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
Psalm 84:11 (01-31-17)
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. — Psalm 84:11 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... God doesn't hold back on his goodness! In fact, the Father loves to give his children gifts. These gifts are all encompassing. These gifts are gladly given. How do I know? Three ways: 1) I've been repeatedly blessed; 2) I've seen what God has done to bless his people through the centur..Continue reading→
A Suitable Helper
Wives, submit to your own husbands. . . . Husbands, love your wives. Colossians 3:18-19, NKJVGod created them male and female. The primary reason for woman’s creation was not to produce children or provide sexual satisfaction or to keep the home but for the mutual happiness of man and woman. Like the Father of the bride, God Himself brought Eve to Adam. There is not only an equality but a diversity between men and women. Eve was as different from Adam as Adam was different from Eve. But the dif..Continue reading→
Psalm 86:5
“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.”Continue reading→
Proverbs 19:21 (01-30-17)
There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. — Proverbs 19:21 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... "What are your plans for today?" If you are like me, you prayerfully try to plan your day. You make appointments with people in the future so you can address their needs, hear their concerns, or discuss issues and projects. But, we need to always live humbly, recognizing that none of our plans will be of value unless those plans c..Continue reading→
Invite the World!
In My Father's house are many mansions. John 14:2, NKJVHeaven is a big place! “In my Father’s house are many mansions” – room enough for anyone and everyone who chooses to be a member of God’s family! So please feel free to invite your entire family – including in-laws and out-laws, every one of your friends, all of your neighbors, the total population of your city, your state, your nation – everybody in the whole wide world! Heaven is a great big place where all are invited to come!Continue reading→
Hope
And Yet
The last few months have proven to be a time of drastic contradictions and improbable outcomes. In the United States, we have threatened our neighbors with "Trick or Treat", and now we offer thankfulness followed by acknowledging a time of offering gifts and love. Ironically we will then plan to do it all again next year. We also endured a political campaign of egos and personalities who screamed, hurled insults and accusations followed, once the electorate had chosen a "winner", with the call f..Continue reading→
Puppies for Sale and Hearts Open to Help
Dan Clark shares a story called, Puppies for Sale: A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read "Puppies for Sale." Signs like that have a way of attracting small children, and sure enough, a little boy appeared under the store owner's sign. "How much are you going to sell the puppies for?" He asked. The store owner replied, "Anywhere from $30 to $50." The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. "I have $2.37," he said. "Can I please look at them?" The stor..Continue reading→
Finding peace from the rage within
An abusive childhood left John with deep emotional wounds, which festered into a simmering rage that followed him into adulthood and marriage. Tony grew up feeling unwanted and unloved. Even after marrying and starting a family of his own, his anger led to verbal and physical abuse. But God can restore even the hardest of hearts as well as marriages and families.Continue reading→
“I thought Christianity was a crutch”
Have you ever doubted God’s existence? What about the Bible? Do you believe that it’s the inspired Word of God that Christ’s followers believe it to be? Well, Jodi put her faith in the big bang theory and Russell believed faith was for the weak. Learn how they both discovered a God who loved them before they ever realized that a loving God truly existed.Continue reading→
Get to Know Your Healer
“Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing” (1 Peter 3:9 NLT, second edition). Nothing crushes the spirit more than abuse — to feel devalued, unimportant, and misused. Jesus knows that. And he says, “I will care for you.” The starting point in your healing is to get to know your ..Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Greater than We Think
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, NKJVGod is bigger than we think and greater than we think. Nothing is beyond His ability, whether it’s a problem to solve, a marriage to reconcile, a memory to heal, a guilty conscience to cleanse, a sin to forgive, a business to save, a budget to stretch, another mouth to feed, or anything else we could name. All are within His po..Continue reading→
1 Corinthians 2:9
“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—”Continue reading→
1 John 4:7 (02-01-17)
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. — 1 John 4:7 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... The old song says, "Where oh where is love?" Love is with God. Love comes from God. Love is the key attribute of God. Love is from God. Love is of God. You want to be more loving? You want to find greater intensity in your love? You want to know how to love others who are hard to love? Look to God. But, where do we see God ..Continue reading→
The Sound of His Voice
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27, NKJVThe Eastern shepherd of Jesus’ day raised his sheep primarily in the Judean uplands. The countryside was rocky, hilly, and creased with deep crevices and ravines. Patches of grass were sparse. So the shepherd had to establish a personal relationship with each sheep, nurturing its love and trust in order to lead it to where the path was the smoothest, the grass was the greenest, the water was the cleanest, and the nights..Continue reading→
Prayers
Israel’s Unbelief
PassageRomans 10:18-11:16 PrayerDear Father,How sorry I am that the people you chose, the nation of Israel, has spurned your Messiah and turned away in unbelief. But how thankful I am that because of their unbelief you have sent your message to Gentiles so that we can be adopted into the family of Abraham, grafted as wild shoots into the natural olive tree.I rejoice that even today you have redeemed in Christ thousands of Abraham's natural descendants for your kingdom.I rejoice that I share..Continue reading→
I Believe!
PassageRomans 10:8-17 PrayerDear Father,May the word of Christ always be on my lips and in my heart. May I make known to everyone in every place that Jesus is Lord and that you have raised him from the dead. Remind me continually that I have no cause to be ashamed of my faith.Grant not only that I myself should believe but that I should also become partners with others in sending them to proclaim the Good News to the world.Thank you that Christ is preached. Thank you for the belief you have put ..Continue reading→
I Confess!
PassageRomans 10:1-8 PrayerDear Father,Thank you that Christ is the end of the law to those who have faith. Thank you that I am justified by faith in him, not by some system of merit.May I not think of Christ as being so high in heaven that he is inaccessible to us, or, like unbelievers, think of him as being dead and not available.May I continually confess with my mouth the belief that is in my heart: Jesus is Lord! And God raised him from the dead!Help me rather to know that he is nearer than ..Continue reading→
Rock of My Salvation
PassageRomans 9:25-33 PrayerDear Father, ruler of the ages,You have called we who were "not your people" to be "your people," we who were "not your beloved" to be "your beloved." How gracious you have been to us (to me!) that we (that I!) should be called "sons of the living God"! Thank you, loving Father! I am overjoyed!Why did your ancient people fail to attain your righteousness? Because they sought it based on their works of merit under the law. But, praise you, Lord, you have give..Continue reading→
Questions & Answers
How Should Christians Deal With Mental Illness?
How should Christians respond to mental illness in other Christians or in their own life? Mental Illness Stigmas Perhaps the best way to look at mental illness is the way you look at any other illness. Often the illness is not self-induced, so people are frequently an innocent victim of their circumstances. With mental illness, this too is not usually self-induced, and like any other illness, there is a physiological cause for it. It could be a simple chemical imbalance in the brain, it could b..Continue reading→
To Reach Young People, We Need to “Become Like Children”
My grandparents were young at heart. They were our role models growing up; the one example Susie and I had of an intact, godly married couple. But more than that, they “connected” with us many years before we would become married adults ourselves. Back when we were dating as teenagers, we would drive out to my grandparent’s home to spend a week with them, sitting around the dining room table talking over a meal or a playing a game of Rummikub. They were 45 years older, but you wouldn’t have know..Continue reading→
What Is Faithism And The Oahspe Bible?
What is Faithism? Have you read about it before? What about the Oahspe Bible? Saving Faith The Bible makes it clear that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9), however, just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s cheap. In fact, it wasn’t free to the Father or the Son of God. It was as costly as anything that has ever been paid because just one tiny drop of the precious ..Continue reading→
6 Important Bible Verses About Food
Here are six important Bible verses about food. John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” There is nothing more important about food in this life than to seek the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. He is the “living bread that came down from heaven” and He is still satisfying those who have been brought to repentance and faith in Christ. Bread satisfies for a ..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
What Is Sound Doctrine?
Christian doctrine has a twofold object. The primary object of doctrine is God; the secondary object is all things in relation to God. Doctrine teaches us to see God as the one from whom and through whom and to whom all things exist, and doctrine directs our lives to this God’s glory (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6). When I was young, I only thought of my future: Whom would I marry? What vocation would I pursue? Where would I live? Now that I am the father of four children, I think only of their future..Continue reading→
Did God Ordain Evil?
On Judgment Day, we will see clearly what we so struggle to see in the here and now. Augustine once put it so well when he said that there was just enough mercy in the world for us to know that God is merciful and just enough justice to know that God is just. On the Last Day, we will see the glorious good purposes for which God ordained the actions of all of His creatures–including those actions that would be evil. Throughout human history, men have wrestled with the problem of evil. The questi..Continue reading→
Real Men Don’t Virtue Signal
Virtue signaling is the conspicuous expression of moral values by an individual done primarily to enhance their standing within a social group. The term was first used in signaling theory, to describe any behavior that could be used to signal virtue – especially piety among the religious faithful. Virtue signaling is the new self-righteousness. And self-righteousness is for sissies. Every once in a while a term is coined that just has purchase. Political correctness is such a term. Some peop..Continue reading→
Another Golden Oldie on 2K
Affirmation: God has established a pluriformity of institutions (e.g. civil society) for the sake of social order. Denial: the church has no calling to establish social order but will have an indirect influence on peace and order by encouraging godliness in her members. Thanks to Zrim, I remembered another internet intervention about 2k. This one was at Greenbaggins at the instigation of Reed DePace. It was a three–part series but here reproduced in one post. Theological Affirmations 1) Affir..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Obama Hits Out At Trump Refugee Ban: ‘Fundamentally Disagrees’ With Religion-Based Discrimination
Former US President Obama "fundamentally disagrees" with discrimination based on faith or religion, his spokesman has said.Continue reading→
Fired: Trump Dumps Top Lawyer Who Defied Immigration Order
It was another dramatic twist in the unusually raucous roll-out of Trump's directive that put a 120-day hold on allowing refugees into the country.Continue reading→
Texas Rep Placed Under State Protection After Receiving Death Threats Over Pro-Life Bill
Photo Credit: Tony Tinderholt/FacebookAUSTIN, Texas — A Texas lawmaker has been placed under state protection after receiving death threats over his recently-introduced bill to protect the lives of unborn children. The Texas Department of Public Safety is providing security assistance to Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, who has reportedly received multiple death threats, as well as his wife. His political consultant, Luke Macias, told the Dallas News that the Arlington Police Department and ..Continue reading→
Southern Baptist Russell Moore Warns Trump Actions Could Harm US Interests Overseas
Russell Moore, a leading figure in the large US-based Southern Baptist Convention, has joined those urging Donald Trump to adjust his new refugee policy.Continue reading→
Persecution
‘He Died a True Christian’: Syrian Woman Tells Story of Son Who Died Refusing to Deny Faith in Christ
A Syrian woman recently shared the heartwrenching story of the death of her 18-year-old son, who was shot and killed by ISIS-aligned militants after he refused to deny his faith in Christ. Alice Assaf of Adra al-Ummaliya near Damascus told her story to Dr. Yvette Elbayadi Isaac of the American human rights group Roads of Success, which posted the interview online. Over two years ago, Assaf was informed by a neighbor that the militants had entered the city and were killing Christians. She sough..Continue reading→
Indian Pastor’s Faith Steadfast as Hindu Extremists Abuse Him
NEW DELHI (Morning Star News) – Hindu extremists in Maharashtra state had severely beaten a pastor, pointed a gun at his head and were sprinkling gasoline on him to burn him to death when he began praying and praising Jesus. Pastor Prashant Bhatnager, 45, is still recovering from broken hand, arm and leg bones, as well as cuts and abrasions on his head and the rest of his body, after about six Hindu extremists led by Gurunath Mumbaikar, president of the Shri Ram Foundation (Shri Ram Pratishtan ..Continue reading→
Islamic Extremists Kill 12 in Kenya
NAIROBI, Kenya (Morning Star News) – Islamic extremists targeted Christians in the shooting deaths of 12 non-local Kenyans at a guest-house in Kenya’s northeastern town of Mandera early this morning, sources said. Somali Al Shabaab rebels took responsibility for the pre-dawn attack on the guest-house, where a Kenyan theatre troupe from outside the area was staying, according to the militants’ radio affiliate. An area pastor told Morning Star News that Christians were targeted. “Some of the stu..Continue reading→
48 Christians killed by Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria
Copyright (c) 2016 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/47763/48-christians-killed-by-fulani-herdsmen-in-nigeria 48 Christians killed by Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria GODOGODO, Nigeria (BP) -- Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed more than 48 Christians and injured eight others in two separate attacks in northwestern Nigeria in October and September, area leaders..Continue reading→
Movies
Silence: Scorsese’s Spiritual Masterpiece
Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence. One of these is not like the others. How could the same director who repeatedly reveled in the high cost of unchecked male rage also deliver the meditative and masterful Silence? Feudal Japan seems so far removed from the Mean Streets of New York City. Catholic priests dispensed wisdom and sacraments in both milieus, but the pace, tone, and body count is so different in the two films. While most Scorsese pictur..Continue reading→
Does the chariot race sequence in Ben-Hur need dialogue?
There are many problems with Timur Bekmambetov’s remake of Ben-Hur, but one of the more emblematic ones, I think, is the way he insists on adding dialogue to the chariot race. Bekmambetov can’t rely on the thrill of movement alone: instead, he has to pump the soundtrack full of exposition and dull action-movie banter. How does his film compare to the earlier ones, in this regard? In the 1925 silent film, you can often see characters’ mouths moving as their chariots fly down the track, but only o..Continue reading→
Blog Goals 2017
Flickr. Photo by Hey Paul Studios. CC Licensing. I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year. I’m sure that, for many, it was nice to say “so long” to 2016, and I hope that the new year is treating you kind. Our holidays were great, filled with time with family and friends and some chances to recharge our batteries. I’m still on vacation from work for another week, and I’m hoping to use this time to really gear up for the coming 12 months so I can attack 2017 afresh next week. I thought it might be..Continue reading→
Watch: Ten clips from The Purple Rose of Cairo
“Heaven, I’m in Heaven…” I just discovered that ten clips from my official second-favorite film of all time, The Purple Rose of Cairo, were posted to Fandango’s Movieclips YouTube channel about two weeks ago. The clips contain about 28 minutes of footage altogether, or just over a third of the film’s 82-minute running time. I wouldn’t recommend watching them without seeing the entire film first, but they do contain some of the film’s funniest and most poignant moments. Check them out below (thou..Continue reading→
Box office: Rogue One is now the #2 movie of 2016 in North America (but only the #9 movie worldwide — so far)
Rogue One ruled the box office for a third straight week as 2016 came to an end. The Star Wars prequel earned an estimated $49.5 million in North American theatres between Friday and Sunday. That raises the film’s domestic total to $424.9 million and makes it the second-highest grossing film of the year in North America — behind Finding Dory — and the 14th-highest grossing film of all time domestically. Overseas, it’s a slightly different story. Rogue One has earned $350 million to date internat..Continue reading→
2017 Film Journal
As per my 2016 Journal, videos and DVDs are in italics. Films I saw for the first time have an asterisk (*) next to them. Not counting extras and promo items. Jan Jan 1 — The Other Half [2016] * Jan 3 — Unless [2016] *Continue reading→
Watch: New clips and a featurette for Scorsese’s Silence
Nearly three decades in the making, Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Silence is finally playing in a few American theatres, and it will expand to the rest of the continent over the next two weeks. To pique the interest of prospective moviegoers, Paramount has released a new featurette on Scorsese’s “passion” for the project, as well as a few clips. Here is the featurette: At least three clips from this incredibly challenging film have surfaced online too. In this one, Fathers Rodrigues (Andrew G..Continue reading→
The top ten posts at FilmChat in 2016
Happy New Year! Last year, for the first time, I compiled two lists of my most-viewed blog posts from the year that had just ended: one list covered the top ten posts from this blog’s entire archive, while the other covered the top ten posts that had been written in 2015. Now it’s time for the 2016 lists. And here they are: – The 10 most-viewed posts in 2016, regardless of when they were written: 1. History and tradition in movie depictions of the cross (April 2013) This one’s a perennial, and t..Continue reading→
Same Kind of Different as Me release date postponed again
Just a quick update regarding the release of an upcoming “faith-based” film. Deadline is reporting that Same Kind of Different as Me, based on the memoir by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent, has been dropped by Paramount Pictures, which was going to release the film in February. The film will now be released by Pure Flix Entertainment, the studio behind God’s Not Dead, on October 20, 2017. This is the second time the film — which stars Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou and Jon..Continue reading→
Music
United Again – Single by Matt Hammitt
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. "Today, it seems there's only one thing that most Americans can agree on; that our nation is divided, shares Hammitt. "Many are asking the questions about how, or even if, our country can heal. A long list leaders have claimed that[...]Continue reading→
Signs & Wonders by Watoto Children’s Choir
Watoto presents a brand new children's choir tour and album, Signs Wonders, that celebrates the joy of salvation. The choir, whose members are orphans and other vulnerable children, present new worship music from Watoto Church in Uganda.[...]Continue reading→
WOW Gospel 2017 by Various Artists – “WOW” Series
WOW Gospel 2017 is the premiere annual collection of top selling artists from Traditional to Contemporary Gospel! This power packed compilation returns with the best Gospel praise anthems, ballads and radio hits of the year. The WOW Gospel 2017 double disc CD set and companion DVD features 31 tracks from legendary ground-breaking gospel talents like Donnie McClurkin, Kirk Franklin, Todd Dulaney, Tasha Cobbs, Erica Campbell/Big Shizz many more! Previously garnering gold and platinum certifications along with a core faithful fan base, this WOW Gospel installment may be the best yet! The companion DVD will feature live and concept videos from[...]Continue reading→
Chain Breaker by Zach Williams
Husband, father, singer, songwriter, worship leader, campus director at his home church in Arkansas, and now, most recently added to Zach Williams' list of titles is recording artist. Zach Williams' first full-length album, Chain Breaker, comes from a place of humility and honesty as these songs are a direct reflection of God's redemption in Williams' life as he heals from a past life of addiction, darkness, and hopelessness. Says Williams, "Jesus came and died on the cross so there would be a way for the chains of those struggles and addictions to be broken. If you have pain, He's a[...]Continue reading→
Nobody Famous by Jered Sanders
"We've got a lot to talk about, ya'll," states Jered with this release. 'Nobody Famous' marks Sanders third release along the side of the 'Black Friday' EP which dropped this past November. In a year's time, Jered is primed to impact CHH like few other CHH artists have achieved.[...]Continue reading→
Tears – Single by Matt Hammitt
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 single.[...]Continue reading→
For KING & COUNTRY Releases ‘Priceless’ Movie For Digital Download
Good news for all the for KING & COUNTRY fans if you weren't able to catch Priceless in theaters last fall, it is now available for Digital HD Download from Amazon and iTunes. When you purchase a digital copy of the movie, you'll also receive special features such as a live performance by for KING & COUNTRY, The Making of Priceless, The Heart Behind the Film, Deleted Scenes, and Trailers. If you prefer DVD or Blu-Ray, the film will be available on Valentine's Day and you can pre-o..Continue reading→
iShine Presents The B413 ‘NO FILTER LIVE’ TOUR 2017
Together with iShine, Provident Label Group, Essential Artist Services and Tween Gospel Alliance, they announce the B413 "No Filter Live" Tour. This unique tour, which will hit three key markets in spring 2017 Bowling Green, KY (April 22), Austin, TX (May 5) and Ft. Smith (May 6) is a two-hour event specifically designed for tweens and their parents to best prepare the tween demographic for life beyond entering their teen years, to deeply enrich the child's faith and help equip parents to s..Continue reading→
Books
My vocation trilogy
I have written three books on vocation. I just realized that this constitutes a trilogy. They aren’t The Lord of the Rings, but they are connected and build into a whole. (1) God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. This sets forth the doctrine of vocation. (2) Family Vocation: Your Christian Callings in Marriage, Parenthood, and Childhood. Written with my daughter Mary Moerbe, this book explores in depth the various vocations within the family, showing too how the teachings about Go..Continue reading→
“Family Vocation” giveaway
GoodReads is giving away five copies of Family Vocation: God’s Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood. I wrote that book with my daughter Mary Moerbe. It goes beyond God at Work, not just in exploring the family vocations in depth–important in itself, if we want to revitalize Christian marriage and parenting–but also in including material on vocation in general that I learned after publishing that earlier book. All you do is click “Enter Giveaway” on the widget after the jump. Five entran..Continue reading→
Last Chance
Pre-order Pricing Ends Monday for Marry Wisely, Marry Well Marry Wisely, Marry Well teaches Christian young people how to start building a future marriage house even before beginning a relationship. It helps them learn to make a wise choice of a spouse, and how to start preparing for a future relationship that is truly built on Christ. 40% Pre-order Discount Ends MondayContinue reading→
10 books to add to your reading pile this Winter
In its longest shortlist ever, the Australian Christian Book of the Year Shortlist has been announced today. From pondering how God fell off Australia’s radar to exploring the church’s involvement in the holocaust to the devastating impact of nuclear tests on an Aboriginal community and the Christian woman who fought against them, the shortlist is one of the most diverse ever. Run by SparkLit, an organisation seeking to empower Christian writers, publish..Continue reading→
Top Ten Books 5
Jesus Roiling His World Ministry in the 1980s included a two year teaching opportunity on the faculty of Moody Bible Institute and being called as pastor to Bella Vista Church, Rockford, MI, where I served 24 years. You can imagine the many books that I read to keep my mind and heart vibrant. Yet, reflecting on the decade of the 80s, two books were profoundly influential on my view of Jesus and pastoral ministry. In the line-up today is book #5 of ten that shaped my life: Donald B. ..Continue reading→
The Sermon on the Mount in Korea
A wonderful new translation of the (=my) Story of God Bible Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount is now available through Ecclesia Books in Korea. Always a red letter today to see these translations, and others in the series are to follow...Continue reading→
My 5 Favorite Books of 2015
It seems like everyone makes a best books list around this time, so adding my list probably isn’t going to shatter anybody’s world. In any event, there are a few reasons why I’ve compiled this list. First, I love reading and I love to share what I’m reading. Second, I’m also always encouraged by others’ thoughts and their lists often help me pick out a few last books for my Christmas wish list. Third, I get a lot of books from publishers, and while I don’t feel compelled t..Continue reading→
American
More Pregnant Women Choose Life Over Abortion Than Ever Before
Last month the Guttmacher Institute released updated abortion statistics for the United States. Their latest survey of abortion facilities indicate that the number of abortions fell by approximately five percent between 2011 and 2014. The short-term abortion decline is unsurprising. The U.S. abortion rate has fallen steadily since 1980. Furthermore, these declines have been fairly consistent. They have occurred during times of economic prosperity and economic hardship. They have also occurred th..
Cecile Richards Says More Women Need to Brag About Their Abortions: “It’s Time to be Bold”
Planned Parenthood is desperate for support after Americans rejected its pro-abortion candidates in the November election and chose a strong majority of pro-life lawmakers instead. On Tuesday, the abortion business’s CEO Cecile Richards gave a talk at the Makers Conference urging people to get more involved in abortion advocacy. Richards, who makes close to $1 million a year, and her supposedly non-profit abortion group stand to lose big money from the federal government. Planned Parenthood cu..
Senators File Legislation to Stop Obama’s Rule Forcing States to Fund Planned Parenthood
In his last Christmas as president, Barack Obama made sure he played Santa for at least one group: Planned Parenthood. With just weeks to go in the White House, the abortion industry’s best friend did what it could to protect the industry from an administration sure to be bad for business. Using his power at Health and Human Services, President Obama issued a rule that not only locked down federal grants for Cecile Richards’s group through the Title X “family planning” program, but also blocked..
Washington DC assisted suicide bill puts patients at risk and prioritizes cost over compassion
Do no harm.” Three short words, but to physicians they represent a sacred charge. Three short words that now hang in the balance here in the District of Columbia, after the D.C. council passed the Death with Dignity Act (Act 21-577), legalizing physician-assisted suicide in the nation’s capital. In authorizing doctors to violate the Hippocratic oath of “do no harm,” physician-assisted suicide undermines a key safeguard that protects our nation’s most vulnerable citizens and helps to ensure our l..
Australia
Activists spy on sermons from churches meeting in public schools
Churches that meet in public school halls in NSW on Sundays are under attack for the content of their sermons. The attack comes from a one-man advocacy group linked to the campaign against scripture in public schools. Sermons found on the websites of Hunter Bible Church, Maitland Evangelical Church and The Lakes Evangelical Church (all part of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches) on the NSW mid north coast were the subject of complaints ..
Three cheers for missionaries
Over at the Centre for Public Christianity, we’ve been doing a lot of research lately into some of the worst bits of Christian history. The Spanish Inquisition. Sectarian violence. Early-modern witch hunts, and torture techniques I didn’t know existed (see: “squassation”). The casualness with which Crusaders massacred peoples not remotely connected with their war aims. The end result of such disheartening research will, I hope, be worth it: CPX..
Muslim refugees open to the Good News in their own language
In a refugee camp in northern France, a Pashtun man from Pakistan was happy to hear the good news of Jesus in an audio-visual presentation in his own language. It was an evangelistic audio-visual presentation by Global Recordings Network (GRN) giving an overview of the Bible story from creation to Christ and how to become a follower of Jesus. “He sat there holding the player while I showed him the pictures,” recalls Graydon Colville, international di..
‘Christian’ parties fighting for Senate scraps
Australia’s “Christian Values” parties have been left scrabbling for the twelfth Senate spot in three states (SA, NSW and Qld), in the wake of an election that favoured smaller parties. But the protest and conservative voters went to One Nation and Nick Xenophon ahead of the small Christian parties, that include Christian Democrats, Australian Christians, Democratic Labour, Rise Up Australia and Family First. “We have a very good chance of getting the t..
Entertainment
“Prayer Woven Into the Fabric of the Film”: A Q&A with Ben-Hur’s Roma Downey and Mark Burnett
On August 19, an exciting new Ben-Hur will be charging into theaters to tell once again the epic tale of brotherly betrayal and revenge for a new generation. At a recent press event in Los Angeles, we got the chance to speak with executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey (The Bible, A.D., and Son of God) about this new imagining of a classic film and why they were drawn to the project. What attracted you to this production of Ben-Hur? Mark Burnett: Gary Barber, the chairman of MGM, had se..
Captain Fantastic: The Anti-Christian Christian Movie
Captain Fantastic, a little indie film out today, is a moving family parable about hippie dad Ben (Viggo Mortensen) and his eclectic family of six, leaving their near-isolation in the Pacific Northwest to attend a funeral. Did I say “attend?” I met stop. The funeral is that of Leslie, Ben’s wife and the children’s mother. Though we learn she was raised in a fairly traditional, comfortable Christian home, she became a Buddhist when she and Ben got together. And the last thing she wo..
Watch: New Trailer for Hillsong’s “Let Hope Rise” Live Today!
“Let Hope Rise,” the highly anticipated new feature film about the journey of youth-band-turned-international-sensation, Hillsong United, comes to theatres September 19. Here’s a first look at the trailer for the film, just released today.
“Let Hope Rise” Spotlights Rise of Christian Band “Hillsong UNITED”
IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE SEPT. 16 Film spotlights Hillsong UNITED’s remarkable journey from a youth group band at Hillsong Church to a worldwide recording and concert sensation Pure Flix is distributing HILLSONG-LET HOPE RISE, the highly anticipated feature film that chronicles the spectacular and miraculous rise to prominence of the Australia-based band, Hillsong UNITED. Directed by Michael John Warren (Jay Z’s FADE TO BLACK), the film explores Hillsong’s journey from a tiny church in the Sydney..
US
Obama picks a fight with Russians
President Obama has hit Russia with sanctions and the expulsion of diplomatic personnel in retaliation for Vladimir Putin’s alleged interference with the U.S. election. He has also threatened cyberattacks against Russia. In return, Russia is promising retaliation of its own. With only twenty or so days left in office, the president has stirred up a conflict with Russia that his successor is going to have to deal with. Donald Trump, with his pro-Russian leanings, will probably reverse Obama’s act..
Checking our predictions for 2016
It’s time to check the predictions we made around this time last year, something you don’t see the tabloids or most highly-paid consultants doing. Your predictions for 2016, as usual, were thoughtful, interesting, mostly-wrong, but with some remarkable accuracies. Go here to read them all and come to your own conclusions. We were still under the World Table comment system back then, so go to that link. If you do a search for the post, it will come up as there being no comments, but click the ful..
Birth as the “moral fault line of our time”
Christmas is about birth, Kevin Williamson reminds us, which is what reminds us most of our physicality. No wonder, he says, birth is also “the great political and moral fault line of our time.” Consider all of the moral issues that have to do with birth, whether preventing it or negating it: abortion, sex outside of marriage, pornography, today’s much vaunted fantasy of sex with robots. Consider the political and ideological issues: fears of overpopulation, health care, feminism, child poverty,..
Top religion stories of 2016
The Religion News Association announced its top 10 religion stories of 2016. Number one: Donald Trump’s election. Why was that a religion story? An important factor in Trump’s win was his support from evangelical voters, even though his lifestyle, moral history, and religious beliefs would not seem to be in accord with those of most Christian conservatives. What this means, though, is less clear. Does this mean Christian voters have sold out, or have they become pragmatic in choosing a candidate..
Church & Theology
Where Grace Abounds
Each year at Lancaster Baptist Church, we introduce a new theme for the year to our church family on Vision Sunday. Primarily we do this through the Sunday messages in which the theme is shared from a biblical text and then, in Sunday evening’s message, developed into ministry goals for the coming year. But one of the most memorable ways we introduce the theme is through teaching our church family a new chorus (typically written by our music team) based on the theme. Our theme for 2017 is “By ..
Growth Points 74: Three Attributes of a Great Year
When I think about a great ministry or a great minister, I think of John the Baptist. Jesus Himself called John and his ministry great: “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist…” (Luke 7:28). John wasn’t as concerned with being relevant to his culture as he was with being in touch with God. It was his heart for God and the way he uncompromisingly shared God’s message that set him apart. In this growth points video, I share thr..
A White Man’s Meditations on Martin Luther King Day
Most of my childhood, I lived in highly diverse neighborhoods. My neighborhoods and schools were a mishmash of white, black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and more. I recently looked up the stats of my junior high, for example, and the current student population is 33% white, 30% Hispanic, 25% African American, 10% Asian, and a few others. This type of relatively even split is how I remember it. I don’t remember my parents ever making blatantly racist comments. Race was neve..
3 Dynamics of Growth in Grace
Do you need grace today? Do you desire to grow in grace this year? I suppose these are questions with self-evident answers. We know we need God’s grace, and we know Scripture commands us to grow in grace. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.—2 Peter 3:18 This is what we desire for our lives as well as for the lives of those to whom we minister. But how? How do we grow in grace? And what does growth in grac..