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→
Church & Ministries
Is Your Church ‘True’? 8 Checks from Billy Graham
[Editor’s Note: This excerpt is taken from Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond by Billy Graham Copyright © 2015 by William F. Graham Jr. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson www.thomasnelson.com] The Church Eternal Wake Up and Take Charge: Ephesians The church is in turmoil today. Why is this? The church—the body of Christ—will never fail; however, when “churches” turn away from God’s Word to chase after the worldly system, they stumble and fall. What is the true church? The chur..Continue reading→
Turkey bans Christian pilgrims from ancient monastery
Bjørn Christian Tørrissen/WikipediaAn annual service at the Panagia Sumela monastery has been cancelled. Turkish authorities have cancelled an annual service at the historic Panagia Sumela monastery near the Black Sea town of Trabzon, raising fears among Orthodox believers that it may be permanently banned. The monastery is built into a rock face 1,200 metres high and was founded in AD 386 in the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius. It was abandoned in 1923 after forced population exchan..Continue reading→
Roman Catholics seek unity with Protestants 499 years after the Reformation
Martin Luther With the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation in 2017, Catholic Bishops in Germany have reached out to Protestants. They've released a new report, which speaks warmly about Martin Luther – the founder of the German Reformation – while also addressing some of the key theological disputes between Catholics and Lutherans. Bishop Gerhard Feige said the "Catholic Church may recognize today what was important in the Reformation – namely, that Sacred Scripture is the ..Continue reading→
Archbishop of Canterbury: Church must address ‘culture of silencing’ on abuse
ReutersThe Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, says that the Church must be a "safe place" where a "culture of silencing" must be overturned when it comes to abuse. The Church must overturn a "culture of silencing" and be "compassionate and attentive to those who have been abused and sinned against," the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. In a foreword to the July 2016 edition of the social ethics journal Crucible, Justin Welby says that on becoming Archbishop, he knew that safeguarding wo..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
An Anonymous Story from a Pastor’s Wife
We have found out that because of budget shortfalls, we will again not receive a cost of living raise. This has been the case for many years (I’m not revealing how many years without a raise in hopes that other churches will think I am writing about THEIR church). Why are we to “trust God for our finances” but the church is not willing to “trust God for the finances needed for ministry”? I wrote this last week to our church family – but of course, I’m not going to share it with them. I just fou..Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Marxisms
We are all indicted by this. We have made a world where entertainers are the new priesthood, able to propitiate the public and endow those politicians who pay them homage with apparent moral and intellectual integrity. Cool chic and celebrity connections are now far more important than coherent policies and personal integrity. And Mr. Trump is surely no better. In many ways he is more representative of the moral and intellectual vacuum of this present age than Mrs. Clinton. He really is nothing ..Continue reading→
Robin Hood, History, and Neo-Atheists (Copan)
“Third, the New Atheists aren’t willing to own up to atrocities committed in the name of atheism by Stalin, Pol Pot, or Mao Zedong, yet they expect Christians to own up to all the barbarous acts performed in Jesus’ name. …I think the reason it’s difficult, if not impossible, for New Atheists to acknowledge immorality in the name of atheism is because it would take much wind out of their sails when criticizing religion.” Some people have “issues” with aspects of the Old Testament. In the OT you ..Continue reading→
Shame, Sanctification, Singleness, and Marriage
I don’t want to be ashamed of the fact that at 35, I’ve only been married a year and while most of my peers are coming into their second decade of marriage, I am still a baby at it. I don’t know how to do it well, but I also take great delight in it. Please don’t say to someone who is newly married, “Just you wait.” You have no idea how they are being painfully cracked open and splayed out today. You have no idea what kinds of identity they’re wrestling with. What things they are grieving. When ..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Floridians: Don’t #PrayForFlorida; pray for the people in Haiti and Bahamas Instead
Destroyed houses are seen in a village after Hurricane Matthew passes Corail, Haiti, on Oct. 6, 2016.Reuters Some Florida residents urged netizens to stop using the hashtag #PrayForFlorida, not because people didn't care about what would happen to Florida with the passage of Hurricane Matthew, but because public attention needed to be diverted to Haiti and the Bahamas, areas that suffered greater devastation. These Floridians want netizens to show more concern to people who might need pra..Continue reading→
Over 300,000 Students Get Biblically Equipped During ‘Bring Your Bible to School Day’
Pixabay Over 300,000 students went to school spiritually equipped on Thursday as Christians observed the annual "Bring Your Bible to School Day." The national event was sponsored by Colorado Springs, the Colorado-based Focus on the Family. Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, told The Christian Post that it's the third straight year that the socially conservative group organised the event, and they are proud that it has seen "inspiring" growth in participation. "In 2014, around 8,..Continue reading→
Andy Stanley Answers Critics Who Accuse Him of Undermining the Bible
Andy Stanley says, 'The dechurched who grew up in church exit because they find the version of Christianity they've grown up with unconvincing, uninspiring and irrelevant.'(Photo: Facebook/Your Move) Pastor Andy Stanley from North Point Community Church upset a lot of people from the faith community after he said Christians' troubles began when they started believing, "Jesus love me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Stanley was accused of undermining the Bible and p..Continue reading→
One Million Moms Calls Out H&M for ‘She’s A Lady’ Ad Which Features 2 Women Kissing
Two teenage girls kiss in this screenshot of a new H&M 'She's A Lady' TV ad.(Screenshot/H&M Ad) The Christian watchdog group One Million Moms is upset with retail giant H&M because it recently came out with a TV ad called "She's A Lady," which features two teenage girls kissing. The group's director Monica Cole wrote in an article for the American Family Association that her organisation "is not sure of H&M clothing company's thought process behind their new telev..Continue reading→
Movies
COMMON BRINGS GLORY TO THE GRAMMYS (AND THE OSCARS): An Interview
What 2015 Grammy moment moved you? Kanye West’s cut in on Beck’s acceptance speech for “Album of the Year” garnered most of the headlines. How sad to a stunt overshadow Annie Lennox’s rousing rendition of “I Put a Spell On You” with Hozier. Pharrell reimagined his sunny single, “Happy,” into an intriguing protest echoing the “Hands up/Don’t shoot” posture that accompanied events in Ferguson, Missouri. Prince slipped in the best one-liner of the night, “Albums still matter. Just like books and bl..Continue reading→
Diablo Cody Tweets About Rescuing Jinger Duggar
Her new movie, Paradise, is all about religion. In the movie, which was originally titled Lamb of God, a young religious woman (Julianne Hough) is in a terrible accident, which causes her to question G-d and run off to Las Vegas to see what sin feels like. Well, it looks like screenwriter/director Diablo Cody had some pretty specific pop-culture inspirations for the movie: The Duggars. Particularly Jinger. Diablo recently tweeted that if Jinger ever wants to run away from her family, she can com..Continue reading→
Music
As We Ascend Releases First Single Wash Away to iTunes
As We Ascend's first single "Wash Away" is now available on iTunes, six days before the completion of their PledgeMusic campaign to fund the full length album Farewell to Midnight. In addition to being available on iTunes, "Wash Away" is also going for adds at radio. The PledgeMusic campaign is currently at 95% of its goal. You can listen to "Wash Away" below. As We Ascend, formed by former members of We As Human, launched their PledgeMusic campaign with the unique invitation to fans to "..Continue reading→
Bizzle Petitions for Financial Support of New Project
The recent release of Bizzle's new project Crowns & Crosses has sparked a conversation about the realities of being an artist with his God Over Money fans. In a recent newsletter, Bizzle details the shocking differences between a fan purchasing a physical or digital copy of any GOM release versus streaming through the likes of Spotify or Apple Music. He begins with the staggering reality that it takes 1,500 streams to equal that of one album sale. For example, if 100,000 fans stream the en..Continue reading→
John Mark McMillan Launches Pre-order for ‘Mercury & Lightning’
John Mark McMillan has launched a pre-order for his upcoming album Mercury & Lightning through PledgeMusic. The album has been preceded by the release of "Wilderlove" and "No Country." The PledgeMusic pre-order gives fans the chance to purchase a wide range of merch packages, with each one providing access to exclusive behind-the-scenes information approaching the album's release. The pre-order was launched in part due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the single "Wilderlove," re..Continue reading→
Sho Baraka’s ‘The Narrative’ Debuts at No. 6 on iTunes Hip Hop Chart and No. 26 on iTunes Overall
Critically acclaimed hip hop artist Sho Baraka unleashed The Narrative last week, and it was well received by fans and critics alike as it peaked at No. 6 on iTunes Hip Hop Chart and No. 26 on iTunes Overall Albums Chart. Created with the intention to generate a discussion among each other about the social issues we face today and throughout history, Sho Baraka is doing just that as shown by the critics below "Sho Baraka gives us conscious hip hop that makes us think. It is not intended for eas..Continue reading→
MercyMe’s ‘Welcome To The New’ Receives RIAA Gold Certification
GRAMMY® Nominated MercyMe's Welcome To The New (2014) has been honored with RIAA Gold Certification, marking the sixth gold album for the band in addition to a double platinum album and a platinum video. Welcome To The New earned two GRAMMY® nods, multiple GMA Dove Award honors and an American Music Award nomination. In addition, the album boasts three No. 1 singles with "Greater," "Flawless" and "Dear Younger Me," and one Top 5 single with "Shake." MercyMe is planning to unveil a new recor..Continue reading→
Deraj Drops A New Single
Deraj blessed both the genre and Reflection Music Group (RMG) fans worldwide with a new banger for the car on "Know That's Me," featuring KYNG. Listeners can purchase not only the track, but also the instrumental backing and an acapella version of the track. The three versions of this project may be purchased here, or streamed on Spotify. Visuals for the project debuted under the direction of Joe Desantis. The video may be viewed below. RMG has been quite the productive label as of late..Continue reading→
Live in Chicago: The Looking for America Tour by Switchfoot
Track Listing 01. Holy Water 02. Meant To Live 03. Bull In A China Shop 04. Where The Light Shines Through 05. I Won't Let You Go 06. Love Alone Is Worth The Fight 07. Hello Hurricane 08. If The House Burns Down Tonight 09. Float 10. Live it Well Continue reading→
Courtney Orlando Releases New Single, Wait On You
Courtney Orlando released his latest single "Wait on You" on October 10. You can download the track for free on SoundCloud here. Orlando describes the new track as an open conversation between him and God. No future plans of a full length project have been released at this time. The artist formally known as J.R. dug his roots into the hip-hop genre over a decade ago with his debut release Metamorphosis in 2005. Fittingly, change has followed him in the area of style, depth and even branding a..Continue reading→
The Narrative by Sho Baraka
Track Listing 01. Foreward, 1619 02. Soul, 1971 03. Kanye, 2009 (feat. Jackie Hill Perry) 04. Love, 1959 05. Here, 2016 (feat. Lecrae) 06. 30 & Up, 1986 (feat. Courtney Orlando) 07. Profhet, 1968 (feat. James Portier) 08. Maybe Both, 1865 (feat. James Portier) Purchase 09. Excellent, 2017 Purchase 10. Road to Humble, 1979 Purchase 11. Myhood, U.S.A., 1937 (feat. Vanessa Hill) 12. Words, 2006 13. Fathers, 2004 Purchase 14. Piano Break, 33 A.D. Continue reading→
American
Feel the Bern? Here’s the Next Step
Daniel Strauss: The revolution is back in business. Supporters of Bernie Sanders’ failed presidential bid are seizing on Democratic disarray at the national level to launch a wave of challenges to Democratic Party leaders in the states. The goal is to replace party officials in states where Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton during the acrimonious Democratic primary with more progressive leadership. But the challenges also represent a reckoning for state party leaders who, in many cases, tacitly s..
Trump rebukes alleged racism among supporters
Copyright (c) 2016 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/47889/trump-rebukes-alleged-racism-among-supporters Trump rebukes alleged racism among supporters Screen capture from CBS NewsScreen capture from CBS NewsWASHINGTON (BP) -- In his first major interview since Election Day, President-elect Donald Trump said he is "saddened" by reported incidents of r..
Bill Hunke, former Alaska exec & historian, dies
Copyright (c) 2016 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/47888/bill-hunke-former-alaska-exec-and-historian-dies Bill Hunke, former Alaska exec & historian, dies E.W. "Bill" Hunke Jr. E.W. "Bill" Hunke Jr. SUN LAKES, Ariz. (BP) -- E.W. "Bill" Hunke Jr., executive director of the Alaska Baptist Convention from 1966-71 and prolific chronicler of Southern Ba..
Cloyd Sullins, Alaska exec from 1995-2000, dies
Copyright (c) 2016 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/47887/cloyd-sullins-alaska-exec-from-19952000-dies Cloyd Sullins, Alaska exec from 1995-2000, dies Cloyd Sullins Cloyd Sullins MOORE, Okla. (BP) -- Cloyd Sullins, who led the Alaska Baptist Convention from its 50th anniversary year in 1995 until his retirement in 2000, died Nov. 7 in Moore, Okla. ..