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
A Thrilling Adventure
"Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come." Matthew 14:28-29, NKJVWhen it comes to experiencing God, I have to choose Him at all cost. I have to be willing to step out of the boat, as Peter did in Matthew 14, risking total failure in the eyes of others, in order to discover firsthand His power enabling me to walk on the water when He bids me, “Come.” Again and again, I’ve been confronted with hard choices when I’ve had to throw caution to the wind and abando..Continue reading→
Amos 5:14-15
“Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.”Continue reading→
Lamentations 3:22-23 (01-07-17)
It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed , because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.— Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... What sustained you through the night? What will get you through today? What will enable you to achieve, even thrive, in the days that lie ahead? The LORD's mercies. These incredible resources never really run out! Each new day brings a fresh supply of them. God is faithful to..Continue reading→
Life-Giving Power
Your word has given me life. Psalm 119:50, NKJVSometimes when we are depressed, we feel lifeless. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. We seem to have no energy to do even the most routine functions. If you are depressed by the greatness of your problems, read God’s Word! That’s where you find help. That’s where you find joy. Let the rushing waters of the living Word drown out all other sounds and voices. There is life-giving power in the Word of God! At the most difficult times in my li..Continue reading→
Ephesians 5:1-2
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”Continue reading→
Hope
TWENTY!
Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many? (John 6:9). As a boy, my childlike imagination had no trouble believing in the Lord's miracles. In fact, I loved to imagine what it would have been like to have been there and seen them. We are blessed these days with several very good films depicting the life of Christ. They have put depictions of these miracles on the screen for us. Some of these videos are very much like I had imagined..Continue reading→
He Did It for You!
Jesus says to a doubting Thomas:Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29). When God entered time and became a man, he who was boundless became bound. Imprisoned in flesh. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God ..Continue reading→
What Do We Do to Jesus?
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him (Matthew 27:27-31). The soldiers' assignment was simple. Take the Nazarene to the hill and kill him. But they wanted to have some fun first. Strong, armed soldiers circled an exhausted, nearly dead, Galilean carpenter and beat up on him. The beating was commanded. The crucifixion was ordered. But the spitting? Spitting isn't intended to hurt the body — it can't. Spitting is intended to degrade the soul, and it does. Ever ..Continue reading→
God’s Masterpiece
If you pass your days mumbling, "I'll never make a difference; I'm not worth anything," guess what? You'll be sentencing yourself to a life of gloom without parole! When you do that, you're questioning God's judgment. You're second-guessing the Creator's taste. David says you were "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). God can't stop thinking about you. A later line in David's psalm confirms it. David tries to calculate the number of thought..Continue reading→
I Choose
It's quiet. It's early. For the next 12 hours, I'll be exposed to the day's demands. It's now that I must make a choice. And so I choose... I choose love. I will love God and what God loves. I choose joy. I choose peace. I will live forgiven. I choose patience — rather than complain that the wait is too long, I'll thank God for a moment to pray. I choose kindness — for that's how God has treated me. I choose goodness. I choose faithfulness. Today I'll keep my promises. My wife will not question my love. I choose gentleness. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself. I choose self-control. I will be impassioned only by my faith and influenced only by God. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When this day is done, I'll place my head on my pillow and rest.Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Psalm 100:4 (01-14-17)
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. — Psalm 100:4 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Clearly this exhortation comes from the days of God's physical Temple in Jerusalem. Let's also remember that for us, God's New Covenant people, God's Temple is the church (1 Cor. 3:16) and our own bodies (1 Cor. 6:19). Let's value and celebrate with joy our church family. Let's also glorify ..Continue reading→
The Devil’s Already Defeated
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone . . . forever. Revelation 20:10, NKJVAs a girl growing up in western North Carolina, I loved to hike in the mountains. But whenever I set out, my mother’s admonition, “Watch out for snakes!” would ring in my ears. Although I can remember killing only one snake myself, I was present at various times when snakes were killed by others. Each time I observed a fascinating phenomenon. After the snake was killed, its body invari..Continue reading→
1 John 4:20-21
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”Continue reading→
Psalm 100:3 (01-13-17)
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. — Psalm 100:3 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... God made us. While we were in our mother's womb, he made us with his loving care with a purpose for life and a promise to be with us every step of the way. God cares for us, much better than even the very best shepherd cares for his sheep. So let's live as those who know our Leader, Creator, an..Continue reading→
Prayers
Daily Prayer for January 11
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1, RSV Our dear Father, we ask you to come to us from heaven and surround us with your goodness and mercy, with your light and life. We are weak, poor, and lost just when we need to stand firm and hold on. But you are faithful. You stay by us and help us. Continue to help and sustain us, we pray. Do not let our lives be lived in vain. May something of eternity be w..Continue reading→
No Partiality
PassageRomans 2:8-11 PrayerDear Father, holy and righteous judge,I know that you will render to every man according to his works. To those who are factious and obey wickedness instead of the truth, there will be wrath and fury.You have foretold tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, to the Jew first and also the non-Jew, but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, to the Jew first and also to the non-Jew. For you show no partiality.Help me do what is good, b..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for January 10
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. Isaiah 40:1-2, NIV Lord our God, how great is your love, and how great is your help! May each one of us feel sheltered in your hand, knowing that our faults and shortcomings no longer matter. We can go straight toward the goal you have set, for you will help us..Continue reading→
No Presumption
PassageRomans 2:1-7 PrayerDear Father, holy and righteous judge,Help me not to condemn myself by passing judgment on someone else when I may be doing the same or similar things. How could I escape your judgment and do this?Help me not to presume on the riches of your kindness and forbearance and patience. Help me understand that your kindness is meant to lead me to repentance. Take away the hardness and impenitence that may be in my heart. Give me a heart of flesh, not stone.Change my behavior a..Continue reading→
Christian Quotes
Weinel: without God and with
Wednesday, November 16, 2016 Feast of Margaret, Queen of Scotland, Philanthropist, Reformer of the Church, 1093 Commemoration of Edmund Rich of Abingdon, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1240 Meditation: Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. —Psalm 42:11 (ESV) Quotation: As a man increases in moral strength of character, so his conscience becomes more sensitive; he realises more keenly the distance..Continue reading→
Muggeridge: communicating the Gospel
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 Meditation: Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. —1 John 4:11-12 (NIV) Quotation: The Christian religion finds expression thus, in the love of those who love Christ, more comprehensibly and accessibly than in metaphysical or ethical statements. It is an experience rather than a conclusion, a way of life rather than an ideology..Continue reading→
John Chrysostom: humility
Monday, November 14, 2016 Commemoration of Samuel Seabury, First Anglican Bishop in North America, 1796 Meditation: For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. —Romans 12:3 (NIV) Quotation: Humility is the root, mother, nurse, foundation, and bond of all virtue. ... St. John Chrysostom (345?-407) (see the book) See also R..Continue reading→
Law: Creation’s law and order
Sunday, November 13, 2016 Feast of Charles Simeon, Pastor, Teacher, 1836 Meditation: [Jesus:] “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” —Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV) Quotation: The one supreme, unchangeable rule of love, which is a law to all intelligent beings of all worlds, and will be a law to all eternity is this, viz., that God..Continue reading→
Questions & Answers
Why I Celebrate Christmas
Every year, the Christmas season approaches and you cannot escape the onslaught of marketing designed to capture every last dollar from those with money to spend on Christmas. Most businesses shut down for the holiday and Christmas morning in most towns looks like a ghost town. However, while some people fully acknowledge Christmas, many people now make a big deal out of being offended because of the very notion that there is a Christmas holiday at all. They will instead come up with alternative..Continue reading→
Does The Bible List The Names Of Demons?
Does the Bible list the names of demons? If so, what do they mean? Sacrificing to Demons Did you realize that when the ancient pagans sacrificed to their “gods,” they were literally making sacrifices to demons? That’s what the Bible teaches about who these sacrifices are actually for. As incredible as it sounds, God connects sacrificing to pagan gods to actually sacrificing to fallen angels or demons. Demons are about 1/3rd of the angels that rebelled with Lucifer or Satan, and became totally c..Continue reading→
Rapid Response: “We Don’t Need God to Explain the Beginning of the Universe”
In our Rapid Response series, we tackle common concerns about (and objections to) the Christian worldview by providing short, conversational responses. These posts are designed to model what our answers might look like in a one-on-one setting, while talking to a friend or family member. Imagine if someone said, “Christians claim God created the universe, but modern science explains the origin of the universe. God is not needed to order to explain how the universe came into existence.” How would ..Continue reading→
So Who Did You Thank on Thanksgiving?
Like most Christian holidays, Thanksgiving has become a secular institution in America, moving from a meaningful religious celebration to a benign cultural tradition. This is the case for most other Christian holidays as well. Let’s face it, Christmas is more about Santa than Jesus, and Easter is more about the Bunny than the Resurrection. But most people in our country fail to see Thanksgiving as a Christian holiday at all, and this is primarily because they don’t know the history of the people..Continue reading→
Church & Ministries
How to Put God in Charge of Your Ministry
Work dominates our lives — especially those of us in ministry. The typical American spends about 150,000 hours — or 40 percent of his life — at work (I suspect that for pastors, the number is even higher!) In other words, you’ll spend more time working in ministry, thinking about ministry, and commuting to your ministry than you will eating, relaxing, and vacationing — all combined — this year. Now, God wants you to succeed in ministry. In fact, in the Bible, God offers this guarantee: “Put ..Continue reading→
Sex Trafficking: How One Click Led an NYC Church to Action
It all started in a Facebook community group. It could’ve ended there but something happened that changed everything. “The Facebook group was a place where people in our part of town share things,” Nathan Creitz, pastor of City Life Church in Ridgewood, Queens, New York, recounted, “and somebody on there shared a link and said something like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening in our neighborhood.'” Creitz clicked on it — and immediately wished he hadn’t. “It was a picture of scantily cla..Continue reading→
New Bishop Of Sheffield Announced As Traditionalist Anglo-Catholic Philip North
The traditionalist Anglo-Catholic Philip North is being promoted to be the new Bishop of Sheffield, Downing Street has announced.Continue reading→
Catholics In Malta Condemn ‘Abominable’ Document On Marriage And Divorce
The Catholic faithful, from a conservative organisation Veri Catholici, have spoken out after their bishops appeared to sanction granting the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion to divorced and remarried Catholics.Continue reading→
Hot Topics
World Watch List: At Least 1,207 Christians Martyred in 2016
Authoritarian North Korea retained the top ranking as the worst country for Christians. Curry said North Korea considers Christians traitors and can execute them just for owning a Bible. Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Eritrea filled out the top 10 nations where Christians endure extreme persecution. (WNS)–Persecution against Christians worsened again in 2016, with an estimated 215,000 experiencing “high, very high, or extreme persecution” in 50 nations arou..Continue reading→
Catholic Hospital Fights Transgender Discrimination Claim
Jionni Conforti, 33, filed suit against St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center of Paterson, N.J. on Jan. 5 in federal court. Conforti, who is biologically female but identifies as male, brought suit under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because St. Joseph’s refused to remove Conforti’s uterus on the grounds that doing so would violate the Catholic teaching that God made people male and female. (WNS)–A Catholic hospital in New Jersey faces a lawsuit for allegedly refusing to remove the uterus of a w..Continue reading→
Evangelical Experts Oppose Trump’s Plan to Ban Refugees
World Relief and others argue that compassion and security are not opposing forces. Despite previous plans to admit the highest number of refugees in decades, the United States would be shutting its doors to thousands displaced by conflict in the Middle East—at least temporarily—under an executive order President Donald Trump is expected to sign this week. Christian aid groups responsible for resettlement mourned and criticized the impending decision to stop accepting any refugees into the US ..Continue reading→
Debating Atheists: Arrival of Evil (part 4/5)
Understanding evil reveals an important part of reality. As much as we try to avoid it, evil is part of the universal human condition – something theists and atheists both have in common. You may be surprised, however; that the way atheists think about evil actually shows God exists. For the previous post on part 3, atheist arguments for the Arrival of Biological Information, click here. Unlike other points in this series so far, probing evil touches the heart. It gets emotional. The argument I..Continue reading→
Women
Freed from the Life I’ve Always Wanted
From the time I was a little girl, all elbows and ears, I imagined myself living in a two-story house one day, pure white, no shutters, and with a wide porch. I spent hours curving my blunt-tipped scissors around pages of the fat JCPenney catalog, clipping out handsome husbands; wives with thick, beautiful hair; a few sweet-faced children; bathroom towel sets in shades of sea-foam and jade; couches and electronics and cozy ..Continue reading→
Losing Myself
When I was in college, I had a lot of friends who told me that what they really wanted to do in life was be a mom. Yes, they were getting degrees and they wanted to work, but really, their highest hope was to become a mother. I nodded and affirmed them. I hoped that one day I would become a mom, too—but I never really knew how to respond to their longing for children. I’d never felt that; what I did feel was a desire to pursue other things—dreams of wri..Continue reading→
Black and Blue Wife
“But Ruthie, you have a PhD!” This was my older sister’s shocked reaction when I spilled my secret over the phone and told her that, due to many years of domestic violence, I was separating from my husband of nearly two decades. I faced the same sort of disbelief a few days later when I visited the local Domestic Crisis Center requesting temporary housing for myself and my adolescent son and I was asked to complete an application. Among other things..Continue reading→
How to Discipline in Love
Parenting small children can feel like Groundhog Day: correcting the same behaviors over and over again, often with no discernible improvement. When children disobey a clear expectation, parental anger can surge as a response. What should we do with that anger? Is it sinful? Or is there such a thing as righteous anger over the disobedience of a child? And most importantly, how can we keep anger from corrupting an act of discipline (training and c..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Monster Or Messiah: How Should The Church Respond To Donald Trump?
Trump has sharply divided the Christian community, with some delighting in his victory while others despair.Continue reading→
Republican-Led Panel Strikes Down Virginia Bill Requiring Restroom Use to Align With Birth Gender
RICHMOND, Va. — A Republican-led House subcommittee in Virginia has killed a bill that would have required those using restrooms and locker rooms at government-run facilities, including public schools, to align with birth gender. According to reports, the seven-member House of Delegates subcommittee dispensed with the “Physical Privacy Act” on Thursday with a voice vote and no debate, disappointing its sponsor, Del. Robert Marshall, R-Prince William. “They don’t even want to defend their oath,..Continue reading→
‘Most Importantly, We Are Protected By God.’ Donald Trump Inauguration
'We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.'Continue reading→
Controversial Cathedral Prayer Service For Trump Inauguration Will Feature Muslim Call To Prayer
A Muslim call to prayer will be heard at an interfaith service to mark Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington National Cathedral on Saturday.Continue reading→
Persecution
School Calls Police on Seven-Year-Old Who Brought Bible Verses to Read at Lunchtime
PALMDALE, Calif. – A seven-year-old first grader was recently reprimanded in front of his entire class and a police officer was dispatched to his family’s home because the child had brought notes with Bible verses on them to school. Christina and Jaime Zavala live in Palmdale, California. In January, they enrolled their son in the first grade at Desert Rose Elementary School in the Palmdale School District, according to a recent letter from the nonprofit group Liberty Counsel. To encourage her ..Continue reading→
Muslim Mob in Northern Nigeria Kills Pastor’s Wife on ‘Blasphemy’ Accusation
JOS, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Nigerian officials scrambled to calm religious tensions after Muslims in Kano state on Thursday (June 2) killed a Christian pastor’s wife on a baseless “blasphemy” charge, according to reports. Bridget Agbahime, a kitchen utensil vendor at Kano city’s Kofar Wambai Market, asked a Muslim engaged in ritual Islamic cleansing, identified as Alhaji Dauda, to move his ritual from her shopfront. She had had similar conflicts with the suspect. On this occasion she po..Continue reading→
Music
Beyond Control by Kings Kaleidoscope
King's Kaleidoscope: an amalgamation of members as frenzied and flawless as the band's sound. The group is comprised of up to ten musicians, each bringing different musical genres to the table. Any number of instruments can be found in the bands lineup at a given time: A string trio, horns section, two drummers, flute, vibraphone, guitars and vintage synths weave an incredibly detailed musical tapestry. With each song, King's Kaleidoscope presents orchestral, overwhelmingly imaginative compositions that continuously bounce and overlap musical genres. With roaring horns, looped drums, chopped and reverbed orchestral notes and vocal melodies, King's Kaleidoscope takes each listener through[...]Continue reading→
Shine On Us by Vineyard Music
Shine On Us was recorded LIVE at Cause Con 2016, a 3-day catalytic conference launching young adults further into God's kingdom calling on their lives. Over 500 from across the US converged in Kansas City, MO to worship, connect, inspire, and engage in something bigger than themselves: a #Cause2Live4.[...]Continue reading→
Ivan Parker is ‘Dancing in the Rain’
Dancing in the Rain, the Difference Media debut from one of Southern Gospel's most beloved vocalists, Ivan Parker, is slated to bow July 29. Produced by Garry Jones (Brian Free, Canton Junction), the project marks Parker's 16th solo recording in a career spanning more than three decades. Featuring writing credits from such top names as Tony Wood, Sue C. Smith and Joel Hemphill, among others, highlights of Dancing in the Rain include the title cut; "Walk My Way" (feat. Canton Junction); "Let Me Take You To The Cross"; "That's What Love Does"; "There's Healing"; and the deeply personal "Mama's Rocking Chair" (feat. Sandy Parker). "I have seen so many people around the world who need to be encouraged and hear something that's going to give them hope," Parker says of the project. "Lives are shattered and homes are broken every day, which is why I love singing[...]Continue reading→
Jason Gray Debuts At No. 5 On Billboard Charts With New Album
Jason Gray has reached the highest album debut of his career with his latest project, Where The Light Gets In that is ranked No. 5 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums Chart. The record also marks the first time that Gray has worked with nine producers for an album that includes Jason Ingram, Ben Glover, Paul Mabury and Coby Wedgeworth. Where The Light Gets In delivers 12 new songs co-written by Gray, including the new single "Sparrows." The song is already No. 20 on Billboard's National Christian Audience Chart (NCA) and includes new adds from KFSH/Los Angeles, CA, WBSN/New Orleans, LA and KAFC/Anchorage, AK. "Wow! I was so grateful to learn that Where The Light Gets In debuted at No. 5 on Billboard this week, the highest debut of any of my records," says Gray. "I'm so thankful to everyone on my team at Centricity Music and Eaglemont[...]Continue reading→
Casting Crowns Reveals New Album Cover
Casting Crowns has revealed the cover for their brand new album, The Very Next Thing, available for pre-order tomorrow (7/1). The Grammy-winning group first released the cover in an exclusive email to fans today, saying "we could not be more excited! And because we just can't wait, we're revealing the new album cover below just for you our email list! You're seeing it first and we hope you love it." The Very Next Thing follows 2014's critically acclaimed Thrive and last year's hymns album Glorious Day Hymns of Faith. Check the band's Facebook page for more information about special bundles that include the new record, t-shirts, vinyl and more. Continue reading→
Unspoken To Release New Album ‘Follow Through’ August 26th
Unspoken will release Follow Through, their second full album for Centricity Music, on August 26th. The project features four producers at the helm with Seth Mosley (Newsboys, Citizen Way), Tedd T (for King & Country, Mutemath), Christopher Stevens (TobyMac, Michael W. Smith) and Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay, Bebo Norman). With the release of Follow Through, Unspoken has found a place of new freedom to push the boundaries of their trademark sound, mixing in horns and electronic elements in fresh ways without altering the core of their musical identity. Follow Through evidences a forward leap of artistic evolution from the last record, blending hip hop, soul, pop and folk influences to tell the story of the season of life the band members have found themselves in over the last couple of years. Band members Chad Mattson, Jon Lowry and Mike Gomez co-wrote every song on the[...]Continue reading→
Skillet Releases Music Video For ‘Feel Invincible’
Today Skillet released a music video for "Feel Invincible," the lead single off their upcoming tenth studio album Unleashed, due out August 5th. Singer John Cooper says the song "represents the album in one facet really well [Unleashed] is full of crowd-chanting anthems. The album is very exciting to listen to. Driving beats and melodic choruses, whether it's hard rock or leaning toward pop." Cooper describes Unleashed as "quite diverse there are more extreme songs on both sides of the spectrum, meaning harder rock and even metal, but also pop and atmospheric tunes/sounds." "Feel Invincible" is just the beginning of a hot year for Skillet. The song already gained national attention when it was named the theme song for TBS' E-League, an eight-week live competitive video game tournament broadcast in over 80 countries. In the fall, the band[...]Continue reading→
Natalie Grant and Danny Gokey Join Forces for 2016 “Be One” Tour
Four-time GRAMMY® nominee and five-time Dove Award-winning Female Vocalist of the Year Natalie Grant is joining forces with two-time Dove nominee and K-LOVE's newly-named 2016 Male Artist of the Year Danny Gokey for the "Be One" Tour, slated for 13 cities this fall. Sponsored by ChildFund International, the "Be One" Tour also features special guest artist Tauren Wells and will kick off Oct. 13, in Stamford, Connecticut. Ticket information for the "Be One" Tour is available at BeOneTour.net...Continue reading→
For Today Announces Disbandment and Farewell Tour
Christian hardcore band For Today has announced in a facebook post that 2016 will be their final year. Along with the announcement, the band shared dates for an extensive farewell tour scheduled for the fall. The news follows their most recent release Wake by less than a year. "After over 11 years as a band, 6 full length albums and 1 EP, we have decided to make 2016 the last year of For Today," the heartfelt facebook post said. "When we started this band in 2005, we never imagined that our mus..Continue reading→
American
Is the Book of Acts Loveless?
By John Frye For the observant reader of the Bible, it comes as a shock to read the Gospel of John with it use of the word “love” some 39 times. John: the gospel of love. The shock sets in as the reader continues on into the Book of Acts. How many times does the word “love” appear? Zero. None. Not once. We know that “love” is one of Luke’s vocabulary words because he uses it 19 times in his Gospel (I’m working with the NIV). Why the absence of this great word in Luke’s sequel to Theophilus—the B..
Michael Licona: The Gospels as they Really Are
Years ago, when my research was on the Synoptic Gospels, I composed a list of how the Evangelists “edited” their sources. Using the standard theory of their relationships (Mark first, then used by both Matthew and Luke, both of whom also used another source called “Q”), I came up with the following sorts of edits by the Evangelists: 1. Instead of editing they “conserved” or “preserved” by copying. 2. They sometimes conflate two sources into one. 3. They sometimes expand the source they are using..
Pro-Abortion Whoopi Goldberg: Quit Using the Term Pro-Life “Because Nobody is Not for Life”
Thursday on The View, the mostly liberal panel surprisingly talked about an event that ABC News routinely ignores: the annual March for Life. The hosts were respectful of the marchers but Whoopi Goldberg took issue with the march’s use of the term “pro-life.” The whole panel then made contradictory and confusing arguments then about how one could be both “pro-choice” and “pro-life.” The show began with Whoopi announcing this Friday was the annual March for Life. She then began to tear into the ..
EPIC: Jonathan Cahn Sums Up Obama’s Anti-Christian Legacy
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s last words to Barack Obama, as described in his National Prayer Breakfast remarks, are perhaps the most fitting summary of Obama’s anti-biblical and anti-Christian legacy. He said, Obama: “led this nation to champion the killing of the unborn, and not only within its own borders, but in that of other nations across the world. “labored to strike down the standards and order ordained by God concerning man and woman and marriage, not only within these borders, but around the w..
US
Vocation in Hacksaw Ridge
Notice how many movies are about vocation. For example, consider Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson’s movie about Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector who won the Medal of Honor. A medic, he rescued 75 wounded servicemen in the Battle of Okinawa. I haven’t seen the film yet, but a review in World Magazine by Sophia Lee quotes a passage that goes to the heart of the doctrine of vocation. Read it and my discussion after the jump. From Sophia Lee, A pacifist at war | WORLD News Group: Desmond hold..
Red Letter Christians
Tony Campolo and some other liberal evangelicals have started a movement they call “Red Letter Christians.” The term comes from the convention in many editions of the Bible to print the words of Jesus in red. Red Letter Christians believe that Christianity should be about following the words of Jesus, rather than getting involved in theological disputes, culture war issues, and right wing politics. Rather, followers of the words of Jesus will be advocates for the poor, promote tolerance, and be ..
So why the loss of interest in the NFL?
Television ratings are way down for professional football games. The NFL is trying to figure out why the sudden loss of interest. I have to say that I am not as interested in the games as I used to be, even last year, and I’m not sure why. I don’t think it’s just because the Packers aren’t doing all that well. I saw them through rougher times. And it’s not because the games are too long. I like long games. And it’s not because Colin Kaepernick is disrespecting the flag. He’s getting sacked so mu..
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Another remarkable prophecy of Christ in the Old Testament (the study of which is a classic devotion for Advent), is Isaiah 9:1-7. Not only do we learn that the Messiah will live in Galilee and will be the eternal Davidic King. Verse 6 also establishes His deity and does so in Trinitarian terms: And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The child who is born to us will be called “Mighty God.” We also have an intimation of the inter-relat..