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
Military’s Highest Court Denies Marine’s Religious Liberty Claim
In the majority opinion, the judges noted that because Sterling did not indicate until during her trial that the signs had any religious significance to her, the words on the signs could have been interpreted as being “combative in tone.” They concluded the order to remove the signs was valid and did not place a “substantial burden” on her exercise of religion. But in a dissenting opinion, Judge Kevin A. Ohlson argued that, in its decision, the CAAF went far beyond what was necessary to decide S..Continue reading→
This Republican Mayor Has An Incredibly Simple Idea To Help The Homeless. And It Seems To Be Working
In partnership with a local nonprofit that serves the homeless population, a van is dispatched around the city to pick up panhandlers who are interested in working. The job pays $9 an hour, which is above minimum wage, and provides a lunch. At the end of the shift, the participants are offered overnight shelter as needed. Republican Mayor Richard Berry was driving around Albuquerque last year when he saw a man on a street corner holding a sign that read: “Want a Job. Anything Helps.” Throughou..Continue reading→
How Much Should a Christian Olympian Give Up for Gold?
Three-time gold medalist Josh Davis and Rio correspondent Tim Ellsworth on picking between evangelism and family, the athlete’s faith community, and what the Games have in common with missions trips. Did you see the Americans’ sweep the hurdles last night? Do you go to bed at night still thinking about Katie Ledecky breaking her own world records? Do you have dozens of hours of unwatched pool play handball games on your DVR? We have a podcast for you. Two-time Olympian Josh Davis—who swam wit..Continue reading→
Whose Hate? Which Victims?
“So what do victim impact statements and the concept of hate crime have in common? They both point to an evaluation of the moral significance of criminal acts, and of victimhood, that prioritizes the psychological and the subjective.” One of the great problems in today’s world is that hate is rather limited in scope. For society to flourish, we really need more hate—or at least a broader understanding of what hate is. Confused? Well, bear with me a moment while I explain. Last week The Spectat..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Do You Live Like Your Story Matters?
Because of our natural human fixation on “the seen,” we tend to think only of the impact of our story in this brief season of our existence: the here and now. Although that impact is not unimportant, as immortal beings we should be far more concerned with how our story will sound when it is told there and then, in that next season of existence that will extend through all eternity. Unfortunately, for many Christians, the goal is simply to get across the finish line after surviving this earthly ..Continue reading→
Preschooler Made to Care about LGBT Agenda in Colorado
According to The Denver Post, a 4-year-old Aurora, Colorado girl was “kicked out” of a preschool last month when her parents raised questions about books read in her class, including ones that told stories about same-sex couples and worms unsure about their gender. The girl returned home from school one day concerned that her daddy might not like girls anymore–and her mommy is a girl. Montview Community Preschool & Kindergarten in Denver — run as a private, parent cooperative — used the stories ..Continue reading→
Disney Demands Georgia Let Go of Religious Freedom
We should have seen this coming. After all it was a Disney / Pixar film that captured the mantra of the secular Progressives: “We scare because we care.” Just as we describe in You Will Be Made to Care, Disney has joined the NFL and other compassionate bullies to try to shut down even stripped-down religious freedom protection in Georgia under the auspices of opposing discrimination. They are threatening to take their Marvel movie-making magic somewhere else if Georgia passes HB 757 to protect r..Continue reading→
Republican Convention Rules: It Takes a Majority
It takes a majority. It takes a majority of delegates to win the Republican nomination for President. It is not complicated. It is not new. These rules have been basically the same since the founding of the Party. A majority of the delegates to the convention must vote for a candidate if he or she is to become the Party’s nominee. Yet Trump and his fans are demanding the rules be changed to accommodate him. They are demanding that the Establishment (whatever that is anymore) rip up the rules and..Continue reading→
Movies
Mourn With Those Who Mourn
In memory of Clementa Carlos Pinckney (1973-2015), Democrat, South Carolina Senate; senior pastor of Mother Emanuel A.M.E. [African Methodist Episcopal] Church; martyred with eight of his congregation while they studied scriptures and prayed together in the church. You can read much more about Pastor Pinckney and his church here. It was one year ago this month that shots rang out on our campus at Seattle Pacific. And the community responded by gathering in grief, in support, in prayer, and, when the truth was learned, in grace and love toward the antagonist. I was blessed, and taught, by their response. Today, those of us on campus are gathering in SPU’s prayer chapel to pray for our grieving neighbors at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and for the troubled heart of the suspect in custody. Elsewhere — specifically, online, from angry responders (a wide range, including suit-and-tie white guys) — I’m already seeing waves of rage and hate directed at the shooter. I unde..Continue reading→
What Specialists Are Saying About Jurassic World
Gathering in a bunker deep underground where velociraptors cannot find them, the Looking Closer Specialists are talking about Jurassic World. The Specialists are a community of friends who are supporting my efforts on this blog. They have a private Facebook group, they get to see some of this blog’s posts before everybody else, they’re acknowledged in the Credits, and they are invited to participate in occasional posts like this one. (Sound like fun? Here’s how to join them.) Since I haven’t had a chance to see Jurassic World yet — there were other films far higher on my priority list this week — I asked them for their first impressions. Here’s what they’re saying… Joseph: It met my expectations, Jeffrey. But I suspect that says more about my expectations than it does about Trevorrow’s film. Heavy, heavy on the effects and action, light on story and the characterizations (and motivations) of its characters. A more successful return to the franchise than either The Lost World or Jurassi..Continue reading→
Torres and the Influence of David Bazan and Terrence Malick
It’s June again: The end of another academic year. We’ve come to Graduation Weekend, and I’m driving to a special ceremony, where this year’s crop of honors society students — the Seattle Pacific University Scholars (or “UScholars”) — will gather with families and friends to celebrate their achievement. And on the way, my car doors are pulsing to the beats of an album that has its hooks in me: Sprinter by Torres. These songs keep playing in my head long after I’ve had parked the car on Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill and descended into the sunny campus. Everywhere I look the lawns are alive with faculty in full regalia and seniors draped in graduation gowns and stoles, capped with tasseled mortarboards. I hurry through the crowd to the lobby of Otto Miller Hall, where UScholar seniors have set up informative honors project displays. There each student explains to visitors what they’ve been learning in these last days before their launch into the great unknown. Despite the celebratory mood, I..Continue reading→
Bracing for Jurassic World: My Personal History with the Raptors
Just like every other moviegoer on the planet, I had a blast attending the theatrical opening of Jurassic Park in 1993. I remember laughing for joy at the blissful terror of the T-Rex’s entrance, and laughing even harder when I saw my friends Eric and Matt crawling under their seats. But I was having fun in spite of the movie’s screenplay, which felt cheap and sentimental even for Spielberg at the time. I thought then — and I still think — that it’s B-grade Spielberg. This weekend, I went digging for any writing I might have done back then, and could only dug up this old paragraph: One cannot help but assume the reason the characters in the film are so scared is because they’re so poorly developed. Spielberg was so excited about directing the dinosaurs that he forgot to check the quality of the script. This is not such a bad thing, really. The corny dialogue and aspirations to social and environmental relevance seem to suit this old-fashioned thrill-fest. Who comes to this movie to be ..Continue reading→
A New Conversation with Pete Horner, Sound Designer for Jurassic World
My friend Pete Horner was the sound designer/sound mixer for Jurassic World… not to mention his extraordinary back catalog of work, like the Redux version of Apocalypse Now. He won an Emmy for his work on Hemingway and Gellhorn. Here he is, interviewed for Filmback, talking about the art of sound design. Well worth listening to. And here’s a shout-out to my friend Claire Tanner, who is a producer and the co-host of Filmback. Great work, Cory Titus and Claire Tanner! Check this out. And if you like that, you’ll like the bonus round, when he tells a story about my favorite band: Over the Rhine. Image published my two-part interview with Horner a while back: Part One, Part Two.Continue reading→
Halfway Through 2015: What’s Your Favorite Music So Far?
So far, 2015 has been an impressive non-stop parade of great albums. I could easily turn in a Top 10 of the year today if I was asked. But we’re only halfway there. Dr. Jeff Keuss of Seattle Pacific University hosted this live podcast discussion of some of 2015’s most exciting music. We listened to stuff by Kendrick Lamar, Kacey Musgraves, Ibeyi, Sleater-Kinney, and much more, and talked it over. Then, we answered some great questions from diners in our live audience. Panel guests included Anthony Barr-Jeffrey, Anna Miller, and myself. Maybe you missed the live event, but you can listen now to the podcast. Tune in for The Kindlings Muse here. What are the most impressive records you’ve heard in 2015 so far? What albums have you played the most?Continue reading→
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Charlize Theron-the-Road-Again [This review has already been read by the Looking Closer Specialists, whose helpful responses persuaded me to see the movie a second time before publishing it. Thanks, Specialists! Read about how you can join the club that gets first-looks and access to a private Looking Closer Facebook group here.] I am looking at the back of a man who stands on a sandy precipice beside his souped up sports car, and I have just enough time to think three things: 1) Wow, the colors of this post-apocalyptic desert wasteland are so saturated that they make Luke Skywalker’s homeland look positively grayscaled by comparison! 2) Is this guy just scanning the horizon, out beyond the dunes? Or he is preparing to urinate over the edge? And then, 3) I wonder how long this goes before we hit the first chase scene and we see Max — BOOM! We’re off! He’s jumping in his car! And the first mad, mad, mad chase scene of Mad Max: Fury Road is underway! And if you’re not excited about tha..Continue reading→
MCFARLAND USA: An Interview with Legendary Coach Jim White
Do you like sports movies? I cry every time I watch Field of Dreams. The rousing underdog stories of Rudy or The Rookie almost feel too good to be true. The cynic in us may resist, but once you actually meet Jimmy, the guy who sank the winning shot in Hoosiers, your perspective shifts. These aren’t just tall tales, manufactured by Hollywood. These can be modest, “everyday” heroes who challenge us to practice, to press on, to never give up. I recently met Jim White, the legendary cross-country c..Continue reading→
OSCARS 2015: BOYHOOD, BIRDMAN OR BUDAPEST FOR BEST PICTURE?
The 2015 Oscar race has become one of the tightest and most unpredictable contests in years. Three well-crafted films emerged over awards season as the key contenders for the 2015 Academy Award for Best Picture: Boyhood, Birdman, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. While Selma and Interstellar combined epic scale and meticulous craft, the Academy and the guilds obsessed over a few peccadilloes that kept them out of serious Oscar contention. (Only time will honor these two towering cinematic achievemen..Continue reading→
Music
Ghost Ship by Theocracy
After finally gaining some momentum with As The World Bleeds, Theocracy is ready to blast into the mainstream with their newest release.[...]Continue reading→
Galaxies by The Digital Age
Track Listing 01. I Can See It's Coming... 02. One Pursuit 03. Undivided 04. I Belong 05. From a Great Distance... 06. How Sweet It Is 07. Galaxies 08. Kingdom Come 09. Everything Is Bright... 10. Awake, Sleeper 11. People of the Cross 12. If I Have You 13. And I Cannot Look Away. 14. Heroes (Light Up the Sky) 15. We've Got Joy 16. Epilogue (A Prayer for Jordan) Continue reading→
Trust You All The Way by About A Mile
Since launching 2014's biggest-selling Christian album debut from a new artist, Dove Award-nominated About A Mile is taking all the experiences over the last couple years and pouring them into its sophomore album, Trust You All The Way, to be released from Radiate Music Oct. 28. More than the successes of playing Christian music's biggest stage (Winter Jam) and a bevy of supporters that have fully-funded its PledgeMusic campaign, band members and brothers Adam, Luke and Levi Klutinoty have resolved to trust God with every aspect of their lives and ministry. Pouring that conviction into their upcoming album, which was produced[...]Continue reading→
VERIDIA Debuts Music Video for Still Breathing
As they kicked off their month-long tour with Evanesence this past weekend from Dallas, alt-rock band VERIDIA has also just debuted their latest music video for their current radio single "Still Breathing." Uniquely filmed in a haunted house located in Nashville, the video was directed by Matt DeLisi, the director behind the band's previous video, "Pretty Lies." Written by Veridia's front woman Deena Jakoub, the song "Still Breathing" shares the important message of dealing with fear..Continue reading→
Zach Williams’ ‘Chain Breaker’ Music Video Explodes; Single Stays No. 1 For 3rd Week
For the third week in a row at radio, "Chain Breaker," the debut single from Essential Records' artist Zach Williams, continues to hold the No. 1 spot of the Christian AC Indicator chart. The song has climbed into top 5 on the Christian Airplay chart and has also been the top-selling single on the iTunes Christian Songs chart for the past few weeks. "Chain Breaker" is also No. 15 on Billboard's Hot Rock Songs chart, joining such artists as twenty one pilots, Coldplay, Kings Of Leon and..Continue reading→
Sidewalk Prophets Announces Second Leg of ‘The Prodigal Tour’
Sidewalk Prophets will be taking their hit music, energetic live performance, and thought-provoking creativity on the road this winter and spring as they announce the 2017 leg of "The Prodigal Tour." The tour is in partnership with The Mocha Club, a non-profit that the band has passionately supported since visiting the Democratic Republic Of The Congo in 2011 and seeing the organization's work first-hand in caring for needs of the area.Continue reading→
Cana’s Voice Delivers Standing Ovation Performances with Dr. David Jeremiah’s ‘Stand Up Tour’
Cana's Voice continues to impact audiences with performances and songs from their debut album, This Changes Everything. Recently, the trio traveled to Washington, DC for an appearance at the Verizon Center with Dr. David Jeremiah's Stand Up Tour. The overall message for the evening was to honor God and our country, through a deeper relationship and commitment in our faith with Christ. The program featured labelmate, Charles Billingsley, and the LU Praise choir and band from Liberty Uni..Continue reading→
Joel Vaughn Releases New Song
Pop artist Joel Vaughn has released his new single, "As You Are" which will be a part of a new album coming out on January 27th, 2017. Joel Vaughn debuted his DREAM Records release, Kinetic which has quickly gained new fans for his upbeat, pop melodies. The debut single, "Wide Awake" track debuted at #15 on the Billboard Hot AC CHR chart and was the featured song on Tennis Trick Shots ft. Serena Williams Dude Perfect that received 13 Million views on YouTube. The Nashville-based artist will feat..Continue reading→
About A Mile Releases ‘Trust You All The Way’
About A Mile's full-length sophomore album, Trust You All The Way, releases globally tomorrow (Oct. 28) from Radiate Music and is available for preorder now at iTunes and Amazon.com. Along with the preorder from iTunes are immediate downloads of the new single and title track, the hard-driving "Taking Back" (the video of this song has been seen on AXS TV, YouToo America Garage Band, ClubCom, California Music Channel, Video Hits and many more outlets internationally) and the pop flavored Top..Continue reading→
American
Leading Physician Confirms Unborn Children Feel Excruciating Pain During Abortions
Sheila Page, D.O., is board certified in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy. She treats a wide spectrum of patients from the newborn to the elderly, including patients with irreversible and terminal illness. Dr. Page (pictured right) has a special interest in children with disabilities, particularly those whose burden of care is difficult and who have been given little hope for a better quality of life. Dr. Page is one of our nearly 40 associate scholars. In this ..
Woman Defends Aborting Two Babies: “I Talked to the Babies and I Felt the Babies Understood”
A woman talking about her 2nd abortion said : “But I really feel good that I made the decision, not to have the baby. Again, I pretty much had made my decision, talked to myself, you know, constantly, talked to my sister, talked to the baby. ‘Cause I definitely believe that when you get pregnant, I don’t care if it is just a little … little form there… It feels, picks up on the vibes. I really do believe that. So it was important for me to let the baby know that. It just wasn’t a good idea to h..
Scientists are Making Human-Pig Hybrids for Organ Transplants That Could Develop Into “Monsters”
The recent creation of animal-human hybrids is stirring up ethical questions about the value and definition of human life. In January, scientists announced that they successfully created the first human-pig hybrid, a living pig embryo injected with human cells. National Geographic reports researchers at Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California said they implanted the living pig-human embryos, or chimeras, in adult pigs’ wombs and allowed them to grow between three and four..
Missouri Governor Takes Strong Pro-Life Stance: “The People of Missouri Do Not Support Abortion”
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens spoke out against the new St. Louis “abortion sanctuary city” ordinance over the weekend, saying it does not reflect the state’s values. “We need to send a clear message: the people of Missouri do not support Abortion Sanctuary Cities,” Greitens wrote Saturday on Facebook. “We will fight for the vulnerable to get the support they need in tough times—we will proudly stand up for life.” Supporters of St. Louis City Board Bill 203 say the measure protects women from di..
Australia
A child of hope and faith in Nicaragua
Adriana Collado first placed her faith in God at the age of just two, when she was being treated for leukaemia at La Mascota Children’s Cancer Hospital, in Managua, Nicaragua. Thanks to your support, Adriana and her mother Ana were among 7500 suffering Nicaraguan families who last year received free copies of the Bible while attending devotions organised by pastors and volunteers at La Mascota Hospital. “Ana would eagerly participate in the devoti..
People of the rock need the word
This is my work now, till the end of my life,” says Lily Neville. “It is the greatest pleasure for me, really.” She’s talking about translating the Bible into her native Adnyamathanha, the language of the Aboriginal people of the Northern Flinders Ranges in South Australia. “Adnya” means rock and “mathanha” means people. The Adnyamathanha people are “people of the rock”. Lily Neville, who is working with Bible Society Australia to translate the Bible..
Abortion Rethink Campaign in Australia Focuses on How Abortion Hurts Women, Kills Babies
The Abortion Rethink campaign team has commissioned a song to be composed and dance routine choreographed for the purpose of artistically highlighting some of the concerns around abortion. The lyrics take us through the various perspectives of some of those impacted, but particularly those of the woman, her partner and the pre born baby. They call on both those who govern our State and our community at large to listen to the voices of those so negatively impacted by abortion. They ask them to ..
Jesus gets thousands of new followers
Thousands of Australians have made decisions to follow Jesus at major events happening around the country. In Sydney, at Australia’s largest Christian gathering – Hillsong Conference – over 1800 people responded to calls to consider Christ as their saviour. “We pray that the [conference] experience lives well and truly beyond this arena but extends on into your churches, homes, schools and work-places. We believe that your best days are yet to come,” t..
Law & Government
Trump Praises ‘Fantastic Contributions’ Hindus Have Made to America
(World Religion News) — In a move likely calculated to capture the Indian-American vote come election day in November, the Republican nominee Donald Trump released a statement praising the Hindu community for its contributions to the U.S.A. He commented, “The Hindu community has made fantastic contributions to world civilization and to American culture and we look forward to celebrating our shared values of free enterprise, hard work, family values, and a strong American foreign policy.”
Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton Collapses at Ground Zero in New York
NEW YORK — A video shows Hillary Clinton collapsing into the arms of her security detail after leaving a ceremony at Ground Zero early today. The Democratic presidential nominee was in New York to give her respects to the victims of those killed on 9/11 in 2001, but had to leave early after what is being described as a “medical episode.” Clinton, who briefly collapsed into the arms of security officials before entering a van, showed signs of other physical troubles recently when she needed to..
Law is on your side over evangelism, Christians told
"Sensationalist" reports cause Christians to think they are not free to proselytise, according to a new resource that urges the public sharing of faith. Street preacher Rob Hughes was arrested and imprisoned for 11 hours after being falsely accused of homophobic remarks. Speak Up was launched by the Evangelical Alliance (EA) and the Lawyers Christians Fellowship (LCF) on Friday and aims to persuade Christians they have the law on their side when it comes to sharing their ..
‘A Force He Could Not Stop’: Teen High on Psychedelic Drug Jailed Following Violent Attack
STUART, Fla. — A Florida teen is behind bars after he smashed through a window and attacked a random family in their home following his ingestion of a psychedelic drug that caused him to act on a “force … he could not stop.” Nico Gallo, 19, was allegedly high on Dibutylone when he “cannon-balled” through the plate glass window of a Stuart home in the middle of the night on Sunday. He is accused of then attacking a woman and her adult son, who called 911 and beat Gallo in the head with an alumin..
Entertainment
All Hail The Crown: The 10 Best Movies (and one TV Show) About the British Monarchy
Comment countIt’s been quite a week. As I type this, I’m hanging out in downtown Denver as an anti-Trump rally winds past me, the sky filled with chants and signs saying “NOT MY PRESIDENT.” However we pulled the lever for, I think most of us can agree that our democracy wasn’t exactly at its brightest this election season. A good many Americans disliked both candidates from the start—a rock-bottom beginning that somehow kept going lower. Most of us had to vote for the candidate we disliked least..
Doctor Strange Is The Most Religious Superhero Movie Ever
From Doctor Strange. Photo courtesy DisneySuperheroes have always been religious. But Marvel’s great, trippy new movie Doctor Strange takes superhero spirituality to the mirror dimension and unfolds it in a dozen fascinating ways. Underneath all the story’s Eastern mysticism and occult trappings, there’s a deeply Christian undercurrent here. Perhaps we should’ve expected Doctor Strange to be pretty religious. Director Scott Derrickson is one of Hollywood’s best-known and most influe..
How taco trucks caused a mystical moment
One day in 1958 on a street corner in Louisville, KY, the Catholic monk Thomas Merton had a mystical experience that he recounts in his book “Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander”: “In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of se..
Hacksaw Ridge is Insanely Bloody. Here’s Why.
Comment countFrom Hacksaw Ridge, photo courtesy Summit EntertainmentChristianity is bloody. The whole thing started with an execution. If the early Christians had any tact—or, at least, a good PR agency—they would’ve downplayed the religion’s messy, off-putting beginning and encourage prospective newcomers to concentrate on something else. Instead, the cross has become the central symbol of our faith—something we slap on our walls and hang around our necks and embroider on our throw pillows. It’..
Health and Science
Research Biologist Says Bible, Not Evolution, Accounts for Human DNA Diversity
When did human ethnic groups originate? And can the biblical young earth viewpoint explain differences between races today? One research biologist says the biblical model, not evolution, accurately accounts for human DNA diversity today. Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson is a PhD biologist with Answers in Genesis who studied Cell and Developmental Biology at Harvard University. In his latest article, published last week in Answers Research Journal, he considers “why African people groups tends to harbor mo..
Scientists Capture ‘Flash of Light’ That Occurs at Moment of Conception
CHICAGO — Life begins with a “flash of light” or “fireworks,” scientists at a university in Illinois have announced in releasing a written study and video that captures what occurs at the moment of human conception. Northwestern University in Chicago recently announced the find in a study outlined in Scientific Reports. “It was remarkable,” said Teresa Woodruff, director of Northwestern’s Center for Reproductive Science. “We discovered the zinc spark just five years ago in the mouse, and to se..
Ancient Lizards Preserved in Amber Could Pose Problems for Evolutionists
Christian scientists are touting the recent discovery of amber-encased lizards as evidence of a recent creation as described in the Bible. Last month, the journal Science Advances published a detailed analysis of amber-embedded lizards, estimated to be approximately 99 million years old. Thanks to the “extraordinary preservation” qualities of the amber, scientists were able to observe intricate details on the lizard specimens. “Amber deposits are especially useful for preserving small, delicat..
Comb Jelly Footage Surprises Scientists, Upends Evolutionary Expectations
AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Evolutionists are once again having to scrap existing beliefs and return to the drawing board after observing one type of sea creature perform a previously undiscovered function. On March 14 and 15, several dozen biologists met in Florida for the Ctenopalooza workshop—an event designed to further the study of ctenophores, which are a type of jellyfish-like sea creatures. Speakers at the workshop presented ideas, discussed new areas of study, and shared recent research findings..
US
Susan B. Anthony and the other early feminists were pro-life
Feminists today hail the pioneers of women’s rights, the suffragettes and 19th century activists who crusaded for women’s right to vote and equality before the law. But they also crusaded against abortion. Yes, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Sarah F. Norton would not have been allowed to participate in [Read More...]
Live-blogging the Inauguration
Being unable to resist significant moments in history, I’ll be watching the Inauguration ceremonies today and making comments here. Things get started at 9:30 a.m. ET, with the actual inauguration ceremony starting at about 11:30 a.m. ET. The swearing in will be at noon, whereupon Donald Trump will give his inaugural address. I’ll be devoting most of my live-blogging to the speech. Please join me with comments of your own. On Saturday from 10:00-11:00 a.m. will be the Interfaith Prayer Service a..
Moving day at the White House
The White House staff has five hours to move out the former president and his family, with all of their furniture and belongings and preferred decor, and to move in the new residents. The logistics of this tightly choreographed operation are rather amazing. Professional movers can haul the furniture to the door, but they can’t go inside, so carrying it all and staging it perfectly is a job for White House staffers. So a salute to the 90 “blue collar” members of the White House Staff as they carr..
Pro-life women excluded from “Women’s March”
The day after Donald Trump’s Inauguration, thousands of women will march on Washington to demonstrate for women’s issues. But pro-life women–even pro-life feminists, even pro-life feminist liberals–will not be allowed to join the demonstration. From Views on Abortion Strain Calls for Unity at Women’s March on Washington – The New York Times: As a self-described feminist and law student who wants to correct racial wrongs in the criminal justice system, Maria Lyon agrees with Hillary Clinton that ..
Church & Theology
6 Ways Teachers Prepare for a Life-Changing Year
I think of teachers much like I do of nurses—heroes. Like nursing, teaching is an unsung job that requires tremendous amounts of personal investment in other people’s lives. And, also like nursing, teaching has the potential to make a tremendous difference as well. Teachers have a unique ability to influence moldable lives. I still remember the names of and specific lessons from many of my teachers, and I’m guessing you do as well. So, as a new school year begins, how can you as a teacher—in a..
Biblical Sci-Fi? Aliens, Angels, and the Nephilim
On a recent episode of Word Matters, Trevin Wax and I discussed some prominent views of Genesis 6, particularly these first few verses: When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves. And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.” The Nephilim were o..
5 Questions to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Gospel Witness
We cannot always measure effectiveness by visible fruit. Some of my favorite testimonies of salvation are of people who trusted Christ after repeated witnessing attempts by multiple people. Even the Apostle Paul experienced times when he witnessed and the fruit wasn’t immediate. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.—1 Corinthians 3:6 So if we try to measure the effectiveness of our witness on fruit alone, we may miscalculate. Perhaps during a season when we are diligentl..
7 Essentials of an Adult Bible Class
I believe the key reason for adult Bible classes in the local church is the organization to fulfill the purposes of the church. Dr. Lee Roberson used to say, “The Sunday school is the church organized to fulfill the purpose of the church.” Whether you call it Sunday School, Adult Bible Fellowships, Connection Groups, or something else, it is vital that you have clearly defined purposes and processes for this vital area of church ministry. At Lancaster Baptist Church, we now have over fifty adu..