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It’s Not Only Athletes: What Platform Has God Given You?

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

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

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

There Is NO Place God Is Not

"I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5, NKJVPraise God that you and I can be where Jesus is-now, and for all eternity-because He lives within us and has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us! When your parents forsake you through death or abandonment, or your spouse forsakes you through divorce, you have His presence. (Ps. 27:10) When the fire of adversity increases in intensity, you have His presence. (Dan. 9:1-25) When you are overwhelmed by burdens or depress..Continue reading

Proverbs 10:17 (10-17-16)

He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.— Proverbs 10:17 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... God has given each of us a circle of influence, a place where our lives impact others for either good or ill. In much the same way, each of us is also influenced by others, some of whom can help us see and overcome our problems and shortcomings. However, if we reject or snub discipline and correction, we not only harm ourselves, but we lead other..Continue reading

Never Alone Again

In all their distress, he too was distressed; . . . he lifted them up and carried them. Isaiah 63:9, NIV The solution to loneliness is not to give in or give up~or do what everyone else does~or go where everyone else goes~or look like and speak like and think like and act like the world around you so you won’t stand out so sharply from the crowd. The solution is not to withdraw into an uninvolved, inactive life. The solution is found when you discover meaning in the midst of loneliness as God Hi..Continue reading

Daily Wisdom

Isaiah 11:9 (11-09-16)

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. — Isaiah 11:9 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... What a glorious time of blessing! We will know God personally. But not just us, the vast chorus of the faithful will sing a song of joy because they know God. Let's anticipate that day and join our hearts together in pursuit of God. Let's not settle for merely a factual knowledge abo..Continue reading

The Well

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst." John 4:13-14, NIVJesus knew the Samaritan woman who met Him at the well had searched for satisfaction and come up short. He knew her heart was empty, without love or self-worth or meaning or fulfillment or happiness. And so He gently pointed out to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.” What was “this water”? The woman took it to mean the water in Jacob’s well..Continue reading

Deuteronomy 11:8 (11-08-16)

Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it...— Deuteronomy 11:8 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... God's desire that we obey his will is not arbitrary, impulsive, or demanding. He simply wants us to reflect his character, find his blessings, and receive his strength. Let's not look at obedience merely as something we must do, but as a blessing we get to discov..Continue reading

Prayers

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Daily Prayer for October 6

Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. John 17:25–26, NIV Lord our God, our Father, give us your Spirit, we pray, for you have ruled over us at all times and loved us with a love that guides and leads us, that helps us go forward in body and soul. Reveal your hand. Grant that we u..Continue reading

Christ Working in Me

Passage: Hebrews 13:10-21 Prayer: Dear Father,Help me to obey my leaders and submit to them, as those who keep watch for my soul.Fill my mouth and my heart with earnest prayer for all your servants who serve you in your kingdom!Now may you, the great God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip me with everything good that I may do your will, working in me what is pleasing in your sight, through Jesus Christ..Continue reading

TLG Prayers Clenched Hands

Daily Prayer for October 5

He says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth." Isaiah 49:6, NIV Mighty God, we thank you for sending your light into all the world to reveal that you are the Father of all, to show us that you are leading them to yourself, the good and the bad, those who are near to you and those who are far away. We thank you..Continue reading

TLG Prayer

Altar of Worship

Passage: Hebrews 13:10-21 Prayer: Dear Father,Thank you for providing an altar of worship for me and all those who have faith in Jesus. Thank you that our Lord Jesus was willing to suffer outside the gate in order to call to himself a people sanctified through his blood. Thank you that I am one of these!Let me therefore go to him outside the camp, bearing abuse for him. Father, here I have no lasting city, no permanent country, but I seek the city which is to come, that you are preparing.Through Chr..Continue reading

Questions & Answers

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20 Christian Quotes About Live, Laugh and Love

Lately I have seen the “Live, Laugh and Love” type quotes everywhere. Have you seen them, something like: “Live well, Laugh often and Love much”? This is actually part of a great poem entitled Success that was penned by the late Bessie Anderson Stanley. This makes for some great inspirational wall art. Here are some more quotes along the same line, perhaps you are looking for Christian quotes about live, laugh and love. ” In the New Testament, love is more of a verb than a noun. It has more to..Continue reading

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Who Was A.W. Tozer?

Who was A.W. Tozer and why is it important that we should know? Who is A.W. Tozer? A.W. Tozer was a man who was obsessed with the glory and the holiness of God and making it known to others. If that’s all you remember about him, I’m sure he’d be thrilled by that because he was completely immersed into the God of glory and just how tremendously awesome He is. For the record, Aiden Wilson Tozer was born on April 21st, 1897 and passed into the presence of the Holy One on May 12th, 1963. In between..Continue reading

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What Is The 8th (Eighth) Commandment In The Bible?

What is the 8th Commandment mentioned in the Bible? Is it still relevant for today? The Ten Commandments The false idea that Jesus did away with the Law is debunked by His saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt 5:17) and in fact, “until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt 5:18) which is exactly what Jesus did on the cross, but the..Continue reading

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KJV Bible Verses About Drunkenness and Drinking

One category of life challenge that we often see in the counseling office is when someone has allowed alcohol to become a self-defeating addiction in their life. Drunkenness is the term that the Bible uses to describe someone whom has consumed too much alcoholic beverage (wine or strong drink) and therefore exhibits loss of control of his/her senses or actions. Many times not only is the drinker suffering from the effects of drunkenness, but the consequence of their poor choice affects many of t..Continue reading

Church & Ministries

Welby Defies Officials To Visit Persecuted Christians In Pakistan

x To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Archbishop of Canterbury rejected foreign office advice not to visit persecuted Christians in Pakistan over the weekend. Justin Welby met with terror victims in Lahore and Islamabad to pray after 72 were killed in a suicide attack aimed at Christians on Easter Sunday. It is the first time any Archbishop of Canterbury has visited Pakistan more than once. Archbishop Justin at Ch..Continue reading

The Top 10 Characteristics of the Average Unchurched Family

Many years ago when our church began revitalization, we prayed and asked God who He was calling us to reach. The answer we felt God impressing upon us then was to focus on unchurched families. So we created strategies and programs designed to reach out to these families. God showed up and we began making inroads to reach these families, but then something unexpected happened. They changed. In fact, while we were busy perfecting the plans and programs we had used to reach the average unchurc..Continue reading

Hot Topics

Pastor, Am I a Christian?

You imply that really good people (e.g., Gandhi) should also be saved, not just Christians. The problem is that Christians do not believe anyone can be saved by being good. If you don’t come to God through faith in what Christ has done, you would be approaching on the basis of your own goodness….Christians believe that it is those who admit their weakness and need for a savior who get salvation. If access to God is through the grace of Jesus, then anyone can receive eternal life instantly. This ..Continue reading

Long Time Covenant College Professor, Louis “Lou” Voskuil, Called Home to Glory

Voskuil served in education for a total of 41 years, taught history, and led the faculty of Covenant College. He received the first-ever and rarely-bestowed John W. Sanderson Award for Christian Scholarship during his time at Covenant. Voskuil earned his BA degree from Calvin College and an MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary. He completed a master’s degree at Loyola University in Chicago, where he also earned his PhD in European history. Dr. Lou Voskuil, beloved retired professor of his..Continue reading

Westminster Presbytery Overtures the PCA 45th GA Not to Receive the Ad Interim Committee Report on the Role of Women

“Declare that the 44th General Assembly Erred in the Formation of an Ad Interim Committee on Women, that (RAO 11-5) the General Assembly not Receive the Report of the Ad Interim Committee on the Role of Women as not Being Properly before the Court, and Dismiss the Ad Interim Committee with Apology.” Westminster Presbytery approved an overture at its November 12, 2016 Stated Meeting, asking the 45th PCA General Assembly to “Declare that the 44th General Assembly erred in the formation of an Ad I..Continue reading

When Christians Dwell In Unity

As we have said, our union to Christ and to one another is His gift, not our achievement. But the manifestation of our union is both a calling and an achievement. As Calvin taught us, what is true of us in Christ must be “ratified amongst us by reciprocal harmony and brotherly love.” All believers have experienced this truth: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity” (Ps. 133:1). Sadly, we have also experienced its corollary: “How bad and miserable it is when brothers are divid..Continue reading

Life & Society

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

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

Kat&Jared EP by Kat&Jared

"Everyone goes through difficult seasons. When we're in those seasons we can either choose to magnify our problems or we can magnify who God is. These five songs are really just a collection of songs that celebrate the life that comes by choosing to enter into God's presence." Kat Hartmann Kat&Jared, Kat and Jared Hartmann, are worship leaders and songwriters whose passion is to help people discover the life that comes from friendship with God and spending time in His presence. Kat and Jared spent the first nine years of their marriage traveling the world with Flyleaf, a platinum selling[...]Continue reading

Sing it Now: Songs of Faith & Hope by Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire has never been one to "rest on her laurels" (Associated Press) and continues to prove that her strong work ethic couples well with passion as she prepares to release SING IT NOW: SONGS OF FAITH HOPE on February 3, 2017 jointly through Nash Icon Records and Capitol Christian Music Group. For an entertainer with an illustrious career that has elicited 35 No. 1 singles, over 56 million albums sold worldwide, prestigious industry awards, lead acting roles and brand endeavors, new is a rarity yet an art form she has perfected. From the set of her forthcoming music[...]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

World

Boko Haram Recruited 2,000 Child Soldiers in 2016: UNICEF

(UPI) — The Nigerian insurgent group Boko Haram recruited 2,000 children to fight in 2016, a United Nations report released Tuesday said. The data were part of a report indicating that at least 65,000 children, worldwide, were released from military and armed groups in the past 10 years. An estimated 17,000 children were recruited in South Sudan since 2013; there have been nearly 1,500 cases of child recruitment in Yemen the escalation of hostilities in 2015; and child soldiers in the Central A..Continue reading

American

Doubting Your Doubts (Jonathan Storment)

Doubting Your Doubts So last week I wrote a post responding to the New York Times article from December where the columnist Nicholas Kristof interviewed Pastor Tim Keller about Christianity. The article was great, and I appreciated both Keller’s answers and Kristof’s questions. I wrote last week, that one of the things that I appreciated the most, was Keller’s pastoral yet counter-cultural way of answering Kristof’s question of “Am I a Christian?” Kristof is an admirer of Jesus and appreciates m..

Pro-Life Groups Urge Senate Committee to Confirm Pro-Life Rep. Tom Price as HHS Secretary

A Senate committee will vote tomorrow on the nomination of pro-life Congressman Tom Price to be Secretary of the health and human services department. Price is one of President Donald Trump’s marquee pro-life nominees to head a cabinet department that will have significant overview concerning pro-life policies. Leading up to tomorrow’s vote, pro-life organizations such as the Family Research Council are urging senators to vote Yes on Price’s nomination. FRC president Tony Perkins sent the foll..

Miracle Twins Who Survive Birth at 23 Weeks Prompt Call to Ban Late-Term Abortions

Claire and James Weir are proud parents of the youngest twins to be born in Great Britain, according to The Sun. At approximately one pound in weight, Imogen and Annabelle Weir were born at 23 weeks and 4 days. “They are the youngest and smallest surviving twins to be born in Scotland,” Claire Weir told The Sun. “I’d never heard of twins so small surviving. It didn’t seem possible for one, let alone two.” Their story makes the call to ban late-term abortions even more pressing. The legal cut o..

Majority of Americans Agree With President Trump’s Decision to Stop International Abortion Funding

This past Monday, pro-life President Donald Trump made it abundantly clear the United States will no longer use taxpayer dollars to support organizations that promote the killing of unborn children in developing nations. I congratulate White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer for explaining to reporters the underpinnings of that change: that funneling tax dollars overseas to organizations that perform or promote abortions “is contrary to the values of this president.” The president’s action ill..

Entertainment

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Measuring Success: One Woman’s Counter-Cultural Path

As an independent filmmaker, I have the privilege of telling stories that you don’t often see coming out of the mainstream media or Hollywood studios. I relish the opportunity to work on projects that take risks—that shine a light on gems beneath unturned stones. And yet, even I didn’t expect to find such a treasure as the woman I’ve spent the last few years uncovering. Perhaps the greatest unknown hero I’ve encountered, she has taught me about success in ways that couldn’..

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Searching for Jesus: A Q&A with Risen’s Joseph Fiennes

Rome, Italy – February 3, 2016: Joseph Fiennes attends RISEN photocall overlooking Vatican City. “If I was to take anything away personally from making this film, it’s the concept of redemption and forgiveness and second chances. The second chance for Clavius resonates with me, and I think it might for a lot of people.” — Joseph Fiennes, who plays Roman Military Tribune Clavius in the new movie, Risen What would it be like to be the Roman military official assigned to find the body of Jesus afte..

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Risen: Not Just Another Bible Movie

A scene from the new movie, Risen, starring Joseph Fiennes. There are films that are entertaining. There are films that are soul-stirring. And there are films that are faithful to the source material (when the source material is the Bible, this third category becomes an important one for many believers). It is rare to experience a film that checks one or two of these boxes, let alone all three. Risen, starring Joseph Fiennes and opening in theaters February 19, is a film that definitively inhabi..

CoachLad

Coach Lad: The Real Story of the Coach Portrayed in ‘When The Game Stands Tall’

In his 33 years at De La Salle High School in California, Bob “Coach Lad” Ladouceur became one of the most successful high school coaches in the nation. His 399-25-3 record ranks the most victories in California history, including 29 North Coast Section championships, 17 California State championships and the longest winning streak in the history of high school sports. Five different times, both USA Today and Fox Sports Net voted De La Salle the No. 1 team in the nation; the Spartans finished in..

US

Small Oklahoma town thwarts OPEC

Cushing, Oklahoma, is a town of about 7,000 close to where we live. What makes it notable is that several oil pipelines cross there. Which has led to the construction of massive oil storage facilities where production companies can park their oil until it’s needed. The big OPEC producers, led by Saudi Arabia, have made a deal with non-OPEC producers, such as Russia, to cut back production in an attempt to drive up prices. But because Cushing has built up such a big supply, prices are staying low..

Ceremonial Deism

The Supreme Court ruled in 1984 that Nativity scenes in publicly-owned spaces are legal. As long as they don’t mean anything. Hillsdale Sophomore Nic Rowan writing in the Federalist sees this as an example of “ceremonial deism.” After the jump, read his argument and my thoughts on the matter. From Nic Rowan, Supreme Court: You Can Only Have Public Nativity Scenes If They Don’t Mean Anything, The Federalist: A nativity scene placed in the public square is not a religious symbol. It’s an instance..

Our attention span drops to below that of a goldfish

Americans have a very high literacy rate. The problem is, though people can read, many of them don’t read. At least not anything longer than a tweet or a blog post. One-quarter of Americans haven’t read a single book all year. That can be said of one-third of American men. One problem, reports Eric Metaxas, is that our attention span keeps dropping. In the year 2000, our average attention span was an already unimpressive 12 seconds. Now it’s 8 seconds. One journalist observed that this is less t..

Gift idea:  Christianity Today’s 2017 book awards

Christianity Today has announced its 2017 book awards. The list of winners in all of the different categories might give you some good ideas for Christmas presents. I like book editor Matt Reynolds’ introduction to the list. He surveys how, thanks to the new printing press, Luther’s Reformation in 1517 was tied to the reading of books. Reading popularized the Reformation, and the Reformation popularized reading. From Matt Reynolds, Christianity Today’s 2017 Book Awards | Christianity Today: Mak..