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→
Daily Verses
Luke 2:6-7
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”Continue reading→
1 Samuel 12:20 (12-20-16)
And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart... — 1 Samuel 12:20 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Israel wanted a King. This crushed Samuel's heart and angered God with the people's lack of faith. Samuel, however, reminds them that while they have stumbled and fallen, they must not abandon the LORD himself. Instead, their political concerns must give way to..Continue reading→
Embracing God’s Purpose
"I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." John 17:4, NIVJill Briscoe, noted author and international speaker, was once asked what she saw as her life’s greatest mission. She answered that her life’s greatest mission is “to figure out what to do every day in my life – as ordained by God – and then to do it.” Jill knows there are many things to do in life that are not ordained of God, which is why we must be single-minded. To be single-minded as I embrace God’s..Continue reading→
Luke 2:1, 4-5
“[The Birth of Jesus] In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”Continue reading→
Proverbs 12:19 (12-19-16)
The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.— Proverbs 12:19 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... "Tell the truth the first time, then you won't have to remember what you said." This truism by the famous Speaker of the House, Sam Rayburn, is good medicine for us today. Telling a lie seems gratifying at the time, but it nearly always catches up with us and gives us the added burden of trying to remember what we said and why. Truth endures..Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Isaiah 43:16, 18-19
“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”Continue reading→
Nehemiah 12:30 (12-30-16)
And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.— Nehemiah 12:30 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... God has placed each of us in a circle of influence. Before we try to "clean up" those around us, let's first offer ourselves to God to be consecrated and to be made pure by his grace. Then, let's live in a way that shows the impact of that holiness in our lives. Jesus told us to remove the plank from our own eye befor..Continue reading→
Just Think on Jesus!
[He] loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. Revelation 1:5b, NIVJesus is the most important Man, not just in our nation, not just on planet earth, but in the entire universe! And He isn’t important just for four years or eight years, but forever and ever and ever! Furthermore, the most important Man in the universe thinks I am so important, He gave His own life for me! How can I feel depressed by the smallness of my life when the most important Man in the universe died for me, rul..Continue reading→
John 16:33
““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.””Continue reading→
Prayers
Daily Prayer for December 20
This is the one about whom it is written: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you." Matthew 11:10, NIV Lord our God, thank you for bringing us into glorious day. Let the rays of your grace, the grace of Jesus Christ, shine into our hearts so that we are truly born of the Spirit and serve you as your children at all times, also when hard days come. Through your might and your revelation pry us loose from all earthly things. Pry us loose from worries and from p..Continue reading→
Dead and Risen
PassageColossians 2:20-3:2 PrayerDear Father,Help me to realize that I have died and have been resurrected with Christ. Break the attachments of my old life and its bondage.Don't let me live as if life were a matter of keeping regulations - don't touch, don't taste, don't handle - but let me live out of a deep sense of love and loyalty to my Savior.Don't let me grasp for that which has merely an appearance of wisdom and which might make a show of religiosity but not real..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for December 19
When the Lord brought us back to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! How we laughed, how we sang for joy! Then the other nations said about us, "The Lord did great things for them." Indeed he did great things for us; how happy we were! Psalm 126:1–3, TEV Dear Father in heaven, we hope in you and in your promise, which we hold in our hearts as our most precious possession. Protect us when times grow hard. May your Spirit come. May your Spirit constantly reveal your Word and give your promise to the h..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for December 18
Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. Psalm 65:1–2, NIV Lord our God, our Father, out of reverent silence comes the praise that is due to you, O God in Zion. It is right for us to praise you and to keep our promises to you. People everywhere shall come to you, for you answer prayer. Protect us your children in the task you have given us. Watch over us so that we can serve you in the right way and receive from you th..Continue reading→
Christian Quotes
Phillips: reading as an adult
Sunday, October 2, 2016 Meditation: For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. —Colossians 2:1-3 (ESV) Quotation: The testimony of the New Testament cannot be lightly d..Continue reading→
Law: new every morning
Saturday, October 1, 2016 Commemoration of Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, Apostle of the Franks, 533 Commemoration of Thérèse of Lisieux, Carmelite Nun, Spiritual Writer, 1897 Meditation: For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. —1 Corinthians 15:22 (ESV) Quotation: Receive therefore every day as a resurrection from death, as a new enjoyment of life; meet every rising sun with such sentiments of God’s goodness, as if you had seen it, and all things, new-created upon yo..Continue reading→
Chadwick: springing the trap
Friday, September 30, 2016 Meditation: And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” And they discussed it with one anot..Continue reading→
Reid: the language of the Gospel
Thursday, September 29, 2016 Feast of Michael & All Angels Meditation: While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advo..Continue reading→
Questions & Answers
Rapid Response: “God Is Not Needed to Explain the Fine-Tuning of the Universe”
In our Rapid Response series, we tackle common concerns about (and objections to) the Christian worldview by providing short, conversational responses. These posts are designed to model what our answers might look like in a one-on-one setting, while talking to a friend or family member. Imagine if someone said, “Christians sometimes point to the appearance of fine-tuning in the universe as proof that God exists. But you don’t need God to explain this fine-tuning.” How would you respond to such a..Continue reading→
What Is A Pagan? Is The Term Pagan Or Paganism Used In The Bible?
What does the word “pagan” mean when used in the Bible? What is “paganism?” The word “pagan” originally meant a “region delimited by markers,” like a city or a state or even a region that was easily marked off. Now it literally means anyone else’s religion or belief system that rests outside of their own religion. In other words, to the Orthodox Jews, Muslims are pagans, and to the Muslims, the Jews are pagans…and just about every other religion classifies those outside of their own beliefs as ..Continue reading→
Rapid Response: “We Don’t Need God to Explain the Origin of Life”
In our Rapid Response series, we tackle common concerns about (and objections to) the Christian worldview by providing short, conversational responses. These posts are designed to model what our answers might look like in a one-on-one setting, while talking to a friend or family member. Imagine if someone said, “Christians believe God created all the life here on earth, but science has a better explanation for the origin of life.” How would you respond to such a statement? Here is a conversation..Continue reading→
Should You Force Your Teenager To Go To Church?
Do you believe you should force your teenager to go to church? A Matter of Choice I cannot tell you as a parent what you should or shouldn’t do. Even though I’m now a grandfather, and all my children are adults, that still doesn’t qualify me to tell you whether you should force your teenager to go to church or not. That’s a matter of personal opinion, and it depends very much upon the age and circumstances of the teenager. There is never a one-size-fits-all rule for any parent and child. There ..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
How Does a Pastor Know When to Make Changes in His Church?
Just because a biblical argument can be made for the change, does not mean it is the right time to make the change. So many young pastors walk into an existing church, make quick, needed changes because, “It’s in the Bible” and think nothing of shepherding a congregation through those changes. Then they wonder why eighteen months into their pastorate, half the church remains and there is a general lack of trust and suspicion towards the pastor. That’s because the new pastor was too busy figuring..Continue reading→
A Failure to Lead is a Failure to Follow
We need to follow Jesus, sit at his feet, hear him present the Law, and confess our transgressions. Admit it! In many ways we have been arrogantly abusive in our leadership. In other ways we have been arrogantly apathetic. Men, let us not excuse these sins any longer. Let us contemplate and confess our failure to follow Jesus and lead properly. MEN, WE ARE CALLED TO FOLLOW JESUS. He is our Savior, Shepherd, and King. He has all wisdom, power, and authority. And Jesus the King of kings and Lord..Continue reading→
Long Read: What Liberal Intellectuals Get Wrong About Transgenderism
What comes after transgender? Surely no gender at all, but only the lone self, wandering trapped in a labyrinth of endlessly binary forking paths, by which it is more controlled than it can ever be controlling. With gender vanishes sex, save for self-pleasuring, and with both sex and gender vanishes the most fundamental mode of eros and relationality: that between man and woman. Most non-tyrannical human self-government has been built on male-female relationality, as Ivan Illich showed. It also ..Continue reading→
Striving to Escape the Fall
Sin and misery are the all-encompassing and inescapable realities of this life in this fallen world. Christ came into the world to redeem us from our sin and the misery of this fallen world, and to give us eternal holiness and happiness. While Jesus bore the curse in our place, took the guilt and power of our sin upon Himself at Calvary and reconciled us to God (thereby, definitively dealing with our sin), the misery that came into the world on account of the fall remains until the resurrection...Continue reading→
Music
Leeland Announces Pre-Order For New Album
Today Bethel Music announced the pre-order of Leeland's first album as part of their artist collective. "We're excited to announce that Leeland's first album with Bethel Music is now available for pre-order on iTunes. 'Invisible' offers a refreshing perspective on a gospel that is alive and moving in us and through us," Bethel shared. Invisible will mark Leeland's first release since 2014's Christ Be All Around Me EP and will be available July 22. Click here to pre-order the album now and get 3 instant song downloads "Invisible," "Carry It All Away" and "Son Was Lifted Up." Invisible Track Listing 1. My Treasure 2. War 3. Spirit 4. Ever Love You Lord 5. For Your Glory 6. Perfect Love 7. Lock & Key 8. Invisible 9. Breath of God [...]Continue reading→
Project 86 Announces PledgeMusic Campaign for 10th Album
Project 86 has launched a special PledgeMusic campaign in support of their upcoming tenth studio album and their 20 year anniversary as a band. The project will be comprised of ten original songs and five covers. All of the songs will be available to backers on a one song per month basis, beginning with a cover of Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" as an immediate download for all backers. The PledgeMusic campaign is designed as both a preorder for music to come and a celebration of music past, with offers including vintage merch. Accompanying tour dates are coming soon, with Project 86 promising to play fan favorites from their early days alongside current tracks. Above all, the band sees the campaign as a way to celebrate the past two decades alongside their fans. "You have stuck by us for twenty years. We want to meet you, spend[...]Continue reading→
Word Entertainment Scores Two Trophies For Christian Retailing’s Best Awards
It was announced earlier this week that Word Entertainment was honored two times at the annual Christian Retailing's Best Awards. Big Daddy Weave's acclaimed album Beautiful Offerings (Fervent Records) won in the music category and When Calls the Heart Complete Season 2 (Word Films) won for the DVD Movie division. The awards, honoring the best new products of the year, were given on Monday, June 27 in Cincinnati during the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS). "At Word Entertainment, we are passionate and intentional about delivering the best in Christian entertainment to people everywhere," shares Rod Riley, President & CEO, Word Entertainment. "Big Daddy Weave's Beautiful Offerings and When Calls the Heart Complete Season 2 are two projects that we have seen impact thousands and thousands of lives with the good news of the Gospel. To be recognized with awards for each of these projects from Christian Retailing's[...]Continue reading→
Metalcore Group Toarn Signs With Luxor Records
Christian metalcore band Toarn has announced their signing with Luxor Records, making their upcoming EP Giant Killer their debut with the label. Toarn released a new song titled "In Flander's Fields" alongside the label news, giving fans an initial taste of Giant Killer prior to its July 15 release. Preorders for the EP are available through major retailers like Amazon, BestBuy and Barnes & Noble as well as through VictoryMerch.com. The Washington-based band has developed a grassroots following through the release of past independent projects Protoevangelium and Brood of Vipers. Toarn will be hitting the road with Hemarosa in support of the release, with tour dates listed here. You can listen to "Flander's Field" below.Continue reading→
Britney Spears Endorses Pastor/Author Max Lucado
Britney Spears has a new album coming out and is about to kick off a two-year residency in Las Vegas, so she’s out there working the publicity machine. During a recent Twitter chat, a fan asked Britney what her favorite book was, and the singer replied, “Anything by Max Lucado.” Lucado is a Texas-based preacher and author of a hundred (yes, a hundred) Christian-themed adults and kids’ books. Their titles include Grace for the Moment, Outlive Your Life: You Were Born to Make a Difference, and God..Continue reading→
Katy Perry’s Song “By the Grace of God” Is a Flashback to Her Christian Singer Days
Before Katy Perry was an animal-print-and-candy-loving pop star, she was Katy Hudson, aspiring Christian singer. Though her switch to the secular side of music helped make her a star, Katy (whose parents are pastors) hasn’t given up on her Christian background. Her new album Prism features the ballad “By the Grace of God,” which probably won’t ever be released as a single but does a bang-up job appealing to one of her core constituencies. But what does John Mayer think?Continue reading→
American
Birth Control and Contraception Don’t Reduce Abortions Despite False Claims From New Study
As congressional efforts to defund Planned Parenthood gain momentum, it is unsurprising that the abortion provider is fighting back. The group recently funded a study – carried out by the liberal think tank Child Trends — which makes some outlandish claims about the purported health benefits of contraception. The study claims that if all women of childbearing age could access a complete range of contraception methods, both the unintended-pregnancy rate and the abortion rate would fall by more t..
Activists Celebrate Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, “We’re Grateful for Abortion Doctors”
There is so much going on, including plans to cut the half-billion dollar stream of federal dollars to Planned Parenthood, you might anticipate that the largest provider of abortions on the face of the planet might pay less attention than usual to the “National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers.” I went to PPFA’s twitter account and after searching in vain for a reference, plugged the word “abortion” into the search engine. For the period of the last two days, the word appeared just th..
Amazing Video Shows Huge Pro-Life Flashmob at Peru March for Life
Organizers of the Peru March for Life created an enthusiastic new video recently that shows a flashmob celebrating the lives of babies in the womb. Churchpop reports the pro-life organizers created the music video to promote the upcoming march. The video shows a lively crowd of young pro-lifers gathering in downtown Lima, dancing and singing as they celebrate the lives of babies in the womb. The pro-life event, Marcha por la Vida, is scheduled for March 25 in Lima. The theme this year is “Take..
Her Abortion Was Botched So Badly it Left Part of the Baby “Putrefying” Inside of Her
Jane nearly died from an illegal, botched abortion prior to Roe v. Wade. And for that reason, she is fighting to keep abortion legal today. She and three other women who had illegal abortions prior to Roe recently shared their horrific abortion experiences in a video by The Scene, according to the Daily Mail. Jane, whose last name is not provided, said she had the abortion in 1968 after a man broke into her room, raped her and threatened to kill her. One horrifying event led to another when sh..
Australia
The business of our mission
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Saturday 10 December 2016 Bible Society and Koorong now share a huge 2500-square-metre warehouse at Erskine Park in western Sydney. From here, hundreds of thousands of Bibles and Christian books are shipped to all corners of Australia and the Pacific under the watchful eye of warehouse manager John Park and his staff of 40. John is enjoying his expanded role with responsibility for six new staff and managing extra sales. “All the extra money profited or saved within thi..
Reading of God’s wonderful love
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Friday 4 November 2016 Imagine not being able to read this sentence. Perhaps you can’t get your head around that because you have been able to read and write since you can remember. But according to the latest UNESCO figures, 758 million adults (aged 15 years and older) across the world remain unable to do so. Imagine – nearly 760 million adults are not able to read and write in their heart language! Let’s put it another way: 33 times the total population of Australia is il..
A fun format freshens the word of God
BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Friday 25 November 2016 Although the nations in the South Pacific enjoy a long history of Christian mission, many contemporary churches still don’t have the Scriptures in their own language, and those that do are forced to read old-fashioned Bible translations that don’t really connect with a new generation of Christians. Bible Society South Pacific is committed to meeting this need, and is in the middle of a ten-year project to provide updated and new biblical materials to ..
Celebrate the Bible with us in 2017
We’re celebrating the Bible in 2017 and on Sunday March 5th a very special event will take place in partnership with Hillsong and live streamed in churches across the nation. Key speakers include Anglican Archbishop Glenn Davies and Hillsong’s Brian Houston, with more announcements to be made prior to the event. The post Celebrate the Bible with us in 2017 appeared first on Bible Society.
Law & Government
Missouri Lawmaker Introduces ‘Right to Life Act’ to Outlaw Abortion in State
Photo Credit: Oriol MartinezJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A lawmaker in Missouri has presented a bill that would end abortion in the state with no exceptions. Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, introduced the “Right to Life Act” in the legislature on Monday, which recognizes the unborn as being persons from the point of conception and therefore entitled to the right to life. “The life of each human being begins at conception and is hereby deemed a person,” it declares. “As with all persons, unborn children ..
US House Votes to Permanently Ban Taxpayer Funding of Abortion
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act on Tuesday, essentially placing a permanent ban on taxpayer funding of abortions, as outlined in the Hyde Amendment. The matter now moves to the Senate for consideration. The Act had been introduced by Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, a longtime supporter of the Amendment, which was first passed in 1976 to ban the use of Medicaid funds for abortion, with the excep..
Kentucky Abortion Facility to Close After License Denied, Leaving One Remaining Provider in State
LEXINGTON, Ky. — An abortion facility in Kentucky is set to close later this month after state officials denied its owners a license, leaving just one abortion provider in the state. The closing of EMW Women’s Clinic in Lexington was announced on Friday by the Kentucky chapter of the National Organization for Women as it relayed a message from the facility’s executive director. “As you know, for the past 6 1/2 months we have diligently pursued obtaining a license to operate an abortion facilit..
Democratic Rep. Files Resolution to Recognize ‘Darwin Day’ on Feb. 12
WASHINGTON – A Democratic lawmaker filed a resolution in the House of Representatives that, if approved, would recognize February 12, 2017, as “Darwin Day” and celebrate the father of evolution’s contributions to science. House Resolution 44, filed on Wednesday by Democratic Rep. James Himes of Connecticut, seeks to honor Darwin on the 208th anniversary of his birth. “Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by the mechanism of natural selection, together with the monumental amount of scientific e..
Entertainment
Liam Neeson sees God as love, not a stern master (interview)
Actor Liam Neeson plays the apostate Jesuit priest Fr. Ferreira in Martin Scorsese’s new film “Silence.” I interviewed Neeson by phone on Jan. 18. It was a short interview (about twelve minutes). You can read my interview with Matt Malek, an executive producer on the film and my review at Sister Rose Movies and at the National Catholic Reporter.NCR: Have you seen the film? Neeson: Yes, twice in fact. What did you think of it? When you’ve worked on a film and see it for the first time, there’s a ..
Driven by Mystery: An Interview with the Producers of “The Story of God”
By Wesley Baines Who is in charge of the universe? Big questions like these are the currency that National Geographic’s beloved documentary, “The Story of God” deals in, and it has yet to shortchange its viewers. For those unfamiliar with this groundbreaking series, viewers are invited to join Freeman as he travels the world, exploring the nature of faith and religion. With the inaugural episode of the show’s second season, airing on January 16th, these questions continue, as narrated by the div..
The Story of God: Are We All Chosen?
Comment countNational Geographic’s fascinating series The Story of God With Morgan Freeman kicks off its second season Jan. 16. The first episode is titled “The Chosen One,” and it focuses on those whom, in a variety of religions, believe that they’ve been picked to do special work. Some of these folks have daunting tasks to fulfill. The show begins with 9-year-old Jalue Dorjee, a soccer-loving, Pokemon playing kid from Minnesota who was told he’s the reincarnation of a famous Tibetan lama. That..
‘Patriot’s Day’ inspires and surprises
Patriots DayMost people will remember April 15, 2013, when brothers Tamerlan (Themo Melikidze) and Dzhokhar (Alex Wolff) Tsarnaev set off two homemade bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It was Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts, the day of the Boston Marathon, held annually to commemorate the first two battles of the Revolutionary War: Concord and Lexington. Click here to continue reading at St. Anthony Messenger, February, 2017 (scroll down). P.S. I am adding this today, January 12: I..
Health and Science
Bird or Dino? Fossilized Feathered Tail Ignites Debate Between Evolutionists, Creationists
MYANMAR – Evolutionists are heralding the discovery of a well-preserved feathered tail in Asia as evidence that dinosaurs once had plumage, while creationists maintain that the specimen likely came from a bird. Last week, a team of researchers consisting primarily of scientists from Canada and China published a journal article in “Current Biology.” The article, titled “A Feathered Dinosaur Tail with Primitive Plumage Trapped in Mid-Cretaceous Amber,” describes a piece of amber, approximately th..
Evidence of a Young Moon? Study Forces Scientists to Rethink Lunar Dating Techniques
Could the moon be younger than most realize? A new study shows that craters on the moon form quicker than previously thought, which means many features on the lunar surface are not as old as astronomers had predicted. Astronomers at Arizona State University and Cornell University recently set out to measure the formation rate of craters on the moon. To do so, they compiled thousands of high-resolution “before and after” images of the moon’s surface captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbite..
Christian Scientist Fired for Challenging Evolution Awarded Financial Settlement
LOS ANGELES – An evangelical Christian scientist who was fired after discovering evidence that seemingly contradicted the evolutionary timeframe has been awarded a generous settlement after taking his case to court. As previously reported, Mark Armitage was a scientist at California State University—Northridge (CSUN) who discovered soft tissues on a large triceratops horn that was believed to be at least 65 million years old. However, the discovery became mired in controversy when Armitage desc..
‘Increasingly Aggressive’ Atheists Target Children in New Evolution-Promoting Book
An evolution-propagandizing illustrated children’s book is drawing praise from the secular community and currently ranks as a best seller on Amazon.com. “Annabelle & Aiden: The Story Of Life” is a 26-page children’s book that was published last month. Advertised as an “inspirational storybook” that will help kids “gain a basic understanding of evolution,” the book walks readers through the history of life according to Charles Darwin. Featuring a “wise owl” who describes..
US
C. S. Lewis, atheist
C. S. Lewis, one of the foremost Christian apologists, had been for 15 years a convinced and rather militant atheist. My friend and former colleague Joel Heck has written a splendid study of Lewis’s atheism, published by Concordia Publishing House: From Atheism to Christianity: The Story of C. S. Lewis There are many kinds of atheism, just like there are many kinds of Christianity, and Joel unpacks the influences, books, and ideas that defined Lewis’s particular variety of unbelief. In tracing L..
The three causes of war
The great Athenian historian Thucydides said that there are three causes of war: (1) honor (2) fear (3) national interest. Jonah Goldberg discusses those factors and cites modern historian Donald Kagan, who says that honor comes first as the reason why a nation goes to war. That motive is far more common, he says, than national interest. World War I was surely caused by many nations’ sense of honor. World War II was caused by Germany and Japan’s radical sense of national pride and the honor (and..
Immigration chaos
President Trump’s executive order blocking entry into the United States of citizens of seven nations has created chaos at airports around the world, as Iraqis with green cards, visas, and airplane tickets were suddenly not allowed to get on flights or to go through passport controls, leading to people being trapped in airports and demonstrations breaking out worldwide. The chaos also broke out within our government: The acting attorney general said the Justice Department will not defend the pres..
LCMS president on immigration issues
Cuban immigrants head to Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso When it comes to immigration issues, there is the obligation of the State to enforce the law. But, for the Church, there is also the obligation to minister to those in need. Now that President Trump is cracking down on immigration–rightly so, many of us would say–our Lutheran Hispanic congregations and our various Hispanic ministries are dealing with a sense of panic and insecurity among many of those to whom they are ministering. LCMS ..
Church & Theology
What Happens to Us When We Read the Bible?
Superhero movies and the latest iteration of Star Wars show the power of a good story. Grown men and small children alike dress up in costumes, stand in line for hours, and spend $62 on a bucket of popcorn just to watch larger-than-life heroes do the unthinkable. People are riveted by a good story that seems otherworldly, and they’re willing to scrounge up the money and time to invest if they’re convinced they’ll enjoy themselves. Through my work with the Holman Christian ..
What the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” Teaches Us about Manuscript Evidence
Last week, I taught for two days at City Church’s Institute, wherein my church offers an opportunity each summer for church members (mainly college students) to learn theology, church history, cultural engagement, etc. along with a church internship and a mission trip (or two). One morning, I taught on the development and authority of Scripture. My lecture started with general and special revelation, and then moved into oral tradition and eventually all the way to the for..
A Grave Concern for Christians in America
In current deliberation among California legislators is Senate Bill 1146. I am gravely disturbed by this bill that strikes a direct blow to religious liberty and severely infringes on personal freedoms and the freedoms of Christian institutions in California. The so-called “Equity in Higher Education Act” is designed to erode the free exercise of religion given us in both the United States Constitution and the California Constitution, by limiting the involvement of colleges to have students, fa..
Why the Trinity Debate Matters for the Pulpit and the Pew
In case you missed it, there’s been an online debate about the Trinity that has scholars and pastors and even institutions on edge. The debate online has stayed at a rather high academic level, but to give you a primer, here are just a few of the articles: This article by Liam Goligher started it all (here)Bruce Ware’s response to Goligher (here)Michael Bird’s overview of the concerns (here)Fred Sanders’s outline of foundational Trinitarian affirmations (here)Matt Emerson’..
Finance
Tackling Student Loans
$37,172 This is the average debt load a student will end up with after graduating college. If you’re like the 66% of all undergraduate students who have taken a student loan, you probably want to get rid of those things as fast as possible. It’s easy to get caught up in the borrowing maze in college and managing your loans can become a headache quite fast. With lenders selling your loan to other places and changing their name – it’s hard to keep everything straight! Here are a few things to help ..
20 Beautiful Homemade Christmas Gifts
The holidays are great, but buying gifts can get expensive. Real expensive. But if you’re like me, you enjoy giving gifts to people and watching them open them on Christmas day. Even better is giving someone a homemade gift that you invested your own time and energy creating. Making a homemade Christmas gift or decorations can be economical and thoughtful at the same time. If you’re the DIY type of person, consider one of these 20 homemade Christmas gift ideas to make this holiday season memorab..
12 Theses on a Christian Understanding of Economics
The Christian worldview reminds us that we must live with the recognition that we will give an account to the Lord for our stewardship of our resources. Regrettably, many American Christians know little about economics. Furthermore, many Christians assume that the Bible has nothing at all to say about economics. But a biblical worldview actually has a great deal to teach us on economic ma..
5 Helpful Moving Tips: What To Do When You’re About to Move
Moving usually isn’t the most enjoyable thing to do, especially if you’re making a move in the heat of summer. You have to consider all sorts of things like travel logistics, getting your stuff (which always seems to multiply) into a moving truck (which always seems to be smaller than you thought), and setting up everything at your new place. Sure, actually moving your stuff might take a weekend but there are a few things you should do ahead of time to make your move go as planned. Since moving into a new place usually doesn’t happen often, most people are just not sure what to do when moving. Don’t let your big move sneak up on you. Get organized and plan ahead with these moving tips. You’ll be glad you did. 5 Things to Remember When Moving1. Start Looking EarlyAssuming you don’t already have a place, you’ll need to lock this part in right away. When we were planning on moving to a new city for my wife to attend medical school, we started looking at rentals 6 months in advance. Colleg..