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→
Music
Children of God Acoustic Sessions by Phil Wickham
Track Listing 01. Better Than Life (Acoustic) 02. The Secret Place (Acoustic) 03. Divine / Sailing / Time / Hymn (Acoustic) 04. Your Love Awakens Me (Acoustic) Purchase 05. My All In All (Acoustic) 06. Starmaker (High Above the Earth) [Acoustic] 07. At the Foot of the Cross (Acoustic) Purchase 08. Spirit of God (Acoustic) 09. As It Is in Heaven (Acoustic) 10. Here With Me (Acoustic) Purchase 11. Children of God (Acoustic) Purchase 12. Doxology / Amen (Acoustic) 13. Wide Awake (Acoustic) 14. Body Mind & Soul (Acoustic) 15. Stand in Awe (Acoustic) Continue reading→
L’s by Puntin
New single by Puntin. Anthem type song for athletes, dream chasers, and whoever needs a little hype music to get pumped! This one is sure to be the soundtrack to a lot of highlight videos, and dance videos! Dab, whip, and jig away! Written Produced by Puntin of Puntanious Ent. Engineered by Dennis Thomas of TrynaTellEm. Follow Puntin: www.instagram.com/puntanious www.facebook.com/puntanious www.twitter.com/puntanious Buy this track here www.yaboypuntin.com[...]Continue reading→
Getting Stronger by Philip Hamrick
Track Listing 01. Bigger 02. Born Again 03. Getting Stronger 04. Will Not Let Me Go 05. The War 06. Calling Us By Name 07. Fire 08. Love Is On the Line 09. Rivers 10. By Your Love Continue reading→
Loss by Seeker
Track Listing 01. Without 02. Throat 03. Void 04. Rot 05. Swallowed 06. Welcome Death 07. Empty Vessel 08. Submit 09. Self Harm 10. Loss Continue reading→
Heart On My Sleeve by B.Reith
Track Listing 01. Winning Feeling (f/ Christon Gray) 02. Start Over 03. Can't Stop Lovin' You 04. Roll With the Punches 05. On My Own 06. Deep End Continue reading→
Beauty For Ashes by Heesun Lee
HeeSun Lee's 3rd full length album, "Beauty for Ashes," which is set to drop on October 14th, 2016 on all digital outlets, is further enhancing her credibility as an emcee. She named this album "Beauty for Ashes," quoting the Bible verse Isaiah 61:3, where it talks about how we were made out of ashes until God transformed us into beautiful. "A garment of praise instead of despair," which she mentions in one of her songs, in hopes to let the listener know how much they are worth. The album discusses topics on motherhood, the lack of "humble" artists, anxiety, being[...]Continue reading→
Essential Music Publishing Celebrates Four GMA Dove Award Wins
It was announced during Tuesday's 47th Annual GMA Dove Awards that Essential Music Publishing received a total of four Dove Award wins, thanks to two of their most well-known producer/writers, Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury. Ingram was awarded as Songwriter of the Year (non-artist), while Paul Mabury won for "Trust In You" as Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year. Together, Mabury and Ingram received Dove wins as producers for both the Inspirational Album of the Year (Brave New World by Amanda Co..Continue reading→
Compassion International Announces 2017 Rock & Worship Roadshow Lineup
The 9th annual Rock & Worship Roadshow, presented by Compassion International, has announced its official 2017 tour lineup. Award-winning and chart-topping artists Steven Curtis Chapman, Francesca Battistelli, Rend Collective, Passion, Family Force 5, Jordan Feliz, along with Derek Minor and Urban Rescue, will join together for Christian music's most uplifting and entertaining concert experience for the whole family. Author and comedian, Tony Wolf, will be the guest speaker and Carlos Whitt..Continue reading→
Long Live the Rebels by Disciple
Two-time Dove Award winning Disciple is a staple in the Christian hard rock scene. Known for it's unique blend of faith with intense yet accessible music, the band has forged a deeply connected fan base along the way. Now, after a massively successful Kickstarter campaign, the band is poised to release its 13th studio album, Long Live The Rebels, on October 14 in partnership with Tooth Nail Records BEC Recordings.[...]Continue 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..