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→
Home
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
Psalm 100:1 (01-11-17)
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. — Psalm 100:1 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... With joy, let's praise and make a joyful noise to the LORD of lords and the King of kings today. Let's find short moments during our day, seize them, and use them to give thanks and praise to our Father in heaven. When we are blessed, let's take a moment and pause for praise. In every good thing, let's share a phrase of praise to our gracious Father. My Pr..Continue reading→
We Are God’s Treasure!
"They will be mine," says the Lord Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession." Malachi 3:17, NIVAs we totally yield our lives to the control of God’s Spirit within us, He uses: the responsibilities and relationships and ridicule, the opportunities and obstacles and obligations, the pressures and pain and problems, the success and sickness and solitude . . . He uses all things to work for our ultimate good, which is increasing, progressive, glorious conformity to the image..Continue reading→
Psalm 118:5-6
“When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”Continue reading→
Proverbs 16:9 (01-10-17)
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. — Proverbs 16:9 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... We're now a week-and-a-half into a new year. How are you doing with those changes and commitments you made for the new year? Don't give up or quit on them... even if you're having trouble staying on track. But, let's remember that the only real commitment for this year that is absolutely necessary to keep is that we ask the Lord where he want..Continue reading→
A Day Set Apart
If you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, . . . then you will find your joy in the Lord. Isaiah 58:13-14, NIVIn the beginning, by His own example, God patterned our week to include not only the discipline of work but also one day out of every seven that would be “set apart,” different from the other six days. For the majority of people today, there is very little difference between the way they keep Sunday and the way they keep Saturday. Sunday has become more of..Continue reading→
Hope
Great Sin, Great Forgiveness, and Now What?
It is hard to imagine how he could make a bigger mess of his life. David slept with the wife of one of his officers. He first tried to hide his sin. When that did not work, he had her husband killed during a battle. David knew better. He was the King over God’s people. But I understand how it happened. So do you. We have all done things that we knew we should not do. We have tried to cover up our sin. And sometimes, we have involved others in our sin. We have hurt others. But the story of David ..Continue reading→
A Tiny Seed, A Tiny Deed
The Bible says: Do not despise small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin... (Zechariah 4:10). But somewhere deep inside us, our own voice of doubt mocks us: I see what others have done with their lives and before I even get started — I'm discouraged. What can I possibly do that God isn't already doing through someone else? Against a towering giant, a brook pebble seems futile. But God used it to topple Goliath. Compared to the tithes of the wealthy, a widow's c..Continue reading→
A love that restores
Isaiah chapter 61 promises that the Lord will provide comfort for those who mourn and restore broken lives with “a crown of beauty instead of ashes.” Both Beckie and Barbara Jean’s hearts had been deeply wounded by abuse and shame. Discover how their lives were transformed through Jesus Christ and how they found healing and freedom from the past.Continue reading→
You are not alone
When a difficult situation threatens to drag us down, we can either let ourselves fall or surrender to the only One who can hold us up. Learn how both Mary Ann and Pat found a lifeline in God’s Word when it felt like their worlds were falling apart. Find peace and joy when trying circumstances come your way.Continue reading→
Don’t Give Up!
I love to see young people give their lives to Jesus. I love to see them commit to him in faith, dying with him in baptism, and starting a journey with him that will last the rest of their lives… and beyond. But as much as those young commitments bring me joy, I’m truly moved by those who come to Christ late in life. Many of us become set in our ways as we grow older, but some are willing to be born again despite their advanced years. Last month in Cuba, I got to see several people be baptized i..Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Worshiping God
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24, NKJVTo worship God means to attribute worth to God through obedience to God, preoccupation with God, and praise of God. The Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar said, in essence, “Oh, well, I worship God.” And Jesus corrected her, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know.” Why was her worship invalid? Because she was substituting the traditions and rituals of her religion for a personal relationship with G..Continue reading→
Philippians 2:14-16
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.”Continue reading→
Proverbs 10:11 (01-16-17)
The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. — Proverbs 10:11 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Want to know the difference between a righteous person and a wicked one? Simple, check the fruit of their life. One of the most visible forms of fruit in a person's life is his or her speech. The righteous person finds a way to impart life with his or her speech. The wicked will nearly always reveal themselves by what his or her mou..Continue reading→
Our God-Given Counselor
It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. John 16:7, NIVFollowing supper the night before He was to be crucified, Jesus unburdened His heart to His disciples. He knew He was going not only to the cross but, after the resurrection, back to His Father in heaven. His disciples would be like orphans. Had He taught them all they needed to know? The disciples must have begun to sense His heavy burden. Without J..Continue reading→
Prayers
Daily Prayer for January 15
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26, NIV Lord God, send your Spirit, we pray, over us and over the whole world. Let your light dawn on earth among humankind. Reveal your power and let your reign begin. May your will be done, O Lord. We kneel before your throne and plead to you. We are weak. Lord, help us. Bless us. Establish your kingdom in the hearts of those..Continue reading→
Justification by Faith
PassageRomans 3:27-31 PrayerDear Father, just and justifier,All praise is due you, Father. Our boasting is totally excluded. Our justification is not by our works, but through our faith in you. So we are convinced by Paul that a person is justified by faith and not by works of the law.You are God not only of the Jews but of all other nations also. You are the one God, the only God, the God of all people everywhere.On the basis of whether people put their trust in you instead of themselves you ju..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for January 14
For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you. 2 Corinthians 13:4, NIV Lord our God, we come into your presence and kneel before your throne, asking you with all our hearts for your Spirit, so that our lives may be guided and ruled by you, the one God and Creator of all life. Let your Word come into our hearts. Give your blessing on all we experience in life and on all we as..Continue reading→
Righteousness Made Manifest
PassageRomans 3:21-26 PrayerDear Father, just and justifier,Thank you that your righteousness has been manifested to us. You made this happen apart from the law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, to your righteousness through faith in Christ Jesus for all who trust in him. How just you are in making no distinction between people on this matter, since every person has sinned and falls short of your glory.Thank you for justifying us by your grace as a gift, through the redempti..Continue reading→
Questions & Answers
What Is A Spiritual Awakening?
Have you ever heard about a “spiritual awakening?” What is it? The Age of Enlightenment Some call the Age of Enlightenment (late 17th-18th centuries) as being similar to a spiritual awakening, but the Age of Enlightenment was actually opposed to anything spiritual. The “Enlightenment” was a rebirth of humanity in one sense, but it was also their coming to an understanding about the natural world and our place in it, and our place in the universe should be based upon the science, reason, and log..Continue reading→
Why Making a Case for the Bible Is More Important Than Arguing About Politics
We’ve just experienced an unprecedentedly contentious and polarizing political season. Throughout this time, I’ve been tempted to enter the fray, especially on social media, where I’ve observed several heated exchanges between my friends and family members. I refrained from commenting or arguing about politics, however, and a few of my followers have asked why I’ve been so silent on the issues that seem to divide our nation. It’s not that I don’t have a view I would like to share, and it’s not t..Continue reading→
Three Tips for Parents Raising the Next Generation of Case Makers
If you’re a Christian Case Maker (a Christian interested in making the case for what you believe) and you’re also a parent, you’re probably interested in raising your son or daughter to become a Case Maker as well. I have four kids of my own, so I definitely understand this desire. I want my kids to have the tools and truths they’ll need to be good Christian ambassadors. I want them to understand their worldview and defend it against competing ideas. Parents often contact me to ask what they can..Continue reading→
Top 8 Bible Verses About Perception
Here are eight of the top Bible verses about perception. Proverbs 12:18 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” Imagine you’re waving your arms and trying to stop traffic just before a corner because you know the bridge is out. To the drivers, everything looks fine. They see no reason to stop because they see no highway barricades, so their perception tells them nothing’s wrong. To them, it’s right in their own eyes to drive around the corner, and they d..Continue reading→
Church & Ministries
Trump’s Refugee Ban Puts Christians In Danger, Warns UK’s Top Catholic Leader
The head of the UK Catholic Church has called for "self-discipline" in public debate as he accused politicians of trading in fear and letting the UK down.Continue reading→
Church Not ‘Reached End Of The Road’ On Gay Marriage, Welby Says
The Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Church of England has not "reached the end of the road" over its position on gay marriage, raising the possibility of future change to doctrine.Continue reading→
4 Strong Reasons to Preach to Skeptics in Every Sermon
Do you remember what it was like to go to church for the first time? A lot of pastors have been in church for so long that we can’t remember. Maybe you grew up going to church with your family like I did. If so, you can’t remember because you were too young. If you came to faith in Jesus later in life, you might have an advantage in this area. You know how awkward it was. Maybe you didn’t know anyone. Maybe you only knew one friend who invited you there. Maybe you were nervous. Maybe you were..Continue reading→
Griffith John: 8 Things You Didn’t Know About A Pioneer Missionary To China
Griffith John set sail for China in 1855 and founded a hospital in Wuhan that is now one of the largest in the country.Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Book Review: No Little Women by Aimee Byrd
Second, she demonstrates how Scripture teaches women to function as necessary allies. As necessary allies, women (1) warn men to turn away from evil like Abigail; (2) are cobelligerents against evil enemies like Esther; (3) mediate the Word of the Lord like Miriam; (4) give wise instruction and counsel like Priscilla; (5) collaborate in service to others; (6) respond to God as examples of faithfulness; and (7) influence men from a gift of empathy and relatedness. The list provides helpful catego..Continue reading→
Are Christians Arrogant? Rethinking the Definition of Humility
Thus, for Christians, humility and uncertainty are not synonymous. One can be certain and humble at the same time. How? For this simple reason: Christians believe that they understand truth only because God has revealed it to them (1 Cor 1:26-30). In other words, Christians are humble because their understanding of truth is not based on their own intelligence, their own research, their own acumen. Rather, it is 100% dependent on the grace of God. One of the most common objections made to the ab..Continue reading→
Strangers on a Train
In his memoir, Hentoff recalls meeting Jackson on a train in 1994. As they journeyed together, Hentoff told Jackson that he frequently quoted his pro-life writings because they were among the most compelling he had read. Jackson, he said, looked troubled. Hentoff then asked the politician whether he had any second thoughts on his change of mind. Jackson looked even more troubled and said, “I’ll get back to you on that.” Hentoff ended the anecdote on this laconic note: “I haven’t heard from him s..Continue reading→
The Early Symptoms of Spiritual Danger
Yes, apostasy happens. Sometimes the catalyst is flagrant sin. The pain of conviction and repentance is refused, and the only alternative to it is wholesale rejection of Christ. But sometimes the catalyst is a thorn growing quietly in the heart, an indifference to the way of the Cross, a drifting that is not reversed by the knowledge of biblical warnings. I can still recall the conversation although it took place more than three decades ago. A shocked friend asked, “Have you heard that Sarah is..Continue reading→
Women
Let Scripture Shape Your Soul
Editor’s Note: Each week, we’re publishing a new collection of devotional readings that will draw you deeper into the life-changing Word of God. This week’s devotions are drawn from The Wired Soul: Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age by Tricia McCary Rhodes, PhD. In these readings, we are invited to consider how we can push back against the influence of our “wired,” digital, quick-paced culture to more deeply and meaningfull..Continue reading→
Are We Too Busy to Truly Live?
Editor’s Note: At CT, our ministry cause “Beautiful Orthodoxy” centers around the Word of God and the good, true, and beautiful gospel it conveys. This commitment is at the center of “Beautiful Word,” a free, daily e-newsletter that guides readers deeper into the life-changing Word of God through devotions from some of today’s leading voices. (You can click here to have Beautiful Word devotions delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday.)Continue reading→
Who’s Afraid of Her Own Authority?
As women, we’re often taught to fear power. Here’s how I’ve overcome that fear. When I was around five years old on a camping trip, someone accidentally locked the keys inside our camper trailer. We were hot and miserable. My parents and their grown-up friends hatched a plan to have me climb through the narrow luggage compartment, so I shimmied into the dark opening and my dad coached me through the hatch into the trailer. As I grabbed the keys and unlocked the trailer door, my family and camp..Continue reading→
Refining Fire
Editor’s Note: Each week, we’re publishing a new collection of devotional readings that will draw you deeper into the life-changing Word of God. This week, Bianca Juarez Olthoff expands upon upon themes from her new book, Play with Fire, inviting you to reflect on five spiritual choices that are crucial to spiritual transformation. (Click here to receive these and future daily devotions emailed directly to your inbox.) Monday: Cry Out “I cry out to t..Continue reading→
Persecution
Indian Police Threaten to Fine Christians Attacked by Hindu Extremists
NEW DELHI (Morning Star News) – A month after a crowd of village Hindus in Jharkhand state, India summoned 25 Christians, tied up six of them and beat them with sticks, some of the assailants ran into one of the Christians and asked if he was still worshiping Christ. The Hindu extremists in Hunter village, Palamu District came across Gunni Bhuiya on June 14 on an area road. Bhuiya told them he still believed in and worshipped Christ, and the Hindu extremists manhandled him and threatened to kil..Continue reading→
Chinese Official Threatens to Skin Christian Alive After Taking Land
NANYANG, Henan (China Aid) — “I’ll skin you alive if you dare to complain again,” an official told a Christian in China’s central Henan province as a demolition team reclaimed his property on June 12. A gang hired by government officials seized a three-acre soybean field on June 12 belonging to Bai Fengju, a local Christian, in order to build a Buddhist temple on the site. A week earlier, they forcibly took the land only to later return it, offer him 2,000 Yuan (U.S. $304) in compensation and p..Continue reading→
Indian Hindus Beat Pastor Unconscious
NEW DELHI (Morning Star News) – A church in northern India remains closed more than a month after four masked Hindu extremists stormed a worship meeting and beat a 66-year-old pastor unconscious. After prayer and song at his church in Naupur, Jaunpur District, Uttar Pradesh state on May 22, pastor Lalta Ram stood up to preach when the assailants with bamboo sticks entered from the back and began accusing him of forceful conversion as they beat him, sources said. “Pastor Ram was beaten up sever..Continue reading→
Chinese Christian Detained for Printing Religious Materials
GUANGZHOU, Guangdong (China Aid) — On June 6, authorities criminally detained a member of a house church in Guangzhou, the capital of China’s southern Guangdong province, accusing him of “illegal business operations” after he printed religious materials. Officers from multiple government departments criminally detained Li Hongmin, a member of Guangfu Church, after he printed various religious materials. These authorities confiscated all of the materials, as well as Li’s phone and other items fr..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
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..