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Thoughts

It’s Not Only Athletes: What Platform Has God Given You?

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

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

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

individual.whataboutme

Organize Your Church on Purpose, Around Giftedness

Structure doesn’t cause growth; the structure of your church determines how fast you’ll grow and the size to which you’ll grow. There is no clear organizational structure in the New Testament, and I think God did that intentionally so the Church can adapt to different stages, ages, and cultures. God gives us broad principles and not narrow rules. There is no perfect structure. As we study Scripture, we learn two general principles about organizing and structuring for growth. First, God wants us..Continue reading

cardinal-zen

Don’t surrender to China, Cardinal Zen tells Vatican

ReutersFormer head of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen. A retired bishop in Hong Kong has said allowing the Chinese government to appoint Catholic bishops would mean "surrender". Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, who retired in 2009, made the comment yesterday following an anouncement by the current bishop, John Tong Hon, that the Vatican and the Chinese government are in dialogue over the appointment of bishops. According to the South China Morning Post, an initial accord has..Continue reading

libby-lane

Justin Welby: We’ll stop protests at consecration of women bishops

ReutersRt Rev Libby Lane was the Church of England's first woman bishop. The Church of England is to ban protests at the consecration of female bishops after a campaign mounted by Women and the Church (WATCH). The organisation wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury following protests that disrupted the last four consecrations of women bishops, saying: "Such interruptions create the perception that the Church is willing to allow a woman who has been called by God and the Church, and appoint..Continue reading

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4 Ways to Make Small Talk a Big Deal

Most people bristle at the idea of making small talk after church. But let’s face it: church guests learn a lot about the heartbeat and the culture of a church from small talk. To a newcomer, a five-minute conversation after a church service can tell them far more than hours spent surfing the church website. Simply put, church guests will meet your staff, church members, and regular attenders. These people are the face of your church. They are your first-string varsity team. Are they ready? Fo..Continue reading

Hot Topics

Alas, Marrying Oneself is Now A Thing … Really

What is lost in this model is something so fundamental that it could explain much of the current disenchantment with the institution: complementarity, the idea that man and woman are two halves of humanity, signifying our essentially relational nature. One doesn’t have to be married to participate in the giving and receiving of human relationships, but marriage, with its typical fruitfulness in the form of children, reminds us all of an existential need and call. It sounds like a joke, but it ..Continue reading

Show My Child Grace, or Lay Down the Law?

So, as I know my children need the awareness of God’s law, they also need the self-awareness that law gives them. They need the guidance of God’s law. I also know that I need to bring that in a spirit of tender, patient, kind, loving, and forgiving grace. Law and Grace Are Not Opposing Forces I have parents who talk to me all the time about their struggle with the question, “When should I enforce law and when should I give grace?” The problem with the question is that it treats God’s law and G..Continue reading

The Evangelical Fall From The Means Of Grace

It is because we have become practically anti-supernatural and simultaneously super-spiritual in our theology, so that we are, on the one hand, bored with God’s ordinary means of grace (the sacraments) and on the other hand have stopped believing that God can and does use those means to accomplish His purposes. That is to say, we are guilty of a sort of unbelief. The prayers had been offered, the promises read, and the psalm sung. Two princes stepped forward to receive Communion, but the deacon..Continue reading

5 Reasons Millennials Are Not Giving to Your Church

Many Millennials are already plagued by debt, primarily credit card and student loan debt. Many of them need help to understand what Biblical stewardship looks like. They need to get financially healthy so that they can live generously. The church can help them with this. Millennials often get a bad rap when it comes to their giving. Millennials are generous. But their generosity doesn’t look like prior generations. They are not motivated to give in the same way that prior generations are moti..Continue reading

Life & Society

Maryland Man Arrested Over Alleged Plot to Kill U.S. Military Member for ISIS

HYATTSVILLE, Md. — A Maryland man is behind bars after he was arrested on Friday on allegations that he was plotting to kill a U.S. military member on behalf of the barbaric Islamic group ISIS. Nelash Mohamed Das, 24, of Hyattsville is a legal resident of the U.S., but is a citizen of Bangladesh. “The danger posed by Mr. Das during this investigation was very real. He was committed to carrying out an attack against a military member,” Special Agent in Charge Gordon Johnson of the FBI’s Baltimo..Continue reading

Jesus, Angels and All Other Religious Symbols Banned in Public Schools in this Part of the US

Jesus Christ is not welcome in this part of America. And so are His angels. A directive has been issued by the school district in Henry County, Georgia, ordering school administrators to remove pictures and other representations of Jesus Christ, angels and anything remotely religious from all public school buildings, Charisma News reports. Hence, in all probability there would be no Nativity scene in the public schools of this county in Georgia this Christmas. "You are hereby directe..Continue reading

The Death Of God And The War On Terror: Terry Eagleton On Why God Won’t Go Away

"Atheism is nothing like as easy as it looks." Terry Eagleton, speaking at the annual Theos lecture. So said Terry Eagleton, esteemed literary theorist and public intellectual, who last night gave the annual Theos lecture in London. Eagleton gave a talk titled 'The Death of God and the War on Terror'. He explored the relationships between society's attitude to the divine, and the culture – or culture wars – that flow from that. Here are three key insights he shared. The 'D..Continue reading

Women Who Use Contraceptives are More Likely to Suffer Depression, Study Shows

Women who take contraceptives that affect their hormones while preventing them from conceiving children are more likely to be diagnosed with clinical depression, a new study revealed recently. In the study published in JAMA Psychiatry last week, four researchers reviewed the medical history of over a million female individuals from Denmark, spanning the period between 1995 and 2013. The research showed that taking female hormonal contraceptives doubled the risk of depression. It also ..Continue reading

Music

Behold: A Christmas Collection by Lauren Daigle

Award-winning singer/songwriter LAUREN DAIGLE, will release her first-ever Christmas album titled BEHOLD, on October 21 via Centricity Music. Produced by Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram, the style of the holiday album pays homage to the sounds of Lauren's hometown of New Orleans. Featuring soft jazz renditions of Christmas favorites, BEHOLD includes such classics as "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "What Child Is This," "O Holy Night," and more; in addition to an original composition titled "Light of the World", which was written by Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram. Pre-orders for the album[...]Continue reading

Majesty In A Manger by Various Artists

The Integrity Music family of artists and writers have come together to start a new tradition celebrating Emmanuel, God With Us, in worship with Majesty In A Manger. It's a collection of original songs that focus on the coming of Jesus Christ from artists and writers like, Paul Baloche, All Sons Daughters, Darlene Zschech, Seth Nirva, Travis Ryan, Michael Farren and more. This is a worship album that was created with the intent that churches around the world can adopt these songs as we celebrate Jesus' birth. From the soulful sounds of newcomers Seth Nirva on "Fill The[...]Continue reading

Adventure by Matthew Parker

Track Listing 01. Adventure 02. Ghost 03. Unstoppable (feat. Micah Ariss) 04. I Ain't Got No Money (feat. Spencer Kane) 05. Down In Flames 06. Heaven Calling 07. Night Sky 08. Remember Me (feat. Tristan Peace) 09. System Victim (feat. Hillary Jane) 10. Spark (feat. Rapture Ruckus) 11. Gone 12. Dynasty (feat. Cash Hollistah) 13. Tidal Wave (feat. Micah Ariss) 14. Fly (feat. Twilight Meadow) 15. My Love Continue reading

You Wouldn’t Believe What Privilege Costs by CIVILIAN

A follow-up to 2012s Should This Noose Unloosen, YWBWPC's ringing guitars and sonorous vocals sway with austere, precise drumming while thoughtful bass paints outside the lines. Unlike its predecessor, "all of these songs were written after having just fallen ass over tip for a gal" as Alexander so eloquently puts it. "I wrote with the same intention to, through art, add nuance to how we talk about government and poverty except this time my brain was drenched in dopamine and serotonin."[...]Continue reading

Never Lose Sight by Chris Tomlin

Often called America's Worship Leader, Chris Tomlin returns with his new album, NEVER LOSE SIGHT, on October 21. As the songwriter behind the worship favorites "How Great Is Our God," "Our God," and "Whom Shall I Fear," Chris' songs lead people to the heart of Jesus and into a deeper worship of Him. Featuring "Good Good Father" and the new single "Jesus," this brand new album is filled with songs that draw us closer to Jesus and give voice to our praises, prayers, cries and hopes.[...]Continue reading

Marc Martel Announces ‘The Silent Night EP’

Marc Martel, former co-vocalist of Canadian Christian contemporary pop/rock band Downhere, is preparing to release a new Christmas EP. Entitled The Silent Night EP, the EP will feature Martel's signature vocals set to several classic Christmas carols. Martel has already been dropping a few songs as singles these past few Christmases, in the form of "O Holy Night" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel." Both of those will be featured on the EP alongside new arrangements of "In the Bleak Midwinter," "..Continue reading

Switchfoot Releases Surprise Live Album

Switchfoot pulled off one of the best-kept surprises of Christian music in recent years and released a new live album on Friday, October 21. Fans had previously been given no indication that the band was planning such a release. Live in Chicago The Looking for America Tour marks Switchfoot's first major live album in 7 years, since 2009's The Best Yet Live in Nashville. Featuring cuts from their critically-acclaimed new album Where The Light Shines Through as well as several of the b..Continue reading

David Dunn Debuts Music Video For New Single ‘I Wanna Go Back’

BEC Recordings' David Dunn has debuted the music video for his new single, "I Wanna Go Back," from his forthcoming early 2017 release Yellow Balloons. Click below to watch the music video. This single is currently the No. 2 most added song at AC radio for the second week in a row with 25 adds. Click here to get the single at digital outlets. RELATED BEC Recordings Announces New Artist Signing, David Dunn "'I Wanna Go Back' is a song of nostalgia, of longing for the time in my li..Continue reading

World

American

Maryland Pro-Life Advocates Stop Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide

Maryland pro-lifers are rejoicing that the latest attempt to pass a Physician-Assisted Suicide law (PAS) has failed, the third time such proposed legislation has been rejected in as many years. The victory came despite early rumors from PAS supporters and the media that PAS would pass this year in Maryland. State Sen. Guy Guzzone,(D-Howard County), the Senate’s lead sponsor, withdrew the legislation and canceled scheduled hearings. In the House, state Delegate Shane Pendergrass (D-Howard Count..

He Did Over 1,200 Abortions But Quit, Here’s His Tip for Encouraging Others to be Pro-Life Too

Dr Anthony Levatino is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist who performed abortions for eight years before he stopped in 1985. He went on to become a powerful pro-life witness to the truth about abortion and will be speaking at our youth conference in March about his journey from abortionist to pro-life campaigner. I had the chance to chat with Dr Levatino over the phone about his early days as a doctor who performed abortions. I started performing abortions in 1977 but never counted the number. I..

Media Bashes Ivanka Trump’s Jewish Faith; Is Fine With Catholic Nancy Pelosi Promoting Abortion

First Daughter Ivanka Trump and her family are quite possibly the highest-profile Modern Orthodox Jews in American history. Ivanka, who converted in 2009, has spoken about how her family observes the Sabbath, keeps kosher, and celebrates various Jewish holidays together. And now, for some reason, the media has taken it upon itself to become the “kosher police.” Take, for instance, this gem from the Washingtonian, where the writer took the mind-boggling step of phoning a chef to inquire about wh..

Made to Order Humans? Scientists Clam to Have Created “Artificial” Embryos

Using two types of stem cells (the body’s ‘master cells’) and a 3D scaffold on which they can grow, scientists at the University of Cambridge “have managed to create a structure resembling a mouse embryo in culture,” according to the University of Cambridge. The study, published in the journal Science, showed how Cambridge researchers “were able to grow a structure capable of assembling itself and whose development and architecture very closely resembled the natural embryo.” But even the headl..

Australia

Bring these dear children comfort and joy

BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Friday 4 November 2016 Children in the Holy Lands and surrounding nations live under a cloud of violence, and they need Jesus’ radical message of hope to bring comfort to their lives. Almost half of the population of the region is aged under 24, and millions of children are unable to attend school because of growing tension. Many children have seen tragedy, horror and bloodshed, often in their immediate family. In a world scarred by fear, hatred, grief and violence, Bible So..

Focus still on the Bible for BSA’s 200th anniversary

BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS | John Sandeman Thursday 24 November 2016 “After 200 years, we’re here for good” is the Bible Society Australia’s campaign focus for 2017, to mark the bicentenary of the Christian organisation’s work in Australia. At a special launch event this week in Sydney for the 200th anniversary, Bible Society CEO Greg Clarke described BSA as “a mature-aged organisation with the energy of a teenager”. “We are Australia’s longest living organisation – one month older than the oldest ba..

Nurturing the Good Samaritans in South Sudan

BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS | United Bible Societies | Mary Frank Tuesday 18 October 2016 The Good Samaritan program is inspirational! I love its Bible-based material which encourages children to know God, have a good attitude and be a Good Samaritan to other vulnerable children who are victims of war and HIV. The program is relevant for everyone, not only children, because it gives hope and encourages someone who is infected, traumatised and marginalised by providing spiritual support. My parents di..

Australians Rally Ahead Of Same-Sex Marriage Referendum

A gay rights activist holds a placard during a rally supporting same-sex marriage, in Sydney, Australia, on May 31, 2015.Reuters Hundreds of supporters of same-sex marriage campaigners rallied in Australia's two largest cities on Saturday against a plan to hold a public vote on the issue, concerned it would cause an increase in anti-gay comments. Australia's centre-right coalition government introduced legislation to parliament last month to hold a public vote in February 2017 on whe..

Law & Government

Alabama Governor Interviews Suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore for U.S. Senate Seat

MooreMONTGOMERY, Ala. — The office of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has confirmed that Bentley interviewed suspended state Chief Justice Roy Moore for a potential congressional seat this week. The seat would replace U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, who was selected by President-elect Donald Trump to serve in his cabinet as attorney general. “He would consider it an honor if appointed to the office of U. S. Senate,” Moore’s wife, Kayla Moore, told the Montgomery Advertiser. Bentley spokesperson Yasam..

Oklahoma Supreme Court Strikes Down Admitting Privileges Law as ‘Undue Burden’ on Abortion Access

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The Oklahoma Supreme Court has struck down a state law requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges at a local hospital, stating that the requirement places an “undue burden” on mothers’ access to abortion. “Under the guise of the protection of women’s health, [the law] creates an undue burden on a woman’s access to abortion, violating protected rights under our federal Constitution,” wrote Justice Joseph Watt wrote on behalf of the court. “Every woman in this coun..

Senate Judiciary Committee Asks FBI, Dept. of Justice to Investigate Planned Parenthood, Business Partners

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is asking the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct an investigation into the abortion giant Planned Parenthood and several of its business partners for possible criminal prosecution. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa issued a letter and report on Tuesday to both Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey, outlining the findings of the Committee that point to unlawful sales of baby body parts between both Planned..

Trump’s Pick for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, ‘Key Leader’ in Ending Boy Scout Ban on Open Homosexuals

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had selected ExxonMobil’s Rex Tillerson to serve as secretary of state, a move that some Christians have found to be concerning as Tillerson was considered a “key leader” in ending the ban on open homosexuals in the Boy Scouts and runs a company whose employee gift matching program includes donations to Planned Parenthood. “I have chosen one of the truly great business leaders of the world, Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO of..

Entertainment

Scorsese’s ‘Silence’ is his most Catholic film

(Andrew Garfield, left, plays Fr. Rodrigues, and Shinya Tsukamoto plays Mokichi in the film “Silence” by Paramount) Shûsaku Endô (1923-1996) was a Japanese Catholic novelist whose extensive writings probed the conflicts and paradoxes of faith. He was born in Tokyo, lived in Manchuria, then returned to Japan and was baptized at about the age of 11. After university, he married, had a son and lived in France. The novelist Graham Greene, with whom Endo has often been compared, said he was “one of ..

The Best Scene in Manchester By the Sea is Funny, Painful and Spiritual

Comment countGrief challenges us in a way nothing else can. When we love and lose someone, it’s as if someone flicked off the lights. We can’t move. We can barely breathe. You’d think that faith would be a hard sell in times of grief. And yet, in those times of agony, faith often rescues us. We lean on that God, even if He feels distant. Our loved ones haven’t left us; they’ve gone home. But faith wraps itself in such strange, silly garb sometimes; a gift beyond measure wrapped in supermarket fl..

Nat Geo’s Emmy-Nominated ‘The Story of God with Morgan Freeman’ Returns for Second Season

Prophets, spiritual enlightenment and the afterlife — they are mysteries as old as time. National Geographic and Revelations Entertainment seek clarity on some of humanity’s biggest questions in season two of the Emmy-nominated hit series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, premiering on Monday, Jan. 16, at 9/8c. _SOG20116DD920P (1)As host of the network’s most-watched series of all time, Freeman will again take viewers around the world on a quest for interfaith understanding and connectivity..

Stories that Stir the Soul: Talking adoption, foster care and faith with the author of Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins

Comment countThe following is a guest post from Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans, who recently talked with one of my favorite authors, Katherine Paterson, about some issues pretty close to my own heart. I love what she has to say here. It’s well worth the read. *** Embed from Getty Images“No book made a greater impression on me before high school,” a 40-something magazine editor recently shared with me. My 10-year old daughter said much the same, “Oh, I just loved i..

Health and Science

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And God Said “Let There Be Light” (RJS)

Genesis 1 is a marvelous passage – highly stylized literature if not technically poetry. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening,..

china41

Chinese Scientists Look to Cure Lung Cancer With Genetic Engineering

There is a new tool in the biotechnology tool belt that may revolutionize the way medicine treats a host of diseases. It is called CRISPR-Cas9. CRISPR uses a bacterial enzyme to precisely edit DNA, and scientists all over the world are using it to transform cells in hopes that one day these genetically-altered cells may cure disease. Scientists in China are hoping CRISPR will successfully treat lung cancer, and they are launching a first-of-its-kind clinical trial in 10 patients who have exhaus..

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A Grand Canyon (RJS)

For many years a book, Grand Canyon a Different View was sold at the gift stores in the National Park. This book tells the story of the Grand Canyon from a Young Earth Creationist viewpoint of flood geology. I don’t know if it is still being sold at the National Park or not, but it is available on Amazon. According to the description on Amazon the book invites readers to “explore the majesty and beauty of one of God s greatest creations” and “see the canyon from a ..

Papyrus-compressed

Harvard Professor Who Touted ‘Gospel of Jesus’ Wife’ Now Believes Papyrus Is Likely Fake

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A Harvard professor who made headlines in 2012 when she unveiled a papyrus scrap that she touted as potential evidence that Jesus was married, now believes that the inscription on the papyrus is likely fake. “If you ask me today which direction am I leaning more toward—ancient text or a modern forgery—based on this new evidence, I’m leaning toward modern forgery,” Karen King told the Associated Press this week. King was referring to allegations that Walter Fritz, the Florida..

US

Trump’s immigration edicts 

President Trump has issued executive orders that provide for the building of a wall on the U.S./Mexico border; will cut off federal aid from “sanctuary cities”; and that will beef up border control enforcement. He has also prepared an executive order that will temporarily halt the admittance of immigrants from countries with a history of terrorism (specifically, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia). The current refugee program is being frozen until “extreme vetting” procedures can..

The problem with crowds

In a column in which he explains why he didn’t go to the Inauguration, Jonah Goldberg says that it wasn’t because he is a conservative never-Trumper. He says that also doesn’t like to go to sporting events or arena concerts. He just doesn’t like crowds. But from there he raises some bigger points: Crowds can become mobs. The unit of American politics is the individual, not the crowd. The experience of being in a crowd is losing one’s individuality in a bigger corporate unity. And then he quotes ..

Fake News 

Both sides of our political divide are accusing the other of spreading “fake news.” Rev. Tim Pauls, writing for LCMS News & Information, says that of course making up facts and believing whatever we want to is going to be a problem in a culture that rejects objective truth. He gives some striking examples and some insightful analysis from a Christian perspective. He then gives some Biblical texts that address this issue and suggests how Christians can handle it. From Tim Pauls, Fake News – LCMS ..

China pushing Communism to replace failing Democracy

China says Western democracy has reached its limits and has started to deteriorate (alluding to Donald Trump’s victory without saying so). Global Communism will take its place, with China supplying new universal values. When I have referred to “still-Communist China,” some readers have said, in effect, are you kidding? China has become capitalist, what with all of their entrepreneurs and wealth-building. But orthodox Marxism teaches that societies must go through a capitalist phase in order for ..

Church & Theology

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4 Reasons You Can’t Find Rest

One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 6:16—“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls….” I’ve heard many messages from this text that emphasize everything under the sun except “rest for your souls.” But that is the promise of the verse. Picture the prophet Jeremiah pleading with a rebellious nation to seek out the old paths of righteousness, put away their idolatry, and walk in t..

5 Traits Common to Leaders Who Continue

The challenges to Christian ministry continue to mount. Between a cultural shift toward intolerance of truth, the decision fatigue of pastors, the opinion overload of society, and a host of other challenges, it’s no wonder that so many pastors and spiritual leaders are falling out of the ministry. Although I’m aware of and experience these types of challenges, I want to finish my race still serving the Lord. And I don’t want to stagger across the finish line—depleted and embittered toward the p..

Starbucks

4 Ways to Develop an “Everywhere Mentality” for Sharing the Gospel

I believe the Great Commission is worthy of—and even calls for—purposed times and strategic plans for spreading the gospel. Thus, we have several times and locations each week available to members of our church to meet up with a partner for the purpose of saturating our community with the gospel. And yet, there is a danger in using only those times for sharing the gospel. In reality, we are surrounded by people who need the Lord—some of which are our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. ..

children-walking

5 Ways to Help Your Children Walk in the Truth

One of the easy traps for parents to fall into is having shortsighted goals for their children. If I can just make it through today… (particularly in the preschool years) My child’s greatest problem is to change _______ behavior. If he can just make a higher grade… If she could just have more friends… While it is good to make it through another day(!) and behavior, grades, and friends do matter, 3 John 4 gives one of the greatest goals any Christian parent can hold: “I have no greater joy than ..

Finance

Budgeting Bliss: 5 Steps on How To Get There, and When To Send the Old Budget Packing

Admit it. You can’t afford not to budget. There are plenty of people out there who–despite their six-figure income–still find themselves in a vicious paycheck to paycheck cycle. The only way out? Budget. A good budget fits snuggly, but isn’t suffocating. It gives direction but isn’t overbearing. A real budget is constructive, not constrictive. My guess is, you’ve been in a bad-budget relationship most of your adult life. That good-for-nothing budget promised you extra money in your account and an end to your problems. Instead, you found nothing but store-brand beans, frustration, and a building sense of failure. You probably left the budget, then came back. Left, came back. Apologized. Left. Came back. Left. It isn’t you Budget, it’s me. I just can’t do this. It’s too hard. Budgeting shouldn’t be dramatic. Healthy money management isn’t painful. When set up right, a budget is empowering. Let me assuage your fears (and let me use the word “assuage”) by helping you avoid some common budg..