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
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→
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→
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→
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
Scorcese’s ‘Silence’ Asks What It Really Costs to Follow Jesus
Martin Scorsese adapts Shusaku Endo’s acclaimed novel about faith, mission, and suffering. It’s been 28 years since Martin Scorsese ruffled the feathers of many Christians with the controversial Last Temptation of Christ, a film condemned by the Roman Catholic Church (of which Scorsese is a member) and a key moment in the history of the culture wars. A sincere if uneven exploration of the “fully man” side of Jesus, Last Temptation angered many believers because of its suggestion that Jesus expe..Continue reading→
Mary Magdalene director Garth Davis says Rooney Mara’s version of the character will not be a prostitute
Garth Davis is making the rounds to promote his first feature film Lion, which tells the true story of an Indian boy who was adopted by an Australian couple and then, as an adult, used Google Earth to find the village of his birth. Along the way, Davis has also revealed one or two tidbits about his next film Mary Magdalene, which recently finished shooting in Italy. In a video interview with Collider, for example, Davis confirmed that Mary Magdalene will not be a prostitute in his film, and he t..Continue reading→
Will the Force Be Strong with Rogue One?
It will depend on if the film taps in to the secret of any good Star Wars movie. “Star Wars at Christmas?” “Put it back in May where it belongs.” Some Star Wars fans had “a bad feeling about this” when The Force Awakens was scheduled for December 18, 2015. But complaints were forgotten when the movie opened to rave reviews. Me, I’ve associated Star Wars with Christmas since I opened my first Star Wars toys on Christmas morning in 1977, while the original was still in theaters. Dozens of those..Continue reading→
‘La La Land’ Dances Between Love and Calling
What Christians might take away from Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s latest hit. Editor’s note: This review contains spoilers for the movie La La Land. C. S. Lewis wrote, “Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing.” Hollywood takes a different stance. On-screen love stories bring us dramatic clichés: happily-ever-afters, grand gestures that save the day, and sobbing protagonists railing against whatever tragic external obstacle drove them apart. Damien Chazelle, the writer/d..Continue reading→
Jesus gets a digital tummy-tuck
Yesterday I updated my post on movie depictions of the Crucifixion to take into account a couple of films that have come out since the last update, and along the way, I decided to replace one of the images from Risen. The original image came from the film’s trailer, but the new image — with completed visual effects — came straight from the movie itself. And I noticed that it wasn’t only the clouds in the background that had been changed (to reflect the darkness that came over Jerusalem, as per M..Continue reading→
Box office: Office Christmas Party nearly topples Moana
An R-rated comedy almost beat a Disney cartoon at the box office this week. Office Christmas Party, about a night of corporate frivolity that gets out of hand, earned an estimated $17.5 million between Thursday and Sunday nights. It’s the fifth film to co-star Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston, and it landed in the middle of their previous openings together — bigger than The Switch (2012, $8.4 million) and Horrible Bosses 2 (2014, $15.5 million), but smaller than Horrible Bosses (2011, $28.3 mi..Continue reading→
Why ‘The Secret of Kells’ is a Perfect Christmastime Movie
The film is a gorgeous reminder of the beauty of God that waits beyond our walls of fear. The world outside—it’s a dangerous place. Stick with Christian community. Where it’s safe. I have received that message—sometimes blatant, sometimes merely implied—within so many Christian communities from childhood through adulthood. I’ve been instructed to read only Christian texts, attend only Christian schools, support only Christian charities, seek out Christian doctors, root for Christian football p..Continue reading→
IS GENESIS HISTORY? Film Aims To Answer Questions Of Creation, Evolution, Global Flood
One segment of the documentary focuses on the “Great Unconformity” with a trip to the Grand Canyon. The Great Unconformity is a geological formation that appears globally where granite bedrock is separated from sediment layers on top by an erosional layer caused by flood flow. NEW YORK (Christian Examiner) – A new documentary on the historicity of the Book of Genesis is coming to theaters across the country Feb. 23, but for one night only. The film, IS GENESIS HISTORY?, is the product of Compa..Continue reading→
Arrival’s Terrifying Vision of a Global “Unfriending”
Although caused by aliens, the breakdown in communication in Arrival feels all too familiar. Reader, I confess: I clicked “unfriend” last month. Several times. Understand, I wasn’t ending friendships. I was respecting them—by refusing to let Facebook’s limitations do them further harm. It troubled me to see conversations we might have enjoyed in person go so horribly awry on social media. And anyway, our heated arguments attracted other angry voices, voices that overwhelmed our debate with sna..Continue reading→
Music
The Brilliance Unveil ‘All Is Not Lost’
All Is Not Lost, the sophomore release from The Brilliance is available now, and critics are calling it "the album you need to hear in 2017." RELATED The Brilliance To Unveil Hope-Filled 'All Is Not Lost' January 27 The duo, comprised of David Gungor and John Arndt, is seeking to share a timely message of understanding, with lyrics eliciting love and unity throughout the 11-track offering. "We're looking forward to sharing these new songs because we are in a season when, no m..Continue reading→
GAWVI Releases Official Video For ‘In The Water’
Having made serious waves in 2016 with his breakout solo EPs, entitled Lost In Hue and Holding Hue, GAWVI now returns with the official video for one of the standout tracks, "IN THE WATER." RELATED GAWVI Releases Official Video For 'Late Nights' "In The Water," as well as the rest of the Lost In Hue EP, debuted on the Electronic/Dance Billboard charts at #2 and hit the top spot on the iTunes Dance charts. Now with nearly 2 million Spotify streams for the EP, not to mention the countl..Continue reading→
Brian & Jenn Johnson’s ‘After All These Years’ Debuts At No. 1 On iTunes Christian Albums Chart
Available today, Dove Award winning Bethel Music's Brian & Jenn Johnson debut After All These Years, applauded as "beautiful offerings of worship" and "sure to be one of the top worship albums of the year." Hitting No. 1 on the iTunes Christian Albums chart, the 10-track album comes more than 10 years since their last solo release together, featuring an 80-piece orchestra with every song cowritten by the duo. RELATED Bethel Music's Brian & Jenn Johnson To Unveil 'After All These ..Continue reading→
Reba To Headline Second Show At Historic Ryman Auditorium On February 15
To fans it may seem Reba McEntire has done it all but on February 15 she will surprise them once more, adding a 230P matinee to the already sold-out 730P show at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium. A rarity for the venue, the dual performances also mark the multi-media entertainers first time to headline a concert there. Tickets go on sale tonight (1/26) at 600P CT through ryman.com and ticketmaster.com, available ONLINE ONLY. RELATED Reba McEntire Inspires With New Album On February 3 ..Continue reading→
Gabby Douglas Releases Christian Music Compilation Album
U.S. Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas has made no secret of her Christian faith, and earlier this month, she shared some of the songs that have personally inspired her with the release of a special compilation project, titled Conqueror. The album features spotlight tracks from a number of Christian artists representing a variety of styles, ranging from hip-hop to Gospel, hard rock to electronic. It's not uncommon to see athletes such as Douglas sporting headphones leading up to a competitio..Continue reading→
Lecrae Debuts New Single
Grammy-Award winning artist Lecrae released the powerfully uplifting "Blessings" today, which features Ty Dolla $ign ("Paranoid," songwriting contributor to Rihanna/Kanye West/Paul McCartney song "FourFiveSeconds," among others). The mesmerizing track is now available at all DSPs, with the lyric video for "Blessings" also available today--watch it here http//smarturl.it/BlessingsLyric. The captivating artist closed out 2016 with his acclaimed 'Destination' tour this past fall. He kicks..Continue reading→
Righteous Vendetta Announce New Album ‘Cursed’
Rock group Righteous Vendetta has announced the details on an upcoming album titled Cursed, due to release on March 17. Cursed will be the first release in nearly four years from the Wyoming-based band, who released their last project The Fire Inside in 2013. Righteous Vendetta has spent those years with relentless touring and crafting the new songs. Cursed will be releasing through Century Media Records. "After two years of writing and recording we are beyond excited to finally release this a..Continue reading→
Tauren Wells’ ‘Love Is Action’ Hits No. 1 For Eight Weeks; Debuts New Video And Single
With the first single from Provident Label Group's Tauren Wells, "Love Is Action," capturing the No. 1 spot at CHR radio for eight weeks in a row, Wells is now debuting his follow-up single, "Hills And Valleys." Releasing to both Christian AC and CHR radio, the song is available in three versions "Hills And Valleys," found on the Undefeated EP; a remix version ("The Hills Remix") and an acoustic piano-driven rendition ("The Valleys Version"). There are also two Spotify playlists curated by ..Continue reading→
MercyMe To Release New Album ‘Lifer’ On Mar. 31
On the heels of their RIAA Certified Gold and GRAMMY® acclaimed Welcome To The New (2014), MercyMe will release LIFER (FAIR TRADE SERVICES) on Mar. 31, 2017. RELATED MercyMe Announces New Album Through PledgeMusic Campaign The core of LIFER is the question of what it looks like to live as followers of Christ that are committed for life. With 2014's Welcome To The New, MercyMe spoke to the grace and celebrated new life that Christ offers us in entering into faith. With their newest record,..Continue reading→
American
Ohio Bill Would Require Abortion Clinics to Bury Aborted Babies Instead of Selling Their Body Parts
Today, hearings began on Ohio Right to Life’s Unborn Child Dignity Act (S.B. 28), legislation which would require the humane burial or cremation of unborn children following an abortion. The legislation also increases informed consent for women seeking abortions by giving them the option of burial or cremation. Senator Joe Uecker, who is the sponsor of the bill, spoke before the Government Oversight and Reform Committee in the Ohio Senate, asking his fellow senators to join him in protecting th..
Alveda King: I’m Sick of Pro-Abortion Politicians Using Race-Baiting to Deceive Black Voters
Alveda King, the niece of Doctor Martin Luther King Jr, has released a pro-life message for Black History Month. The Civil Rights leader says she is sick and tired of pro-abortion politicians using race-baiting to deceive black voters into supporting them. “For years liberals and progressives have skillfully appealed to the Black communities, vying for the African American vote while maintaining that abortion is good for blacks and, conversely, that those who are pro-life are somehow anti-Afric..
Professor of Neurobiology: Human Life Begins at Conception, Fertilization
Maureen Condic, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Utah. She has been a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, a distinguished group of physicians, scientists, and theologians from the international community whose mission it is to study questions and issues regarding the promotion and defense of human life from an interdisciplinary perspective, since 2014. Dr. Condic is one of our nearly 40 associate scholars. In this interview, she discusses t..
Should a Father be Able to Stop The Mother From Aborting Their Baby? Lawmakers Say Yes
An Oklahoma bill is stirring up national controversy and raising awareness about fathers’ inability to legally protect their unborn children from abortion. The bill, Oklahoma House Bill 1441, sponsored by state Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Atoka, would prohibit unborn babies from being aborted without the father’s consent except in cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother. A state House committee approved the bill on Tuesday in a 5-2 vote, and sent it to the full Oklahoma House for a vote, ..
Australia
Leading Bible expert is returning to Australia
In a major coup, Rikk Watts, a highly-regarded Bible scholar is returning to Australia, joining Alphacrucis College as Professor of Biblical Studies. He is currently a Professor of New Testament at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. “I regard him very, very highly,” John Dickson, founder of the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX) told Eternity. “He is one of the world’s leading scholars on the Gospel of Mark. He has extraordinary ability both in the..
Where are all the godly role models for our men?
If you are an Australian man aged 15-44 years, you are more likely (by far) to die from suicide than any other cause says mental health support organisation Beyond Blue. It’s a concerning statistic – as is the fact that 80 per cent of all suicides in Australia are committed by men, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Men are also twice as likely to have a substance-abuse disorder, and will be the absent parent in 81 per c..
Former Imam in Eastern Uganda loses home, family, work after turning to Christ
NAIROBI, Kenya – Morning Star News – A 53-year-old man in eastern Uganda sits alone in a small shanty after losing his family, house and business because he left Islam for Christianity. Muslim relatives drove Kuluseni Iguru Tenywa, a former imam, from his ancestral home the night of June 27 in Budhagali village, Jinja District. Led by his brother-in-law, 45-year-old Isa Nsaja, the relatives gathered outside Tenywa’s house. “I heard people talking outside my house ar..
Charity must trump theology in gay marriage debate, says Christian thinker
A leading Christian commentator has come out in support of same-sex marriage on the basis of charity rather than theological principle. Scott Stephens, the ABC’s Online Editor of Religion and Ethics, told a forum last night that he had reached “a profound realisation” of the genuine fear of having a plebiscite felt among many groups. “I’ve reached the conclusion that the pain that’s caused to people by having the institution of marriage denied them – tha..
Law & Government
Colorado Pastor Prohibited From Using Name of Jesus in Bus Bench Advertisements
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. — Officials in a Colorado city are reviewing the advertising policies of a local transit company after it prohibited an area pastor from using the name of Jesus in bus bench advertisements. According to reports, Mountain Metro Transit told Lawson Perdue, pastor of Charis Christian Center in Colorado Springs that if the name of Jesus were allowed, the company would also have to accept ads considered hate speech. Perdue had been advertising on local bus benches for the past..
James Dobson Walks Back Assertion Trump Is Christian: ‘Do I Know That for Sure? No.’
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. — James Dobson, the founder of the renown Colorado-based organization Focus on the Family, is seemingly walking back comments he made last week asserting that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is a “baby Christian” who needs to be “cut some slack.” As previously reported, Dobson was interviewed last Tuesday by Michael Anthony of GodFactor.com, who was among the nearly 1,000 evangelicals who came to listen to Trump at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan. During t..
Judge Strikes Part of Mississippi Conscience Act, Requires Clerks to Issue ‘Gay Marriage’ Licenses
JACKSON, Miss. — A federal judge who was appointed to the bench by Barack Obama has struck down part of Mississippi’s Freedom of Conscience Act, requiring clerks within the state to issue “gay marriage” licenses despite their religious convictions. As previously reported, in April, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law H.B. 1523, also known as the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act. It was sharply criticized homosexual and transgender advocates. “The sin..
Concerns Raised as Trump Silent on Supreme Court Ruling Striking Down Texas Abortion Law
WASHINGTON — Concerns are being raised as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been silent about Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down a Texas abortion law as being an “undue burden on abortion access.” As previously reported, the court issued its 5-3 decision on Monday, stating that the Texas regulations, which require abortionists to have admitting privileges at a local hospital and keep their facilities up to the same standards as ambulator..
Entertainment
The Quiet Miracle of Queen of Katwe
It’s a miracle. The phrase is pregnant with Christian portent. Yes, other religions have their own sets of miracles, but Christianity seems to put a special emphasis on them. Jesus performed plenty of miracles, from killing fig trees to raising the dead, each one used as one more proof of His divinity. And ever since then, miracles have always been an important part of the Christian story—and Christian stories. Christian movies are enamored with the miraculous. Just this year, we’ve..
What the Magnificent Seven Says About American Faith
The Magnificent Seven begins in a church. It ends in a church. And even though the actual church building is a burned-out shell for much of the movie, the edifice still towers over the little town of Rose Creek—a charred, broken prophet, its shadow casting judgment over those who pass through. Throughout American cinematic history, the Western has long been a lens through which America sees itself—at our best and worst. It’s given us our defining heroes and served as a crucible thro..
Fox’s The Exorcist is More About God than The Devil. Here’s Why.
You just can’t keep a bad demonic force down, I guess. It’s been 45 years since William Peter Blatty wrote The Exorcist, and more than 40 since Blatty’s work became one of the best-known, most-feared movies in history. Now, thanks to Fox, The Exorcist is back, only with more installments and, hopefully, less pea soup. The story is different this time around, but its dynamics are roughly the same: A young girl from an affluent family is involved. A doubting priest and a grizzled vete..
‘Queen of Katwe’ tells of a mighty girl chess prodigy from Uganda
(This is from my column but I loved, loved, loved, this movie because Phiona is a mighty girl – and her mother a mighty woman) In Katwe, a slum outside of Kampala, Uganda, Phiona (Madina Nalwanga) drops out of school at a young age to help her widowed mother, Harriet (Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o), support the family. Meanwhile, Robert (David Oyelowo) takes a low-paying job at a Christian youth center in Katwe since he cannot find a job as an engineer. Phiona follow..
US
More Russian dirty tricks
Not only did the Russians hack into the Democrats’ e-mails in an attempt to influence the election. According to a classified report shared with Donald Trump, the Russians also compiled a dossier of “compromising” information about the president-elect’s personal life and about his finances. That the Russians released embarrassing information about Hillary Clinton but not about Trump is evidence, according to the CIA, that they wanted to discredit the former but protect the latter. But now some f..
Living under the law
More from David Zahl., who distinguishes between the big-L “Law” (of God) and the little-l “law” that people today try, futilely, to live by. . . . The latter too is a sign of how people today are obsessed with justifying themselves, even though they can’t. We need to point them to the justification they can have, freely, through Christ. I would add that those of us who have that justification should remember it more and should apply it when we ourselves fall into these syndromes of perfectionis..
The origin of the Bible’s chapters and verses
Imagine trying to look something up in the Bible if it didn’t have chapters and verses. But the Bible didn’t come with them. They were added to make the Scriptures more accessible. We have two men from two different centuries to thank for these innovations. Mark Wood at Christianity Today tells the tale, excerpted and linked after the jump. From Mark Wood, Who Divided The Bible Into Chapters And Verses? | Christian News on Christian Today: Anyone who knows about Magna Carta and King John has pro..
Justification and contemporary culture
Luther-influenced Anglican David Zahl has a brilliant article in the latest Christianity Today about Luther’s distinction between Law and Gospel and his understanding of justification by faith. These teachings, Zahl shows, go to the very heart of what people are most struggling with today in contemporary culture: perfectionism, the need for approval, and the futility of [Read More...]
Church & Theology
10 Ways to Be a Blessing to Your Missionaries
It is impossible for any local church to carry out the Great Commission without missionaries. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.—Matthew 28:19–20 Missionaries, then, are our co-laborers in the harvest. Just as we strive to be a blessing to those we physically labor alongside..
7 Ways Parents Undermine Their Own Influence
All children have moments or seasons when they struggle with obedience—just like their parents. But some young people, particularly in their teenage years, become defiant and overtly disrespectful. Why? There are many contributing reasons—including the freewill of every person to follow the Lord or to reject authority— but below are seven factors common when teenagers rebel. Regardless of what you may be doing right as a parent, if you are also doing any of these, you are undermining your own ..
How to Vote When This World Is Not Your Home
I don’t know that I’ve ever been so weary of politics as I am this election season. This year has certainly been one of the most negative and difficult in American history. Often when voting, we look for “the lesser of two evils.” Perhaps a better way to say it is that we should look for which candidate is more likely to support vital issues as related to the teachings of Scripture and is most likely to preserve religious liberty for those who desire to propagate Scriptural truth. This is not ..
7 Truths I Shared with Future Pastors Last Week
I meet once or twice each year with the senior men of West Coast Baptist College to discuss ministry philosophy and personal growth. As we met last week, I was encouraged by their sense of anticipation and eagerness for getting into the ministry. These are exciting days to serve the Lord. While it’s true that the ministry landscape is very different from when I first entered the ministry, it’s also true that there have never been more opportunities or a greater need for gospel-preaching churche..