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
1 Corinthians 10:16 (10-16-16)
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?— 1 Corinthians 10:16 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... The Apostle Paul makes clear that the heart of the Gospel is found in the death, burial, resurrection, and appearances of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). The Lord's Supper, Communion or Eucharist as it is sometimes called, is a key part of our walk with Christ. It is a t..Continue reading→
Our Father Comes Alongside
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25, NKJV The Greek word for “comforter” is parakletos, which literally means one called alongside to help. This was beautifully illustrated in the 1992 Summer Olympics during a track-and-field event. As the runners in the 400-meter race flew around the oval track, one of them suddenly pulled up on the back stretch, one leg held up and dangling as he limped to a stop. He had pulled a hamstring! As the crowd stood, holding its c..Continue reading→
Psalm 19:14
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”Continue reading→
Judges 10:15 (10-15-16)
And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.— Judges 10:15 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... When God's people realized the depth of their sin and the impending punishment by God, they repented and asked for his help. They didn't try to diminish the gravity of their sin. Instead, they threw themselves on the mercy of the LORD and his graciousness. Unfortunately to..Continue reading→
The Jewel of Creation
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10, NKJVIn the beginning, the Creator was not stingy with our environment. He filled it with life. Planet Earth was progressively transformed as every day God’s Word went forth and every day God’s Word was received. Each day’s change prepared the environment for the next day’s change until it was totally transformed. Yet it was as though it waited for something. In the same way a church sanctuary, all decora..Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Heavenly Treasure
Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20, NIV Gold is one of our most precious commodities. We hoard gold, we wear gold, we invest in gold, we work hard for more gold – we love gold! We sacrifice our families, our friends, our reputations, our health – all so that we can increase our supply of earthly treasures. We want to buy more things . . . so we can dust more things so we can break more thing..Continue reading→
Joshua 24:15
“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.””Continue reading→
Psalm 11:7 (11-07-16)
For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.— Psalm 11:7 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Can you think of any greater promise for those who seek to be righteous and just? We will see God face to face! Incredible. What a blessing! What a future! What an incredible Father! So let's seek our Abba Father, the LORD God, with all heart and soul and mind and strength until that day that we get to see him as he is, face-to-face with God in al..Continue reading→
A Day of Rest
Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Exodus 31:15, NKJV Like a boat that would be tossed endlessly and aimlessly and dangerously on the open sea without an anchor, we need to anchor our lives as well. That anchor is devotion to God. God worked for six days during that first “week” then rested on the seventh: “And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Gen. 2:3, NI..Continue reading→
Prayers
Daily Prayer for October 4
He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!"). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Mark 7:34–35, NIV Father in heaven, we people on earth are poor and needy. We are deaf and dumb, but you rouse us every day and call to us, "Ephphatha." We thank you for this, in gladness for all you do for our sake. Help us to become united in expectation for the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ wil..Continue reading→
No Fear in Christ
Passage: Hebrews 13:6-8 Prayer: Dear Father,Help me say with confidence: The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?I remember those who led me to Christ by speaking his word to me. Thank you for them. Bless them abundantly. Help me to imitate their faith.And most of all, thank you for Jesus Christ, who forever remains true to me. Thank you, my God, that he is the same yesterday, today, and for ever.In the name of Jesus. Amen.Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for October 3
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18–19, NIV Lord our God, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. Bless us, we pray. Bless us especially in days when fear tries to take hold of us. Let your help come down to us as you have promised..Continue reading→
Almighty and Everlasting God
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. BCPContinue reading→
Questions & Answers
What Does the Bible Say About Harvest?
One of my favorite seasons is fall. The weather is cooler, leaves are changing colors, and things planted in the garden have matured and are ready for harvesting. With that comes corn on the cob, apple cider, and pumpkin pie. Likewise, in most cultures it is a time when families unite to celebrate the blessings of the harvest before entering the long dark winter. In consideration of these things, what does the Bible say about harvest? Where do we get the word harvest? In not so ancient history,..Continue reading→
What Is The 7th (Seventh) Commandment In The Bible?
What is the 7th Commandment from the Bible and applications for today’s believer? The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments were never part of the Old Testament or Mosaic Laws at all. These were written by the very finger of God and in stone, indicating their permanence, unlike the Mosaic Laws which were written on parchment or animal skins. These laws were only until the time of Christ and the completed work on Calvary. These laws all pointed forward to the coming work of Christ and were only ..Continue reading→
Are some sins more wrong than others?
Many of us have a tendency to judge certain sins as worse than others. We say, “I have my struggles, but at least I don’t struggle with that.” Surely some attitudes and behaviors carry the potential for greater, far-reaching consequences than others. But that does not make one set of sins worse than another. The New Testament calls us to take all sin seriously: Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some..Continue reading→
Are doubts a sign of a weak faith?
I’m a believer—a Christian. I’m a “lifer” and an insider. I was born into a Christian home. I have Christian parents. I’ve gone to church all my life. I’m also a doubter. Over the years I’ve had many troubling questions: How do I know God exists? Can I be sure Christianity is right? How can there be an all-loving and all-powerful God when there is so much evil in the world? Can I really trust that the Bible is true? For most of my life I’ve walked in a place of doubt-plagued faith. And while ..Continue reading→
Church & Ministries
7 Tools To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving
In a few days, we’ll sit down to a Thanksgiving meal. Some will travel to see extended family while others may enjoy the celebration at home. As we prepare the turkeys, pies, and way too many side dishes, I wanted to share several tools I’m grateful we have at our disposal. These help us share the Gospel and make disciples in our communities and around the world. #1 – The ability to communicate to so many We can send mass emails out to those in our congregations, post a sermon video on our webs..Continue reading→
Vatican Explores Space-Age Technology To Preserve Its Most Ancient Documents
x To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Representatives from ESA and the Vatican Apostolic Library signed a declaration to continue collaboration, followed by a tour of the Library.Copyright ESA The Vatican has turned to space-age technology to help preserve some of the oldest and most fragile documents in the world. The Holy See is using a system called FITS, or flexible image transport system format, that was develope..Continue reading→
Finding a Rhythm and Raising the Energy Level in Your Leaders
Fun around Saddleback… Saddleback’s College Ministry Staff. “Stay Classy San Diego!” (via Facebook) The quickest way to destroy a team is to burn them out. And you don’t have to look around the field of ministry very long to realize that the ministry is filled with burned out leaders. But it’s possible to find a healthy working rhythm and ultimately increase the effective energy with which your leaders serve without causing them to burn out. Every minute of every day we are using up energy, an..Continue reading→
Pope Francis: Priests Can Forgive Women Who Have Abortions
Pope Francis has concluded his Jubilee Year of Mercy with an extraordinary grant of permission to priests to continue absolving women who have had abortions.Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Even If He Doesn’t
“Somewhere along her Christian path, some teacher or mentor had told this woman that God is good because He does what seems right to us. She had been taught that we are to name what we want and claim it territorially, as if we can instruct God on the best way to do things.” I once attended a non-denominational women’s Bible study, and each week we discussed the passage of scripture in small groups. I loved some things about it: the mix of ages, learning from other women’s life and faith experie..Continue reading→
Today’s Theologians: Dr. Richard Gaffin
“My primary interest in biblical theology has always been not for its own sake but for the relationship and interface between it and systematic theology, as the former serves to provide the latter with its life-blood: sound exegesis, and for that, attention to the text within its context in the unfolding history of special revelation is essential.” As we continue our series of interviews with notable theologians, we sit down with Dr. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. Dr. Gaffin is Emeritus Professor of Bi..Continue reading→
Ministerial Godliness: Its Value
“Paul does not mince his words. He condemns them as ‘men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain’ (1TI 6.5). The life of these ministers had become a charade. Their ‘ministry’ was nothing more than a thinly veiled mask to cover up their greed.” What matters most to us in life? There is a ‘right’ answer to that question, but then again there are many ‘real’ answers that lurk beneath the surface. No serious-minded Christian wou..Continue reading→
Our Heart Telescope
Our problem is that, like astronomers before Hubble, we are so earth-bound with this world’s concerns that the atmosphere around us distorts our view of God’s love. Our lusts for rusting treasures, our worries over life’s issues, our yearning for yet one more pleasure render us unable to comprehend love’s measure without the assistance of the Spirit of God. Like a telescope, we need God’s Spirit to take the enormity of God’s love and focus it down into our hearts so that we can grasp more of the..Continue reading→
Life & Society
Obama Administration Finalizes Rule Banning States From Defunding Planned Parenthood
Photo Credit: All Nite ImagesWASHINGTON — The Obama administration finalized a rule on Wednesday that bans states from defunding family planning organizations such as Planned Parenthood because they abort unborn children. “This rule will strengthen access to essential services like cancer screenings and contraception for some of the most vulnerable patients in this country,” Chief Medical Officer Karen Scott of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, said in a statement. “Public comme..Continue reading→
Pagan Priest Wins Right To Wear Horns In Driver’s Licence Photo
Phelan MoonSong, known as the "Priest of Pan", was initially told he could not wear the headgear. But he challenged the decision and has been given the same recognition as other religions.Continue reading→
One Million Moms Criticises Highlights Magazine for Featuring Same-Sex Couples
The Christian watchdog group One Million Moms has slammed Highlights magazine, a monthly magazine for children ages 6 to 12, for deciding to feature same-sex families and making it appear as if having two moms or two dads is a normal way of life.Continue reading→
Voicemail Threatening to ‘Drop a Bomb’ on a California Mosque Being Investigated
A California mosque received a message on their voicemail service Friday afternoon from an individual who threatened to “drop a bomb” on the mosque, community Muslim leaders said Monday. The incident at the Islamic Center of Tustin was reported to the Tustin Police Department on Sunday, said Sgt. Mike Van Cleve. “It appears there was no caller ID on the call,” he said. “We took a report and are investigating.” A spokesman for the mosque did not return phone calls Monday. The voicemail is amo..Continue reading→
Movies
COMMON BRINGS GLORY TO THE GRAMMYS (AND THE OSCARS): An Interview
What 2015 Grammy moment moved you? Kanye West’s cut in on Beck’s acceptance speech for “Album of the Year” garnered most of the headlines. How sad to a stunt overshadow Annie Lennox’s rousing rendition of “I Put a Spell On You” with Hozier. Pharrell reimagined his sunny single, “Happy,” into an intriguing protest echoing the “Hands up/Don’t shoot” posture that accompanied events in Ferguson, Missouri. Prince slipped in the best one-liner of the night, “Albums still matter. Just like books and bl..Continue reading→
Diablo Cody Tweets About Rescuing Jinger Duggar
Her new movie, Paradise, is all about religion. In the movie, which was originally titled Lamb of God, a young religious woman (Julianne Hough) is in a terrible accident, which causes her to question G-d and run off to Las Vegas to see what sin feels like. Well, it looks like screenwriter/director Diablo Cody had some pretty specific pop-culture inspirations for the movie: The Duggars. Particularly Jinger. Diablo recently tweeted that if Jinger ever wants to run away from her family, she can com..Continue reading→
Music
As We Ascend Releases First Single Wash Away to iTunes
As We Ascend's first single "Wash Away" is now available on iTunes, six days before the completion of their PledgeMusic campaign to fund the full length album Farewell to Midnight. In addition to being available on iTunes, "Wash Away" is also going for adds at radio. The PledgeMusic campaign is currently at 95% of its goal. You can listen to "Wash Away" below. As We Ascend, formed by former members of We As Human, launched their PledgeMusic campaign with the unique invitation to fans to "..Continue reading→
Bizzle Petitions for Financial Support of New Project
The recent release of Bizzle's new project Crowns & Crosses has sparked a conversation about the realities of being an artist with his God Over Money fans. In a recent newsletter, Bizzle details the shocking differences between a fan purchasing a physical or digital copy of any GOM release versus streaming through the likes of Spotify or Apple Music. He begins with the staggering reality that it takes 1,500 streams to equal that of one album sale. For example, if 100,000 fans stream the en..Continue reading→
John Mark McMillan Launches Pre-order for ‘Mercury & Lightning’
John Mark McMillan has launched a pre-order for his upcoming album Mercury & Lightning through PledgeMusic. The album has been preceded by the release of "Wilderlove" and "No Country." The PledgeMusic pre-order gives fans the chance to purchase a wide range of merch packages, with each one providing access to exclusive behind-the-scenes information approaching the album's release. The pre-order was launched in part due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the single "Wilderlove," re..Continue reading→
Sho Baraka’s ‘The Narrative’ Debuts at No. 6 on iTunes Hip Hop Chart and No. 26 on iTunes Overall
Critically acclaimed hip hop artist Sho Baraka unleashed The Narrative last week, and it was well received by fans and critics alike as it peaked at No. 6 on iTunes Hip Hop Chart and No. 26 on iTunes Overall Albums Chart. Created with the intention to generate a discussion among each other about the social issues we face today and throughout history, Sho Baraka is doing just that as shown by the critics below "Sho Baraka gives us conscious hip hop that makes us think. It is not intended for eas..Continue reading→
MercyMe’s ‘Welcome To The New’ Receives RIAA Gold Certification
GRAMMY® Nominated MercyMe's Welcome To The New (2014) has been honored with RIAA Gold Certification, marking the sixth gold album for the band in addition to a double platinum album and a platinum video. Welcome To The New earned two GRAMMY® nods, multiple GMA Dove Award honors and an American Music Award nomination. In addition, the album boasts three No. 1 singles with "Greater," "Flawless" and "Dear Younger Me," and one Top 5 single with "Shake." MercyMe is planning to unveil a new recor..Continue reading→
Deraj Drops A New Single
Deraj blessed both the genre and Reflection Music Group (RMG) fans worldwide with a new banger for the car on "Know That's Me," featuring KYNG. Listeners can purchase not only the track, but also the instrumental backing and an acapella version of the track. The three versions of this project may be purchased here, or streamed on Spotify. Visuals for the project debuted under the direction of Joe Desantis. The video may be viewed below. RMG has been quite the productive label as of late..Continue reading→
Live in Chicago: The Looking for America Tour by Switchfoot
Track Listing 01. Holy Water 02. Meant To Live 03. Bull In A China Shop 04. Where The Light Shines Through 05. I Won't Let You Go 06. Love Alone Is Worth The Fight 07. Hello Hurricane 08. If The House Burns Down Tonight 09. Float 10. Live it Well Continue reading→
Courtney Orlando Releases New Single, Wait On You
Courtney Orlando released his latest single "Wait on You" on October 10. You can download the track for free on SoundCloud here. Orlando describes the new track as an open conversation between him and God. No future plans of a full length project have been released at this time. The artist formally known as J.R. dug his roots into the hip-hop genre over a decade ago with his debut release Metamorphosis in 2005. Fittingly, change has followed him in the area of style, depth and even branding a..Continue reading→
Christmastime by Jody McBrayer
Track Listing 01. Imagine This Christmas 02. Candlelight Carol 03. O Come All Ye Faithful 04. Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep/Silent Night (feat. Sarah Clayton-McBrayer) 05. What Child Is This? 06. Ave Maria/O Holy Night 07. Bring A Torch Janette Isabella 08. Last Christmas 09. Christmastime is Here 10. Have Yourself A Merry Little CContinue reading→
American
Assisted Suicide is Antithetical to Liberal Values
Charles Camosy wrote an excellent article concerning the assisted suicide bill in New York that was recently published in the New York Daily News titled: Assisted Suicide vs liberal values. Camosy begins his article by describing the personal story that Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D) says led to her supporting assisted suicide. Camosy acknowledges the pain that has led many people to support assisted suicide, but he argues that this compassion leads to unintended consequences. No one can be unmo..
Nearly 50 New Pro-Life Laws Have Been Introduced Since President Trump’s Election
The year 2017 already is bringing strong hopes for future babies in the womb. World News Service reports state legislators have introduced almost 50 pro-life bills already this year that would increase protections for unborn babies and moms. Pro-life leaders said the November election results kindled new hopes that these protections will pass state legislatures and be upheld in the courts. “With the election of a pro-life president, with all of the gains that we made across the different state..
Parents Reject Abortion After Ultrasound Shows Identical Twins Cuddling Each Other
Doctors suggested that Hayley Lampshire may have to abort one of her unborn sons after they discovered the twins shared an amniotic sac and placenta. The Daily Mail reports the twins’ rare condition put their lives in jeopardy; the survival rate is only about 50 percent. But selectively aborting one of them would have 100-percent denied one child a chance at life. Lampshire and her husband said they were “heartbroken” when they heard the news, but their hopes were renewed when they saw an ultr..
Science is Incidental (RJS)
Chapter 5 of Denis Lamoureux’s new book Evolution: Scripture and Nature Say Yes looks at the way that “science” is presented in Scripture. Science is a modern concept, but Scripture certainly speaks about the nature of the cosmos and uses language that assumes a view of astronomy, geography, and biology. But the Bible is not a science book. It doesn’t teach new science, rather it reflects the typical views concerning astronomy, geography, and biology commonly held in the ancient Near East. These..
Entertainment
8 films and mini-series to see before you vote
Reese Witherspoon plays Tracy Flick in the 1999 film “Election.” (Paramount Pictures/Bob Akester) My ears perked up back in March when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz defended his wife, Heidi, after Donald Trump threatened to “spill the beans” about her. Cruz came back with a threat of his own that sounded like it was straight out of the 1995 film “The American President” when President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) stood up for his girlfriend (Annette Bening) to his opponent Sen. Bob Rumson (Richard Dr..
“Rabin in His Own Words” is a testament to peace
At the Venice Film Festival last September, the SIGNIS (Catholic) Jury placed filmmaker Amos Gitai’s “Rabin: The Last Day” on our short list for the SIGNIS Prize as soon as we saw it. The film is a captivating docudrama form of a political essay that explores the last day in the life of the famed peace-seeking Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1922 – 1995) who was assassinated during a peace rally on November 4, 1995. Integrating actual footage of the shooting by a 25-ye..
“The Story of God” concludes 5/8 with “The Power of Miracles”
The Story of God concludes this Sunday with “The Power of Miracles.” This Sunday, May 8, 2016, the NatGeo Channel will conclude it’s beautiful inspiring and informative series on “The Story of God.” The final episode is “The Power of Miracles.” The series host, Morgan Freeman, begins this “journey to discover the power of miracles” by interviewing Alcides Moreno, a window washer in Manhattan who plunged 47 stories to the ground in 2007 and survived. Alcido’s younger brother, Edgar, perished. Fre..
Cast of RISEN reacts to meeting Pope Francis ahead of May release of DVD
The film RISEN, that I reviewed in February as a “moving contribution to the canon of biblical movies” will be distributed on digital on May 10 and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ & DVD May 24 with Bonus Materials that will include deleted scenes and three behind-the-scenes featurettes & commentary. And today, for the first time, you can watch and listen to the moving responses of actors Joseph Fiennes and Maria Botto as well as the co-producers, Mickey Liddell and Pete Shil..
US
Electoral College Day, then and now
The Electoral College meets today, with the designated electors meeting in state capitols to cast their vote for president. In most states, electors are required, by law or by oath, to vote according to the election results of their state. Nevertheless, this year electors are receiving thousands of e-mails, letters, and phone calls, insisting on the autonomy of the electoral college and begging them not to put Trump in office. Even Democratic electors are being pressured not to vote for Clinton ..
Top 10 Google searches of 2016
The internet contains unfathomable amounts of information. Search engines allow us to find anything we want to know, giving us access to knowledge on an unprecedented scale, thus advancing the capabilities of the human mind. When we can fully connect our minds to the internet, we can attain the next level of human evolution. So see what the year’s top searches on Google were. From Google’s Year in Search – Google Trends:Pokémon GoiPhone 7Donald TrumpPrincePowerballDavid BowieDeadpoolOlympic..
Theology & church growth
Canadian researchers conducted a study of mainline Protestant churches (Anglican, Presbyterian, Uniting, and Evangelical Lutheran [the liberal denomination, as opposed to the confessional Lutheran Church of Canada]), comparing traits in congregations that were growing and those that are not. They found that congregations that were theologically conservative are growing, and those that were theologically liberal are not. (Go here for the complete study.) After the jump, religion columnist Terry M..
$12 coffee and the positional economy
Starbucks is opening some exclusive “Reserve Roasteries and Tasting Rooms,” which will offer high-end coffee experiences at around $12 per cup. George Will discusses the phenomena, drawing on an economist who distinguishes between the “material” and the “positional” economy. First we have to meet our basic “material” needs (food, shelter, clothing). After that, what once were luxuries (automobiles, air conditioning, computers) are turned into necessities. After that, we spend money on high-statu..