Last spring I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for NFL players put on by Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), a group which exists to unite a community of pro athletes and couples to grow as disciples of Jesus and positively impact their spheres of influence. They have a fantastic outreach to professional football and baseball athletes and their wives. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing difference they’re making. In the off-season I exchanged emails and texts with dozens of NFL players and cha..Continue reading→
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Thoughts
Motherhood Is a Marathon
I wanted to do great things for God. In the spring of my senior year of college, on the brink of embarking upon my own journey into adulthood, my future was undecided and that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. As a philosophy major, my path was narrower than I had realized, but I was sure it would take me on some grand and glorious adventure. I knew the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “Glorify” sounds like such a grand term. It evokes images of battlefie..Continue reading→
1 Peter 5:7–8: How Not to Battle Anxiety
Anxieties attack our faith and torment our peace. The question with anxiety is not whether it will come, but rather, how can I fight it when it does? Watch NowContinue reading→
Is Love of Money Really the Root of All Evils?
Is the love of money the “root of all evils” or only the “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)? “All evils” is the formal English equivalent of the original Greek (pantōn tōn kakōn). It is remarkable that all older versions of the Bible translate 1 Timothy 6:10 in the more literal way: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (or all evil). This includes the Wycliffe Bible, Luther Bibel, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Douay-Rheims, Darby Bible, and Revised Standard Version. Bu..Continue reading→
Daily Verses
Matthew 11:5 (11-05-16)
The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.— Matthew 11:5 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... The clear sign of the Messiah's presence was a time of true blessedness for all who know and follow him. Just think how glorious it will be and all the blessings we will share when he comes again! My Prayer... Lord God Almighty, I praise you for the tim..Continue reading→
The Gardener
"Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:2, NIV You and I can trust the Gardener to skillfully, personally, lovingly, and effectively prune the “vines” of our lives. Isaiah described the gentle skillfulness of His touch when he revealed, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Isa. 42:3, NIV). In other words, God will not cut you back so much that you are broken beyond the ability to grow, nor will He qu..Continue reading→
Romans 13:6
“This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.”Continue reading→
Proverbs 11:4 (11-04-16)
Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.— Proverbs 11:4 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... What is your primary investment? Only righteousness offers a truly long-term benefit! My Prayer... Holy God, thank you for valuing what is good, holy, and righteous. I praise you for empowering me to develop those qualities in my character. In Jesus' name. Amen.Continue reading→
God’s Power to Change
His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1:3, NKJV Do you know someone who is desperate for change? Someone who is: bound by anger? isolated by pride? depressed by worry? consumed by jealousy? panicked by fear? God’s Word has not lost its power since the beginning of time! The same power that transformed Planet Earth from that which was void, dark, without form, and in a fluid con..Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Acts 11:24 (11-24-16)
For he [Barnabas] was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.— Acts 11:24 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Barnabas was a good man! Why? For many reasons. But, the key reason was that he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. This shouldn't surprise us. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, he is at work producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and conforming us to the character of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). No ..Continue reading→
Facing Death
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. Revelation 21:4, NKJVIn the beginning, we were never intended to die. Death was not a part of God’s original plan. He created you and me for Himself. He intended us to live with Him and enjoy Him forever in an uninterrupted, permanent, personal, love relationship. But sin came into our lives and broke the very relationship with God for which we were created. When your loved one dies and your gri..Continue reading→
Colossians 2:6-7
“[Spiritual Fullness in Christ] So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”Continue reading→
1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (11-23-16)
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.— 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Remember Jesus! Remember his great sacrifice. Remember his incomparable love for you! Remember him through his Supper! Remember Jesus! My Pr..Continue reading→
Prayers
Daily Prayer for October 28
Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. Psalm 50:14–15, NIV Dear Father in heaven, we want to praise you together and to thank you with all our hearts for your goodness and your deliverance from our many needs. Accept our thanks, and help us go on our way with ever joyful hearts. Make us ready for whatever you have prepared for us, your children. Bless us in our individual lives and ble..Continue reading→
My Old Nature Put to Death
Passage: Ephesians 4:22-24 Prayer: Dear Father, righteous and holy God,Enable me to put away completely my old human nature - the former lifestyle corrupted by deceitful desires.Help me to be renewed in the spirit of my mind, to put on a new nature, created in your likeness in true righteousness and holiness.Father, make me holy like Jesus, righteous with his righteousness!In the name of the holy Jesus I pray for true holiness within me. Amen. Devotional provided by Heartlight® © 1996-2016. All righ..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for October 27
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8–10, NIV Lord God, we thank you for your voice even when it is stern and we must go through hardship and suffering. Your voice speaks to us, and in your voice we can be glad and victorious in our life on earth. Come into o..Continue reading→
My New Nature Made Alive
Passage: Ephesians 4:17-21 Prayer: Dear Father, righteous and holy God,Help me never to be tempted to live as worldly people live: futile in their thinking - darkened in their understanding - alienated from you because of the ignorance within them - hard-hearted and calloused -given over to licentiousness - greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness.I did not learn of a Christ like this! I learned of a righteous and holy Christ.Help me ever to aspire to live as your holy people live: clear and dec..Continue reading→
Christian Quotes
Schaeffer: bringing healing
Thursday, June 16, 2016 Feast of Richard of Chichester, Bishop, 1253 Commemoration of Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham, Moral Philosopher, 1752 Meditation: We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. —Romans 15:1 (ESV) Quotation: Only the one who has been hurt can bring healing. The other person cannot. It is the one who has been hurt who has to be willing to be hurt again to show love, if there is to be hope that healing will come...Continue reading→
Questions & Answers
7 Great Bible Verses For The First Day Of School
Here are seven great Bible verses that can help during that first day of school. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” There is nothing more important for a student to know than the fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom. It begins there and stays there. Students will be under a lot of influence in school and be exposed to a lot of different philosophies and theories. The student must guard their mind by staying firml..Continue reading→
7 Children’s Songs About Jesus
Here are seven great children’s songs about Jesus. 1. Jesus Loves Me The lyrics are soundly biblical because Jesus loved the little children and when the disciples once tried to prevent them from coming to Him, He rebuke them and said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 19:14) because “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Luke 18:17). That’s why this song is so special. The words f..Continue reading→
The Disciples Were Not Afraid to Worship Jesus (Even Though They Should Have Been)
The disciples of Jesus were raised in a first century Jewish culture and faith system, so they understood the universally accepted notion that God alone is worthy of our worship. This concept was central to the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:3-6) and was repeatedly taught throughout the Jewish scripture (see Deuteronomy 4:35, 6:4, 6:13-16, and 32:39, 2 Samuel 7:22, Isaiah 8:13, and Isaiah 43:10-11). The Old Testament was clear about this truth; Yahweh was the only God the Jews were to love, fea..Continue reading→
Yankee Reliever Adam Warren Commits to Jesus at a Concert
Life can be a roller coaster, at times, in the baseball world. Adam Warren, relief pitcher for the New York Yankees, was traded December, 2015, to the Chicago Cubs. Then recently, here in July ,2016, Warren was traded back to the Yankees, and that does not even count the number of times going up and down from major league to the minor league and back. However, Adam Warren is not on a roller coaster when it comes to his faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. That is rock solid. “I grew up in a Christi..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
An Open Letter to You in 2017: The Same Old Message for a Brand New Year
As we anticipate the challenges and opportunities of 2017, I want to repost an open letter that focuses on the most important realities in the world. And the addressee of my open letter is you. No matter who you are—whether young in the faith, a seasoned saint, or not a believer in Jesus at all; whether we’re good friends, have only spoken a few times, or if I don’t know you from Adam—I can think of nothing more profitable that I’d like to say directly to you. And perhaps the most interesting di..Continue reading→
Spiritual Depression is Coming for You
Spiritual depression is a part of the Christian life. Lloyd-Jones puts it this way: “You cannot isolate the spiritual from the physical for we are body, mind and spirit. The greatest and the best Christians when they are physically weak are more prone to an attack of spiritual depression than at any other time and there are great illustrations of this in the Scriptures.” If you’ve been a Christian believer for any amount of time, you’re familiar with the feeling: It’s like you’re . . . off. Fo..Continue reading→
Saying No to Church = Divorcing Christ from His Bride (Murray)
“We cannot think of Christ properly apart from the church. All the offices he exercises as head over all things, he exercises on behalf of the church. If we think of the church apart from Christ, or transfer to the church prerogatives that belong only to Christ, then we are guilty of idolatry. But if we think of Christ apart from the church, then we are guilty of a dismemberment that severs what God has joined together. We are divorcing Christ from his only bride.” Some people today believe the..Continue reading→
Are You Imagining Precious Moments Jesus or Warrior Jesus?
Jesus’ strength as a warrior was displayed in taking all the blows we could not. He went to the cross and won our salvation. And further, Jesus didn’t fully complete his mission either. Jesus came once but he promises that he will come again. And when he comes again he will destroy every enemy that he left undestroyed. He is both the infant in the manger and the rider on the white horse armed for battle in Revelation. There’s a version of Jesus we spend a lot of time with at Christmas, but ther..Continue reading→
Movies
Box office: Fantastic Beasts underperforms Harry Potter in North America but outperforms it elsewhere
J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world came roaring back to the big screen this week. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first in a series of prequels that take place several decades before Harry Potter is born, earned an estimated $75 million in the U.S. and Canada between Thursday and Sunday nights. That’s the least that any Harry Potter film has made in its first weekend in North America.1 However, the film earned another $143.3 million overseas and reportedly beat the first weekends of all..Continue reading→
The Broken Hands of Doctor Strange
What Marvel’s latest hero movie teaches us about engaging suffering. I felt uncomfortable as my friend Danny and I sat down to watch the latest Marvel comic book movie. He and I have been watching big-screen heroes together for more than 20 years. From The Hobbit to Harry Potter, from Star Wars to The Matrix, from Batman to Ant-Man, we love these stories of lonely characters who are catapulted out of their comfort zones, reluctantly recruited into rebellions against evil, and transformed into s..Continue reading→
To everyone telling me to be quiet and trust God after this election
Photo via Flicker. From New Life Church Colingwood. CC Licensing. Again, apologies. I know: I’m the movie guy. And trust me, next week, you’re going to get movie stuff. Thoughts on “Moana,” “Arrival” and possibly the return to the Harry Potter universe. Plus, my thoughts on some pop culture I’m thankful for and a fun new series just for the holidays that I’m extremely excited about. But this election rocked the church. So, indulge me, please. Ever since the election, I’ve seen attempts by mysel..Continue reading→
A Quiet Love Story Speaks Volumes in ‘Loving’
The film portrays the interracial couple who made history. Rich and Mildred Loving love each other. It’s as simple as that. Living in a seemingly serene pocket of rural Virginia, the two travel to Washington, DC, after Mildred gets pregnant and marry in the simplest of ceremonies. The Lovings want what any couple in 1958 wants: to own a home close to their families, to raise a family of their own, and to live in peace. However, the outside world can’t see anything but what they’ve deemed unac..Continue reading→
“Facing Darkness” wins Best Feature Documentary Premiere Award at 2016 Heartland Film Festival
“Facing Darkness” wins Best Feature Documentary Premiere Award at 2016 Heartland Film Festival November 15th, 2016 True story of race against time to save American medical missionaries stricken with Ebola comes to theaters, one night only, March 30, 2017 “Facing Darkness—a documentary from Samaritan’s Purse and Executive Producer Franklin Graham—claimed the Best Feature Documentary Premiere Award at the 2016 Heartland Film Festival. FACING DARKNESS brings to life the true story of Brantly a..Continue reading→
Paul Verhoeven still wants to make that movie about Jesus
Paul Verhoeven — the man behind such sci-fi hits as RoboCop and Starship Troopers, plus such sexually charged films as Basic Instinct and Showgirls — has been talking about making a movie about Jesus for almost thirty years now, ever since he first attended a meeting of the Jesus Seminar in 1988. The subject came up again this week when Verhoeven — whose subversive critical hit Elle gets a limited release in U.S. theatres today — spoke to ComingSoon.net to promote his newest film. Here’s a key b..Continue reading→
MGM reports a $47.8 million write-down on Ben-Hur
Love it or hate it, Timur Bekmambetov’s remake of Ben-Hur was one of the year’s biggest flops. And now one of the studios behind the film has revealed just how badly it hurt their profits. Deadline reports that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which paid 80% of the film’s production costs (the remaining 20% was paid by Paramount, the studio that distributed the film), told its investors this week that the box-office failure of Ben-Hur led to a $47.8 million write-down for the fiscal quarter between July and..Continue reading→
New images from two upcoming “faith-based” films
It’s been a bit quiet at the blog here lately. Here are two new images from a couple of “faith-based” films that are coming out early next year. Octavia Spencer, who plays one manifestation of God the Father aka “Papa” in The Shack, posted the second image from the film to her Instagram account last night (the first image — posted a week ago — showed Aviv Alush as Jesus in the film): Meanwhile, Paramount released this poster for Same Kind of Different as Me: Same Kind of Different as Me opens F..Continue reading→
Losing my evangelical home
Photo by Art4theglryofGod Photography By Sharon, Flicker, CC Licensing. I promise we’ll get back to movies shortly. Given the events of this week, I wanted to post this, originally from my Facebook account. It has been edited for length. I am surprised how angry and depressed I felt seeing the election results. To think that Donald Trump is the next President of the United States still seems unreal. I have no clue how a man with such a short fuse and no political experience will govern. I’m terr..Continue reading→
Music
New Release Today Premieres Carmen Justice’s New Video For ‘Flaming Arrows’
Recently Carmen Justice announced her departure from pop girl group 1 Girl Nation (1GN) and that she was embarking on a new journey as a solo artist, and this morning she premiered her new sound, new look and new video for her debut single "Flaming Arrows" as seen exclusively on New Release Today. RELATED 1GN Disbands, Former Lead Singer Carmen Justice Steps Out As Solo Artist The video, directed by Matt Hadley of Wander Creative Productions, was shot in Franklin, TN at the Imago Dei boutique ..Continue reading→
Beleaf Releases New Single, Video
Rapper Beleaf just energized fans with a new, previously unreleased single "No Chill," and an accompanying music video. This kicked off a campaign for fans to pre-order his forthcoming album--which currently is untitled and doesn't have an official release date. You may pre-order here (http//www.kingsdreament.com/no-chill-preorder). Check out the audio and music video for "No Chill" here. Baltimore native Beleaf Melanin is a man of many talents. His last release, 2014's Red Pills Blac..Continue reading→
Entertainment One Garners 30 Nominations For The 2017 Stellar Awards
Entertainment One garners a diverse breadth of nominations for the upcoming 32nd Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, with 30 nominations across 16 categories, and multiple nominations in major categories including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Albertina Walker Female Vocalist of the Year, and Choir of the Year. A total of 9 artists are nominated for their chart-topping mix of powerful albums and live projects released over the past year, led by Hezekiah Walke..Continue reading→
Tedashii Kicks Off 2017 With The Release Of New Single ‘Free’
Hip-hop recording artist, TEDASHII, kicks off 2017 with the release of his brand new single "FREE," available for purchase (here) and streaming across all DSPs via Reach Records today (January 20). A carefree installment to his decade-long body of work, the record sets the tone for what's to come from the fearless rapper this year. "This is a song all about freedom," Tedashii explains, "Freedom of expression artistically and musically and truly, freedom to be myself." RELATED Tedashii Rele..Continue reading→
Matt Hammitt Surprises Audiences With ‘United Again’ Single Release On Inauguration Day
Addressing the current state of division among the nation, GRAMMY® nominated Matt Hammitt debuts the lyric video for single "United Again" (FCM Records, Seth Mosley), encouraging communities to find strength and unity among God. Amid protests and demonstrations on Inauguration Day, the song serves as an anthem for the Church, unifying those who feel disheartened by the present political climate. RELATED Former Sanctus Real Frontman Matt Hammitt Debuts Single 'Tears' "Today, it seems ..Continue reading→
‘American Idol’ Finalist Chris Sligh Releases New Single
"American Idol" Top 10 finalist, Chris Sligh, is releasing a new song to Christian radio today. "Worthy", the debut single from Sligh's recently-released CD, goes for adds to Christian AC and Christian CHR/Hot AC-formatted radio stations. "Worthy", featuring acclaimed singer/songwriter Kayla Bailey, is one of 11 songs on the electropop/worship project titled "Mighty Roar/Healing Flood." RELATED 'American Idol' Finalist Chris Sligh Releases New Album Sligh's new music, his f..Continue reading→
David Dunn Premieres New Live Studio Music Video For ‘I Wanna Go Back’
David Dunn premieres a new live studio music video for "I Wanna Go Back" exclusively with CCM Magazine today. The single is from his forthcoming album Yellow Balloons, which is set to release on February 17. "I Wanna Go Back" is continuing to climb the charts and has landed in the Top 5 on the Hot AC/CHR chart and debuted in the Top 30 at AC Monitored and Christian Airplay chart this week. Click below to view the video. RELATED David Dunn Debuts Music Video For New Single 'I Wanna Go Back&..Continue reading→
Former Sanctus Real Frontman Matt Hammitt Debuts Single ‘Tears’
GRAMMY® nominated Matt Hammitt debuts latest single "Tears," as a part of the second solo project of his career. Going for adds on Feb. 3, the song will impact AC and Hot AC/CHR radio and has already hit No. 1 on Play MPE's Top 20 Christian downloads and streams. Hammitt is the first signed writer to Songs for FCM, the Full Circle Music publishing company helmed by GRAMMY® winning producer Seth Mosley. In the Spring of 2017, Hammitt will release his full-length studio album featuring the si..Continue reading→
Ellie Holcomb Premieres New Music Video For ‘Find You Here’ Exclusively With Billboard Online
Singer songwriter Ellie Holcomb will release her sophomore album, Red Sea Road, next week on January 27. In anticipation of her forthcoming release, today Billboard.com premiered her music video for the single "Find You Here," which is also the new album's current radio single. Click below to view Holcomb's video taped in the Appalachian Mountains over a 48 hour girls' road trip. The video can also be viewed here courtesy of Billboard online. RELATED Ellie Holcomb To Release Sop..Continue reading→
American
How to Read the Bible (RJS)
For Christians the big questions in any discussion of science and faith generally come down to Scripture. How are we to read Scripture as the word of God? In much of the church there is an assumption that this should be straightforward… just read it literally. Unfortunately, this doesn’t hold up well for many of us. It isn’t even science that is the biggest challenge to this “simple” reading, it is Scripture itself. It isn’t clear that the Bible was intended to be read in this flat, literal mann..
Back to Church? (Michelle Van Loon)
By Michelle Van Loon at www.MomentsAndDays.org and www.MichelleVanLoon.com I’ve been blogging for more than a decade,and I’ve written often about spiritual abuse by church leaders – sharing both my own experience and referencing the struggles of others. I’m just one voice in a large crowd: there are numerous blogs, books, and worthwhile organizations telling the stories of spiritual and/or clergy sexual abuse survivors. The internet has been a tool for good in this struggle as it has facilitated..
Planned Parenthood VP Claims “Women Will Die” Because Trump Defunded Its International Group
President Donald Trump signed a life-saving executive order this week that prohibits international groups from receiving U.S. taxpayer funding if they promote or perform abortions overseas. Planned Parenthood already is on the attack, making misleading claims that Trump’s reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy will cause women to die. As LifeNews.com reported, the pro-life policy had been in place during the entirety of the George W. Bush administration, but President Barack Obama rescinded i..
Trump Spokesman: White House Staff Will Attend the March for Life
During the March for Life in previous years, pro-abortion President Barack Obama celebrated abortion and issued a presidential statement praising Roe vs. Wade. What a difference a change in president makes. Yesterday, a spokesman for President Donald Trump indicated White House staff will attend the March for Life, where over half-a-million pro-life people from around the country will mourn the almost 60 million unborn children who have been aborted since that fateful Supreme Court decision. ..
US
More on the banned Down syndrome video
We blogged about that video showing happy Down Syndrome children that was banned by the French government on the grounds that it might “disturb the conscience” of women who have had abortions. (You can see the video at the link.) George Will, who has a Down son, weighs in on the issue, explaining the origin of the video (which was made to reassure new parents) and making the point that this is a case of extending the concept of protection from being disturbed associated with college campuses to ..
And now, the commercialization of Advent
One reason that many Christians are rediscovering Advent is that Christmas has become so commercialized. Advent is a way to keep our concentration on what the Christmas season is supposed to be about, namely, the coming of Christ. But now Advent is also becoming commercialized! Alissa Wilkinson has written a good explanation of Advent for Vox. She explains the history of the season and what it means. She includes some interesting details that I had not realized. (For example, that Lutherans inve..
In trouble for belonging to an “anti-gay” church
Chip and Joanna Gaines are the hosts of “Fixer-Upper,” a popular home remodeling show on HGTV. They are openly devout Christians. And they are now under fire. A BuzzFeed article is accusing them of being anti-gay. This is because they belong to an evangelical congregation that does not conduct gay weddings and that holds to traditional teachings about sexual morality. That means, according to the Buzzfeed author, that the church is anti-gay. And because the Gaineses belong to this church, that m..
Back in the U.S.A.!
We are back in the good old U.S. of A. after spending a month visiting our daughter and her family in Australia. We enjoyed our time down under very much. But it’s good to be back home. I can’t believe that I was able to keep this blog going as usual despite the time difference (16.5 hours, a day ahead) and our many activities. Thanks for hanging in there with me. It was strange to watch the election from the other side of the world, but sometimes a little distance (literally) is clarifying. Aft..