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
Psalm 51:12
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”Continue reading→
Proverbs 10:19 (10-19-16)
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.— Proverbs 10:19 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... We are constantly filling our world with noise. If it is not the sound of our own voices, then turn up some other noise to fill the silence. With the proliferation of radio talk shows, we are even given the opportunity to sound off to that noise. Unfortunately, quite often we say things that are harmful, hurtful, or foolish. God's wisdom r..Continue reading→
Finding Love
We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19, NKJV Our world is looking for love. As human beings, we need to love and be loved. But we’re looking in all the wrong places. We look for it from a parent, from a child, from a spouse, from a friend, But our parents grow old and die, our children grow up and live their own lives, our spouses are too busy or too tired, our friends are superficial or selfish. Who can truly understand the need of the human heart? Who can meet the need of o..Continue reading→
Psalm 37:4
“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”Continue reading→
Ecclesiastes 10:18 (10-18-16)
By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.— Ecclesiastes 10:18 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Laziness is not just an attitude, it is a lack of action. It is a choice to let important matters suffer neglect. While the results of this choice may not always be evident, over the passage of time, the basic results of idleness are borne out by the accumulating signs of decay and destruction. My Prayer... Sti..Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
1 John 2:15-16
“[On Not Loving the World] Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”Continue reading→
Jeremiah 11:10 (11-10-16)
They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. — Jeremiah 11:10 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Sometimes those with the greatest opportunity for blessings spurn them and fall back into the sinful habits of their heritage and culture. The consequences of this rejection of God, and his will, ..Continue reading→
A Branch that Bears Fruit
"Apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5, NIVHave you been making fruit-bearing more complicated and difficult than it is? Have you worn yourself out until you are discouraged over the lack of fruitfulness in your own service and resentful of others for the fruitfulness in theirs? Then I have wonderful news for you! You can relax! Not only are you freed from trying hard to bear fruit, you are freed from trying at all! That’s the secret! As simplistic as it may sound, fruit is produced on ..Continue reading→
Job 37:5-6
“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’”Continue reading→
Prayers
The Secret of God’s Will
Passage: Ephesians 1:9-14 Prayer: Dear Father, King of an eternal kingdom,You have made known to us the secret of your will, the purpose which you set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time. Thank you, O God, for what you have made known - that you intend to unite everything in Christ - things in heaven and things on earth.Divine Lord, you accomplish all things according to your will. Thank you that we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of h..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for October 8
Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:17–18, NIV Lord our God, we thank you for giving us a strong fortress in Jesus, the only Lord, with whom we can oppose the whole raging, hateful, lawless, and cruel world. Come what may, we want to h..Continue reading→
Heavenly Blessings
Passage: Ephesians 1:5-8 Prayer: Dear Father, King of an eternal kingdom,In love you destined us to be your sons through Jesus Christ, exactly as you wanted to do.My heart overflows with thanksgiving and praise for this glorious graciousness which you bestowed on us in your beloved Son.Thank you that in him and through his blood we are forgiven of every sin and released from our bondage to sin - all of this according to your unfailing love lavished on us!In the name of Jesus and by his authority I p..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for October 7
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:14–15, NIV Dear Father in heaven, we thank you that your voice reaches our hearts and that we can say with joy, "We belong to you. We too are yours." We want to lead lives that show we belong to you, never allowing ourselves to be sidetracked, never again giving way to pettiness, always drawing strength from the power of Jesus Christ. Pr..Continue reading→
Questions & Answers
What Does The Bible Say About Praying For The Dead?
Does the Bible say we should pray to the dead? Is it okay or is it sin? Prayer is… Prayer is essentially talking to God, but in a deeply reverential and respectful manner. It’s like a one on one conversation where we lay our prayer requests before God and trust Him to do whatsoever He wills. Praying in faith, we are not necessarily guarantying something will happen, but having faith in God Who works all things, good or bad, for our ultimate best (Rom 8:28). When someone said to me a few years a..Continue reading→
What is Lordship Salvation? A Christian Study
Since the beginning of time, salvation has been about God providing a Savior to die for the sins of humanity. However, despite God’s simple plan of salvation, like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, man insists on doing things his own way. One such way is the idea of Lordship salvation, which has permeated churches and discouraged the masses from really understanding God’s simple plan of salvation. What is Lordship Salvation? A short Christian study will help us to understand this dangerous doc..Continue reading→
Colossians 1 Bible Study, Summary and Discussion Questions
Here is a Bible study on Colossians chapter one with a summary and discussion questions to follow. Colossians 1:3-5 “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel.” I love the line where Paul said he thanked God for the believers and for their love for wh..Continue reading→
What Is The 9th (Ninth) Commandment In The Bible?
What is the 9th Commandment? Is it still important today? The Ten Commandments When Moses came down off the mountain with the Ten Commandments, the Israelites had already broken most of them. He was angry with them and threw them down to the ground, smashing them in the process, just like they had broken them, but in truth, God’s Ten Commandments cannot be destroyed by breaking them but those who do can be destroyed by God. That logic would be like if we break the speed limit, it is, no longer ..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Virgin Birth Debate Interrupts Regular ‘War on Christmas’ Program
“A lot of people don’t believe it, and I understand that,” Stanley said. “Maybe the thought is they had to come up with some kind of myth about the birth of Jesus to give him street cred later on. Maybe that’s where that came from.” The other war on Christmas — not the one over saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” — broke into a skirmish after a well-known evangelical preacher suggested he doesn’t have a problem with people who doubt the Virgin Birth. Andy Stanley, founder of N..Continue reading→
When Did Feminism Become So Anti-Motherhood?
When sex is stripped of its intimacy, or its possibility for future life, and becomes about what a person can get rather than give, it is no longer empowering or powerful. It has simply been reduced to another way of feeding our selfishness. Ironically, numerous studies cite that married, rather than single women, report having the best and most frequent sex. My mom friends and I swap parenting stories like we’re vets reliving our time in Vietnam. It’s amazing how the two foot angels we call ch..Continue reading→
A Few Of My Favorite Things From 2016
My favorite book from 2016 wasn’t published this year. In fact, it wasn’t originally published this century. However, it felt extremely relevant in a year that seemed to display (and celebrate) every variety of sin. It faithfully reminded me that rather than look at the sin “out there” I must continually look at the sin “in here.” My stocking was always my favorite thing to open on Christmas morning. I think it was the randomness of the items inside: candy, socks, chocolates, toothpaste (probab..Continue reading→
One more gift to open
The Christmas clean up is about done. But this does not mark the end of gift giving. Each morning the gift of Christ awaits you. Even more, this gift is one that God opens for you. God is relentless in his pursuit to bring joy to your needy soul. He cannot be out given. No matter what circumstance you face, the unfailing love of God is constant. This love transcends the difficulties of daily life. Each morning the wonder of Christmas is yours again. This is not a gift that you have earned. So, ..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Americans Hold Processions in Streets on Day Marking Purported Apparition of Mary in Mexico
In one of the days on the liturgical calendar leading up to Christmas, Roman Catholics throughout the nation marched in the streets on Monday and walked long distances to make pilgrimages for the “Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” which marks the purported apparition of Mary in Mexico during the 1500’s—a legend that some say is contrary to the word of God. “Celebrating Mary is, above all, to remember our mother, to remember that we are not and never will be an orphan people,” Jorge Bergoglio, al..Continue reading→
Archbishops Of Canterbury And Westminster Praise Massive Social Good Done By Christians
A new report shows that while overall numbers of Christians have declined, they have become more socially active.Continue reading→
White Supremacist Dylann Roof Is Guilty Of Charleston Murders
White supremacist Dylann Roof was found guilty yesterday of shooting dead nine black worshippers at a church in South Carolina last year.Continue reading→
Pastor on Brink of Divorce Kills Daughter, Himself and Accuses Wife of Being a ‘Vow Breaker’
In a development that shocked members of a church in the U.S., a pastor armed with a shotgun barged into the home of his estranged wife and fatally shot his daughter multiple times before killing himself.Continue reading→
Music
Tidal Wave (Single) by Rapture Ruckus
Track Listing 01. Tidal Wave Continue reading→
Behold: A Christmas Collection by Lauren Daigle
Award-winning singer/songwriter LAUREN DAIGLE, will release her first-ever Christmas album titled BEHOLD, on October 21 via Centricity Music. Produced by Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram, the style of the holiday album pays homage to the sounds of Lauren's hometown of New Orleans. Featuring soft jazz renditions of Christmas favorites, BEHOLD includes such classics as "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "What Child Is This," "O Holy Night," and more; in addition to an original composition titled "Light of the World", which was written by Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram. Pre-orders for the album[...]Continue reading→
Majesty In A Manger by Various Artists
The Integrity Music family of artists and writers have come together to start a new tradition celebrating Emmanuel, God With Us, in worship with Majesty In A Manger. It's a collection of original songs that focus on the coming of Jesus Christ from artists and writers like, Paul Baloche, All Sons Daughters, Darlene Zschech, Seth Nirva, Travis Ryan, Michael Farren and more. This is a worship album that was created with the intent that churches around the world can adopt these songs as we celebrate Jesus' birth. From the soulful sounds of newcomers Seth Nirva on "Fill The[...]Continue reading→
Adventure by Matthew Parker
Track Listing 01. Adventure 02. Ghost 03. Unstoppable (feat. Micah Ariss) 04. I Ain't Got No Money (feat. Spencer Kane) 05. Down In Flames 06. Heaven Calling 07. Night Sky 08. Remember Me (feat. Tristan Peace) 09. System Victim (feat. Hillary Jane) 10. Spark (feat. Rapture Ruckus) 11. Gone 12. Dynasty (feat. Cash Hollistah) 13. Tidal Wave (feat. Micah Ariss) 14. Fly (feat. Twilight Meadow) 15. My Love Continue reading→
You Wouldn’t Believe What Privilege Costs by CIVILIAN
A follow-up to 2012s Should This Noose Unloosen, YWBWPC's ringing guitars and sonorous vocals sway with austere, precise drumming while thoughtful bass paints outside the lines. Unlike its predecessor, "all of these songs were written after having just fallen ass over tip for a gal" as Alexander so eloquently puts it. "I wrote with the same intention to, through art, add nuance to how we talk about government and poverty except this time my brain was drenched in dopamine and serotonin."[...]Continue reading→
Never Lose Sight by Chris Tomlin
Often called America's Worship Leader, Chris Tomlin returns with his new album, NEVER LOSE SIGHT, on October 21. As the songwriter behind the worship favorites "How Great Is Our God," "Our God," and "Whom Shall I Fear," Chris' songs lead people to the heart of Jesus and into a deeper worship of Him. Featuring "Good Good Father" and the new single "Jesus," this brand new album is filled with songs that draw us closer to Jesus and give voice to our praises, prayers, cries and hopes.[...]Continue reading→
Marc Martel Announces ‘The Silent Night EP’
Marc Martel, former co-vocalist of Canadian Christian contemporary pop/rock band Downhere, is preparing to release a new Christmas EP. Entitled The Silent Night EP, the EP will feature Martel's signature vocals set to several classic Christmas carols. Martel has already been dropping a few songs as singles these past few Christmases, in the form of "O Holy Night" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel." Both of those will be featured on the EP alongside new arrangements of "In the Bleak Midwinter," "..Continue reading→
Switchfoot Releases Surprise Live Album
Switchfoot pulled off one of the best-kept surprises of Christian music in recent years and released a new live album on Friday, October 21. Fans had previously been given no indication that the band was planning such a release. Live in Chicago The Looking for America Tour marks Switchfoot's first major live album in 7 years, since 2009's The Best Yet Live in Nashville. Featuring cuts from their critically-acclaimed new album Where The Light Shines Through as well as several of the b..Continue reading→
David Dunn Debuts Music Video For New Single ‘I Wanna Go Back’
BEC Recordings' David Dunn has debuted the music video for his new single, "I Wanna Go Back," from his forthcoming early 2017 release Yellow Balloons. Click below to watch the music video. This single is currently the No. 2 most added song at AC radio for the second week in a row with 25 adds. Click here to get the single at digital outlets. RELATED BEC Recordings Announces New Artist Signing, David Dunn "'I Wanna Go Back' is a song of nostalgia, of longing for the time in my li..Continue reading→
American
President Ronald Reagan: “No Cause More Important Than the Right to Life of All Human Beings”
“My administration is dedicated to the preservation of America as a free land, and there is no cause more important for preserving that freedom than affirming the transcendent right to life of all human beings, the right without which no other rights have meaning.” — President Ronald Reagan. Today would have been the 106th birthday of Pro-life President Ronald Reagan! Each year on the anniversary, for reasons I cannot explain, I always recall where I was the day he was shot. At the time I was w..
Oregon Bill Would Allow Starving Mentally Ill Patients to Death
When Oregon became the first state in the nation to legalize the practice of assisted suicide, pro-life advocates argued this would be a slippery slope that would lead to euthanasia. Apparently assisted suicide is not enough for the death peddlers in this Pacific Northwest State. Now they are pushing legislation in the Oregon State Legislature that would allow starving mentally ill patients to death. Officials with the Oregon Right to Life emailed LifeNews.com with an urgent alert about pendin..
Woman Arrested After Shoving Her Bloody Pad Into Pro-Life Advocate’s Mouth
A pro-abortion woman in Oregon has been arrested after an altercation in which she allegedly shoved her bloody pad into the mouth of a pro-life advocate with whom she was arguing. According to local news reports in Oregon, the pro-abortion woman stands accused of shoving the bloody pad into the pro-life advocate’s mouth and she has turned herself in to police following complaints. The pro-abortion activist has been charged with one count of harassment and has been jailed on the charge. Here’s ..
Communal Conversion
Matthew H. Russell, HT: JS If Dietrich Bonhoeffer is correct and “Christ exists as community,” then the process of belonging to the community is indissolvably bound to the process of coming to believe that Jesus is Lord. At Mercy Street, this movement became critically linked to the essential question of Christianity: “Who are you, Jesus?” As members given to each other, these men and women work this question out together from the posture of intimacy, and belonging. What I discovered as the past..
Entertainment
Matthew McConaughey Gets Spiritual in Free State of Jones
Free State of Jones is not technically a Christian movie, but it might as well be. In the film, Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey plays Newton Knight, a Confederate deserter who leads a rebellion against the Confederate States of America in his home state of Mississippi. Based on a historical character, Knight’s motives for the rebellion are complex: He’s tired of soldiers stripping his and his neighbors’ farms clean, leaving families with nothing to eat over the winter. He’s disgust..
‘Thelma & Louise’ 25 years later still poses a challenge to male entitlement
Susan Sarandon, left, and Geena Davis in “Thelma & Louise” (1991; MGM) I first saw “Thelma and Louise” while studying for a master’s in education in media studies in London in 1995. We gathered to watch the film and not one male student of the 12 or so in our class showed up for the screening. Not one. What were they afraid of? When we asked some of them, they just shrugged. “Thelma and Louise” was hugely successful when it opened in 1991. It is critically acclaimed as a feminist, or neo-femini..
New Music for a New Christianity: The Convergence Music Project
“For decades now, we’ve been having “worship wars,” where we argued about musical style in public worship but didn’t pay much attention to the content and spiritual formation value of the songs we argued about. Convergence Music Project represents a “worship renaissance,” bringing together a new generation of songwriters who are writing songs that are theologically thoughtful, artistically satisfying, congregationally singable, and musically enjoyable.” -Brian McLaren Launched earlier this year ..
A Clip From Free (and Faithful) State of Jones
Free State of Jones, opening tomorrow, June 24, is a far cry from the sequels and superhero movies that typically saturate theaters during the summer. Starring a very grizzled Matthew McConaughey, the movie tells the story of Newton Knight, who led a rebellion (based in Jones County, Miss.) against the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. It is, as its press suggests, a movie for adults—full of hefty themes, heavy moments and a significant level of spirituality. I’ll ..
US
Happy Boxing Day!
Today, the day after Christmas, is celebrated as “Boxing Day” in the United Kingdom and many of its Commonwealth nations, such as Australia. We Americans need to adopt this holiday too! After all, we too are former British colonies! Accounts of the origin of the name vary, but it seems to have something to do with the servants getting a box of presents and other goodies on their traditional day off after a busy day on Christmas. Traditionally, the day has been devoted to sporting events. Horse r..
“The light shines in the darkness”
How fitting that we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ around the time of the Winter Solstice, when the day is at its shortest and the night is at its longest. At this darkest time of the year, we celebrate Christ’s coming. Just as He comes at the darkest points of our lives. (This is also why lights at night are key Christmas symbols.) As St. John says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” After the jump, the Christmas story according to the Gospel of Joh..
A medieval Christmas for the children
In a review of what sounds like an excellent book on Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Nathaniel Peters quotes a 17th century theologian on what Christmas was like under Medieval and 17th century Catholicism. He describes the processions, featuring actors dressed up like the Christ Child, St. Peter, other saints, angels, and “damned spirits,” including the terrifying Knecht Ruprecht (who became a companion of St. Nicholas). The goal was to scare children out of their wits. The Christ Child would berate..
What to do with your Amazon boxes
If you or people who gave you presents did much of your Christmas shopping online, you will accumulate lots of Amazon boxes. Don’t throw them away! Amazon has partnered with Goodwill for an ingenious program. Save the box. Then fill it with something you would like to donate to Goodwill. Go to GiveBackBox.com, where you can print a label that will give you free shipping! Then put the box in the mail or give it to UPS. Do you see the beauty of this? When you get “stuff,” you will be able to also ..
Church & Theology
Why the 5 Solas Still Matter Today
Follow @BrandonSmith85 The young, newly ordained Catholic priest stood in front of the church, ready to officiate his first mass. These priests were expected to have clean hearts before officiating—no sin unconfessed. No heart of stone unturned. But as Martin Luther began to recite the introductory portion of the mass, with the bread and wine on the altar in front of him, he almost passed out. “I was utterly stupefied and terror-stricken. … Who am I, that I should lift up mine eyes or raise my h..
How Often Should We Take the Lord’s Supper?
Follow @BrandonSmith85 As a Baptist, I’m often frustrated or confused by how my fellow denominational brothers handle the Lord’s Supper. At churches I’ve attended in the past, we’ve participated in the Supper every week in some places, ted quarterly at others. There is one instance in which I can’t remember eating a single little wafer in my entire time at the church. But how often should we take the Supper? While I know that the Bible doesn’t give a mandate for how often churches should remembe..
Did Jesus Call a Woman a Dog?
Follow @BrandonSmith85 On the Season 2 premiere of Word Matters, Trevin Wax and I discuss a question raised in Matthew 15, “Did Jesus call a woman a dog?” Here’s the context: 21 When Jesus left there, he withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon. 22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.” 23 Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples approached him and urged him, “Send her away b..
When the Book of Revelation Takes a Swing at a Roman Emperor
Follow @BrandonSmith85 Photo courtesy: Craig Koester via the Classical Numismatic Group. While compiling notes for my dissertation and forthcoming book on the Book of Revelation, I came across this note on Revelation 1:16 in Craig Koester’s Revelation commentary: The section climaxes by noting that [Jesus] holds seven stars in his right hand (Rev 1:16). This cosmic imagery conveys sovereignty. An analogy appears on a coin from Domitian’s reign that depicts the emperor’s deceased son as young Jup..