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→
Church & Ministries
Pastor Greg Laurie says trials happen so Christians can grow up spiritually
Pastor Greg Laurie says, 'Many Christians are surprised to find that the Christian life is not a playground but a battleground.' Trials are difficult, and during these moments, Christians are left wondering if God is still watching over them. Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship says that people should not harbour these doubts because God is always with them. "Trials are a bit like a cloud that may obscure the rays of the sun. When you go ..Continue reading→
Hidden notes in rare Christian Bible show subversive use of Latin
Annotated page from England's first printed Bible For centuries, the Reformation has been regarded as a "clean break" of the Protestant Church of England with Rome. Secret texts discovered in a rare Bible at the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury reveal that it took far longer and was a more complex process than many imagine. Using the latest scientific techniques, researchers have found notes that had remained hidden for nearly 500 years between the pages ..Continue reading→
‘A breath of fresh air’: Franklin Graham praises Maria Sharapova for squarely admitting drug mistake
Maria Sharapova of Russia wipes her face during her women's singles match against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic during the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, in this June 1, 2015 file picture. It is difficult for people to admit their mistakes, and this is why Reverend Franklin Graham was really impressed when tennis star Maria Sharapova bravely confronted her drug use allegations and did not try to pin the blame on anyone else. "Sha..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
To My Sisters in Christ
Contrary to Ben Carson’s explanation this sort of talk is not how most men talk about women in their absence. We do not believe that the number of a man’s sexual conquests or his willingness to force himself upon a woman is the measure of manhood. Quite the opposite. For many of us the arrogant swagger and adulterous boastings of Trump are the negation of genuine manhood. He is a petulant child grasping for validation by bragging about his sexual prowess to strangers on a bus. Over the weekend..Continue reading→
Can Depression Be Cured? Latest Research
Depression is a serious disorder that impacts the whole body, it is progressive, and it needs to be treated. 60% of people with depression in the United States remain untreated. The most effective way to treat depression at present is a combination of talking therapies and medication. In May 2016, the Library of Congress and the John Kluge Center hosted a symposium on Can Depression be Cured? at which four of the top medical researchers into depression and its treatments presented their latest ..Continue reading→
Notes From The Didache On The Early Christian View Of Abortion
The moral rigor of the Didache is also in contrast to the way some late-modern Christians speak about sexual ethics generally. The Didache unequivocally condemns sexual immorality. Again, it is hard to imagine the Didache countenancing the nomenclature, “gay Christian.” This much seems clear from the blanket condemnation of sexual immorality in 3:3. One of the more difficult and fascinating texts in the collection of texts known as the Apostolic Fathers is the Teaching of the Lord to the Gentil..Continue reading→
How to Actually Help When Tragic Events Happen in the World
This is the beauty of the church. In it, we get to partner together as the body of Christ to accomplish more than we can ever hope to do alone. If we want to make a difference this week—or the next time tragedy strikes—we should look no further than our own local churches. Whatever the reason—be it the modern news cycle or the never-ending flow of social media reports—we’re all inundated with bad news every day. The latest school shooting and an unpredictable hurricane were the issues this wee..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Ohio Ballot Proposal Would Prosecute Abortion as Aggravated Murder
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A proposal to amend the Ohio Constitution and classify the performance of an abortion as an act of aggravated murder has been presented to the state attorney general for approval as a ballot measure. “No person shall perform, procure or attempt to perform an abortion,” the proposed text reads. “Whoever violates this section is guilty of aggravated murder and shall be punished in accordance with the penalties for that crime …” It notes that the measure would not apply to contra..Continue reading→
People reminded that prisoners are Christians, too: ‘We have a duty to support them, not segregate them’
It's true that prisoners have committed crimes and therefore have to pay for it. But Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster believes that prisoners should not be treated differently than others, since they can still deepen their faith and start new lives after returning to society. "We have a duty to support them, not segregate them. Without this welcome, any redemption they found in prison and any motivation they have to reform will be wasted, along with all that they have to ..Continue reading→
Parents angered by pranks at Catholic high school that showed a Jesus mascot dancing with the devil
A lot of parents got upset after some students of the Notre Dame Prep Catholic high school in Scottsdale, Arizona pulled some religious pranks at a football game, which included the vandalism of a Virgin Mary statue as well as a dancing Jesus Christ mascot. The pranks were staged last week before the school's Friday night football game against Desert Mountain, according to the Catholic News Agency. Some students thought it would be hilarious to place a mask of Hillary Clinton ov..Continue reading→
Sensitivity Video Teaches Police to Ask Transgenders Their Preferred Pronoun, Allow Restroom Preference
A sensitivity training video recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) teaches police officers nationwide to ask men who identify as women and vice versa which gender pronoun they prefer, and to allow them to use the restroom that correlates with their gender identity. The video, Law Enforcement and the Transgender Community, was produced by the DOJ’s Community Relations Service and features role playing skits to show officers how they are to respond to certain scenarios involvi..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
CW Show “Jane the Virgin” Runs Ad Promoting Planned Parenthood Abortion Corporation
The night before Valentine’s Day, the CW’s Jane the Virgin aired a pro-Planned Parenthood message in favor of fighting “overpopulation.” One of the main characters, Petra Solano (Yael Grobglas), asks Chuck Jesser (Johnny Messner) to sign an easement for her kids’ beach club – which happens to cross into the property of his adults-only hotel next door. Chuck, who dislikes children, refused mid-show. “No can do,” he responded, “You know how I feel about that kids’ club. Screeching rodents gonna..
United Nations Hearing Will Slam Ireland for Not Killing Unborn Babies in Abortions
This week, the Irish Government will appear before the UN Committee for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. The hearing takes place in Geneva and while it focuses on many areas of life affecting women such as equal pay, the issue of abortion is also on the table for discussion. As expected, prochoice NGOs based in Ireland are seizing on the opportunity to push their case for the removal of the Eighth Amendment, despite the fact that there is no right ..
Witches Come Out to Support Planned Parenthood as Pro-Life People Protest
This weekend, there were pro-life #ProtestPP rallies scheduled at more than a quarter, over 200, of Planned Parenthoods across our nation. And the violence and hatred that our team saw at multiple locations was not only frightening but it was a clear warning sign to you and me. In Portland, where our Northwest Coordinator (Katie) spoke, the abortion supporters where already at the Planned Parenthood by the time the pro-lifers arrived for their rally. They immediately starting yelling obscenitie..
Amazing Time-Lapse Video Shows Birth to 12-Years-Old in Under 3 Minutes
This encouraging item for Monday’s edition of National Right to Life News Today will take under three minutes of your life and leave you smiling from ear to ear. The title of the video is “Lotte from birth to 12 years in 2 min. 45 sec,” and it appears at mercatornet.com. According to the brief accompanying text, “Dutch filmmaker Frans Hofmeester filmed his daughter every week, from birth up until she turned 12 years old and then made this time lapse edit. Fascinating.” If you are a parent, you..
Law & Government
U.S. Supreme Court Lets Ruling Stand Requiring Christian Pharmacy to Stock Morning-After Pill
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed a ruling to stand that requires the owner of a Washington pharmacy, along with two of his pharmacists, to stock the morning-after pill despite their religious convictions regarding abortifacients. As previously reported, in 2006, Ralph’s Thriftway owner, Kevin Stormans, received a call inquiring whether the location sold the morning-after pill. After replying that the pharmacy did not carry it, he began to receive anonymous complaints via phone an..
Hillary Clinton Marches in New York City Homosexual Pride Parade
NEW YORK — Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton marched in New York City’s homosexual pride parade on Sunday, waving a rainbow flag. According to reports, Clinton marched for two blocks in the area of the Stonewall Inn, a tavern that the Obama administration has sought to have dedicated as a monument to homosexual rights. She was joined by Al Sharpton, a controversial ordained Baptist minister, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Actress Cyn..
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Texas Abortion Law as Creating ‘Undue Burden on Abortion Access’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to abortion rights advocates, striking down a Texas law imposing strict regulations on abortion doctors and facilities that its critics contended were specifically designed to shut down clinics. The 5-3 ruling held that the Republican-backed 2013 law placed an undue burden on women exercising their constitutional right to end a pregnancy established in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The normally nine-justice court..
Entertainment
The Heavenly Comedy of NBC’s The Good Place
Ancient Egyptians thought that life went on after death, as long as you knew the right passwords, their bodies were nicely salted and their hearts were sufficiently weighty. Vikings believed that Valhalla awaited the mightiest among them, where they could fight all day and drink all night. And some Christians figure that St. Peter will be waiting for the dearly departed in front of heaven’s pearly gate, pen in hand. But no afterlife is quite like what we see in The Good Place—a plac..
Catholics in Media to award ‘Ben -Hur’ ‘Ray Donovan’ ‘The Story of God’ October 9th in Los Angeles
Culver City, CA – Catholics in Media Associates has announced its honorees for the 2016 CIMA Awards to be presented at the organization’s 23rd annual event on October 9, 2016. All the CIMA Awardees were chosen for their ability to tell stories that transcend daily life in compelling ways and to communicate the true, the good, and the beautiful in compelling ways. Following the 10:00AM Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Ang..
How Sully and Captain America Have a Lot in Common
It’s been a year of superheroes. Deadpool kicked the party off in February with its snide, R-rated take on heroism. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice thundered into theaters a month later. Captain America: Civil War opened the summer movie season with a $179.1 million opening weekend, and Suicide Squad continues to collect cash at box-office turnstyles across America. Four superhero movies, each one having grossed more than $300 million in North America. With all that superhero act..
‘Sully’ the man and the miracle
Everyone knows the story of US Airways Flight 1549. On January 15, 2009 Captain Sully “Sullenberger” (Tom Hanks) and his co-pilot Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) took off from La Guardia airport in a plane with 155 souls on board, including passengers and crew. They collided with a flock of Canadian geese just a couple of minutes later. They were over Manhattan and radioed they were banking left, turning back to La Guardia. In 207 seconds, with both engines out Captain Sully and Skiles brought the p..
US
“The last honest liberal” dies
Nat Hentoff, 91, has died. The jazz critic for the Village Voice, Hentoff described himself as a left-wing Jewish atheist. But he became a pro-life crusader, alienating his fellow liberals for his strong opposition to abortion. Hentoff was a civil libertarian, fiercely devoted to the Constitution, who quit the ACLU because of its support of speech codes. Hentoff had been called “the last honest liberal” for his consistency in extending the left’s concern for the poor and marginalized to the most..
Spiritual anguish
Contrary to the “prosperity gospel” and other theologies of glory, negative experiences can also have a positive spiritual significance. Many of us go through depression, blue moods, black moods, and other sufferings, whether physical or emotional. These are not signs that you have lost your faith or that God has abandoned you. Luther, who knew these states of mind well, considered them important for the Christian life. In fact, he considered them necessary for anyone who presumed to be a theolo..
Empire of Desire
I have long said that we shouldn’t look for analogies between our cultural problems and the fall of the Roman empire. We should look for parallels with the fall of the Roman Republic. Carl Trueman says that while the position of Christianity is changing, secular society itself is changing too. He sees the rise of what he calls an “empire of desire” (a concept also treated by R. R. Reno, whom he links to). He calls for new Ciceroes who have the integrity, the wisdom, and the eloquence to defend o..
Democrats hope to come back by going left
Democrats strategizing over how to overcome their recent defeats now have a plan: go left. They are reasoning that they can get back those working class voters who chose Trump. After all, Trump’s populist economics promises–including protectionism, job protection, and more jobs–goes along with what Democrats used to stand for, before the party embraced globalism and Wall Street. The Democrats believe that the cultural issues are still to their advantage, so they are going to emphasize their soci..
Church & Theology
How Is a Biblical Christian to Respond in This Election?
This has been an incredibly difficult election season. In fact, recent polls indicate that 82 percent of Americans are disgusted with it. Sometimes as Christians, we wonder how we can make a difference in a time like this. How do we respond to the vitriol and rhetoric with clear thinking and Christ-like decisions? 1. Remember your dual citizenship. Our first loyalty is not to America but to our King. Patriotic as we may be, we have an eternal homeland: For our conversation is in heaven; from..
What Following Jesus Looks Like on a Weekday
When Jesus called His disciples, it wasn’t a Sundays-only proposition. He had something more in mind—something 24/7. Likewise, when the disciples responded to His call, they “left all, rose up, and followed Him” (Luke 5:28). In a day when Christians feel good about themselves if they go to church on Sunday and pastors are tempted to measure their success by how Sunday’s services went, it’s good to be reminded that Christ’s call “Follow Me,” is a call for every day of the week. Think of it thi..
5 Things to Pray for When You’re Overwhelmed
Four weeks ago, I spent Monday night at gate 76 of Detroit International Airport, fervently praying for my three-year-old grandson, Chandler, who was undergoing an emergency surgery. A CT scan had revealed a fractured skull and bleeding near the brain, but beyond that, I really didn’t know or have the medical understanding of exactly what was going on. In an email I sent the next day to some praying friends, I wrote, “I don’t have all the technical info. I just know we need to pray fervently.” ..
4 Areas I Expect Our Leadership Team to Build
One of the things I look forward to when I hire staff is the opportunity to invest into their lives. Between praying for and pastoring their family, weekly staff meetings, and other times of training, I want to do all I can to help build them up in service and as spiritual leaders. At the same time, I don’t hire staff solely to invest in them. In fact, I hire them primarily to help me build the work of the ministry God has entrusted us with here at Lancaster Baptist Church. If you serve on a c..