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It’s Not Only Athletes: What Platform Has God Given You?

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

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

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

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The Federal Vision and the Magical Efficacy of Sacraments

It is a fatal flaw of the proponents of the Federal Vision that they hold to a view that replaces the work of the Holy Spirit with the magical working of the sacraments, a relic of paganism. It is beside the point that they define efficacy in such a vague way,… that it can be increased or decreased whenever necessary. By teaching that the sacraments, particularly baptism, have the power to convey new life, justification, forgiveness of sins and other graces temporarily, they have chosen a pagan ..Continue reading

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White Christian America Is Dying

I begin the book with an obituary for White Christian America, and I conclude the book with a eulogy. This construction is consistent with the book’s stark title. My argument in the book is that we have already experienced the passing of White Christian America. While this claim is grounded in demographic changes, it is also supported by the fading power of major institutions, such as the National Council of Churches or the Christian Coalition of America. There are no indicators that the country..Continue reading

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Confessions Of A Former Charismatic

This is what I found: there were many conversations among the church leaders, or with “discerning members,” who were concerned that there was a diminishing of the prophetic on Sunday or in prayer gatherings. The absence of such words was a sign of sickness. Rather than being glad at the faithful ministry of the Word in preaching, we were concerned with the absence of the prophetic. Though denied on paper, in practice, such words were given more weight than preaching — but not as much weight as S..Continue reading

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He Holds Out His Hands

There is Good News; God has also blessed you with his Gospel. You are hearing it right now. Despite the fact that you have spurned his counsel, rebelled against him, and have earned his eternal wrath, he has not stopped loving you. He promised his Son. He sent his Son. And now through the Word of God he stretches out his hands to you. A substitutionary law-keeper and a substitutionary righteousness are available for you. He is the Savior of all who give up and beg for pardon and rescue. Paul’s ..Continue reading

Movies

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THE YOUNG MESSIAH in a World on Fire

Who has time to answer a child’s questions amidst racial strife, religious conflict, and a refugee crisis? There is so much uncertainty and anger surrounding our search for a new leader, threats can lead to violence at any moment. And if we fail to see the parallels being the tumultuous ancient world that Jesus entered and our context today, then we’ve missed the poignant, life affirming point of the captivating new movie, The Young Messiah. Opening in movie theaters this weekend, The Young Mess..Continue reading

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RISEN Dares to Dabble in Mystery

The Greatest Story Ever Told is also one of the most oft told cinematic tales. So how can filmmakers bring a fresh take to Jesus’ death and resurrection? Directors often succumb to the digital temptation of bigger, louder, faster in an effort to instill faith in their audiences. Unfortunately, relying on spectacle only builds fascination with the special effects. Risen restores my faith in the Gospel film by doing the hard work of finding a new angle. It places us within the dramatic moment when..Continue reading

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Does the Arc In Hollywood Bend Towards Justice?

Editors’ Note: This article is part of the Patheos Public Square. This month we’re asking: Has Hollywood Become Our National Conscience? Read other perspectives here. While some decry the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an exclusive club deserving an #OscarsSoWhite label, others see it pushing a liberal agenda through every ribbon displayed at the annual Academy Awards. Given the conservative nature of the economic decision-making in Hollywood, the truth resides somewhere in betwe..Continue reading

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Faith-based drama ‘The Reconciler’ being released

Justice Pictures and IMD Films are releasing the Dove Foundation approved film, “The Reconciler,” which includes the first appearance of Canadian professional wrestler and actor Roddy Piper in a film since his passing on July 30, 2015. “The Reconciler” also stars Sherry Morris of “The Book of Ruth.” The film is now available in all Walmart stores through an exclusive agreement with Black Wolf Media Group and Origin Releasin..Continue reading

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SPOTLIGHT: No More Silent Nights

Spotlight is a throwback to the golden age of seventies cinema. It is a whip smart tribute to investigative journalism, rooted in character and grounded in a world where the most special effect is human emotion. Spotlight follows the tireless efforts of a team of reporters from The Boston Globe to uncover the sexual abuse perpetrated by far too many Roman Catholic priests. The most disturbing revelations in this true story involve the systematic cover up by Cardinal Bernard Law and the Boston Ar..Continue reading

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ROOM: Expanding Our Empathy

Heartache is an interesting condition. It is usually associated with romance, when break ups lead to heartbreak. So what should we call a situation where you find yourself rooting so hard for someone else’s happiness, that their trials and tribulations make your heart ache? Room is both harrowing and heroic. It places a heavy burden upon its characters and thanks to superb acting, writing and directing, transfers that weight to the audience. Emma Donoghue adapted her award-winning novel to what ..Continue reading

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Faith-based historical football drama “Woodlawn” coming to theaters nationwide

A faith-based period drama with a modern-day purpose and explosive sports action is headed to theaters nationwide October 16, 2015. WOODLAWN, is said to be an exhilarating high school football story about revival and reconciliation, offering hope for overcoming the racial crises facing America today. The movie, an Erwin Brothers film produced by Kevin Downes, tells the true-life story of Ton..Continue reading

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“One Generation Away” film tour visits the frontlines of religious liberty issues

“One Generation Away” is a fast-paced film that travels the United States (and Europe) in search of a deeper understanding of the religious freedom clauses in the Constitution’s First Amendment. From Hobby Lobby to the Mt. Soledad Cross in San Diego to wedding service providers in the Northwest, “One Generation Away” asks hard questions about the status of religious liberty in America toda..Continue reading

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Inside Out (2015)

Take a deep dive into your own head. Do an archaeological dig. Work your way all the way to the center. What do you find? Core memories. Foundational impressions. The moments that made you. Me? Mine are almost all related to creativity: – Reading books — fairy tales and fantasy, mostly. – Writing and illustrating my own fantasy stories with crayons, and then learning how to type out the words with my index finger on a typewriter. – Drawing pictures on church bulletins during church while my mom softly shushed me. – Opening presents on Christmas morning at my grandparents’ house, and discovering that my grandfather has built me my very own puppet stage. – Hanging out with my dad while he read theology books and graded high school students’ papers all evening. – Playing basketball in the backyard all by myself, inventing new variations on the game, and pretending to be every player on opposing teams as I acted out whole games. – Watching Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on the bi..Continue reading

Music

The Chapel Band Releases ‘The Gathering’

Pop worship team, Chapel Band is proud to release their new album, The Gathering. After recently signing with DREAM Worship, the group quickly went into the studio to finish amazingly powerful pop live album. The songs of this revival were penned by the young worshipers of Chapel Band who had poured into this movement and were beginning to see all they had prayed and longed for. The songs on the album have become anthems over the nation in their hometown in Ireland. Check out their new song, "A..Continue reading

Pop Artist Julianna Zobrist’s Husband Ben Named World Series MVP

Last night in game 7 of the World Series with the score tied in the top of the 10th inning, it was pop artist Julianna Zobrist's husband Ben who saved the day with a go-ahead double that sent in two runs and led the Chicago Cubs to a 8-6 victory over the Indians and their first World Series win since 1908. Zobrist was named MPV of the World Series (the first player in Chicago Cubs history to have that honor since the award wasn't established until 1955) for his "curse-breaking" hit.Continue reading

The City Harmonic To Part Ways Summer 2017

This morning The City Harmonic made the announcement that they would be parting ways come summer 2017. The difficult announcement was partnered with the promise of a final tour next year and a unique worship album recorded during that time. The City Harmonic will be hosting a Facebook Live Event on Saturday, Nov. 5, beginning at 700 pm EDT. Fans friends of the band who would love to talk more about the announcements by the band in the letter below are invited to participate during this live even..Continue reading

Newsboys Shine Spotlight On Heroes

GRAMMY®-nominated, Platinum®-selling Newsboys brought their blockbuster "Love Riot Tour" to a capacity audience at Nashville's Curb Event Center Friday night, with the band's hometown concert also serving as a benefit for the Guardian for Heroes Foundation. Established by late U.S. Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" Chris Kyle, the organization assists combat veterans transitioning to post-military life. During the evening, Guardi..Continue reading

Ron Block And Jeff Taylor Visit World-Famous WSM Radio

Multi GRAMMY®-winner Ron Block and GRAMMY®-nominee Jeff Taylor stopped by Nashville's world-famous 650 AM WSM Radio earlier this week to share selections from their collaborative debut, Trouble Go Down, which bows today. The virtuosos joined legendary host Bill Cody and producer Charlie Mattos on the "Coffee, Country and Cody" morning show, heard around the globe on WSM Radio and online, as well as broadcast to television audiences via The Heartland Network. Continue reading

Integrity Music Releases ‘Majesty In A Manger’

Committed to resourcing churches with songs of substance for every service need, Integrity Music announces the global release of Majesty In A Manger, a new worship album for the Christmas season. Produced by Dove Award winner Michael Farren (AllAboutWorship) and Daniel Kinner (Mandisa/Royal Tailor), the album features 11 tracks including new songs and an instrumental. "The Advent season brings some challenges to most wor..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

World

American

Vice President Pence Says Obamacare Repeal Will be Pro-Life: “We Will Protect the Sanctity of Life”

After meeting with pro-life leaders, pro-life Vice President Mike Pence said that any legislation approved to repeal and replace Obamacare would be pro-life. Pence held a “listening session” with several pro-life leaders late Thursday and asked for suggestions or improvement on the legislation that a House committee has already approved. The meeting lasted over an hour. “The conversation focused on ensuring that the sanctity of life is respected and included in efforts to repeal and replace Ob..

Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer Falsely Claims Planned Parenthood Provides Mammograms

The lie that Planned Parenthood does mammograms continues. On Tuesday, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer defended the abortion giant’s taxpayer funding by claiming that it provides mammograms, maternity care and other important health services for women, according to the Daily Caller. #Trumpcare cuts @PPFA funds, hurting millions of women who turn there for mammograms, maternity care, cancer screenings & more. pic.twitter.com/8ZmgEPZikv — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 7, 2017 Pla..

Hawaii Senate Passes Bill Forcing Pregnancy Centers to Promote Abortions

Sailing through the Democrat-controlled senate on a 22-3 tally, a Hawaiian bill that would force the state’s five pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise taxpayer-funded abortions was sent along to the house Tuesday in Honolulu. Patterned along similar lines with a 2015 law in California that is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as this year, the Hawaiian senate bill (SB 501) was originally introduced with a parallel house bill, which was on hold as the senate bill went through. ..

Chinese Family Planning Offices Dragged Her Into a Car and Forced Her to Abort Her Six-Month-Old Baby

It was impossible not to shed tears as Yue Zhang shared the trauma of being forced to abort her baby – six months into the pregnancy – a child she wanted and loved. At an event held today at the Heritage Foundation, along with Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, and pro-life Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Yue Zhang courageously spoke about how the Chinese Family Planning Committee dragged her into a car, took her to the hospital, and forced her to abort her baby. ..

Australia

What the Son of God gave up for us

CHRISTIAN LIVING | Mark Leach – Rector of Darling Street Anglican, Rozelle, Sydney Tuesday 22 November 2016 Some of the most radical, inspiring and challenging verses I’ve ever read are 1 Cor 9:1-23 where Paul outlines his rights as an Apostle. A Roman citizen, a Hebrew of Hebrews, he comes from a background of privilege. In addition, he is an Apostle transformed by an encounter with Jesus and he is the guy who started the church in Corinth. But Paul says he gives up all his rights, his freed..

Teens skip schoolies to teach God’s word

BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Friday 18 November 2015 A team of 14 young people aged 15-27, mostly schoolies, leave this weekend for a two-week mission trip to Cambodia for Bible Society Australia. The main focus will be visiting the literacy schools run by Bible Society Cambodia. “The schoolies are giving up their party time to go and help out in the literacy schools and give Bibles to the graduates. The team will also run children’s programmes in villages giving out a special booklet, Jesus is Born, th..

The blessed peacemakers of Israel

MISSION NEWS | Anne Lim Friday 11 November 2016 Children in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are going to sleep with a book of Bible stories about peace under their pillows, says Dina Katanacho, director of the Arab Israeli Bible Society based in Nazareth. The colourful picture book in Arabic – containing 15 biblical stories, 15 stories of contemporary children, questions and prayer – is shaping the attitudes of the next generation, Dina said. “The impact of this book was really big, be..

Australia notes:  Guy Fawkes Day

On Saturday night, here in Australia, fireworks started going off everywhere. It dawned on my daughter the lines “Remember, remember/the Fifth of November.” It was Guy Fawkes day! The old boy is burned in effigy and explosions are set off in commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot, in which a band of Catholic terrorists packed the basement of Parliament with gunpowder with the idea of blowing up the English government and killing King James. The plot was discovered when a conspirator wrote a letter ..

Law & Government

Unhinged ‘Street Preacher’ Lambasts Georgia Police Officer: ‘You Deserve a Sniper Bullet’

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — A shocking viral video that has been making its rounds on social media shows a self-identified street preacher lambasting a county police officer as he walks away, tongue-lashing him with the proclamation, “You deserve a sniper bullet in your head.” Jim Gilles of Indiana had been holding signs and calling out to passersby outside of Creflo Dollar’s World Changers Church International on the morning of Oct. 9, 2016 as members were arriving for services. Dollar has been a cont..

Planned Parenthood Asks Court to Stop Texas From Cutting Org From Medicaid Program

AUSTIN, Texas — The abortion and contraceptive giant Planned Parenthood filed for an emergency restraining order on Friday in an effort to stop officials in Texas from cutting the organization from the state Medicaid program. “Defendants’ unprecedented and indefensible actions show these terminations to be nothing more than a politically motivated witch hunt and the culmination of a concerted effort over more than a decade to come between the provider Plaintiffs and the thousands of low income ..

Trump Inauguration to Feature Prayer of Prosperity Preacher Paula White Who ‘Secured His Calling’

WASHINGTON — Prominent Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Franklin Graham, and prosperity preacher Paula White will be among the ecumenical selection of faith leaders who will present prayers and readings at Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony next month, the inaugural committee announced on Wednesday. “Since the first inaugural ceremony, our leaders have paid tribute to the blessings of liberty that have been bestowed upon our country and its people,” Committee Chairman Tom Barrack said in a st..

Conservative Attorney Jay Sekulow Supports Judge on Trump’s Supreme Court Shortlist Who Called Abortion ‘a Right’

WASHINGTON — Well-known attorney Jay Sekulow, who serves as chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, which takes up cases for conservative, pro-life and pro-family causes, expressed his support on national television this week for two of the picks on President-elect Donald Trump’s Supreme Court shortlist—Judges Diane Sykes and Bill Pryor—stating that they have a “proven track record.” However, others have voiced concern about the judges precisely because of their track record, ..

Entertainment

Elizabeth “Liz” Thoman, Media Literacy Pioneer, Memorial Planned

Sister Elizabeth “Liz” Thoman, CHM died on December 22, 2019. She was a media literacy education pioneer, advocate, and educator. Here is a link to her obituary: Sr. Elizabeth Thoman, Media Literacy Leader Dies Here is a link to my essay about her, written in gratitude for her life, work, and influence on my life: Sister Elizabeth Thoman Altered the Course of My Life To RSVP for the Memorial Service, click here (or copy and paste): [email protected] If you come, bring a memory to share! Or you ca..

“Silence” Exclusive Clip Ahead of Wide Release Jan. 13

If you live outside of a major entertainment hub like New York City or Los Angeles, chances are that this weekend might be your first opportunity to see the much-anticipated “Silence,” which is generating a lot of Oscar buzz. Based on an acclaimed novel by the same name, “Silence,” directed by Martin Scorsese, follows two Jesuit priests who endure persecution and violence when they travel to 17th-century Japan to spread Christianity and locate their mentor. Check out this exclusive clip from the..

You Picked What?! Watching God’s Best Movies of 2016

Comment countI love reading year-end lists. I’m not such a big fan of writing them. Hey, it’s not easy to sift through all the year’s movies and coming up with what I think are “the best.” What does that even mean, anyway? Are these the best movies, aesthetically speaking? The stuff that secular critics drool over and take home scads of awards? Or are these the movies that I enjoyed the most? The movies that made me smile while leaving the theater? And what about the movie’s message? This blog i..

Shining a Light on Strong Faith: New “Silence” Exclusive Clip Released

Paramount Pictures -- Clip from 'Silence'Directed by Martin Scorsese, SILENCE tells the story of two Christian missionaries, Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Garrpe (Adam Driver), who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence forbidden. The celebrated director’s 28-year journey to bring Shusaku Endo’s 1966 acclaimed novel to life will be in theaters in New York and Los Angeles o..

Health and Science

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Ken Ham Rebuts Lutheran Leader Who Says Noah’s Flood ‘Not History’: If It’s Not, Jesus Lied

WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. — Apologist Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis recently rebutted a liberal ELCA Lutheran minister who asserted in a published column that the biblical account of the global flood is “not history,” noting that the man is also calling Jesus a liar, for He spoke of Noah and the Flood. Steve Hammer is leads Esperanza Lutheran Church in Phoenix, Arizona and writes an opinion column for the Ahwatukee Foothills News. In an article dated Aug. 21, which now brings up a 404 error code but ca..

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A Story Carved In Rock (RJS)

The evidence for an ancient earth – far, far older than the <10,000 year timeline defended in young earth creationism – is abundant and independent of any hypothesis concerning the mechanism of biological evolution. There are only two reasons to doubt the great age of the earth: (1) an ignorance of the data or (2) a prior commitment to a young earth (usually from a specific approach to Genesis). In my experience, adamant defense of a young earth has always been tie..

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‘The Darwinian View is False’: Ph.D. Biologist Dismantles Evolution in New Book

An accomplished molecular biologist with more than two decades of research experience has come out with a new book in which he describes crippling weaknesses in the theory of evolution and argues instead that life must have been invented by God. Dr. Douglas Axe is a credentialed scientist who earned a Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology and held a number of research positions at the University of Cambridge. The author of numerous scientific papers, Axe currently s..

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Scientists Cloning More Animals Using Dolly the Sheep, May Lead to Human Cloning

Apparently clones of the same dead sheep from which Dolly was manufactured are in good health and aging normally. From the LiveSciencestory: Four cloned sheep that are genetically identical to Dolly, the first cloned mammal, are still healthy even in old age, a new study found. The four sheep, which were derived from the same batch of cells as Dolly and could be considered her clone “sisters,” have just reached their 9th birthday, which is equivalent to age 70 in human years, researchers who ha..

US

The new culture war

The old culture war was about morality and was informed by religion. The new culture war, signaled by the election of Donald Trump, is about nationalism vs. multiculturalism and “the people” vs. the elites. Trump has little interest in the old culture wars, with the important exception of being pro-life. But the new culture war is just as emotional, with pretty much the same people on either side. So says Rich Lowry in a piece excerpted and linked after the jump. So where does that leave Christi..

Marching for Life is getting somewhere

Today is the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., where thousands of pro-lifers will commemorate the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, by demonstrating against abortion and for the sanctity of life. We’ll see if this mass demonstration gets as much media coverage as the recent Women’s March, which specifically excluded pro-life women. I suspect not. But the pro-life cause is making progress. Abortion rates have dropped below the level they were before Roe v. Wade. (That ruling lega..

No, Trump isn’t censoring government agencies

The media is aghast that President Trump is requiring approval for website posts, clamping down on the use of social media, freezing grants, and forbidding federal agencies from issuing news releases. Censorship! Information control! Orwellian thought police! Well, it turns out, as even the New York Times now admits, this is routine practice during the transition from one administration to another. The same orders were handed down when the Obama administration replaced that of George W. Bush. As..

“The crowd is untruth”

In our discussion of yesterday’s post The Problem with Crowds, Stefan Stackhouse linked to an essay by Søren Kierkegaard, The Crowd is Untruth. That essay is shockingly profound,, with great resonance for today. The Danish Lutheran/proto-existentialist takes a theological, as well as ethical, view of crowds. He points out that the Bible says, “Love thy neighbor”; not “love the crowd.” He deals with “the daily press” and its creation of an abstract “public” that assumes an authority over what we ..

Church & Theology

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10 Lessons from a Hospital Stay—part 1

Just over two weeks ago, our lives were turned upside down when our three-year-old grandson, Chandler was taken to the hospital by ambulance with severe necrotizing pneumonia. We’re so thankful for the many who have prayed for Chandler in these past days, and we’re thankful for how the Lord has answered prayer in bringing healing. Although Chandler is now at home and resting well, he still has pneumonia and is taking strong antibiotics. We ask for continued prayers for his full recovery and tha..

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10 Lessons from a Hospital Stay, part 2

In my previous post, I shared five of the lessons the Lord has been teaching me through my three-year-old grandson Chandler’s illness illness and hospitalization with severe pneumonia. These are in no real order—just the raw truths the Lord has been teaching me during one of the most difficult times in our family’s life. (If you’ve just come across this and are seeing part 2 first, I hope you’ll take a moment to read part 1 which more thoroughly develops those first five lessons with Scripture ..

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What the Trinity Debate Can Teach Seminarians

I wrote the other day about why the Trinity debate matters for the pulpit and pew, hoping to help people outside or on the periphery of the debate understand why they should care about it. (By the way, I gave a bit of an intro and some recommended articles in that post, if you already have no clue what debate I’m talking about.) A group of people who participated more directly in the debate is Bible college and seminary students. From undergrads to PhD students, it seems ..

5 Commitments of Continuing Churches

We have the absolute promise that the church will continue. Jesus plainly declared, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Thus, we have the advantage of operating from the knowledge that we are on the winning side. Even so, you and I both know of churches that have not continued for Christ—churches who have left off aggressively reaching the world with the gospel and dwindled to nothing or have tried to “reinvent” the church and lost their distinction and effectiveness. So what is the diff..

Finance

Five Ways to Retire With Less Money

What if you are one of the many millions of people who have little chance of having a million dollar retirement portfolio by the time you reach 65? Should you abandon the idea of retirement completely and plan on working until you die? Hardly. The reality is that most people will enter retirement with something much less than $1 million. The ability to retire is often more dependent upon factors beyond your retirement portfolio. Here are some ways to enable you to eventually have some form of retirement, even if you will never amass a retirement fortune. Cut your living expensesA major reason why retirement portfolios need to be so large today is the high standards of living we’ve all become accustomed to. You can cut down on the amount of money that you’ll need in retirement by cutting back on your living expenses now. This will accomplish two positive goals. First, it will free up more money now so that you can invest it either in your retirement portfolio or in other income producin..

How to File the Federal Tax Extension Form

Filing a tax extension is simple. If you need extra time to work through your tax documents and just don’t think you’ll be able to finish your taxes by the April 18th tax deadline, you can file for an extension. Once you file the tax extension form, you’ll have until October 17th 2016 to file your taxes (an extra 6 months). This doesn’t mean that you get an extra 6 months to pay your taxes. That’s why it’s so important to estimate you taxes owed and pay them before April 18, 2016. Otherwise, you might end up with penalties and interest to pay the IRS. Oh and if you still need to file your taxes this year, you can file them for free (even state) here. How to File a Tax Extension Form1. Estimate Your Taxes OwedYou’ll need to have an idea of how much you owe in taxes because you’ll need to send in the payment before April 18th. Gather all your tax documents and create a rough estimate of what you’ll owe. 2. Download and Complete the Tax Extension FormThe IRS requires you to download and c..

Income Tax Calculator: 3 Federal Income Tax Estimators

With tax season around the corner, you might be itching to file your taxes right away. Some people like to file as early as possible, while others are still looking for the answer to their question: when are taxes are due? If you don’t have all your tax forms yet, but want to estimate what your federal income tax return looks like, you’re in luck. There are a few tools available for you to estimate what your return might look like. If you haven’t already received your W-2 or 1099s in the mail, use your last paycheck as a guide to see how much you made and what you paid in for federal and state taxes. Gather as much information as you can about charitable donations, business expenses, or interest paid so that you can get the best estimate when you put your figures into these income tax calculators. 3 Income Tax Calculators to Estimate Your Tax Refund…or Tax BillIRS.gov Tax Refund CalculatorThis no-frills income tax calculator will take into consideration most of the major tax issues tha..

Life Balance: How to Keep it Together

In this ever-changing world in which we live, all of us feel a little “un-balanced “ at times in our lives. What can we do to help us recognize what is causing that unbalanced feeling and how should we go about fixing it? Let’s first identify some of the areas in our lives that we must keep in balance. There are home responsibilities, work responsibilities, community responsibilities, religious responsibilities, educational responsibilities, and social responsibilities – to name just a few. HomeIn your home responsibilities you need to find a balance between all of the many things that you have to do there. For example, who are you at home? Are you a parent, spouse, teacher, cook, seamstress, gardener, doctor, vet, cheerleader, lover, and friend? All of these many responsibilities can wear you down and cause you to feel off-center. It is important that you “job share” these responsibilities. The more you can communicate and share as a family the more understanding and help you will hav..