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→
Hot Topics
I Just Wanna End Small Group Prayer
This is based on Samuel Miller’s thoughts on prayer which goes on for another 13 items. Not quite Rick Warren like, so not enough for forty days of driving your way to a life of purpose. But if Christians ever had to consider that praying in public does not come naturally to some believers, this post might get them started. And it really would throw a wrench into the praying patters of the seemingly intimate small group. This should put a stop to it — just have believers think about what they s..Continue reading→
Evangelical Anglicans Warn Bishops Of ‘Fundamental Disunity’ If Church Changes Teaching On Gay Relationships
The signatories include major church leaders as well as heads of Anglican networks and some of the Church’s largest theological colleges. Any shift in teaching that sex should only be within marriage between one man and one woman would “cause a break not only with the majority of the Anglican Communion, but with the consistent mind of the worldwide Church down many centuries,” they warn. Nearly a hundred evangelical leaders have written to Church of England bishops warning that any change in te..Continue reading→
Navy Drops Job Titles In Push For Gender Neutrality
Ratings such as Gunner’s Mate, Boatswain’s Mate, and Quartermaster have a lineage going back hundreds of years to the Continental Navy and the British Royal Navy. Even more recently established rates, such as Information Systems Technician Second Class (IT2) or Electronics Technician Third Class (ET3), give many sailors reason to be proud of their naval heritage. (WNS)–In a decision the Navy Times called “a tectonic shift in the Navy’s personnel system,” the service recently abandoned the time-..Continue reading→
A Preemptive Strike Strategy In The Religious Liberty Fight
Taking a new tack in the battle for religious liberty, artists in Colorado and Arizona are not waiting to be sued for violating so-called nondiscrimination laws. Through preemptive legal strikes, the business owners hope to clear the landscape of laws requiring them to violate their Christian convictions to stay in business. A judge dismissed the Arizona lawsuit, Brush and Nib Studios v. City of Phoenix, on Sept. 16 but the company plans to appeal. (WNS)–Taking a new tack in the battle for reli..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Archbishop of Canterbury: Refugee children with UK family must be brought over immediately
Around 800 unaccompanied minors are living in the Calais 'Jungle' refugee camp. The Archbishop of Canterbury has blasted the UK government over its failure to reunite unaccompanied refugee children in France with their families in Britain. In the House of Lords on Tuesday, Archbishop Justin Welby contributed to a discussion on the government's plans to speed up the process for children in camps in Calais and Dunkirk. "My Lords, the Question has been extremely specificall..Continue reading→
New study reveals more men around the world are doing their part to help around the house
Women are encouraged to be independent in today's culture, and several countries are promoting a more progressive mindset when it comes to the division of housework. In the old days, the women were left to take care of the house and their kids with the husband busy at work. However, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford revealed that there has been a big shift in who gets to do household chores nowadays, according to The Daily Mail. The research analys..Continue reading→
German jihadi who converted from Christianity whips prisoners, urges lone wolfs to attack West for ISIS
German jihadi Abu Issa al-Almani is seen here in the ISIS video called 'From Darkness Into Light.' A German jihadi, who claims to have converted from Christianity, is wreaking terror in Iraq as he whips prisoners, attends public amputations, and calls for lone-wolf terror attacks on the West. The jihadi who calls himself Abu Issa al-Almani says in a video released by ISIS that he converted to Islam before travelling from Germany to Iraq, according..Continue reading→
Why pastors shouldn’t make frequent home visits
Dr. Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, was surprised when he learned that a church fired its pastor because "he didn't visit the members enough." Rainer says he does not know all the details involved about the pastor's firing, but based on that alone, he is not optimistic about the church's future. "'Visitation of the members' became a common job description of pastors about a century ago. It'..Continue reading→
Movies
The Story of God: Heaven, hell, hope and justice
Flickr, by Simon Rahn. CC Licensing. Season two of “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central) on the National Geographic Channel. Once again, I’m writing about it here each week from a Christian perspective as a preview. This post is about episode two, “Heaven and Hell.” Years back, I was out to dinner with a friend when we began talking religion. She was agnostic and I was in the middle of a pretty ugly bout of cage-stage Calvinism. She kept trying to change ..Continue reading→
Sony Animation reveals the cast for Nativity film The Star
The studio hasn’t released any pictures yet, to my knowledge, but today Sony Pictures Animation sent out a press release announcing the voice cast for its upcoming film The Star, which tells the story of the first Christmas from the animals’ point of view. Here is the key paragraph from today’s press release: The voice cast will be led by Steven Yeun (Bo the donkey), Kelly Clarkson (Leah the horse), Aidy Bryant (Ruth the sheep), Keegan-Michael Key (Dave the dove), Kristin Chenoweth (Mouse), Anth..Continue reading→
Wrestling with ‘Silence’
Raised in a Christian community, I constantly heard stories of martyrdom. The Bible is replete with such tales, whether it’s the three men thrown into a fiery furnace or early apostles stoned for threatening the status quo. Youth leaders would solemnly tell of saints who were burned at the stake, singing songs of praise even as the flames lapped at their feet. These were not stories of tragedy but of triumph. The focus was not on those who killed the missionaries, but on the faith that endured u..Continue reading→
Box office: Hidden Figures holds on to the top spot while six new films fail to find an audience
A drama about three African-American women who broke racial barriers in the early 1960s held on to the top spot at the box office on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, while half a dozen new wide releases failed to find an audience. Hidden Figures, which focuses on three black women who worked at NASA in its early days, topped the chart for a second straight week with an estimated $20.5 million between Friday and Sunday — a drop of only 10.3% since last week. That raises the film’s North Am..Continue reading→
New details about — and a new trailer for — The Shack
With seven weeks to go before the film comes out, new details about The Shack — and a new trailer for the film — have come online. First, Publishers Weekly has a profile of The Shack novelist William Paul Young, who notes that a significant change has been made to the story’s main character: Although Young called the film a “faithful adaptation” to his novel, the author noted a major difference between the main character in the book, Mack, and the character onscreen. “I framed the book within so..Continue reading→
The Story of God: Chosen
Photo by Ted, Flickr. CC Licensing. Season two of “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman” debuts Monday, Jan. 16, at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central) on the National Geographic Channel. Once again, I’ll be writing about it here each week from a Christian perspective as a preview. The first episode of the season deals with “The Chosen One.” Given its topic — chosen people in various religions — I initially assumed that this first episode would deal with the central figures of various faiths. Jesus, Mohamm..Continue reading→
Return to “The Story of God” on Jan. 16
(Photo credit: National Geographic Channels/Matthew Paul Turner) One of the highlights of last year was writing about National Geographic’s “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman.” Being part of Patheos’ “blogging carnival” was a great writing experience and a chance for me to re-examine my faith. I was deeply challenged by that discussion and, in the end, it made my faith stronger. National Geographic Channel will debut season two of “The Story of God” on Monday, Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Centra..Continue reading→
Box office: Hidden Figures nearly beats Rogue One
A movie about the space race nearly beat Star Wars at the box office this week. Hidden Figures, which tells the true story of three African-American women whose mathematical and scientific prowess was key to NASA’s success in the early 1960s, grossed an estimated $21.8 million between Thursday and Sunday nights. That was nearly tied with Rogue One, which earned $22 million this week — though Hidden Figures could pull ahead when the final figures come out tomorrow. Hidden Figures went into wide r..Continue reading→
From “Rogue One” to “Empire Strikes Back”: What I watched on my winter vacation
Don’t let the headline mislead you: this isn’t all about “Star Wars.” As I write this, I’m coming off a very long vacation. On Dec. 23, I left work for two weeks to enjoy the holidays and recuperate from a very busy fall. I go back to work and school tomorrow and, as providence would have it, it’s also shaping up to be a busy week for this blog. For now, I’m enjoying the last few hours of break. It wasn’t the greatest vacation — quite a few stressors made it a bit hectic — but for the first time..Continue reading→
Music
Blue Eyed Devil by KRUM (fka Playdough)
Veteran emcee KRUM is dropping a completely free project on February 3, and the pre-order is now available. The album is called Blue Eyed Devil and will be the first full project by KRUM since he changed his name from Playdough. The album features production from Theory Hazit, Rob Viktum, Harry Krum, Freddie Bruno, and more. KRUM says to look out for music videos and promos in the next few weeks.[...]Continue reading→
Back To Life by Anthony Evans
Recording Artist and Worship Leader Anthony Evans' highly-anticipated new album Back To Life releases February 3, 2017 through Sherman James Productions. A collection of worship songs, this new album features NBC's The Voice alumnus on 11 worship-themed tracks exploring authenticity, vulnerability, honesty and the way that the culmination of those three things brought him Back to Life. It marks Evans' eighth solo studio album and will be available through all digital retailers and exclusively at Lifeway Christian Stores. Back To Life is available for pre-order on January 6, 2017. "Over the last year, God has given me one revelation after[...]Continue reading→
Canopy by nobigdyl.
"I wrote Canopy coming out of a time of isolation and darkness. It felt like my life was completely falling apart and I'd have to start over again from nothing. God showed me that sometimes there's safety and protection in isolation. Sometimes, the darkness makes it easier to see the light," confessed nobigdyl. when speaking of the anticipated release. 'Canopy' is nobigdyl.'s first album release since his debut in 2015 with the 'Smoke Signal' EP. Check out indie tribe and nobigdyl at his website, nobigdyl.com.[...]Continue reading→
Nu Age Soul EP by Phil J.
Phil J. released his new completely self-written, produced, and mixed free EP project.[...]Continue reading→
Blessings (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) – Single by Lecrae
Lecrae is taking a shot at radio with his new single, "Blessings," that drops tomorrow (January 27). After more than a decade in the industry, the Atlanta MC has hustled his way through the independent scene often carrying the sometimes-dreaded title of "Christian rapper." But perhaps that label is what will make his version of "Blessings" stand out, as he explained to HipHopDX before his show at The Roxy on Wednesday (January 25). "I get to change the narrative a little bit, let people see some of the behind-the-scenes of what I mean when I say it and my perspective," Lecrae[...]Continue reading→
Signs & Wonders by Watoto Children’s Choir
Watoto presents a brand new children's choir tour and album, Signs Wonders, that celebrates the joy of salvation. The choir, whose members are orphans and other vulnerable children, present new worship music from Watoto Church in Uganda.[...]Continue reading→
After All These Years by Brian & Jenn Johnson
More than 10 years since their last solo release, Bethel Music's Brian Jenn Johnson will debut their highly anticipated album After All These Years on January 27, capturing the wonder, conviction, and tenderness of heart behind the story of who they've become and who they've remained over the past season. Cowriting every song on the album together, After All These Years varies stylistically from previous projects, as each track is marked by a distinct and bright 80-piece symphony orchestra paired with timeless lyrics and instrumentation. Songwriting, leading worship and overseeing Bethel Church's Worship Department for over 15 years, the album[...]Continue reading→
FUTUREGEN by AMP
FUTUREGEN, AMP's Junior release, shines a spotlight on the Future Generation and the expansive potential they hold. A symphony that swings from modern electronica to grand orchestrals, the album brings into focus the next rising generation, rallying them on to run toward the prime joy of making Christ known and glorified. The track list, featuring AMP's signature sound and lyricism, is both electric and vertical, passionate and authentic, contagious and full of praise. It exhibits the musical and spiritual growth of each individual in the group, and in doing so, overflows into an active encouragement for all believers to vigorously[...]Continue reading→
Books
The Theology Professor and His Ailing Wife
Life brings occasions, both good and bad, that serve as natural chapter breaks in our own narrative. Dealing with the good ones is enjoyable, and there’s usually time to prepare for things like a wedding and the birth of a child. There’s no preparation for the bad ones, though. They happen, and you flee to wherever—whomever—you find refuge. For John Feinberg, longtime professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and his wife, Pat, that day came on Novemb..Continue reading→
Men who won’t work
Nearly a third of American men aren’t working. These include the unemployed, men who can’t find jobs. But there are two-and-half times more men who aren’t even trying to find a job. Because their lack of work is voluntary, they aren’t counted in the unemployment rate. But the number of men between 25 to 54 who are “economically inactive” is soaring. This has nothing to do with educational attainment, the business cycle, or the availability of jobs. Many men just don’t feel that traditional mascu..Continue reading→
Four Myths Christians Believe About Politics
Back in February, we at the Summit hosted a forum addressing the interaction between the gospel and politics. As the past few months have taught us, politics can be a messy, confusing, infuriating venture. Christians often don’t know what to do with politics—myself included. On one side, I feel like I may not be speaking up enough on key issues. On the other side, I feel like I may be speaking up too much and causing a stumbling block for the gospel. That’s the tension I wrestle with, and that m..Continue reading→
Turning 40 While Single and Childless
I was 28 years old the first time someone called me “barren.” At a book club hosted by one of my friends, I met a 22-year-old graduate student who had just moved to the city. After our group discussion, she and I ended up in the kitchen talking about food, life, and expectations. As I shared with her the story of my recent broken engagement, I confessed, “I thought I’d be married by now.” Later that week, she emailed to say she enjoyed our conversation and that she, too, thought she’d be “marr..Continue reading→
Ten Ways Jesus Ruined His Own Campaign
It’s campaign and election season for all of us, but I’m even deeper in campaign mode than usual. I’m in the throes of my husband’s run for the state house while also in my own “campaign”—publisher’s terminology—as my tenth book releases this week. And that book (Crossing the Waters: Following Jesus through the Storms, the Fish, the Doubt and the Seas) is itself the fruit of following Jesus’ three-year campaign in Galilee. To better understand those events, I hiked the Gospel Trail solo around t..Continue reading→
5 Books to Read Before Voting in a Presidential Election
Peter Wehner, former presidential aide, helps us wrestle with deeper issues than Candidate A versus Candidate B. Campaign season has a way of raising everyone’s blood pressure, inflaming partisan passions and cultural resentments. How can we step back from a ferocious news cycle and find enduring wisdom on how to approach the task of choosing a national leader? CT asked Peter Wehner, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a veteran of three Republican presidential administrati..Continue reading→
Free Stuff Fridays (Nabeel Qureshi Edition)
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Zondervan. There will be 5 winners this week and each of them will receive a great package of material from Nabeel Qureshi. The winners will receive: No God but One: Allah or Jesus? “Former Muslim Nabeel Qureshi’s new, New York Times bestselling book No God but One examines the most important questions at the intersection of Islam and Christianity. Nabeel shares stories from his life and ministry, casts new light on current events, and explores pivotal incidents in the histories of both religions, providing a resource that is gripping and thought-provoking, respectful and challenging. Readers of Qureshi’s first book, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, will appreciate this careful and respectful comparison of Islam and Christianity. While Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus showed us the conversion of Nabeel’s heart, this new follow-up, No God but One, shows us the conversion of Nabeel’s mind. Both religions teach that there is No God but One, but thi..Continue reading→
Friendship Evangelism Is Not Dehumanizing
In her new book, Joyful Witness in the Muslim World: Sharing the Gospel in Everyday Encounters, Evelyne Reisacher—an associate professor of Islamic studies and intercultural relations at Fuller Theological Seminary—casts a vision for Christians entering relationships with Muslims based on shared joys. She does so by tracing how these relationships can blossom in six spheres: the internet, the arts, environmentalism, humanitarian service, urban contexts, and theological conversations. Relation..Continue reading→
The Life They Never Expected: Andrew and Rachel Wilson on Raising Special-Needs Kids
Parents, particularly those of children with special needs, are bombarded with how-to books and advice. But a book that addresses the parent’s heart is a rare find. Andrew and Rachel Wilson provide just that as they chronicle their emotional and spiritual story as their son, Zeke, and then daughter, Anna, are diagnosed with autism in The Life We Never Expected: Hopeful Reflections on the Challenges of Parenting Children with Special Needs [review] (Crossway, 2016). The book reflects..Continue reading→
American
Assisted Suicide is Antithetical to Liberal Values
Charles Camosy wrote an excellent article concerning the assisted suicide bill in New York that was recently published in the New York Daily News titled: Assisted Suicide vs liberal values. Camosy begins his article by describing the personal story that Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D) says led to her supporting assisted suicide. Camosy acknowledges the pain that has led many people to support assisted suicide, but he argues that this compassion leads to unintended consequences. No one can be unmo..
Nearly 50 New Pro-Life Laws Have Been Introduced Since President Trump’s Election
The year 2017 already is bringing strong hopes for future babies in the womb. World News Service reports state legislators have introduced almost 50 pro-life bills already this year that would increase protections for unborn babies and moms. Pro-life leaders said the November election results kindled new hopes that these protections will pass state legislatures and be upheld in the courts. “With the election of a pro-life president, with all of the gains that we made across the different state..
Parents Reject Abortion After Ultrasound Shows Identical Twins Cuddling Each Other
Doctors suggested that Hayley Lampshire may have to abort one of her unborn sons after they discovered the twins shared an amniotic sac and placenta. The Daily Mail reports the twins’ rare condition put their lives in jeopardy; the survival rate is only about 50 percent. But selectively aborting one of them would have 100-percent denied one child a chance at life. Lampshire and her husband said they were “heartbroken” when they heard the news, but their hopes were renewed when they saw an ultr..
Science is Incidental (RJS)
Chapter 5 of Denis Lamoureux’s new book Evolution: Scripture and Nature Say Yes looks at the way that “science” is presented in Scripture. Science is a modern concept, but Scripture certainly speaks about the nature of the cosmos and uses language that assumes a view of astronomy, geography, and biology. But the Bible is not a science book. It doesn’t teach new science, rather it reflects the typical views concerning astronomy, geography, and biology commonly held in the ancient Near East. These..
Entertainment
8 films and mini-series to see before you vote
Reese Witherspoon plays Tracy Flick in the 1999 film “Election.” (Paramount Pictures/Bob Akester) My ears perked up back in March when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz defended his wife, Heidi, after Donald Trump threatened to “spill the beans” about her. Cruz came back with a threat of his own that sounded like it was straight out of the 1995 film “The American President” when President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) stood up for his girlfriend (Annette Bening) to his opponent Sen. Bob Rumson (Richard Dr..
“Rabin in His Own Words” is a testament to peace
At the Venice Film Festival last September, the SIGNIS (Catholic) Jury placed filmmaker Amos Gitai’s “Rabin: The Last Day” on our short list for the SIGNIS Prize as soon as we saw it. The film is a captivating docudrama form of a political essay that explores the last day in the life of the famed peace-seeking Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1922 – 1995) who was assassinated during a peace rally on November 4, 1995. Integrating actual footage of the shooting by a 25-ye..
“The Story of God” concludes 5/8 with “The Power of Miracles”
The Story of God concludes this Sunday with “The Power of Miracles.” This Sunday, May 8, 2016, the NatGeo Channel will conclude it’s beautiful inspiring and informative series on “The Story of God.” The final episode is “The Power of Miracles.” The series host, Morgan Freeman, begins this “journey to discover the power of miracles” by interviewing Alcides Moreno, a window washer in Manhattan who plunged 47 stories to the ground in 2007 and survived. Alcido’s younger brother, Edgar, perished. Fre..
Cast of RISEN reacts to meeting Pope Francis ahead of May release of DVD
The film RISEN, that I reviewed in February as a “moving contribution to the canon of biblical movies” will be distributed on digital on May 10 and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ & DVD May 24 with Bonus Materials that will include deleted scenes and three behind-the-scenes featurettes & commentary. And today, for the first time, you can watch and listen to the moving responses of actors Joseph Fiennes and Maria Botto as well as the co-producers, Mickey Liddell and Pete Shil..
US
Electoral College Day, then and now
The Electoral College meets today, with the designated electors meeting in state capitols to cast their vote for president. In most states, electors are required, by law or by oath, to vote according to the election results of their state. Nevertheless, this year electors are receiving thousands of e-mails, letters, and phone calls, insisting on the autonomy of the electoral college and begging them not to put Trump in office. Even Democratic electors are being pressured not to vote for Clinton ..
Top 10 Google searches of 2016
The internet contains unfathomable amounts of information. Search engines allow us to find anything we want to know, giving us access to knowledge on an unprecedented scale, thus advancing the capabilities of the human mind. When we can fully connect our minds to the internet, we can attain the next level of human evolution. So see what the year’s top searches on Google were. From Google’s Year in Search – Google Trends:Pokémon GoiPhone 7Donald TrumpPrincePowerballDavid BowieDeadpoolOlympic..
Theology & church growth
Canadian researchers conducted a study of mainline Protestant churches (Anglican, Presbyterian, Uniting, and Evangelical Lutheran [the liberal denomination, as opposed to the confessional Lutheran Church of Canada]), comparing traits in congregations that were growing and those that are not. They found that congregations that were theologically conservative are growing, and those that were theologically liberal are not. (Go here for the complete study.) After the jump, religion columnist Terry M..
$12 coffee and the positional economy
Starbucks is opening some exclusive “Reserve Roasteries and Tasting Rooms,” which will offer high-end coffee experiences at around $12 per cup. George Will discusses the phenomena, drawing on an economist who distinguishes between the “material” and the “positional” economy. First we have to meet our basic “material” needs (food, shelter, clothing). After that, what once were luxuries (automobiles, air conditioning, computers) are turned into necessities. After that, we spend money on high-statu..