los Angeles-based Indie Rock artist TODDZERO has performed on some of music's biggest stages, including SXSW and the MTV Movie Awards Pre-Show, and his critically acclaimed songs have been heard on hit TV shows like the Freeform/ABC Family series The Fosters. But when TODDZERO started to write songs for his latest album, My Precious Limp, he faced an unusual dilemma. It would by easy, and comfortable, to write another collection of songs about the usual themes. Or, he could take the opportu..Continue reading→
Trae Edwards Premieres ‘Love Got Us Through’ Music Video
While the news has been filled with terror attacks, mass shootings and unspeakable tragedies, inspirational Country Music artist Trae Edwards is speaking out with his new single, "Love Got Us Through." The music video premieres at 1000 a.m. EDT today exclusively at The Boot. Trae hopes that the song provides comfort to those that are grieving, and hope for all that better days are ahead. Response to the song has been overwhelming, leading to national media coverage, including appearances on FOX..Continue reading→
Journey’s Jonathan Cain Offers Exclusive Facebook Live Listening Party October 18
Jonathan Cain, longtime keyboardist and rhythm guitarist in Journey, co-writer of the No. 1 catalog rock song in iTunes' history, "Don't Stop Believin'," as well as writer of "Faithfully" and co-writer of "Who's Crying Now," "Open Arms" and many more international hit songs, will host an exclusive Facebook Live listening party Tuesday, Oct. 18, beginning at 700 pm CDT for everyone who preorders his solo album, What God Wants to Hear.Continue reading→
American
More Pregnant Women Choose Life Over Abortion Than Ever Before
Last month the Guttmacher Institute released updated abortion statistics for the United States. Their latest survey of abortion facilities indicate that the number of abortions fell by approximately five percent between 2011 and 2014. The short-term abortion decline is unsurprising. The U.S. abortion rate has fallen steadily since 1980. Furthermore, these declines have been fairly consistent. They have occurred during times of economic prosperity and economic hardship. They have also occurred th..
Cecile Richards Says More Women Need to Brag About Their Abortions: “It’s Time to be Bold”
Planned Parenthood is desperate for support after Americans rejected its pro-abortion candidates in the November election and chose a strong majority of pro-life lawmakers instead. On Tuesday, the abortion business’s CEO Cecile Richards gave a talk at the Makers Conference urging people to get more involved in abortion advocacy. Richards, who makes close to $1 million a year, and her supposedly non-profit abortion group stand to lose big money from the federal government. Planned Parenthood cu..
Senators File Legislation to Stop Obama’s Rule Forcing States to Fund Planned Parenthood
In his last Christmas as president, Barack Obama made sure he played Santa for at least one group: Planned Parenthood. With just weeks to go in the White House, the abortion industry’s best friend did what it could to protect the industry from an administration sure to be bad for business. Using his power at Health and Human Services, President Obama issued a rule that not only locked down federal grants for Cecile Richards’s group through the Title X “family planning” program, but also blocked..
Washington DC assisted suicide bill puts patients at risk and prioritizes cost over compassion
Do no harm.” Three short words, but to physicians they represent a sacred charge. Three short words that now hang in the balance here in the District of Columbia, after the D.C. council passed the Death with Dignity Act (Act 21-577), legalizing physician-assisted suicide in the nation’s capital. In authorizing doctors to violate the Hippocratic oath of “do no harm,” physician-assisted suicide undermines a key safeguard that protects our nation’s most vulnerable citizens and helps to ensure our l..
Australia
Activists spy on sermons from churches meeting in public schools
Churches that meet in public school halls in NSW on Sundays are under attack for the content of their sermons. The attack comes from a one-man advocacy group linked to the campaign against scripture in public schools. Sermons found on the websites of Hunter Bible Church, Maitland Evangelical Church and The Lakes Evangelical Church (all part of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches) on the NSW mid north coast were the subject of complaints ..
Three cheers for missionaries
Over at the Centre for Public Christianity, we’ve been doing a lot of research lately into some of the worst bits of Christian history. The Spanish Inquisition. Sectarian violence. Early-modern witch hunts, and torture techniques I didn’t know existed (see: “squassation”). The casualness with which Crusaders massacred peoples not remotely connected with their war aims. The end result of such disheartening research will, I hope, be worth it: CPX..
Muslim refugees open to the Good News in their own language
In a refugee camp in northern France, a Pashtun man from Pakistan was happy to hear the good news of Jesus in an audio-visual presentation in his own language. It was an evangelistic audio-visual presentation by Global Recordings Network (GRN) giving an overview of the Bible story from creation to Christ and how to become a follower of Jesus. “He sat there holding the player while I showed him the pictures,” recalls Graydon Colville, international di..
‘Christian’ parties fighting for Senate scraps
Australia’s “Christian Values” parties have been left scrabbling for the twelfth Senate spot in three states (SA, NSW and Qld), in the wake of an election that favoured smaller parties. But the protest and conservative voters went to One Nation and Nick Xenophon ahead of the small Christian parties, that include Christian Democrats, Australian Christians, Democratic Labour, Rise Up Australia and Family First. “We have a very good chance of getting the t..
Entertainment
“Prayer Woven Into the Fabric of the Film”: A Q&A with Ben-Hur’s Roma Downey and Mark Burnett
On August 19, an exciting new Ben-Hur will be charging into theaters to tell once again the epic tale of brotherly betrayal and revenge for a new generation. At a recent press event in Los Angeles, we got the chance to speak with executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey (The Bible, A.D., and Son of God) about this new imagining of a classic film and why they were drawn to the project. What attracted you to this production of Ben-Hur? Mark Burnett: Gary Barber, the chairman of MGM, had se..
Captain Fantastic: The Anti-Christian Christian Movie
Captain Fantastic, a little indie film out today, is a moving family parable about hippie dad Ben (Viggo Mortensen) and his eclectic family of six, leaving their near-isolation in the Pacific Northwest to attend a funeral. Did I say “attend?” I met stop. The funeral is that of Leslie, Ben’s wife and the children’s mother. Though we learn she was raised in a fairly traditional, comfortable Christian home, she became a Buddhist when she and Ben got together. And the last thing she wo..
Watch: New Trailer for Hillsong’s “Let Hope Rise” Live Today!
“Let Hope Rise,” the highly anticipated new feature film about the journey of youth-band-turned-international-sensation, Hillsong United, comes to theatres September 19. Here’s a first look at the trailer for the film, just released today.
“Let Hope Rise” Spotlights Rise of Christian Band “Hillsong UNITED”
IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE SEPT. 16 Film spotlights Hillsong UNITED’s remarkable journey from a youth group band at Hillsong Church to a worldwide recording and concert sensation Pure Flix is distributing HILLSONG-LET HOPE RISE, the highly anticipated feature film that chronicles the spectacular and miraculous rise to prominence of the Australia-based band, Hillsong UNITED. Directed by Michael John Warren (Jay Z’s FADE TO BLACK), the film explores Hillsong’s journey from a tiny church in the Sydney..
US
Obama picks a fight with Russians
President Obama has hit Russia with sanctions and the expulsion of diplomatic personnel in retaliation for Vladimir Putin’s alleged interference with the U.S. election. He has also threatened cyberattacks against Russia. In return, Russia is promising retaliation of its own. With only twenty or so days left in office, the president has stirred up a conflict with Russia that his successor is going to have to deal with. Donald Trump, with his pro-Russian leanings, will probably reverse Obama’s act..
Checking our predictions for 2016
It’s time to check the predictions we made around this time last year, something you don’t see the tabloids or most highly-paid consultants doing. Your predictions for 2016, as usual, were thoughtful, interesting, mostly-wrong, but with some remarkable accuracies. Go here to read them all and come to your own conclusions. We were still under the World Table comment system back then, so go to that link. If you do a search for the post, it will come up as there being no comments, but click the ful..
Birth as the “moral fault line of our time”
Christmas is about birth, Kevin Williamson reminds us, which is what reminds us most of our physicality. No wonder, he says, birth is also “the great political and moral fault line of our time.” Consider all of the moral issues that have to do with birth, whether preventing it or negating it: abortion, sex outside of marriage, pornography, today’s much vaunted fantasy of sex with robots. Consider the political and ideological issues: fears of overpopulation, health care, feminism, child poverty,..
Top religion stories of 2016
The Religion News Association announced its top 10 religion stories of 2016. Number one: Donald Trump’s election. Why was that a religion story? An important factor in Trump’s win was his support from evangelical voters, even though his lifestyle, moral history, and religious beliefs would not seem to be in accord with those of most Christian conservatives. What this means, though, is less clear. Does this mean Christian voters have sold out, or have they become pragmatic in choosing a candidate..
Church & Theology
Where Grace Abounds
Each year at Lancaster Baptist Church, we introduce a new theme for the year to our church family on Vision Sunday. Primarily we do this through the Sunday messages in which the theme is shared from a biblical text and then, in Sunday evening’s message, developed into ministry goals for the coming year. But one of the most memorable ways we introduce the theme is through teaching our church family a new chorus (typically written by our music team) based on the theme. Our theme for 2017 is “By ..
Growth Points 74: Three Attributes of a Great Year
When I think about a great ministry or a great minister, I think of John the Baptist. Jesus Himself called John and his ministry great: “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist…” (Luke 7:28). John wasn’t as concerned with being relevant to his culture as he was with being in touch with God. It was his heart for God and the way he uncompromisingly shared God’s message that set him apart. In this growth points video, I share thr..
A White Man’s Meditations on Martin Luther King Day
Most of my childhood, I lived in highly diverse neighborhoods. My neighborhoods and schools were a mishmash of white, black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and more. I recently looked up the stats of my junior high, for example, and the current student population is 33% white, 30% Hispanic, 25% African American, 10% Asian, and a few others. This type of relatively even split is how I remember it. I don’t remember my parents ever making blatantly racist comments. Race was neve..
3 Dynamics of Growth in Grace
Do you need grace today? Do you desire to grow in grace this year? I suppose these are questions with self-evident answers. We know we need God’s grace, and we know Scripture commands us to grow in grace. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.—2 Peter 3:18 This is what we desire for our lives as well as for the lives of those to whom we minister. But how? How do we grow in grace? And what does growth in grac..