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 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→
Movies
Goodbye, Family Christian Stores
This week, it was announced that Family Christian Stores — one of the world’s largest Christian retailers — will close all 240 of its stores. This isn’t really shocking; Family Christian had gone through bankruptcy a few years back. But it will have an impact; more than 3,000 employees are going to lose their jobs as the stores shutter and Christian culture loses one of its largest and most diverse suppliers of books, music and trinkets. Granted, this is just the nature of the beast these days. ..Continue reading→
Have you caught up with “It’s My Favorite”?
Hey everyone, Not going to lie: it’s been a week. Work, school and home life have been busy, and the general insanity of our world right now has really robbed me of a lot of energy and will to write. It’s a shame, because I have some really good stuff on deck for you. One new series I want to write and one Oscar-related miniseries of articles, and I’m hoping that starting this weekend those will start posting. And in the weeks ahead I’m going to really be jumping into the reviewing pool again ha..Continue reading→
Watch: New music video for The Shack with new footage
Itching to see The Shack — or at least to get a taste of it before it comes out five weeks from now? Well, maybe this will tide you over: the powers that be have released two new songs from the film’s soundtrack, one of which even has a music video. Here is the video, for a new acoustic version of Skillet’s ‘Stars’: The studio has also released the full version of ‘Keep Your Eyes on Me’, which is sung by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and has previously been heard in the trailers. Here is a Spotify ..Continue reading→
The Story of God: Proof of the Divine
Photo by Amanda Slater, Flickr. C.C. Licensing. Season two of “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central) on the National Geographic Channel. Once again, I’m writing about it here each week from a Christian perspective as a preview. This post is about episode three, the season finale, “Proof of God.” In the final episode of “The Story of God’s” second season, Morgan Freeman travels the world speaking to people who believe they’ve experienced proof — often tang..Continue reading→
Oscar nominations — my own two bits, and a complete list
It looks like La La Land is the movie to beat at this year’s Oscars. The film, a jazzy musical that stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a musician and an actress trying to make their way in Hollywood, racked up 14 Academy Award nominations this morning — tying the record set by 1950’s All About Eve and 1997’s Titanic. However, because La La Land was nominated twice for original song, it is actually nominated in 13 categories — which is more than the 12 categories that All About Eve was nominate..Continue reading→
Let’s talk Oscar noms!
Some quick thoughts on the 2017 Academy Award nominations, which were announced earlier today. A full list of nominees is available here. At first blush, my biggest surprise is that there isn’t a ton here I would bicker with. The list of nominees this year is really darn good, spread out over several movies. Maybe it’s because I saw fewer movies than normal this year or simply because so many of the nominated films are on my best-of list, but I can’t really find a bad choice among the films. Re..Continue reading→
Star Wars Episode 8 gains a title
Earlier today, the official Star Wars Twitter feed ended more than a year of speculation by revealing the title of the latest entry in the saga, due out this December: It’s official. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is the next chapter of the Skywalker saga. This December. #TheLastJedihttps://t.co/ySkVwQcMTPpic.twitter.com/eHrPgbsRJq — Star Wars (@starwars) January 23, 2017 [Read More...]Continue reading→
Encountering the Mystical in the ‘The Fits’
The fascinating film about adolescent encounters with the sublime gives us plenty to ponder. If you’re looking for a film that inspires lively conversation, you’ve got to check out The Fits. Anna Rose Helmer’s debut feature film runs a brief, but intense, 72 minutes, leaving plenty of time for discussion and debate afterwards. It caused a stir last year at Sundance, and critics have been talking about it ever since. Fortunately, Amazon Prime subscribers can currently stream it for free—and for ..Continue reading→
Review: The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (dir. Dallas Jenkins, 2017)
The Resurrection of Gavin Stone is a “faith-based” comedy about a washed-up former child star who, having trashed a hotel roof bar, is told to do a couple hundred hours of community service at a Chicago-based megachurch and ends up starring in their Easter play. It’s a safe, formulaic and utterly predictable film — precisely the kind of “Christian” movie I tend not to review here — but because of my interest in movies about Jesus, I was interested in seeing how this film would depict the play. T..Continue reading→
Music
One-Way Conversations by Hollyn
Hailing from Ohio, this Dove Awards New Artist of the Year nominee has been working the past year on her debut full length album titled "One-Way Conversations". Listeners were introduced to this vibrant you lady on TobyMac's latest release with the songs "Backseat Driver" and "Lights Shine Bright" and later with her debut #1 single "Alone (featuring TRU)". As a songwriter, Hollyn co-wrote all of the songs on her debut full length album and worked with producers Bryan Fowler (Ryan Stevenson), Wit and 42 North (Andy Mineo), Cole Walowac of Capital Kings, Eric Ramey (Britt Nicole) and more. The album[...]Continue reading→
Run The Race (Single) by Holly Starr
The new single from Holly Starr, co-written with and produced by Bryan Fowler (Ryan Stevenson, Tobymac, Mandisa, Hollyn).[...]Continue reading→
The Garden (Deluxe Edition) by Kari Jobe
Grammy nominated Kari Jobe is the premiere female worship leader in Christian music. Coming off her last live album, Majestic, which featured the worship anthem 'Forever' and radio hit 'I Am Not Alone', Kari Jobe has returned to the studio to record her new album, full of brand new worship anthems for the church and for personal reflection. Finding inspiration from life's joys and hardships, Kari leans into the firm foundation of Christ through it all. With career sales that top 1 million, Kari still comes back to the reason why she started in the first place- leading people into[...]Continue reading→
Back To Life by Anthony Evans
Recording Artist and Worship Leader Anthony Evans' highly-anticipated new album Back To Life releases February 3, 2017 through Sherman James Productions. A collection of worship songs, this new album features NBC's The Voice alumnus on 11 worship-themed tracks exploring authenticity, vulnerability, honesty and the way that the culmination of those three things brought him Back to Life. It marks Evans' eighth solo studio album and will be available through all digital retailers and exclusively at Lifeway Christian Stores. Back To Life is available for pre-order on January 6, 2017. "Over the last year, God has given me one revelation after[...]Continue reading→
Canopy by nobigdyl.
"I wrote Canopy coming out of a time of isolation and darkness. It felt like my life was completely falling apart and I'd have to start over again from nothing. God showed me that sometimes there's safety and protection in isolation. Sometimes, the darkness makes it easier to see the light," confessed nobigdyl. when speaking of the anticipated release. 'Canopy' is nobigdyl.'s first album release since his debut in 2015 with the 'Smoke Signal' EP. Check out indie tribe and nobigdyl at his website, nobigdyl.com.[...]Continue reading→
Books
A Look at Notable 2016 Publications
TEDS President offers his list of best books “There is no end to the making of many books,” says the author of Ecclesiastes. In the United States alone, there were close to one million titles published during the past year, with revenue approaching $1.8 billion. Hundreds of titles competed for our attention during 2016. I offer the following observations with the recognition that I have no doubt missed several important works that some of you would have included in such a survey. The books not..Continue reading→
Recommended Biographies By or About Women
Faith Cook is an author, biographer, and hymn writer. She grew up as a missionary child in war-torn China and has chronicled her story in an autobiography. Her own biographical work has been on both men: Fearless Pilgrim: The Life and Times of John Bunyan William Grimshaw of Haworth and women: The Nine Day Queen of England: Lady Jane Grey, Selina: Countess of Huntingdon: Her Pivotal Role in the 18th Century Evangelical Awakening, and Anne Bradstreet: Pilgrim and PoetContinue reading→
Bibliotheca Bible – a Review
There are many things that I have great admiration for, but perhaps one of the things I enjoy the most is seeing a long-awaited, labor of love come to full fruition. The tenacity, hard work, dedication, and pitfalls along the way in seeing something through to the end is something that, for lack of better terms, gets me emotionally invested in a project. Yet not all projects are equal and not all catch my particular attention – but if we’re truthful, that’s precisely what makes these types of th..Continue reading→
Christianity Today’s 2017 Book Awards
Our picks for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture. Make a list of all the blessings the Protestant Reformation has brought, and eventually—long after jotting down iconic phrases like “salvation by grace alone through faith alone”—you’ll get around to the CT Book Awards. Books, of course, had existed long before Luther posted his 95 Theses. But there’s no denying that reading and the Reformation, with a vital assist from Gutenberg’s printing press, soared toget..Continue reading→
Where Should Our Women be Discipled?
Pastors and elders want thinking women in the church, right? And yet popular beliefs that came out of the nineteenth century’s cult of domesticity still seem to linger in the evangelical culture today. Back then, people taught that women’s brains were inferior to men’s intellectually and that women needed to reserve their energy and blood flow for reproductive purposes. These are ideas we usually joke about now, even to provoke a woman in innocent fun, because we know them to be scientifically p..Continue reading→
10 Books Every Christian Teenager Should Read
A reader recently asked the question: Do you have a suggested list of books for teenagers, something like a “Ten best books every Christian teenager should read?” It surprised me that I have never compiled such a list, especially since I’ve got two teenagers of my own. I decided I’d better remedy this oversight straight away. Here, then, is a list of ten great books every Christian teen ought to read—or at least consider reading. Please note that these are not necessarily the ten best books your teens will read in their lifetime. Not all of these books will stand the test of time as Christian classics. But each of them is suited to twenty-first century teenaged readers and together they will provide a foundation for the Christian life that will prove both deep and wide. I list them in no particular order. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. It is rare that a book is elevated to the ranks of the classics, but The Holiness of God is a prime candidate. Sproul’s book will introduce teens..Continue reading→
Signposts to God and More (RJS)
Books, books, books … What is the best book you’ve read on Science and Christian faith? It seems to be the season … not the holiday season, but the book season. I recently received three new books. Books by a physicist, a biologist (with training in theology as well), and a philosopher. All three tackle questions of science and Christian faith. Each of the three presents an interesting perspective – and I intend to dig into them more completely over the upcoming months. Peter Bussey’s book, Sign..Continue reading→
2016 Reading Challenge Update: September & October
This year I have been participating in the 2016 Reading Challenge, a fun way to increase and diversify your reading through another year. I took the challenge and set this year’s goal at 104 books. However, because so much of my reading has to go toward reviewing books that are recently published and of interest to Christians (both for reviews published here and in WORLD magazine), I decided to pick from all over the list rather than working through it in order. What follows are the books I completed in September and October and, in parentheses, the reading challenge category they fulfill. Below that is the complete list of categories I need to cover. As you can see, I did not finish many books over the past couple of months, something that is not unusual as my reading ebbs and flows over the course of the year. You can see my previous updates for January, February, March-April, May, June, and July-August. Sexual Morality in a Christless World by Matthew Rueger. This is a brilliant w..Continue reading→
6 Reflections on Community Inspired by Bonhoeffer
My church has recently launched a series on community called Better Together. In conjunction with the sermon series, I, in collaboration with my senior pastor, wrote a small group curriculum to compliment the series. I love community, which is why I love small groups. Like many of you, I work hard on our small group system at my church to equip leaders and to help many in my church experience the fullness of community—the good, the bad, and the ugly. However, as I continue to reflect on communi..Continue reading→
American
Scientists Given Green Light to Edit the DNA of Unborn Babies
A group of international scientists opened Pandora’s box this week with a new report arguing that it may be acceptable to genetically edit unborn babies’ DNA in certain circumstances. According to Science magazine, the report came from an international committee organized by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine in Washington, D.C. The committee said more research needs to be done before a clinical trial could take place. It also cautioned that DNA editing..
Teen Mom Gave Birth, Threw Her Baby Out 2nd Floor Window, Then Texted Her Boyfriend: “It Was a Girl”
A Nebraska teen admitted to throwing her premature newborn out of a window after she secretly gave birth in the middle of the night, killing the child, the Mirror reports. Antonia Lopez, 16, of Omaha, also reportedly texted her boyfriend after giving birth, saying, “It was a girl by the way,” according to Opposing Views. The Omaha World-Herald reports Lopez admitted this week in court to throwing the baby out the second-story window in a panic. The baby was born prematurely and weighed about 2..
Arkansas Senate Passes Bill Requiring Doctors to Care for Babies Born Alive After Abortion
In an unanimous vote, the Arkansas Senate passed a bill to require doctors to provide medical care to babies born alive after botched abortions. The Associated Press reports state Senate Bill 148 passed in a 34-0 vote on Thursday. It now heads to the state House for consideration. The bill requires healthcare professionals to provide the same medically appropriate care to infants born alive after abortions as they would to babies born prematurely. It also would require medical professionals to..
Survival Rates of Premature Babies Born at 23-24 Weeks are Improving
Research based on an 11-year study of 4,500 babies indicates very premature babies are surviving at a greater rate than ever before. The researchers found a “small but significant drop in fatalities for babies born between 23 and 37 weeks gestation,” as well as a decrease in premature babies manifesting with neurophysiological problems, the Daily Mail reported. Dr. Noelle Younge, Neonatologist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Duke University, led a team of scientists in the investigati..
Australia
Same-sex attracted Christians called to a life of love and friendship, not just self-denial
Wesley Hill, from Trinity School for Ministry in Pennsylvania, describes himself as “celibate, gay and Christian”. Eternity’s Kaley Payne asked one of her friends who describes himself similarly to contribute to questions for her interview with Hill who is in Australia this month with Ridley College, talking to churches about a pastoral response to same-sex attraction. When did you realise that you were same-sex attracted, and how did ..
Teaching churches in remote Queensland how to minister to themselves
The parish of Barcaldine in central QLD, about an eleven hour drive from Brisbane, hasn’t had a minister for 25 years. Instead, it’s been run by lay people. But there has been very little or no growth in the parish, and the people are wearing out. But all that is about to change. In a partnership between Bishop David Robinson of the Anglican Diocese of Rockhampton and Bush Church Aid, Graeme Liersch and his wife Susan have been appointed to go to Longr..
The murder of a French priest has horrified the world. The same thing happens to Christians in lesser-reported places.
The 26 July killing of a Catholic priest in his church in St. Etienne du Rouvray, France, once again has pushed jihadist violence into the headlines. The so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder, committed by two knife-wielding attackers who were shot and killed by police. Rev. Jacques Hamel, murdered on July 26, 2016 in St. Etienne du Rouvray, France. What pushed the story onto Europe’s front pages was its location – Franc..
Media Watch and Miranda Devine slug it out over the Safe Schools Coalition
The feisty conservative columnist for Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, Miranda Devine, had a bucket tipped over her by Media Watch last night. But the ABC show failed to knock her out of the ring. Instead they confirmed essential details in her story,Media Watch and Miranda Devine slug it out over the Safe Schools Coalition giving her a win or a draw, but inflicting real damage on the anti-Safe Schools Coalition cause she has been championin..
Law & Government
Judge Dismisses Satanic Temple Suit Seeking ‘Religious Exemption’ From Abortion Waiting Period
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from the atheist group known as the Satanic Temple that sought a religious exemption from a state law requiring mothers to wait 72 hours for an abortion following their initial visit to an abortion facility. As previously reported, the New York-based Satanic Temple announced in 2014 that it was using the Supreme Court decision in favor of the popular craft chain Hobby Lobby to ‘bolster’ an initiative to seek an exemption from pro-life law..
Federal Judge Dismisses Roy Moore’s Lawsuit Challenging Suspension From Bench
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A federal judge has dismissed a federal lawsuit filed by attorneys for Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore challenging the constitutionality of the charges leveled against the “Ten Commandments Judge” and seeking his immediate reinstatement to the bench. U.S. District Court Judge W. Harold Albritton issued a notice that he was dismissing the suit because he does not believe that federal courts should intervene in state proceedings. “Chief Justice Moore has asked this federal cou..
Idaho Posts List of Locations With Free Ultrasounds in Effort to Save Unborn Babies
BOISE, Idaho — The Department of Health and Welfare in Idaho has posted a list of locations that provide free ultrasounds for pregnant mothers in compliance with a new law that is meant to help save the lives of unborn babies. In March, Idaho lawmakers passed H.B. 516, which mandates that a list be “compiled by the Department of Health and Welfare of health care providers, facilities and clinics that offer to perform ultrasounds free of charge and that have contacted the department annually wit..
U.S. Supreme Court Grants Emergency Injunction to Block Girl From Using Boys’ Restroom
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a Virginia school district’s request for an emergency injunction to temporarily halt a lower court ruling that would have required officials to allow a female student who identifies as male to use the boys’ restroom. The court voted 5-3 to grant the injunction while the matter is being considered for an appeal, with Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan siding with the student. As previously reported, Gavin Grimm, now 17, ..
Entertainment
We’re All Fixer Uppers
Comment countA confession: My wife and I watch HGTV’s Fixer Uppers, starring Chip and Joanna Gaines, whenever we can. We dig tinkering with our own house when budget and time allow, and I think both of us occasionally wish we lived in Waco, Texas, so we could get the advice of these home renovation experts. Unlike a lot of folks on reality shows—particularly renovation shows—Chip and Joanna feel real. Their lines don’t feel scripted. Their interactions feel grounded in living life together. You ..
‘Tower’ film marks 50th anniversary of Texas school shooting
Scene from “Tower,” with live action and rotoscopic animation. (Kino Lorber films) Fifty years ago, on August 1, 1966, a 24-year-old sniper positioned himself on the observation deck of the Clock Tower overlooking the University of Texas, Austin. His name was Charles Joseph Whitman. He shot 49 people. 18 people died, including an unborn baby. Another victim died of complications of the shooting in 2001. Meredith Vieira and Luke Wilson are among the executive producers of “Tower,” an award-winnin..
Why Is Everyone Scared of Clowns?
Comment countWe’re all being attacked by clowns. People across the United States say they’re seeing red-nosed, white-faced Pennywises everywhere, lurking in parks, walking down streets and threatening to do more than stuff several of themselves into a car. The threat of clowns has become so severe that Target has removed some creepy clown masks from its shelves. When I was a kid, clowns were generally thought to be, y’know, funny. But looking back, I was wasn’t immune to coulrophobia. Someone ha..
‘Priceless’ reveals impact of human trafficking
(This film review is by guest blogger Sister Kathleen Bryant, RSC.) Priceless is a suspense driven film raising a critical issue facing the world today. An ordinary man going about his own human struggles to be a good person is confronted with a choice, which transforms his life at quite a cost. Early on in the film, James, (Joel Smallbone), would rather not ask questions or know what “cargo” he is delivering. The film raises an important question for most of us who would rather not know who is ..
US
Luther’s influence on German culture
The Economist has a fascinating article on “How Martin Luther has shaped Germany for half a millennium.” I’m not sure how accurate it is. (Luther’s moralism? For the person who insisted that salvation is by grace through faith, rather than good works? Well, maybe so. Maybe this is evidence that an emphasis on faith really [Read More...]
Gay divorce
We have gay marriage. Now we are also getting gay divorce. The New York Times has published an op-ed piece entitled “I Got Gay Married. I Got Gay Divorced. I Regret Both.” The author, Meredith Maran, tells with poignant honesty how she crusaded for gay marriage, took the plunge, but then went through a long, costly, and painful divorce. After the jump, theology professor Denny Burk quotes from the article and comments on the problem: wanting the rights of marriage without the norms of marriage (..
Legal rights for robots as “electronic persons”
A committee of the European Parliament has passed a measure that would give legal rights to robots, classifying them as “electronic persons.” It also imposes obligations, such as liability for any damages they might be responsible for. The report also says that robots must not be made so as to appear “emotionally dependent” and must have a kill switch, should they go rogue.That the committee is thinking in science fiction terms is evident in its implementation of Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics,..
Trump and the prosperity gospel
Giving the opening prayer at Donald Trump’s inauguration will be Paula White, a megachurch “pastor” and televangelist who is a leading proponent of the “prosperity gospel.” In fact, prosperity gospel preachers were the leading “evangelicals” who supported Trump from the beginning in an organized way. Westminster professor and White Horse Inn host Michael Horton has published an op-ed piece in the Washington Post about the prosperity gospel movement and its connections to the president-elect. He ..
Church & Theology
4 Ways to Block God’s Grace in Your Ministry
We often talk about what God’s grace does for us. And, truly, it is abundant. We talk about how greatly we need it in ministry. And we do. But have you ever considered if you might be preventing God’s grace from working in your heart? If you might be blocking its flow in your ministry? Scripture tells us that we can hinder the work of grace. How? 1. Walking in the Flesh We begin our Christian life humbly seeking God, and we begin ministry hungry for the power of the Holy Spirit. But over ti..
4 Ways You Can Promote Grace in Ministry
Would you like your ministry to be full of grace? Your life? Your relationships? Over the past few posts, I’ve shared the importance of motivating by grace, letting God’s grace work, and hindering grace. This is the last in what has turned into a mini-series on grace. In the previous post, we noted four ways we hinder God’s grace. We boiled them all down to one—pride—and saw then that the answer is to humble ourselves. But if we could name several manifestations of pride that hinder God’s gra..
ETS, Heresy, and the Task of Christian Scholarship
In a recent open letter to the members of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS), Stanley Gundry expressed concern about the ramifications of a recent resolution affirming traditional marriage and the sexual binary of men and women. Commenting on the dangers he sees in defining ETS’s boundaries beyond its current parameters (affirmation of the Trinity and the Bible’s inerrancy), Gundry asks: What better forum is there for collegial discussion and debate of complementari..
Make Today Your Masterpiece
Coach John Wooden used to say, “Make each day your masterpiece.” I read that statement recently, and it got me thinking. When you’re a kid, you’re asked from time to time, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” If you’re like me, your answer to that question changed from year to year, but it always included big dreams. You wanted to do something great—something honorable and noble…or at least noteworthy. If I asked you today, “What is your greatest life goal?” or even “What is your next bi..