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
Eternal Subordination of the Son and CBMW
I can appreciate his desire to distance the work of CBMW from the ESS debate, however, CBMW has been part of the debate, promoting ESS and ESS proponents from the very beginning. Unless and until CBMW makes a statement rejecting ESS and those who hold to it, they will continue to be associated with ESS and those who teach it. My hope is that CBMW would speak clearly regarding their commitment to Nicene orthodoxy, but my concern is that their approach will continue to be hoping that we can just a..Continue reading→
God Remembers You
God never forgets to sympathize with and comfort those who are hurting. To name just a few, he remembers to provide for you, comfort you, convict you, strengthen you, lead you, provide you with joy, apply the grace of Christ, keep you from apostasy, use you for his kingdom purposes, refresh you with his presence, and cheer you with his sweet promises. And on your last day when you close your eyes in death, you shall be awakened to see and know anew, that God remembers you! In recent years there..Continue reading→
Actually Shane Claiborne, Christians Should Support Capital Punishment
The redemption of the felon on death row is between the felon and God. It’s up to God to have mercy on him/her; we on the other hand, have to do what’s right and necessary for the preservation of civil society by protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty. Sparing the condemned doesn’t do that. It sends exactly the wrong message about life’s sacrosanctity to other violent criminals that have yet to be brought to justice. Abolishing the death penalty shows preferential treatment for the mur..Continue reading→
Does California Care about Students who Question their Sexuality?
As best I can tell, the concern of the ERLC statement is to protect religious institutions and low-income and minority groups. But that’s not the bill’s concern. The controversial provisions (now removed) sought to protect LGBT students. So that’s how its opponents should frame their argument. The problem with the bill isn’t just that it potentially hurts religious institutions. The problem isn’t just that it potentially hurts low-income and minority students. The problem with the controversial ..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Can Christians wear bikinis at the beach this summer? John Piper shares his thoughts
Now that summer is here, expect a rush of people, Christians among them, heading to the beach to cool off. And once again, the controversial question in the headline of this article will be in the minds of Christian girls heading to the beach or swimming resorts for church retreats and vacations. Should they maintain modesty by wearing T-shirts instead of bikinis? John Piper, founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, addressed the issue in a recent podcast. He said he prefers to tackle this issue by starting with God, not with rules or guidelines. "I will just say this to any woman, any man who dresses inappropriately: Until God has become your treasure, until your own sin has become the thing you hate most, until the Word of God is your supreme authority that you feel to be more precious than gold, sweeter than honey, until the gospel of Christ's death in your place is the most precious news in the world to..Continue reading→
Tattoos for Jesus? Group Raises Funds for ‘Church Plant’ by Tattooing Members, Sampling Booze
TEMPE, Ariz. — A group in Arizona that identifies itself as being under the banner of Reformed Christianity recently raised funds for a church plant in Hawaii by offering tattoos and hosting a Bible conference featuring a beer flight. Apologia Studios, led by Marcus Pittman, which is a part of Apologia Church, led by Jeff Durbin, is behind the fundraising effort to plant a new church in Kauai. Pittman posted a provocative live video of the tattoo fundraiser to social media on Wednesday, which ..Continue reading→
Stephen Crabb to run for Tory leadership alongside Sajid Javid
Stephen Crabb will run for Conservative party leader alongside business secretary Sajid Javid in an effort to overcome the "Bullingdon Club" image of David Cameron's premiership. The recently appointed work and pensions secretary, who is an evangelical Christian, grew up with his single mum on a council estate in west Wales. Javid is the son of a bus driver from Bristol. The Tory leadership contest was triggered after Cameron announced he would resign in the wake of the vote to leave the European Union, which he campaigned against. The 43-year-old former Welsh secretary announced his candidacy in an email to Tory MPs on Tuesday, according to POLITICO. Javid will run as his number two, Christian Today can confirm, and would become Chancellor should Crabb win the race. The "blue-collar dream team" will be supported by MPs Simon Hoare, Maria Caulfield and Craig Williams. Stephen Crabb replaced Iain Duncan Smith as work and pensions secretary. Although the pair mark a star..Continue reading→
Christians and Brexit: Did God command the UK to leave the EU?
Christians overwhelmingly voted in favour of leaving the European Union last Thursday. Polling from Lord Ashcroft showed that nearly six in ten of those who identified as Christian voted for Brexit. This is significantly higher than the 52 per cent who voted for Brexit across the nation. It is particularly stark when compared to Muslim and Hindu voters, seven in 10 of whom voted to remain. Brexit campaigners tried to invoke the Bible to convince voters to leave There are a whole host of reasons why this might be. It may correlate with ethnicity and have little to do with faith. Although numbers have fallen, 93 per cent of Christians in the UK are white. By contrast two-thirds of British Muslims are from an Asian background. And Lord Ashcroft's poll showed that 67 per cent of Asians and 73 per cent of black people voted to remain compared to 47 per cent of white people. Or it may correlate with age. The 2011 census showed that one in five self-identifying..Continue reading→
Movies
Commentary: What Do We Make of ’90 Minutes in Heaven’?
What Do We Make of '90 Minutes in Heaven'?Near-death experiences make for popular books and movies. But what should Christians do with them? Don Piper’s story, now made visible in the movie 90 Minutes in Heaven (out this weekend), records his experience of “d..Continue reading→
Review: Joy
The text at the beginning of Joy, the latest film from director David O. Russell (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook), says it is “inspired by the true stories of daring women . . . one in particular.” That “one” is Joy Mangano, play..Continue reading→
Review: The Revenant
One of the memorable (and most talked about) scenes in The Revenant is an epic fight between Leonardo DiCaprio and a grizzly bear. The bloody brawl occurs early in the film and is the plot’s inciting incident. Gravely injured by the bear, 1820s frontiersman Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) is left for dead by his fellow hunters/fur-traders and must survive in the wilderness in the dead of winter. As if it wasn’t already hard enough to survive the Pawnee tomahawks and arrows, subzero temperatures, blizzards, dehydration, and treacherous men within his own group (most notably Tom Hardy’s villainous character Fitzgerald), Glass must do it all having been maimed, mauled, and flayed by a bear.Continue reading→
Watch: McCoy gives Spock a word of advice about “Earth girls” in the first clip from Star Trek Beyond
The other day, while trying to figure out the relevance of Rihanna’s lyrics to the Star Trek film she had written them for, I speculated that Spock and Uhura might break up in this movie. And, well, what do you know: our first clip from the film seems to depict just that, though without all the layers of angst that Rihanna’s song provides. Here is the clip: It’s interesting to see McCoy step in as Uhura walks away. When the first JJ Abrams film came out several years ago, it was noted that Uhura..Continue reading→
Behold the poster for Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge
After a ten-year hiatus, Mel Gibson is back in the director’s chair — and, fittingly for the Oscar-winning director of Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ, his next film is a war movie with a potentially strong faith element. Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a Seventh-Day Adventist who refused to carry a gun and served instead as a medic during World War II. He became the first conscientious objector to win the Congressional Medal of Honor after he saved 75 men during the..Continue reading→
VOICELESS film launches “100 Theaters in 50 Days” Campaign in response to Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court’s recent reversal of a Texas law requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges and abortion facilities to meet basic health standards is a signal to the pro-life movement to push for social change in other ways, says Jason Jones, co-executive producer of the new pro-life film VOICELESS. Jones, founder of Movie to Movement, a non-profit organization that ..Continue reading→
A virtual-reality Jesus movie is coming this Christmas from the makers of Left Behind and The Passion of the Christ
The Jesus-movie genre is branching into a couple of high-tech formats this year. Ben-Hur, for example, will be the first 3D Jesus movie ever when it comes to theatres August 19. And now Variety reports that a virtual-reality movie is in the works, too: Jesus Christ is coming to VR screens: Autumn Productions and virtual-reality production firm VRWERX have slated the release of “Jesus VR – The Story of Christ” for Christmas 2016. The 90-minute film will be available on all major mobile and premiu..Continue reading→
Watch: New footage in three new ads for Star Trek Beyond
Yesterday we saw the final trailer for Star Trek Beyond. Today we get the first TV spots — and they give us even more new footage from the film, which opens July 22. Here is the main new spot, which focuses on the movie’s three main characters: There are two other spots as well that mostly recycle images from the trailers: Check out earlier trailers and other videos here: The first trailer (December 14, 2015)The second trailer, the CBS All Access teaser and the ‘Fan Event’ video (May 20, 2016)..Continue reading→
John Rhys-Davies is the apostle Peter, and Stephen Baldwin is the emperor Nero, in Peter: The Redemption
Last year, I noted that two Bible movies were being filmed in northern Ontario. One of those films — Joseph & Mary, starring Kevin Sorbo as the titular carpenter and Lara Jean Chorostecki as his bride — comes to DVD next week. And today I got a press release for the other film: Peter: The Redemption, which stars John Rhys-Davies as the apostle Peter and Stephen Baldwin as the emperor Nero. Here is the press release for the film, which comes to DVD August 2: (Los Angeles, CA) – Embark on an inspi..Continue reading→
Music
Switchfoot Announces Cold Turkey Party Live From The Hollywood Palladium on November 25th
Multi-platinum selling, Grammy-winning band SWITCHFOOT is thrilled to announce that they have teamed up with Live Nation for their first ever "Cold Turkey Party." The band will be celebrating the day after Thanksgiving with a live stream of their show from The Palladium in Los Angeles, CA for fans across the country via Live Nation TV's Facebook page, Live Nation's YouTube Channel, and LiveNation.com starting at 930pm PST/1230am EST. SWITCHFOOT kicked off the "Looking For America Tou..Continue reading→
‘Country Faith Volume 2’ To Release November 18
The latest in the hit Country Faith music series, Country Faith Volume 2, will release on November 18 to Christian retail through Word Entertainment and to mainstream retail and digital outlets through Curb Records. Based on the popular book Country Faith penned by award-winning author/journalist Deborah Evans Price, the new music project will feature faith-based country songs by Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Brooks and Dunn, Wynonna, Wade Hayes, LeAnn Rimes and other bestselling Cou..Continue reading→
Smith Global Media And Power Of 3 Entertainment Release ‘Believe’
From Smith Global Media and Power of 3 Entertainment comes the story of family, loyalty and love in the compelling drama "BELIEVE." The film, written, directed and produced by Billy Dickson, opens in select theatres nationwide Dec. 2, 2016 and is the debut theatrical release under the joint venture. "I am delighted to team with Billy Dickson, Ryan O'Quinn, and the passionate team behind 'BELIEVE,'" stated Harry Smith, owner of Smith Global Media. "We are extremely excited to brin..Continue reading→
Secret Place Live in South Africa by Vashawn Mitchell
Vashawn Mitchell returns with a personal invitation for all to go on a musical journey to his Secret Place. Over the course of his 18 year career, punctuated with much critical and commercial acclaim, Mitchell has solidified himself as a creative musical force in Contemporary Praise Worship. He's responsible for fan favorites like "My Worship Is For Real" (Believe In Your Dreams), "Turning Around For Me" (Created 4 This), "God My God" (Unstoppable), "Don't Last" (Promises) and the mega-hit "Nobody Greater" (Triumphant). Additionally, Vashawn's continued contributions to gospel music go well beyond his own recording career as a singer/songwriter[...]Continue reading→
About A Mile Offers Everyone Two Free Songs From New Album ‘Trust You All The Way’
About A Mile's full-length sophomore album, Trust You All The Way, released globally amidst acclaim Oct. 28 from Radiate Music. Today the band announces they are giving away two of the lead singles from the album, both the current single and title track and the pop flavored Top 25 Billboard Christian Hot AC/CHR National Airplay Chart hit single "Born To Live." The songs can be downloaded now for a limited time to anyone who enters their name and email address at https//aboutamile.squarespac..Continue reading→
New nobigdyl Single on the Horizon Begins Busy Season for Indie Tribe
Indie Tribe founder and front runner nobigdyl will release his eleventh single "Purple Dinosaur" on November 11. His silky smooth flow and creative wordplay prepare to flex once again as fans are intrigued by the album art depicting the infamous purple dinosaur Barney. The Indie Tribe is definitely on the move as fans prep for Holy Weapon Vol. 2 from label mate Jarry Manna to release before 2017. Mogli the Iceberg is next. Nobigdyl has stated that "the wave has begun," starting with "Purple Din..Continue reading→
Skillet’s Feel Invincible Hits No. 1 On Mainstream Rock
For the second time in their career, Skillet has found themselves at the top of a Mainstream Rock radio chart. "Feel Invincible," the lead single off the band's latest album Unleashed, has been slowly climbing on the Mainstream Rock charts and has finally topped out at No. 1, seated above singles from legendary rock acts such as Green Day, Metallica and Disturbed. Skillet last achieved this feat over 5 years ago as well when "Awake and Alive" topped Active Rock charts on the heels of the m..Continue reading→
Loose Canon Vol. 3 by Canon
Loose Canon Vol. 3 is the third installment of the Loose Canon series. With lead single Eagles, The Family, and Over Do It; Canon has a stacked line up for this EP. Track Listing 01. I'm Back Purchase 02. Eagles 03. Over Do It 04. EZ Purchase 05. My Little Baby 06. Renegade Purchase 07. Expect Us Purchase 08. Hold Up 09. I Ain't Got Time 10. The FamilyContinue reading→
American
Illinois Committee Passes Bill to Overturn Law Saying Unborn Child is a Human Being
An Illinois House committee passed legislation this week that would remove provisions from a 1975 Illinois Abortion Law granting the right to life to unborn children from the time of conception, the Chicago Tribune reported. The bill basically would declare these children unworthy of the right to life even in the event of Roe v. Wade being overturned. “I think we have the responsibility to recognize that even an unborn child is a human being,” State Rep. Sheri Jesiel told the newspaper. “We ha..
Shocking Video Shows How Abortions Kill More Black People Than Every Other Cause Combined
Right to Life of Michigan created a special video project for Black History Month in February that exposes the devastating impact of abortion on the black community. The 1-minute video uses statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and the Guttmacher Institute to show how abortions killed more African Americans than all other causes combined. “More abortions than every other cause of death combined,” the Michigan pro-life group said in an email. “These statistics about Black abortions bo..
Senate Defeats Democrat Filibuster of Pro-Life Rep. Tom Price as HHS Secretary
Senate Republicans today turned back a Democrat filibuster of pro-life HHS Secretary nominee Tom Price, a member of the U.S. House. The 51-48 vote to invoke cloture sets up a vote for later this week on Price’s nomination itself and the pro-life congressman is expected to be confirmed for the important position. Previously, despite a boycott by Democrats on the panel of the vote, a Senate committee voted to confirm pro-life Congressman Tom Price as Secretary of the Department of Health and Huma..
Senate Confirms Pro-Life Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, First Pro-Life AG in Eight Years
The Senate voted today to confirm pro-life Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions. The Senate approved the nomination 52-47 on a virtual party-line vote with Republicans and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin voting to confirm and every other Democrat voting no. The vote came after Democrats, notably pro-abortion Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren, falsely attempted to paint Sessions as racist. That was even after Sessions received an award from the NAACP a few years ago. Senator James Lankfo..
Australia
“I will fight for religious freedom,” says Tim Wilson, incoming MP and former Human Rights Commissioner
The incoming Liberal MP for Goldstein and former Human Rights Commissioner, Tim Wilson has accepted that freedom of speech and freedom of religion are “brothers”, agreeing with Ridley College theology lecturer Rev Dr Mike Bird that they are both “imperative to an open and free democracy”. The pair were speaking at an event hosted by Mentone Baptist Church in Victoria on Tuesday night, considering the state of religious freedom in Australia. Both speaker..
Pokemon GO is sending gamers to a most unexpected place
If you’re one of the millions using the new Pokemon GO app, chances are you’ll end up at church. No, really. Churches around the world have become training places for Pokemon as part of the new Nintendo and Niantic Lab game launched this week. The new app is looking like it’ll have more daily users than Twitter pretty soon and already people are coming to church to battle their creatures. If you’ve seen people walking along the streets glued to their ph..
Brian Houston chats with John Dickson about why we teach the Bible
At Hillsong Conference’s daily segment called ‘Let’s Talk Church’, senior Pastor Brian Houston taught about what he called the “five-fold ministry gifts”: pastor, evangelist, teacher, prophet and apostle. Walking around a section of Sydney’s Qudos Arena, Houston came across Sydney Anglican minister, author and head of Centre For Public Christianity, John Dickson. Crossing the denominational divide, Houston selected Dickson as his examp..
She became a Christian at Hillsong Conference
My coming to Jesus happened almost entirely by surprise. It was a small lifetime ago, in the year 2000, when I was just 16 years old. I remember it well: my jeans were flared, I had a strange affinity for cargo pants an addiction to wearing ribbons in my hair, and I confess to an embarrassing crush on Nick from the Backstreet Boys. It was also the year I became a Christian at Hillsong conference, back in the days when it was held at the ol..
Entertainment
“Ben Hur” a path of redemption
Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell in “Ben-Hur” (Paramount Pictures/ Philippe Antonello) Today the fourth cinematic adaptation of Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a reimagining for the 21st century opens in theaters. The first, in 1907, was a silent short film and made without permission from Wallace’s family. The heirs took the filmmakers to court over copyright infringement and it ended with the Supreme Court setting a legal precedent for film and theatrical adaptations of l..
Same Kind of Different As Me: Watch the New Trailer!
The fabulous Renee Zellweger is back, and she’s paired up with the equally stellar Greg Kinnear in what looks to be a fantastic (and tear-jerker!) movie, Same Kind of Different As Me. Based on the book of the same title that was a New York Times best-seller, it’s the story of an international art dealer Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear) who must befriend a dangerous homeless man (Djimon Hounsou) in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife (Renée Zellweger), a woman whose dreams will lead all thr..
The Little Prince is a Little Magical
We’re in the shaggiest stretch of the dog days of summer, and the theaters are full of tent poles. Suicide Squad has bounded into theaters, ready to make all the money. (I’ll be posting something about that movie come Monday.) Jason Bourne and Star Trek Beyond will mop up the leavings. If you’re still trying to catch up on your summertime blockbusters, Finding Dory, The Legend of Tarzan and Ghostbusters are still on plenty of screens. But if you’re looking for ..
Watch: ‘for King & Country’ Music Video for Ben-Hur
Watch the inspiring for KING & COUNTRY “Ceasefire” music video. BEN-HUR is in theaters August 19th — visit the Patheos Movie Club for more conversation and resources! BEN-HUR is the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his..
US
Top 5 heresies of 2016
499 years after the Reformation, 1691 years after the Council of Nicaea, theological disputes and charges of heresy are still going strong. Emily McFarlan Miller of the Religious News Service looks back on the Top 5 Heresies of 2016. Could you list some more? Are some brewing that will come to a head in 2017? [Read More...] The post Top 5 heresies of 2016 appeared first on Cranach.
Dave Barry’s 2016 Year in Review
One of my New Year’s Eve rituals is to read Dave Barry’s annual Year in Review. The month-by-month breakdown helps me remember and sort of relive the year that is ending. But it’s filtered through off-the-wall hilarity and on-target satire of all sides. If you didn’t read it over the weekend, it’s not too late. I’ll get you started after the jump. From Dave Barry’s 2016 Year in Review | Miami Herald: Yes, we’ve seen some weird years. But we’ve never seen one as weird as 2016. This was the Al Yan..
Happy New Year!
Thank you to all of my readers for being part of this blog last year. Many blessings for 2017! Here is what you can do: Use the comments for this post to give your New Year’s resolutions. Then you can come back next year and check them to see how you did. Well, I can see that you might not want to do that. Happy New Year anyway! Image from Pixabay, Creative Commons, Public Domain
The Name of Jesus
“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21). So tomorrow, the 8th day after Christmas, which falls on New Year’s Day, the church year commemorates the Circumcision and Name of Jesus. With the baby’s circumcision, He took upon Himself the burden of the Law, which He fulfilled on our behalf. And with His naming, His identity and purpose are made clear. “Jesus” means “Yahweh saves.” God sav..
Church & Theology
Immanuel: When God the Son Became Like Us
Follow @BrandonSmith85 Perhaps the most beautiful hymn in Scripture is not found in the Psalms, but in Paul’s letter to the Philippians: Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cro..
6 Ways to Help your Children Love Being in Ministry (even during the holidays)
The Christmas/New Year’s season is incredibly busy if you are a pastor or ministry leader. Not only are there special church programs and services, but December is also a full month for outreach, weddings, school events…and all while you are wrapping your mind around planning and casting vision for a new year. It can be easy to put your family in the back seat—or at least on autopilot—as you prepare, preach, and work to focus forward. Some people even go so far as to suggest that ministry and ..
When God’s Gifts Aren’t Wrapped How You Hoped
Life has a way of handing us unexpected and unwanted packages. A pink slip from your employer. A bad report from the doctor. An eviction notice from the bank. A harsh email from a strained relationship. Too often, the package delivered with your name on it isn’t a present you want. The first Christmas was wrapped in an unusual set of circumstances: Joseph and Mary having to make a difficult journey in the last trimester of her pregnancy…and then to have to give birth in a stable. But the ..
7 Practices to Build into Your Annual Calendar
If planning counts as productivity, the week between Christmas and New Year’s is my most productive! This is my week for setting goals and planning out the “big rocks” in my calendar for the coming year. I have found that if I am to wisely steward the multiple roles God has entrusted to me—including husband, dad, grandfather, pastor, college president, friend, and more—it helps if I set aside blocks of time for what is central to meeting these roles. In other words, I can’t just hope it will a..