Last spring I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for NFL players put on by Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), a group which exists to unite a community of pro athletes and couples to grow as disciples of Jesus and positively impact their spheres of influence. They have a fantastic outreach to professional football and baseball athletes and their wives. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing difference they’re making. In the off-season I exchanged emails and texts with dozens of NFL players and cha..Continue reading→
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Thoughts
Motherhood Is a Marathon
I wanted to do great things for God. In the spring of my senior year of college, on the brink of embarking upon my own journey into adulthood, my future was undecided and that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. As a philosophy major, my path was narrower than I had realized, but I was sure it would take me on some grand and glorious adventure. I knew the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “Glorify” sounds like such a grand term. It evokes images of battlefie..Continue reading→
1 Peter 5:7–8: How Not to Battle Anxiety
Anxieties attack our faith and torment our peace. The question with anxiety is not whether it will come, but rather, how can I fight it when it does? Watch NowContinue reading→
Is Love of Money Really the Root of All Evils?
Is the love of money the “root of all evils” or only the “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)? “All evils” is the formal English equivalent of the original Greek (pantōn tōn kakōn). It is remarkable that all older versions of the Bible translate 1 Timothy 6:10 in the more literal way: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (or all evil). This includes the Wycliffe Bible, Luther Bibel, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Douay-Rheims, Darby Bible, and Revised Standard Version. Bu..Continue reading→
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→
Music
Leeland Announces Pre-Order For New Album
Today Bethel Music announced the pre-order of Leeland's first album as part of their artist collective. "We're excited to announce that Leeland's first album with Bethel Music is now available for pre-order on iTunes. 'Invisible' offers a refreshing perspective on a gospel that is alive and moving in us and through us," Bethel shared. Invisible will mark Leeland's first release since 2014's Christ Be All Around Me EP and will be available July 22. Click here to pre-order the album now and get 3 instant song downloads "Invisible," "Carry It All Away" and "Son Was Lifted Up." Invisible Track Listing 1. My Treasure 2. War 3. Spirit 4. Ever Love You Lord 5. For Your Glory 6. Perfect Love 7. Lock & Key 8. Invisible 9. Breath of God [...]Continue reading→
Project 86 Announces PledgeMusic Campaign for 10th Album
Project 86 has launched a special PledgeMusic campaign in support of their upcoming tenth studio album and their 20 year anniversary as a band. The project will be comprised of ten original songs and five covers. All of the songs will be available to backers on a one song per month basis, beginning with a cover of Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" as an immediate download for all backers. The PledgeMusic campaign is designed as both a preorder for music to come and a celebration of music past, with offers including vintage merch. Accompanying tour dates are coming soon, with Project 86 promising to play fan favorites from their early days alongside current tracks. Above all, the band sees the campaign as a way to celebrate the past two decades alongside their fans. "You have stuck by us for twenty years. We want to meet you, spend[...]Continue reading→
Word Entertainment Scores Two Trophies For Christian Retailing’s Best Awards
It was announced earlier this week that Word Entertainment was honored two times at the annual Christian Retailing's Best Awards. Big Daddy Weave's acclaimed album Beautiful Offerings (Fervent Records) won in the music category and When Calls the Heart Complete Season 2 (Word Films) won for the DVD Movie division. The awards, honoring the best new products of the year, were given on Monday, June 27 in Cincinnati during the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS). "At Word Entertainment, we are passionate and intentional about delivering the best in Christian entertainment to people everywhere," shares Rod Riley, President & CEO, Word Entertainment. "Big Daddy Weave's Beautiful Offerings and When Calls the Heart Complete Season 2 are two projects that we have seen impact thousands and thousands of lives with the good news of the Gospel. To be recognized with awards for each of these projects from Christian Retailing's[...]Continue reading→
Metalcore Group Toarn Signs With Luxor Records
Christian metalcore band Toarn has announced their signing with Luxor Records, making their upcoming EP Giant Killer their debut with the label. Toarn released a new song titled "In Flander's Fields" alongside the label news, giving fans an initial taste of Giant Killer prior to its July 15 release. Preorders for the EP are available through major retailers like Amazon, BestBuy and Barnes & Noble as well as through VictoryMerch.com. The Washington-based band has developed a grassroots following through the release of past independent projects Protoevangelium and Brood of Vipers. Toarn will be hitting the road with Hemarosa in support of the release, with tour dates listed here. You can listen to "Flander's Field" below.Continue reading→
Britney Spears Endorses Pastor/Author Max Lucado
Britney Spears has a new album coming out and is about to kick off a two-year residency in Las Vegas, so she’s out there working the publicity machine. During a recent Twitter chat, a fan asked Britney what her favorite book was, and the singer replied, “Anything by Max Lucado.” Lucado is a Texas-based preacher and author of a hundred (yes, a hundred) Christian-themed adults and kids’ books. Their titles include Grace for the Moment, Outlive Your Life: You Were Born to Make a Difference, and God..Continue reading→
Katy Perry’s Song “By the Grace of God” Is a Flashback to Her Christian Singer Days
Before Katy Perry was an animal-print-and-candy-loving pop star, she was Katy Hudson, aspiring Christian singer. Though her switch to the secular side of music helped make her a star, Katy (whose parents are pastors) hasn’t given up on her Christian background. Her new album Prism features the ballad “By the Grace of God,” which probably won’t ever be released as a single but does a bang-up job appealing to one of her core constituencies. But what does John Mayer think?Continue reading→
American
50 new missionaries appointed by IMB
Copyright (c) 2016 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/47886/50-new-missionaries-appointed-by-imb 50 new missionaries appointed by IMB New IMB missionaries (from left) Chris and Jamie Schilt, Jenny and Nathaniel Parker, and Melanee and Bob Gallina offer a song of worship during a Sending Celebration Nov. 10 near Richmond, Va. The appointees are part of..
FIRST-PERSON: November skies
Copyright (c) 2016 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/47885/firstperson---november-skies FIRST-PERSON: November skies EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) -- November -- falling leaves, shorter days, longer nights, football and Thanksgiving. November is a time of change. The weather changes, the skies change, the colors change -- and sometimes our moods change. We&#..
Bridges or Walls? (RJS)
There is a well known image often used in evangelism – the bridge diagram. The cross is a bridge spanning the chasm between God and humans. A google search on “bridge diagram” will turn up many examples. The bridge to the right is a very different kind – connecting Buda and Pest. We, too, are called to build or be bridges. Now, clearly we don’t replace the cross or the one-off work of God through Christ in any way, shape or form … but that doesn’t change the point. Bridges bring connection, wall..
What Every Church Needs to Hear
This sermon by Jason Micheli For the last 18 months, according to the Principalities and Powers, this Tuesday’s election was supposed to be the most important event in our lifetimes if not in history, an odd and hyperbolic claim for Christians to accept given that the only democratic election portrayed in the Gospels is when we choose Barrabbas over Jesus. Christians are right to be passionate about the candidates causes for whom they advocated; likewise, Christians are right to feel queasy-to-a..