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
Three Causes of Controlling Behavior
These are helpful observations for understanding how such traits can develop, and should increase our compassion and understanding for such sufferers. However, as Christians with Calvin’s spectacles, we have to go further in three ways. First, we have to say that even if the causes have parental or genetic components, we must believe that the Word of God and the Holy Spirit have a necessary and important role to play in conditioning how we react to our parental or genetic inheritance. Yesterday..Continue reading→
William Gurnall on Singing Imprecatory Psalms
1. Take heed thou dost not make thy private particular enemies the object of thy imprecation. We have no warrant, when any wrong us, presently to go and call for fire from heaven upon them. Ames mentioned this but not with as much detail as Gurnall does here. One of the misunderstandings people have about the imprecations is that we don’t like our teacher at school or a person who cut us off on the freeway and so we take up the curses of the Psalms against them. But Gurnall reminds us that it’s..Continue reading→
The Wonder of Work
Insomuch as we build on the foundation of Christ – following His ways, loving His truth, sharing His gospel – we build with heavenly materials. As the Spirit transforms our minds and awakens our hearts, we are being made into the image of Christ. We walk in His ways. We obey His commands. We speak His words of truth. Whatever our calling – lawyer, doctor, teacher, stay at home mother, pastor, banker –we build for eternity as we build in accordance with the foundation, Jesus Christ. My children ..Continue reading→
The Flood Of 2016: Southeast Louisiana And The Consequences Of Real Community
Rather than reward that with aid and bringing the full force of our collective national attention to examples of what resilient and strong American communities look like when challenged…these communities are ignored and left to fend for themselves…simply because they can. The consequence of being a strong community is that your tragedy is not mentioned in national news, your strength uncelebrated, and your needs unmet unless they can be met through your own resilience. Humility and selflessly he..Continue reading→
Music
Tidal Wave (Single) by Rapture Ruckus
Track Listing 01. Tidal Wave Continue reading→
Behold: A Christmas Collection by Lauren Daigle
Award-winning singer/songwriter LAUREN DAIGLE, will release her first-ever Christmas album titled BEHOLD, on October 21 via Centricity Music. Produced by Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram, the style of the holiday album pays homage to the sounds of Lauren's hometown of New Orleans. Featuring soft jazz renditions of Christmas favorites, BEHOLD includes such classics as "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "What Child Is This," "O Holy Night," and more; in addition to an original composition titled "Light of the World", which was written by Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram. Pre-orders for the album[...]Continue reading→
Majesty In A Manger by Various Artists
The Integrity Music family of artists and writers have come together to start a new tradition celebrating Emmanuel, God With Us, in worship with Majesty In A Manger. It's a collection of original songs that focus on the coming of Jesus Christ from artists and writers like, Paul Baloche, All Sons Daughters, Darlene Zschech, Seth Nirva, Travis Ryan, Michael Farren and more. This is a worship album that was created with the intent that churches around the world can adopt these songs as we celebrate Jesus' birth. From the soulful sounds of newcomers Seth Nirva on "Fill The[...]Continue reading→
Adventure by Matthew Parker
Track Listing 01. Adventure 02. Ghost 03. Unstoppable (feat. Micah Ariss) 04. I Ain't Got No Money (feat. Spencer Kane) 05. Down In Flames 06. Heaven Calling 07. Night Sky 08. Remember Me (feat. Tristan Peace) 09. System Victim (feat. Hillary Jane) 10. Spark (feat. Rapture Ruckus) 11. Gone 12. Dynasty (feat. Cash Hollistah) 13. Tidal Wave (feat. Micah Ariss) 14. Fly (feat. Twilight Meadow) 15. My Love Continue reading→
You Wouldn’t Believe What Privilege Costs by CIVILIAN
A follow-up to 2012s Should This Noose Unloosen, YWBWPC's ringing guitars and sonorous vocals sway with austere, precise drumming while thoughtful bass paints outside the lines. Unlike its predecessor, "all of these songs were written after having just fallen ass over tip for a gal" as Alexander so eloquently puts it. "I wrote with the same intention to, through art, add nuance to how we talk about government and poverty except this time my brain was drenched in dopamine and serotonin."[...]Continue reading→
Never Lose Sight by Chris Tomlin
Often called America's Worship Leader, Chris Tomlin returns with his new album, NEVER LOSE SIGHT, on October 21. As the songwriter behind the worship favorites "How Great Is Our God," "Our God," and "Whom Shall I Fear," Chris' songs lead people to the heart of Jesus and into a deeper worship of Him. Featuring "Good Good Father" and the new single "Jesus," this brand new album is filled with songs that draw us closer to Jesus and give voice to our praises, prayers, cries and hopes.[...]Continue reading→
Marc Martel Announces ‘The Silent Night EP’
Marc Martel, former co-vocalist of Canadian Christian contemporary pop/rock band Downhere, is preparing to release a new Christmas EP. Entitled The Silent Night EP, the EP will feature Martel's signature vocals set to several classic Christmas carols. Martel has already been dropping a few songs as singles these past few Christmases, in the form of "O Holy Night" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel." Both of those will be featured on the EP alongside new arrangements of "In the Bleak Midwinter," "..Continue reading→
Switchfoot Releases Surprise Live Album
Switchfoot pulled off one of the best-kept surprises of Christian music in recent years and released a new live album on Friday, October 21. Fans had previously been given no indication that the band was planning such a release. Live in Chicago The Looking for America Tour marks Switchfoot's first major live album in 7 years, since 2009's The Best Yet Live in Nashville. Featuring cuts from their critically-acclaimed new album Where The Light Shines Through as well as several of the b..Continue reading→
David Dunn Debuts Music Video For New Single ‘I Wanna Go Back’
BEC Recordings' David Dunn has debuted the music video for his new single, "I Wanna Go Back," from his forthcoming early 2017 release Yellow Balloons. Click below to watch the music video. This single is currently the No. 2 most added song at AC radio for the second week in a row with 25 adds. Click here to get the single at digital outlets. RELATED BEC Recordings Announces New Artist Signing, David Dunn "'I Wanna Go Back' is a song of nostalgia, of longing for the time in my li..Continue reading→
American
Disgusting Teen Vogue Article: “11 Thoughtful Gifts Your Friend Who Had an Abortion Would Appreciate”
Disguised as a compassionate way to help a friend, Teen Vogue pushed its pro-abortion agenda on vulnerable young teens again this week. Its latest piece encourages teen girls to support a friend’s decision to abort her unborn baby by giving her gifts. Certainly, a pregnant teenager deserves a lot of support and encouragement, but the only support that Teen Vogue suggests is through abortion. Author Witney Bell wrote: So your friend is about to have an abortion. Of course you want to be there ..
Senate Confirms Pro-Life Rep. Tom Price as HHS Secretary Despite Planned Parenthood’s Objections
Early Friday morning, the US Senate confirmed pro-life Congressman Tom Price as the next secretary of the Health and Human Services department. The vote came despite objections from the Planned Parenthood abortion business and other top abortion advocates — which had launched an all-out campaign in an attempt to stop his nomination. Price was confirmed early Friday, 52-47 after surviving yet another Democratic filibuster against a Trump nomination. An orthopedic surgeon by trade, Price was conf..
Pro-Lifers Will Protest at Planned Parenthood in 218 Cities in 45 States: Defund Planned Parenthood Now
As the fight to strip the nation’s largest abortion chain of its federal funding turns red-hot, the pro-life grassroots is stepping up to do its part. On February 11, “Defund Planned Parenthood” rallies will be held at Planned Parenthood locations throughout the United States to support the defunding effort and confront Planned Parenthood’s propaganda machine. The rallies are being organized by the #ProtestPP Coalition, of which the Pro-Life Action League is a primary co-sponsor, in concert wit..
ACLU Fights to Keep Dismemberment Abortions Legal That Tear Off Babies’ Limbs
Arkansas soon could see a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union challenging the state ban on brutal dismemberment abortions, according to Newsweek. The state branch of the pro-abortion legal group said it plans to sue “as soon as practically possible” to stop the law from going into effect. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the law, the Arkansas Unborn Child Protection From Dismemberment Abortion Act, at the end of January. The legislation prohibits dismemberment abortions, a commo..
Australia
Going back for more of the same
The all-female remake of Ghostbusters, the latest dose of Star Trek and another version of Tarzan. This month, cinemas are again loaded with specific characters or storylines we’ve seen before. Films frequently must be part of a franchise, either as a sequel, prequel, remake, reboot or novel adaptation. Many of us lament such repetition. We complain that movie-makers have no new ideas. Box office results, though, suggest we are creatures of a..
This run club is running for a higher purpose
There are five people inducted into the BT Run Club’s “Hall of Pain”. They’re people who’ve truly encapsulated the club’s motto: “Run with endurance”, and they’re presented the award at the annual “Black Toenail” ceremony (black toe nails are a rather nasty sounding, common running injury). Running is hard, says the club’s founder Simon Elliot. But it’s a great metaphor for the Christian life. And that’s fitting, because the BT Run Cl..
Help China’s poor don God’s armour
The rise of false teaching and heresies in China underlines the need for greater access to affordable Bibles for China’s poor. Chinese Christians recognise that the Bible is the key basis from which to grow in faith and draw wisdom for their daily life. God’s word is also the bedrock of their strength in resisting false teachings and heresies, which are problems in the Chinese church. But so many Christians cannot afford to buy a Bible for themselves, much le..
US evangelicals’ support for Trump soars
Over the protests of some leaders, United States evangelical Christians are flocking to Trump, supporting him in higher numbers than the last Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Fully 78 per cent of white evangelicals (which includes pentecostals) say they would vote for Trump if the election was held today, according to a survey by the Pew Research centre. Recent local polls show that Trump is gaining on Clinton in crucial “swing” states.
Entertainment
WATCH: Patheos Exclusive Sneak Peek of ‘The Magnificent Seven’
“Scripture quotin’ and axe totin'” seems to be the best description for Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), one of the colorful characters in director Antoine Fuqua’s adaptation of the classic western, The Magnificent Seven (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures). With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople, employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns, Sam Chis..
WATCH: Patheos Exclusive Sneak Peak of ‘The Magnificent Seven’
“Scripture quotin’ and axe totin'” seems to be the best description for Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), one of the colorful characters in director Antoine Fuqua’s adaptation of the classic western, The Magnificent Seven (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures). With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople, employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns, Sam Chis..
Forget Judah: Ben-Hur is All About Messala
The 1959 version of Ben-Hur is a triumph of filmmaking—one that won 11 Oscars, boasts Charlton Heston at his prime and features one of the most iconic action sequences in cinematic history. The 2016 version of Ben-Hur is … serviceable. The chariot scene is a dynamic blend of live-action and CGI. A sea-based battle, captured almost completely inside the dark, dungeon-like recesses of a Roman warship, feels gritty and powerful. And the movie was clearly made with a faith-based audienc..
Ben-Hur Opens Today! Star Jack Huston Shares What Drew Him to the Movie
It’s opening day for the highly-anticipated new Ben-Hur movie and if Thursday night’s preview numbers are any indication, millions of movie-goers will be lining up to see Judah Ben-Hur’s epic journey this weekend. British actor Jack Huston (Boardwalk, American Hustle), who plays the film’s leading role of Judah Ben-Hur, shared what drew him to this film at a recent press interview in Los Angeles: The lovely thing about this film is that it’s for everybody — faith or no faith. If you’re looking a..
US
Martin Scorsese on vocation
Renowned film director Martin Scorsese talks about vocation in a recent interview. He didn’t make it through seminary but started to realize that you don’t have to be a priest to have a vocation. I have noticed more and more Catholics who have started understanding vocation in Lutheran terms. Scorsese also discusses his new film Silence, based on Shusaku Endo’s classic novel about the persecution of Jesuit missionaries in Japan in the 17th century. Currently in limited release, the movie is bein..
“Positive propaganda as the main theme”
Russia does it with RT. Arabs do it with Al Jazeera. Now, as of New Year’s Day, China has launched the China Global Television Network. I am impressed with how honest the still-Communist regime is in explaining its purpose: to promote “positive propaganda as the main theme.” Watch for CGTN on your cable or satellite TV system. And watch for Americans to swallow it whole. Having grown up during the Cold War, I find it hard to imagine a Communist propaganda network on our televisions, but then aga..
Top 10 Cranach posts of 2016
I know you are sick of holidays and want to get back to normality, but I can’t resist New Years retrospectives. Other blogs are looking back at their top posts of last year, based on the number of page views, so I did too. The most popular posts are from years ago, but somehow they got into Google’s algorithm. Now, if anybody in the whole world wonders, “Why do some people say ‘Merry Christmas’ and others say ‘Happy Christmas’?” Google takes them to Cranach. The same with St. Patrick’s prayer. A..
The Eighth Day
The Gospel reading for yesterday, commemorating the Circumcision and Name of Jesus, was Luke 2:21, the shortest text in the Lectionary. (See our recent post on the subject.) In the course of an excellent sermon that explored the depths of this one verse of the Bible, our pastor cited the significance of “the eighth day.” God created the universe in six days and on the seventh, He rested. Then on the eighth day, the creation began to unfold. Jesus rose from the dead on the day after the Sabbath; ..
Church & Theology
5 Christmas Gifts Every Christian Parent Can Give
Every mom and dad knows that one of the best things about being a parent is giving to your children. Parents delight in sacrificing to meet their children’s needs and to bring them happiness. That’s one of the reasons Christmas can be a stressful time of year for parents who are struggling financially. The best gifts you can give your children, however, are not tangible. Regardless of what wrapped presents you may or may not be able to give, here are five gifts every Christian parent can (and s..
My 5 Favorite Books of 2016
Follow @BrandonSmith85 For the last few years, I’ve posted a list of my five favorite books of the year. Only my 2015 list has survived, as the others were on my now-defunct personal site. There are a few reasons why I compile these lists. First, I love reading and I love to share what I’m reading. Second, I’m also always encouraged by others’ thoughts and their lists often help me pick out a few last books for my Christmas wish list. Third, I get a lot of books from publishers, and while I don’..
7 Tips for Effective Follow Up
This past weekend—Saturday and Sunday evening—was our annual Christmas musical at Lancaster Baptist Church. The amount of work put into these projections is staggering—not just in the thousands of hours given by the choir, orchestra, and drama teams, but also the thousands of invitations given out all across our community in the weeks preceding the musical. I think our church often enters this weekend a little exhausted. Yet, the exhaustion gives way to joy for all of us as we see people respon..
Growth Points 73: Preparing Gospel-Focused Christmas Messages
With just eight days between now and Christmas, I’ve counted seven Christmas services yet remaining before I sit down for Christmas dinner with my family. It’s a blessing throughout the month of December to focus on Christ’s birth and what He means to us. And yet, it’s a challenge to keep every one of those services unique and effective for the gospel. In this Growth Points video, I’d like to share a few thoughts that I hope will be helpful as you head into the final stretch of the Christmas se..