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
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→
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→
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→
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
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→
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→
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→