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Thoughts

It’s Not Only Athletes: What Platform Has God Given You?

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

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

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

Luke 2:28-32

“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.””Continue reading

Hebrews 12:25 (12-25-16)

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven...— Hebrews 12:25 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... With the gift of Jesus comes an awesome responsibility: we must listen, follow, and honor him! If God demanded that his people obey his lesser messengers who were prophets or kings, what do you think the responsibility is for us to listen when he ha..Continue reading

Hope Was Born

They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:10, NKJVThe black, velvety sky was clear and studded with sparkling stars that had looked down on Earth since the beginning of time. Shepherds appeared to be sitting idly by their flocks but in fact were keeping a sharp lookout for anything or anyone who might harm the sheep entrusted to their care. In the distance, the lights from the town could be seen and the noisy commotion could be heard as more people were..Continue reading

John 12:24 (12-24-16)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.— John 12:24 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus announced this truth, recognizing that God was calling him to lay down his life so his followers could join him in glory. Sacrifice is never easy, but despite his disciples' lack of courage and faithfulness during his last hours, Jesus truly believed that his sacrifice would bring..Continue reading

Daily Wisdom

Ephesians 4:23 (01-03-17)

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind...— Ephesians 4:23 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... We cannot renew ourselves on our own. We can guard ourselves from corrupting influences. We can offer ourselves to God and come to better discern his will (Romans 12:1-2). Ultimately, however, God himself must do the renewing, not just when we are saved, but daily. Only God's grace can sustain, empower, and renew us. Let's offer ourselves to him. Then, let's confidently ask..Continue reading

Heaven Is Beautiful

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9, NKJVThe Creator Who created all the earthly beauty we have grown to love . . . the majestic snowcapped peaks of the Alps, the rushing mountain streams, the carpets of wildflowers, the whir of a humming bird’s wings . . . this is the same Creator who has prepared our heavenly home for us! If God could make the heavens and earth as beautiful as w..Continue reading

Prayers

TLG Prayer

Daily Prayer for December 26

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. John 3:16, TEV Lord our God, our light and our life, in our longing to live by your Word we lift our eyes to you. Let your Word come into our hearts. Let your Word help us to understand our lives and our time, so that we can recognize your leading in everything and gather courage every day in spite of our weakness, sins, and faults. We can still find joy, for your ki..Continue reading

TLG Prayer

Relationships

PassageColossians 3:18-4:1 PrayerDear Father,May Christian wives and husbands relate to each other as is fitting in the Lord, with subjection and kindness.May children obey their parents and may parents not provoke the children.May we work at our jobs in ways which will put honoring you above trying to please someone.Whatever our tasks, help us to work heartily, serving you.Help us all to treat each other fairly in all our relationships.In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen. Devotional provided by He..Continue reading

TLG Prayer

Daily Prayer for December 25

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6, RSV Lord our God, you have sent light to shine on earth and have revealed your heavenly power in Jesus Christ, so that in spite of all the darkness and evil we may rejoice because we have a Savior. Reveal your power in our day. Let something be done anew toward the building of your kingdom on..Continue reading

TLG Prayer

In the Name of Jesus

PassageColossians 3:15-17 PrayerDear Father,Let Christ's peace rule in our hearts. Let us be at peace in his one body. Fill our hearts and mouths with overflowing thanksgiving.Let Christ's word dwell in us richly. Let us teach and admonish each other in all wisdom.Let us impart grace through the songs flowing from thankful hearts.May we do everything, whatever it is, in the name of our Lord Jesus.We give thanks to you, our God and Father, through his name. Amen. Devotional provided by ..Continue reading

Christian Quotes

Teresa: prayer

Saturday, October 15, 2016 Feast of Teresa of Avila, Mystic, Teacher, 1582 Meditation: And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” —Luke 22:45-46 (ESV) Quotation: We must not content ourselves with the gift of prayer, or with liberty and consolation and gust in prayer. We must come out from prayer the most rapturous and sweet, only to do harder and..Continue reading

Brother Lawrence: dealing with our sins

Thursday, October 13, 2016 Feast of Edward the Confessor, 1066 Meditation: ... let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. —Isaiah 55:7 (ESV) Quotation: [He said:] That all possible kinds of mortification, if they were void of the love of God, could not efface a single sin. That we ought, without anxiety, to expect the pardon of our sins from the blood of J..Continue reading

Hebert: the admiring disbelievers

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 Commemoration of Wilfrid, Abbot of Ripon, Bishop of York, Missionary, 709 Commemoration of Elizabeth Fry, Prison Reformer, 1845 Meditation: [Paul:] “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the ..Continue reading

Donne: faith’s reasons and choices

Tuesday, October 11, 2016 Commemoration of Ethelburga, Abbess of Barking, 675 Meditation: After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often ..Continue reading

Questions & Answers

How to Help Young Christians Defend the Truth (Podcast)

In this podcast, excerpted from J. Warner’s recent interview with Neil Stavem on Connecting Faith, J. Warner Wallace talks about the challenges facing young Christians and how best to prepare them to make the case for what they believe and thrive in our current cultural setting. You can also subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity Weekly Podcast on iTunes, or add the podcast from our RSS Feed. Subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity Radio Interview Podcast on iTunes, or add the podcast from our..Continue reading

Is It Possible That God Created Life On Other Planets?

Do you think it’s at least possible that God created life on other planets? The Author of Life In the beginning, it says “God created the heavens and the earth,” (Gen 1:1) and everything else for that matter, and of course, that includes all lifeforms; mankind included (Gen 1:27). When the Apostle Peter was preaching the gospel to the crowd, he told them, “you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses” (Acts 3:15). Not only is Jesus the Creator of human ..Continue reading

5 Great Prayers For Communion

Here are five great prayers you can use before Communion or the Lord’s Supper. Prayer for Humility Father God, Let us now bow humbly before You at this time, where we are about to receive Communion or the Lord’s Supper. We have no reason to have any pride Father, especially knowing that You resist those who are prideful (James 4:6). Help us to remain humble at the receiving of the bread and wine, because of what they symbolize, which gives significance to their meaning. Jesus, when we receive..Continue reading

Church & Ministries

12 Preaching Tips from Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon is arguably one of the greatest preachers in the history of Christianity. He preached over 600 sermons before the age of 20. The collection of his recorded sermons fills 63 volumes and over 20 million words, making it the largest collection of books by a single Christian author. He once spoke to an audience of 23,654 without the use of a microphone or sound system. He frequently preached ten times per week because he accepted so many invitations to speak.1 Spurgeon was so gifte..Continue reading

How Senior Pastors Can Schedule Their Week For Maximum Impact

One of the first things I do when I begin coaching a Senior Pastor is lead them through a process of redesigning how they schedule their week to ensure their highest ministry priorities get consistently accomplished. It is the same process whether they serve churches of 50 to 5,000. Here’s what that process looks like: Draw A Weekly Calendar The first thing I have Senior Pastors do is pull out a piece of paper and turn it to horizontal view. Then I ask them to draw six horizontal lines, repr..Continue reading

Hot Topics

Jesus on the Problem of Evil

written by Aaron Brake In Luke 13:1-5 we have Jesus’ clearest teaching on the problem of evil:[1] Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think..Continue reading

No, I’m Not “Fine Thanks”

“I’m fine in the same way as a ship is fine. I am like a wooden hulled ship, where one barnacle of regret or a couple of weeds of being let down do nothing to slow my course. Over the years, though, the barnacles cluster and the weeds grow thick and long.” If you ask me at church over coffee how I am doing, I will probably tell you that I am “fine.” If there is acute suffering, then I will tell you. If I have a toothache, I will tell you. If you had asked when my friend had just died, I would ..Continue reading

Real History, Toilets and All

“Since time does not permit me to list ten finds, I will settle for three that we talked about on BreakPoint in 2016. At a minimum, these finds shed new light on the world of the Bible and help us in understanding the words of Scripture. In other cases, they actually confirm portions of the scriptures whose historicity, until recently, was in doubt.” Just before or after New Year’s, everyone—or at least so it seems—comes out with a “Best of” list. These best-known lists can contain movies, musi..Continue reading

Bitter Pills

“Despite documented risks of heavy bleeding, hemorrhaging, and even a handful of deaths, the FDA loosened its protocol for the abortion pill regimen early last year. The agency approved use of the drugs for up to 10 weeks of pregnancy (instead of seven), and reduced the number of suggested doctor visits from three to two.” A single pill in a paper cup upended Rebekah Buell’s life. In 2013, the 18-year-old college freshman sat in a Planned Parenthood office near Sacramento, Calif., staring at a..Continue reading

Life & Society

Idaho Lawmaker to Propose Bill Criminalizing Abortion as First-Degree Murder

BOISE, Idaho — A lawmaker in Idaho plans to propose a bill in the state legislature that would criminalize abortion as first-degree murder, with the exception of risk to the life of the mother. Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, told reporters this week that he believes abortion needs to be prosecuted for what it is: murder. “I think Roe v. Wade is a disgrace,” Foreman told East Idaho News. “It lies in the face of the U.S. Constitution, our Constitution here in Idaho, and it just lies in the face of ..Continue reading

Movies

Silence: Scorsese’s Spiritual Masterpiece

Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence. One of these is not like the others. How could the same director who repeatedly reveled in the high cost of unchecked male rage also deliver the meditative and masterful Silence? Feudal Japan seems so far removed from the Mean Streets of New York City. Catholic priests dispensed wisdom and sacraments in both milieus, but the pace, tone, and body count is so different in the two films. While most Scorsese pictur..Continue reading

Does the chariot race sequence in Ben-Hur need dialogue?

There are many problems with Timur Bekmambetov’s remake of Ben-Hur, but one of the more emblematic ones, I think, is the way he insists on adding dialogue to the chariot race. Bekmambetov can’t rely on the thrill of movement alone: instead, he has to pump the soundtrack full of exposition and dull action-movie banter. How does his film compare to the earlier ones, in this regard? In the 1925 silent film, you can often see characters’ mouths moving as their chariots fly down the track, but only o..Continue reading

Blog Goals 2017

Flickr. Photo by Hey Paul Studios. CC Licensing. I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year. I’m sure that, for many, it was nice to say “so long” to 2016, and I hope that the new year is treating you kind. Our holidays were great, filled with time with family and friends and some chances to recharge our batteries. I’m still on vacation from work for another week, and I’m hoping to use this time to really gear up for the coming 12 months so I can attack 2017 afresh next week. I thought it might be..Continue reading

Watch: Ten clips from The Purple Rose of Cairo

“Heaven, I’m in Heaven…” I just discovered that ten clips from my official second-favorite film of all time, The Purple Rose of Cairo, were posted to Fandango’s Movieclips YouTube channel about two weeks ago. The clips contain about 28 minutes of footage altogether, or just over a third of the film’s 82-minute running time. I wouldn’t recommend watching them without seeing the entire film first, but they do contain some of the film’s funniest and most poignant moments. Check them out below (thou..Continue reading

Box office: Rogue One is now the #2 movie of 2016 in North America (but only the #9 movie worldwide — so far)

Rogue One ruled the box office for a third straight week as 2016 came to an end. The Star Wars prequel earned an estimated $49.5 million in North American theatres between Friday and Sunday. That raises the film’s domestic total to $424.9 million and makes it the second-highest grossing film of the year in North America — behind Finding Dory — and the 14th-highest grossing film of all time domestically. Overseas, it’s a slightly different story. Rogue One has earned $350 million to date internat..Continue reading

Watch: New clips and a featurette for Scorsese’s Silence

Nearly three decades in the making, Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Silence is finally playing in a few American theatres, and it will expand to the rest of the continent over the next two weeks. To pique the interest of prospective moviegoers, Paramount has released a new featurette on Scorsese’s “passion” for the project, as well as a few clips. Here is the featurette: At least three clips from this incredibly challenging film have surfaced online too. In this one, Fathers Rodrigues (Andrew G..Continue reading

The top ten posts at FilmChat in 2016

Happy New Year! Last year, for the first time, I compiled two lists of my most-viewed blog posts from the year that had just ended: one list covered the top ten posts from this blog’s entire archive, while the other covered the top ten posts that had been written in 2015. Now it’s time for the 2016 lists. And here they are: – The 10 most-viewed posts in 2016, regardless of when they were written: 1. History and tradition in movie depictions of the cross (April 2013) This one’s a perennial, and t..Continue reading

Same Kind of Different as Me release date postponed again

Just a quick update regarding the release of an upcoming “faith-based” film. Deadline is reporting that Same Kind of Different as Me, based on the memoir by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent, has been dropped by Paramount Pictures, which was going to release the film in February. The film will now be released by Pure Flix Entertainment, the studio behind God’s Not Dead, on October 20, 2017. This is the second time the film — which stars Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou and Jon..Continue reading

Music

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

WOW Gospel 2017 by Various Artists – “WOW” Series

WOW Gospel 2017 is the premiere annual collection of top selling artists from Traditional to Contemporary Gospel! This power packed compilation returns with the best Gospel praise anthems, ballads and radio hits of the year. The WOW Gospel 2017 double disc CD set and companion DVD features 31 tracks from legendary ground-breaking gospel talents like Donnie McClurkin, Kirk Franklin, Todd Dulaney, Tasha Cobbs, Erica Campbell/Big Shizz many more! Previously garnering gold and platinum certifications along with a core faithful fan base, this WOW Gospel installment may be the best yet! The companion DVD will feature live and concept videos from[...]Continue reading

Chain Breaker by Zach Williams

Husband, father, singer, songwriter, worship leader, campus director at his home church in Arkansas, and now, most recently added to Zach Williams' list of titles is recording artist. Zach Williams' first full-length album, Chain Breaker, comes from a place of humility and honesty as these songs are a direct reflection of God's redemption in Williams' life as he heals from a past life of addiction, darkness, and hopelessness. Says Williams, "Jesus came and died on the cross so there would be a way for the chains of those struggles and addictions to be broken. If you have pain, He's a[...]Continue reading

Tears – Single by Matt Hammitt

GRAMMY® nominated Matt Hammitt debuts latest single "Tears," as a part of the second solo project of his career. Going for adds on Feb. 3, the song will impact AC and Hot AC/CHR radio and has already hit No. 1 on Play MPE's Top 20 Christian downloads and streams. Hammitt is the first signed writer to Songs for FCM, the Full Circle Music publishing company helmed by GRAMMY® winning producer Seth Mosley. In the Spring of 2017, Hammitt will release his full-length studio album featuring the single.[...]Continue reading

For KING & COUNTRY Releases ‘Priceless’ Movie For Digital Download

Good news for all the for KING & COUNTRY fans if you weren't able to catch Priceless in theaters last fall, it is now available for Digital HD Download from Amazon and iTunes. When you purchase a digital copy of the movie, you'll also receive special features such as a live performance by for KING & COUNTRY, The Making of Priceless, The Heart Behind the Film, Deleted Scenes, and Trailers. If you prefer DVD or Blu-Ray, the film will be available on Valentine's Day and you can pre-o..Continue reading

iShine Presents The B413 ‘NO FILTER LIVE’ TOUR 2017

Together with iShine, Provident Label Group, Essential Artist Services and Tween Gospel Alliance, they announce the B413 "No Filter Live" Tour. This unique tour, which will hit three key markets in spring 2017 Bowling Green, KY (April 22), Austin, TX (May 5) and Ft. Smith (May 6) is a two-hour event specifically designed for tweens and their parents to best prepare the tween demographic for life beyond entering their teen years, to deeply enrich the child's faith and help equip parents to s..Continue reading

Books

My vocation trilogy

I have written three books on vocation. I just realized that this constitutes a trilogy. They aren’t The Lord of the Rings, but they are connected and build into a whole. (1) God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. This sets forth the doctrine of vocation. (2) Family Vocation: Your Christian Callings in Marriage, Parenthood, and Childhood. Written with my daughter Mary Moerbe, this book explores in depth the various vocations within the family, showing too how the teachings about Go..Continue reading

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“Family Vocation” giveaway

GoodReads is giving away five copies of Family Vocation: God’s Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood. I wrote that book with my daughter Mary Moerbe. It goes beyond God at Work, not just in exploring the family vocations in depth–important in itself, if we want to revitalize Christian marriage and parenting–but also in including material on vocation in general that I learned after publishing that earlier book. All you do is click “Enter Giveaway” on the widget after the jump. Five entran..Continue reading

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Last Chance

Pre-order Pricing Ends Monday for Marry Wisely, Marry Well Marry Wisely, Marry Well teaches Christian young people how to start building a future marriage house even before beginning a relationship. It helps them learn to make a wise choice of a spouse, and how to start preparing for a future relationship that is truly built on Christ. 40% Pre-order Discount Ends MondayContinue reading

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10 books to add to your reading pile this Winter

In its longest shortlist ever, the Australian Christian Book of the Year Shortlist has been announced today. From pondering how God fell off Australia’s radar to exploring the church’s involvement in the holocaust to the devastating impact of nuclear tests on an Aboriginal community and the Christian woman who fought against them, the shortlist is one of the most diverse ever. Run by SparkLit, an organisation seeking to empower Christian writers, publish..Continue reading

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Top Ten Books 5

Jesus Roiling His World Ministry in the 1980s included a two year teaching opportunity on the faculty of Moody Bible Institute and being called as pastor to Bella Vista Church, Rockford, MI, where I served 24 years. You can imagine the many books that I read to keep my mind and heart vibrant. Yet, reflecting on the decade of the 80s, two books were profoundly influential on my view of Jesus and pastoral ministry. In the line-up today is book #5 of ten that shaped my life: Donald B. ..Continue reading

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My 5 Favorite Books of 2015

It seems like everyone makes a best books list around this time, so adding my list probably isn’t going to shatter anybody’s world. In any event, there are a few reasons why I’ve compiled this list. First, I love reading and I love to share what I’m reading. Second, I’m also always encouraged by others’ thoughts and their lists often help me pick out a few last books for my Christmas wish list. Third, I get a lot of books from publishers, and while I don’t feel compelled t..Continue reading

World

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..

Australia

The impact of the European Union on Bible Society’s growth in Europe

‘Should the United Kingdom join the European Common Market?’ In 1963, this was the loaded and divisive question on British lips. In 1961, Britain had controversially applied to join the EEC (European Economic Community) – the precursor of what is now the European Union. Their old rival, France, had vetoed the application. Fuelling the veto was the still-pertinent question of whether Britain was truly part of Europe. The United Kingdom, said Presid..

Deep reading in a time of tweeting

I’m not a Luddite, but I’m not a technophile either. Technology brings us great privileges and opportunities, but with it great risks and losses, too. One of those losses is serious reading. Despite a plethora of blogs, journals and big, fat books, deep reading is tough in the age of the tweet. But I would argue that Christians – indeed, all humanity – are called by our very nature to be deep readers. Our highly developed brains and con..

Religious freedom is a basic right

This is an edited version of submissions to the Queensland Parliament Human Rights Inquiry by Mark Fowler Chair of CLEAR International Australia Ltd, an organisation uniting Christian lawyers’ societies in Australia. The Inquiry is to report to Parliament on whether a Human Rights Act should be adopted in Queensland. In 1983 then Acting High Court Chief Justice Mason and Justice Brennan stated “Freedom of religion, the paradigm freedom o..

When school makes Christian kids feel like the enemy

A prominent school in Sydney’s northwest has asked teachers to use gender-neutral terms when addressing students, as part of the school’s implementation of the Safe Schools programme, according to News Corp reports. The school in question – Cheltenham Girls High School – has told The Guardian that there was no basis for the News Corp reports. Amid the reports, fears have resurfaced that Christian students who hold opposing view..

Law & Government

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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..

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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..

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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..