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
About A Mile Preps For New Tour, Album With Video
About A Mile's frontman Adam Klutinoty is getting very real and personal, revealing for the first time his bout with drug addiction, lust and more, and how he has received healing and has learned to 'trust God all the way.' In the video below, Adam talks about these things and how they all led to the band's full-length sophomore album, Trust You All The Way, releasing globally Oct. 28 from Radiate Music, and the tour of the same name which launches tonight (October 14) in Blu..Continue reading→
Lauren Daigle’s AMA Nominations, Dove Wins Make for a Big Week
Centricity Music artist Lauren Daigle continues to build momentum with unprecedented record sales, multiple award wins/nominations and a sold out concert tour. Daigle received her first American Music Award nomination this week for "Favorite Artist Contemporary/Inspirational," in great company with Hillsong UNITED and Chris Tomlin. She also took top honors at the Gospel Music Association's (GMA) 47th Annual Dove Awards as the frontrunner of award wins with three for the evening, making this..Continue reading→
DcTalk Reunites Onstage for Surprise Performance
There was a buzz among artists traveling the red carpet at the Gospel Music Association's 47th annual Dove Awards Tuesday night that Christian music superstar TobyMac's performance would be something unforgettable. And they were right. For the first time in more than a decade, TobyMac got the band back together, as he, Michael Tait (currently of Newsboys) and Kevin Max reunited as dcTalk, performing the song "Love Feels Like" live to an astonished crowd.Continue reading→
Bake Sale – EP by Applejaxx
Track Listing 01. Love You Better 02. Trapazoid 03. Blueberry Muffins 04. Budget (feat. Mr. Coldstone) Continue reading→
Only Jesus by Austin Stone Worship
A new kids worship from Austin Stone Worship. Track Listing 01. Jesus Forever 02. King Of Everything 03. Only Jesus 04. You Made Everything 05. Rescue For My Soul 06. Center My Life 07. I Found A Treasure 08. Tell The World 09. Trust 10. We Are One Continue reading→
Lone / Grey by Comrades
Comrades have joined the Facedown Family and are set to release their Facedown debut full length "Lone/Grey" on October 7, 2016. From their beginnings as an instrumental post-rock band, Comrades has consistently created music that is both aggressive, ambient, complex, and emotional. Drawing from their diverse musical backgrounds, band members Ben Trussell (drums/vocals), Laura McElroy (bass/vocals), and Joseph McElroy (guitar) create music that they feel passionately about, and draft a space for the listener to take part in. Their passion and energy continues into their intense and sometimes chaotic live show. As a part of the DIY touring community since 2009,[...]Continue reading→
Now I Understand EP by Bro Ken
Worshipful rock songs from singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, BroKen. Track Listing 01. Now I Understnad 02. Your Love Is All That I Need 03. To My Wife 04. Oh Lord My God 05. Battles Of The Heart Continue reading→
Campfire II: Simplicity by Rend Collective
Irish worship band Rend Collective has announced Campfire II: Simplicity, set to release this November. The album will feature brand new tracks, a cover of Hillsong UNITED's hit "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)", along with favorites from The Art Of Celebration and chart-topping As Family We Go. "The vision behind this project is so near to our hearts," the band shared. "We long to see outsiders invited in, hope restored to the hopeless, rest for the cynics and revival for God's people. We can't wait to share these songs with you. We're praying they encourage, equip and speak life to all[...]Continue reading→
Your Mercy by Paul Baloche
Track Listing 01. Psalm 92 (It Is Good) 02. Once For All 03. Found In You 04. I Will Worship You 05. Your Mercy 06. Songs of the People 07. We Come to You Jesus 08. God Evermore 09. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (We Turn) 10. To The Cross I Come 11. More Than I Deserve 12. Peace On Earth Continue reading→
American
Weekly Meanderings, 28 January 2017
This is inexcusable and un-American: A massive group of violent demonstrators spat on, assaulted and screamed obscenities at a Gold Star widow and sister Friday outside an inaugural ball honoring the military, one of the women told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday. Amy Looney, who lost her husband Navy SEAL Lt. Brendan Looney in 2010, and Ryan Manion, whose brother Marine First Lt. Travis Manion died in 2007, said they were attacked as they tried to enter the American Legion’s tribute to Medal of Hono..
Tennessee Bill Would Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks, Planned Parenthood Calls That “Concerning”
The state of Tennessee is considering a new piece of legislation that would ban abortions after 20 weeks gestation when scientific evidence indicates a baby can feel pain from an abortion, WBIR-10 News in Knoxville reports. “I think the climate and the culture, the pendulum is swinging…It’s the right thing to do,” said State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver, who filed the bill in state legislature, according to WBIR. “There’s a time and a season for everything. People are understanding, our cul..
Scientists Create Human-Pig Hybrids for Organ Transplants That Could Develop Into “Monsters”
Scientists announced this week that they successfully created the first human-pig hybrid, a living pig embryo with some human characteristics. National Geographic reports the disturbing new experiment involved pig embryos injected with human cells. 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 weeks. Later, the scientists said they re..
Amazing Time-Lapse Video Shows Thousands of Pro-Life People Marching for Life
An amazing new time-lapse video shows thousands upon thousands of pro-life people marching for life through the streets of Washington D.C. It’s always difficult to capture the exact number of people who participate in the March for Life ,the rally and various pro-life events in the nation’s capital throughout the day. But this tremendous video gives you a visual glimpse of the tremendous outpouring of pro-life support for the March for Life as it streams through the streets of the nation’s cap..
US
A nation of suburbs
Big cities seem to get most of the attention. People debate their merits compared with small towns and the rural life. Suburbs don’t get the same respect. But according to a report from the Urban Land Institute, 79% of the American population live in suburbs. That includes 85% of the nation’s children and 75% of Millennials. Contrary to the stereotypes about “white flight,” suburbs are racially and ethnically diverse, with 76% of the minority population living in suburbs. And suburbs are where m..
Thomas Oden, ex-liberal theologian turned classical Christian, has died
Thomas Oden has died. A prominent liberal theologian who replaced pastoral care with psychotherapy, Oden converted to classical, historical Christianity when he read the church fathers. An Oklahoman (whose life in many ways paralleled mine), Oden gave us the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, insightful work on postmodernism, and much more. Please read my review of his autobiographical memoir, A Change of Heart: A Personal and Theological Memoir. Then read that book for an inside look at..
Trump’s appointments & WWE connections
Donald Trump’s choices for his cabinet and other high-level positions in his administration are interesting, to say the least. He is stacking defense-related positions with generals, well-qualified to be sure, but this has some worried about the tradition of civilian control of the military. He is awarding some loyalists but also including some Republican establishment figures, including, magnanimously, some who opposed him (such as Nikki Haley for UN ambassador, with Mitt Romney a contender for..
The triumphs of nationalism
The victory of Donald Trump–along with other political insurgencies in England, France, Italy, and other countries–was a triumph of nationalism. It was not a triumph of conservatism, though conservatism went along for the ride and is generally hospitable to nationalism. But the new political force is, above all, a rejection of globalism in favor of local cultures and a revival of the nation-state. So says Mark L. Movesian in a stimulating essay, quoted and linked after the jump. He says that nat..