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
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→
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→
American
Is it Reasonable? (RJS)
Thus far Tim Keller’s book Making Sense of God : An Invitation to the Skeptical has looked at six aspects of human life, givens that Keller suggests we cannot live without: meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, hope, and justice. Each chapter looked at both secular and Christian narratives, and at the specific focus that Christianity offers. In the last two chapters he turns to a broader overview. He begins by asking “is it reasonable to believe in God?” and offers six specific reasons the a..
The “Historical” Adam
From Dennis Venema, Scot McKnight, Adam and the Genome Before I get to clips from the book, I want to suggest that the best place to begin when it comes to the so-called “historical” Adam issue is not with the word “historical” but with the word “literary.” That is, the only Adam Jews knew was the Adam of the Bible. That’s the literary Adam and the word “literary” does not mean either “historical” or “mythical.” It means the Adam in the Bible. That Adam takes on a life of his own, and often his ..
Defending Ruth Tucker
From Arise, used with permissionBy Maureen Farrell GarciaOn January 25, 2017If you haven’t yet read Ruth Tucker’s book, Black and White Bible, Black and Blue Wife, you should. Full disclosure: I have been reading her work for a few decades. It challenged me to reconsider what it meant to be created in God’s image as a female. While I do not agree with all that Tucker writes in her newest book, her methodology and her argument are important to consider. Further, her personal story is invaluable i..
The Scandal of the Evangelical Soul
Both conservative evangelicals and progressive evangelicals lost their soul in the last two years. For two years Christians have ramped up their verbal engagement in a presidential election, and it seems to me that European evangelicals have engaged the same. Everywhere we have traveled in the last two years, especially in the last nine months, the conversation is about Trump, Hillary, and the president. Mostly about Trump. Serious Christian conversations about other topics have been brushed asi..
Entertainment
‘The Angry Birds Movie’ is a volatile pun fest
Chuck, voiced by Josh Gad, and Red, voiced by Jason Sudeikis, appear in the animated movie “The Angry Birds Movie.” (CNS/Sony) Flying off the gigantic success of its 2009 online video game “Angry Birds,” Rovio Entertainment of Finland commissioned a script from animation film and television writer John Vitti (“The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill,” “Ice Age”) for a feature film about the birds that fly via slingshot. Joined by animators Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly in their directorial debut, “The ..
I Am Iron Man
Team Cap or Team Iron Man? Captain America: Civil War practically demands its fans to take sides—even before they even walk into the theater. When I went to my advance screening for Civil War, the PR reps asked me whose side I was on. I said Captain America, of course, and they handed me a blue wristband and waved me through. I’ve always been a Cap guy. His motives are purer than Iron Man’s His movies are better. Heck, he’s better. Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) is an old-fash..
Director Rodrigo Garcia Talks Last Days in the Desert
Ewan McGregor and Rodrigo Garcia on the set of Last Days in the Desert. Photo courtesy Different Drummer.Director Rodrigo Garcia is not a particularly religious guy. He jokingly refers to himself as a “secular Catholic,” having grown up in Mexico and Spain where Catholicism was an integral part of the culture. But he says, “You don’t have to be Catholic to be intrigued by the life of Jesus.” Garcia is so intrigued with Jesus that he wrote and directed a whole movie about Him. Last ..
Pope Francis invites us to reflect mercy in our speech and in Tweets for World Communications Day 2016
One of the best-kept secrets of the Catholic Church is that we have a beautiful tradition of teaching about communication and media that goes back to the 1930s and continues through today. This teaching covers speaking with one another in the family, parish and community, to evangelization, to all the means of communication including radio, television, movies, social media and the culture they create. Back in 1963 one of the Second Vatican Council documents issued by Pope Paul VI was “Inter Miri..
US
A book on why we should trust the Bible
There are four more shopping days until Christmas, time (especially if you have Amazon Prime with free two-day shipping) to buy for someone who needs it Trevor Sutton’s new book Why Should I Trust the Bible? Trevor is the author of another good book, Being Lutheran. He is a young pastor and an excellent, enjoyable-to-read writer. (I’m going to be collaborating with him on a project–more on that later.) This book takes on the confusions, untruths, and half-truths that undermine confidence in the ..
Mary and the divine inversion
In discussing why the Virgin Birth of Christ is important, James A. Rogers (Texas A&M professor and LCMS member) cites Mary as an example of the “divine inversion.” That is, the way God turns upside down what we would expect. This theme, which Mary herself celebrates in the Magnificat, runs throughout the Bible, culminating in the Cross. Here is how Prof. Rogers concludes his reflections: The Virgin Birth, like the Cross itself, confounds what we think we know; it confounds our belief that power..
The Christmas stories of Connie Willis & her favorite Christmas movies
Connie Willis is an award-winning science fiction author and a deft satirist of contemporary foibles. (Read her novel Bellwether. Never again will you take seriously fashions, trends, or being cool.) She is also a Christian. (For more on her biography, go here.) She has published a collection of short stories about Christmas–gift idea!–entitled Miracles and Other Christmas Stories. I’m reading them as part of my Advent and Christmas observance and enjoying them greatly. Some of them are of the M..
Cancelling church on Christmas
Christmas falls on a Sunday this year. So once again, many congregations are CANCELLING SERVICES! That boggles my mind. You should go to church on Christmas even when it doesn’t fall on a Sunday! But when it does, why wouldn’t you go to church as you usually would? OK, I understand about opening presents, making the Christmas dinner, and all that. I understand someone missing church, though that’s not to condone it. But what I cannot understand is a church that would not open its doors on Christ..