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Thoughts

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

John 10:11 (10-11-16)

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. — John 10:11 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Isn't it absolutely unbelievable that the Supreme God of the universe would love us so generously! Yet he has shown his love for us in the past through Jesus. He will dramatically show his love for us again when Jesus returns — not to give his life for us, but to share his life with us! Come, sweet Shepherd, come!Continue reading

Paying the Ultimate Price

"No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." John 15:20, NIVThey didn’t just persecute Jesus; they crucified Him! How is it that you and I think we will be treated any better? You may be thinking this doesn’t happen today. Yet it has been estimated by the World Christian Encyclopedia that more than 45 million men and women were put to death for their faith in Jesus Christ during the twentieth century! In recent years the estimate has averaged be..Continue reading

Jeremiah 10:10 (10-10-16)

But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king...— Jeremiah 10:10 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... There is only one true God. All others are false, mere pretenders to the throne of the Righteous One. Yet like the Athenians in Acts 17, our world continues to place idol after idol in the place that should be reserved for God alone. But, we can be different! We can live as radiant examples of the God of justice, righteousness, mercy, and grace. We can re..Continue reading

TLG Bible God Final

There’s No Excuse!

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9, NKJV “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred” (John 5:7, NIV). The man beside the pool of Bethesda was focused on what he lacked. He lacked a friend to help him. He lacked the strength to do it on his own. But while he was preoccupied with what he didn’t have, he totally missed what he did have-he had Jesus! Standing right there! What’s your excuse for con..Continue reading

Daily Wisdom

God’s Power to Change

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1:3, NKJV Do you know someone who is desperate for change? Someone who is: bound by anger? isolated by pride? depressed by worry? consumed by jealousy? panicked by fear? God’s Word has not lost its power since the beginning of time! The same power that transformed Planet Earth from that which was void, dark, without form, and in a fluid con..Continue reading

Hebrews 11:3 (11-03-16)

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.— Hebrews 11:3 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Where did it all come from? Where did matter, energy, and time come from? How did our universe come to possess order and structure, when all we know about our existence moves to decay, disorder, and death? By faith, we know it came from the articulated design of our Heavenly Father!Continue reading

Dying to Self

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24, NIV The power in your life and mine that results in blessing is in direct proportion to the extent that you are willing to die to . . . your own will, your own goals, your own dreams, your own rights. It’s what Jesus meant when He challenged His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” However, before you get too hung up on th..Continue reading

Prayers

TLG Prayer

The Birthright

Passage: Hebrews 12:16-17 Prayer: Dear Father,Keep me from being immoral or irreligious and, like Esau, selling the birthright you have for me. I want to inherit your blessing, even if it comes to me through tears.Hold me close to you. Fill my mind with thoughts of you. Fill my heart with love for you. May I use my strength to perform acts of care and love which you initiate.I love you, Lord.In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Devotional provided by Heartlight® © 1996-2016. All rights reserved.Continue reading

TLG Prayers Clenched Hands

Daily Prayer for September 28

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story – those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Psalm 107:1–3, NIV Lord our God and our Father, we thank you for all the blessings you have brought into our lives and for everything we still hope to receive from your goodness. We thank you that through your Spirit you will work more and more in us and in all peo..Continue reading

TLG Prayer

Call for Peace and Holiness

Passage: Hebrews 12:12-15 Prayer: Dear Father,When my hands droop and my knees are weak, put me in a place where I will get exercise. Open my eyes so that I can find level paths on which to lead the lame so they will not trip and get hurt but will walk and find healing.May I always strive for peace with every other person in the world and to seek holiness for myself, knowing that without it I will never see you.Enable me to help others find grace and to keep those in your family from becoming bitter..Continue reading

TLG Prayers Clenched Hands

Daily Prayer for September 27

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. Psalm 138:1–2, NIV Dear Father in heaven, we thank you for your mercy and for your great goodness and power, revealed to us through the ages and in the present time. We live by your revelation, Lord God Almighty, for you perform..Continue reading

Church & Ministries

Wild West Nun On The Path To Becoming A Saint

x To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Pixabay A nun who led an extraordinary life in the Wild West is being considered for sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church. Sister Blandina Segale befriended famous outlaw Billy The Kid after he had been shot. When doctors refused to treat him because of his notorious reputation, Sr Blandina stepped in and nursed him back to health for several months. He didn't reform his w..Continue reading

What Will Really Help Your Church To Grow?

x To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video HTB Church | Facebook "Literal interpretation of Bible 'helps increase church attendance'" The Guardian reports this morning on the results of a research project which has taken five years and looked into the growth and decline of Protestant churches in North America. On one level, it isn't very surprising. Churches which take seriously Jesus' commandment to m..Continue reading

Research Says: Conservative Theology Helps Churches Grow Faster

x To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Conservative churches grow faster than more liberal leaning ones, a five-year study has shown. The paper found that churches that relied on a more literal reading of the Bible and a certain belief in hell were more likely to grow than others. The controversial study counters calls for the Church of England to change traditional aspects of its teaching, such as over gay marriage, to..Continue reading

Jerry Falwell Jr Launches Stinging Critique Of Pope Francis…Then Deletes It

x To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Jerry Falwell Jr, president of the evangelical Liberty University and bastion of the religious right, has rowed back from a spat with Pope Francis. As one of Donald Trump's major protagonists in the US church, the two are likely to disagree on many issues. But on Monday evening Falwell tweeted a stinging critique of the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics before ..Continue reading

Hot Topics

A Christmas Memory

So when I noticed an album-shaped present under the tree, I assumed it would be George Beverly Shea singing Christmas songs or a Christian folk group that my parents thought I might tolerate. I would have received those albums in the spirit they were given—as polite and patient nudges to head back into the fold. But the album-shaped present was, of course, the double anthology album with Duane in all his rebellious hippiness on the cover. When I opened it, the entire story impressed itself on me..Continue reading

Christmas: Sentimentality or Reality

As I pondered the central aspect of the Christian faith, Jesus, I began to become more convinced that Jesus was the Christ promised all throughout the Old Testament. He truly was the Son of God who came to save sinners like me. This Christmas, as with every Christmas, there is much to focus upon. All of them are good, too; family, generosity in gift giving, peace, love, and hope to name a few. I would not argue for the opposite of these, but if Jesus is not who he claimed to be, Christmas is si..Continue reading

How George Whitefield Reshaped a Famous Christmas Carol

If Whitefield had avoided altering the poetry of Charles Wesley, perhaps more English speakers today would recognize the word “welkin,” or perhaps equally as likely, our churches would have passed over this Christmas carol long ago and let it fade into obscurity. We’ll never know, but God be praised for Wesley, Whitefield, and tunesmith Felix Mendelssohn, who have crafted a hymn of incarnation worthy to be declared from decades past through decades to come. Although the name George Whitefield i..Continue reading

The History Behind ‘Silent Night’

“Today, Silent Night is perhaps the most famous Christmas carol in history. It has been translated into most languages, and the Bing Crosby version is the third-bestselling single in history. A rebuilt Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf is now a cultural landmark (a replica can be found in Frankenmuth, Michigan).” This year, my home has been warmed by the sound of my 8-year-old practicing the piano. Her first recital is tomorrow, and the song she will perform is Silent Night. As it turns out, th..Continue reading

Life & Society

Republican Gov. John Kasich Vetoes Bill Banning Abortion When Heartbeat Detected, Signs 20-Week Ban

Photo Credit: Gage SkidmoreCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Republican governor and former presidential candidate John Kasich vetoed a bill on Tuesday that would have banned abortion when a heartbeat is detected, while signing into law legislation that bans abortion after 20 weeks gestation. “Certain provisions … are clearly contrary to the Supreme Court of the United States’ current rulings on abortion,” he said in an explanatory statement released by his office. As previously reported, the Unborn Heartbeat ..Continue reading

Report: Macy’s No Longer Donating to Planned Parenthood Through Matching Gift Program

Photo Credit: WikipediaA watchdog group that monitors the social stances of major corporations, as well as those who donate to the abortion and contraceptive giant Planned Parenthood, has announced that the retail store Macy’s has discontinued donations to the organization through its matching program. “Macy’s confirmed with 2ndVote … that the company no longer gives and no longer matches donations to Planned Parenthood,” 2ndVote said in a post on Wednesday. Representatives with the retailer h..Continue reading

Movies

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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

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

The Narrative by Sho Baraka

Track Listing 01. Foreward, 1619 02. Soul, 1971 03. Kanye, 2009 (feat. Jackie Hill Perry) 04. Love, 1959 05. Here, 2016 (feat. Lecrae) 06. 30 & Up, 1986 (feat. Courtney Orlando) 07. Profhet, 1968 (feat. James Portier) 08. Maybe Both, 1865 (feat. James Portier) Purchase 09. Excellent, 2017 Purchase 10. Road to Humble, 1979 Purchase 11. Myhood, U.S.A., 1937 (feat. Vanessa Hill) 12. Words, 2006 13. Fathers, 2004 Purchase 14. Piano Break, 33 A.D. Continue reading

World

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Patriotic Worship is Coming to a Church Near You

Pastors and churches mix patriotism and worship around July 4th. Doubtless most Americans believe America has a special relationship to God. Last year LifeWay Research found: Despite headlines lamenting the global decline of the United States since the Cold War, 54 percent of Americans believe the nation is on the upswing, according to a September survey by LifeWay Research. Only 4 in 10 think “America’s best days are behind us.” And though the U.S. Constitution makes no mention of God, 53 ..Continue reading

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Weekend Edition—July 1, 2016

Care for Refugees, America Divided, Church Signs, and more! Evangelicals and refugees: Care first, conversion maybe later—Adelle M. Banks Love and care may open the door to the gospel, but even if not we should love and care. Today’s Betrayal of Women by the Female Bloc on SCOTUS—Dr. Gerard Nadal Razor sharp analysis of how the three female SCOTUS justices betrayed women. The Plight of the Falling Pastor—Daniel Darling interviews Scott Sauls Pastors can never have too much encouragement t..Continue reading

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Wise Decision-Making in God’s Economy

How do we know that we are pleasing God in all that we do? Who will be our next president? It’s a question that is on everyone’s mind. In light of the upcoming presidential election, economic questions like, “Should we trade with China?” or “How do we pay for our debt?” are swirling in the minds of Americans. Questions like these are important, but they are also overwhelming and seem to best belong with pundits and academics. The reality is, the average American has little impact on the econom..Continue reading

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The Purge: Election Year

The opportunity for biting social critique gets swept away in a torrent of bloody destruction. Few, if any, of CT's readers probably ought to see (or bother seeing) The Purge: Election Year. Like its predecessors (The Purge and The Purge: Anarchy), its world is drawn thinly in ways that don't actually help the very interesting concept of the plot: that in an alternate universe very close to our own, the U.S. is ruled by the NFFA—the New Founding Fathers of America, a party of apparent..Continue reading

American

Woman Complains About Body Image Issues After Late-Term Abortion of Girl With Spina Bifida

Missouri mom Jessica McCoy had a late-term abortion a few months ago after learning that her unborn daughter had spina bifida and a chromosomal abnormality. The mother of three born children has been sharing about her abortion publicly, both describing her grief at the loss of her daughter and justifying her decision to have her unborn daughter killed because of the girl’s disabilities. Several women’s publications picked up McCoy’s story this week after she posted photos on Instagram describi..

Texas Lawmakers Initially Approve Bill to Ban Abortions on Babies Just Because of Their Race or Gender

Today, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 415, the Dismemberment Abortion Ban, on second reading. The bill was preliminarily approved by the Senate on a bipartisan 22-9 vote. In addition to every Republican of the Senate supporting the measure, two Democrats – Senators Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) and Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) – voted for the life-saving measure. Senate Bill 415 and House Bill 844, the Dismemberment Abortion Ban, outlaw the barbaric and inhumane procedure that ends the li..

More Patients in Quebec Killed in Assisted Suicide as Hundreds Request Lethal Drugs

CBC news reported (March 14) that the number of euthanasia deaths in Québec significantly increased in the second half of 2016. According to the CBC news report: A total of 461 patients were granted doctor-assisted death during the first year of Quebec’s medical aid in dying law, according to data obtained by CBC’s French-language service, Radio-Canada. The number of requests increased significantly in the second half of 2016. From December 2015 to end of June 2016, 253 patients requested the ..

Woman Was About to Have an Abortion When Something Incredible Happened to Save Her Baby’s Life

Two volunteers at the 40 Days for Life vigil in Pensacola spoke to a deeply troubled young woman who had conceived a child as the result of a sexual assault. “She was hurting and felt that abortion was her only solution to the recent trauma she had experienced,” said Ernie, the local coordinator. Counselors offered encouragement, assistance, prayers and tears. But still, she believed abortion was her only option … and she went inside the abortion center. The volunteers kept praying – and trust..

Australia

Bringing them up in the Lord

BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Wednesday 21 December 2016 About 60 million children in China are “left behind” in their home villages, to be looked after by their grandparents or relatives because their parents are trying to find work in cities. This enormous group of neglected children – more than a quarter of the 215 million children in China – is in great need of hope, encouragement and care. These “left-behind” children are highly vulnerable to serious crimes such as sexual abuse and assault and suff..

Back where it all began

BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Saturday 20 December 2016 Next year is a special year. Bible Society Australia will be celebrating its bicentenary, but 2017 is not only about thanking God for all he’s done in the past through his word. Bible Society Australia is calling upon you, your church and your community groups to help us continue the legacy of equipping our people with the life-giving word of God. Get The Word Out (GTWO) is Bible Society Australia’s year-long focus on providing one nation on earth ..

Everything you helped us achieve in 2016

BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS | Greg Clarke Monday 19 December 2016 Bible Society Australia isn’t about any one person. From the very start we’ve been a Society. Bible Society is the thousands of supporters and volunteers like you. And it’s through your generosity this year we’ve been able to: Train 30 literacy teachers in South Sudan under Professor Twong Yolong – so thousands of Collo people, traumatised by war, can read and write Translated the scriptures to the Tay, Nung and Muong people in Vietnam –..

Egyptian Christians killed in bomb attack on church

A bomb blast in St Peter’s church in Cairo on Sunday killed 25 people and wounded 49, mostly women and children. The bombing during morning mass was the deadliest attack on Egypt’s Christians since a 2011 bombing killed 21 people at a church in Alexandria. The Sunday bombing is the latest indication of how challenging it is for Christians living in Egypt, who account for about 10 per cent of Egypt’s 92 million people. The Bible Society of Egypt has requested prayers f..

Law & Government

Men With Scabies Arrested After Committing Homosexual Sex Act on Display Bed at Bed Bath & Beyond

(NorthJersey.com) – Two men were arrested and charged with engaging in lewd behavior on a display bed at Bed Bath & Beyond during regular business hours. Police officers responded to the Route 3 Riverfront shopping center at 5 p.m. Monday on a report from a witness that two men were engaged in a sex act, records show. Police arrested two 28-year-old men, one from Nutley and the other from North Carolina. Both were charged with lewdness, criminal mischief and possession of marijuana, according ..

Alabama Man Charged With Capital Murder for Killing Unborn Child in Beating Girlfriend

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Alabama man has been charged with capital murder for allegedly killing his unborn child while beating his girlfriend. According to reports, Reginald Sharp, 27, knocked his girlfriend to the ground in a domestic incident last July and then beat her with his fists and a belt. She was 26 weeks (six months) pregnant. The woman was transported to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where her baby was stillborn the next day. The county coroner listed the child’s death as “intrauterine feta..

Trump Mocks Schwarzenegger, Jokingly Asks for ‘Prayer’ for ‘Apprentice’ Ratings at National Prayer Breakfast

(ABC News) — President Trump jokingly requested prayer for Arnold Schwarzenegger as he addressed attendees at this morning’s National Prayer Breakfast. “They hired a big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to take my place, and we know how that turned out,” Trump said at the top of his remarks. He continued, “The ratings went right down the tubes. It’s been a total disaster. And Mark [Burnett] will never, ever bet against Trump again, and I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those rat..

Boy Scouts to Allow Girls Who Identify as Boys

(New York Times) — Reversing its stance of more than a century, the Boy Scouts of America said on Monday that the group would begin accepting members based on the gender listed on their application, paving the way for transgender boys to join the organization. “For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America, along with schools, youth sports and other youth organizations, have ultimately deferred to the information on an individual’s birth certificate to determine eligibility for our single-..

Entertainment

Martin Scorsese talks Spirituality and Silence

Comment countSilence was one of the most provocative, moving bits of cinema I saw last year. It’s complex and murky and inspiring and troubling and beautiful–all of which, in a way, reflects how I interact with faith itself. Perhaps, when we attempt to understand and embrace the transcendent, it can be no other way. The movie is arguably one of Martin Scorsese’s most overtly religious works. But as many have noted, almost every movie that Scorsese has ever done is about, in some way, faith. Scor..

Why Silence Deserved Oscar’s Love

Comment countAndrew Garfield and Yōsuke Kubozuka in Silence, photo courtesy Paramount PicturesWhen Academy Award nominees earlier this week, plenty of Oscar’s snubs made headlines. No Amy Adams? No Sully? Where’s Hugh Grant? But the Academy reserved its biggest oversight for one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors: Martin Scorsese. Silence, the film that Scorsese spent 26 years planning and making, earned just a single nomination—for Rodrigo Prieto’s gorgeous cinematography. Nothing for Andr..

The Story of God: Is There Anybody Out There?

Comment countMorgan Freeman from National Geographic’s The Story of GodFor two seasons, National Geographic’s The Story of God With Morgan Freeman has taken us behind the curtain to see the world’s religions, both great and small, at work. This Monday in the second season finale, Freeman and his crew tackle the biggest question of all: Is there a reason for all this religion? In other words, is there a God? But proof of God, as Oxford Theoretical Physicist Ard Louis says on the show, is impossib..

The Story of God: Finding Heaven in Hell

Comment countMorgan Freeman from National Geographic’s The Story of God.What is heaven? What is hell? And how do they impact how we live right now? “Heaven and Hell,” the latest episode of The Story of God With Morgan Freeman (airing Jan. 23) grapples with those questions. They’re questions that have fascinated me, too. They always have, ever since I was a little boy. In the episode, Freeman and others take an interfaith trip through the Good Place and Bad Place. The show takes us to a cave in T..

Health and Science

Is Genesis History? New Film Affirms Truthfulness of Biblical Record

A soon-to-be-released documentary-style film, featuring footage from around the U.S. and interviews with over a dozen scholars and scientists, will provide visual evidence and scientific arguments for the Bible’s accounts of Creation and the Flood. On February 23, hundreds of movie theaters across the U.S. will participate in a one-night showing of the film “Is Genesis History?” The film, produced by Compass Cinema and structured as a documentary, features interviews with respected Christian sc..

Researchers Experiment Creation of Human-Pig ‘Chimera Embryos’ to Address Shortage of Donor Organs

LA JOLLA, Calif. — A team of biologists at the Salk Institute in California has reportedly created the first-ever human-pig chimeras in an effort to test the idea of growing organs in animals that can later be used in human transplants. “This biomedical advance has long been a dream and a quandary for scientists hoping to address a critical shortage of donor organs,” National Geographic writes. “Every ten minutes, a person is added to the national waiting list for organ transplants. And every d..

Why Our Body Destroys Itself

The science and spirituality behind the latest Nobel Prize in medicine. With every patient I treat, I hear myself echo the same sentiment: I know this hurts. I’m sorry. It will be over soon. In the emergency department, healing rarely comes without pain. It may be the wrenching of a joint back into place, the lancing of an abscess, or the administering of antibiotics through the business end of a large needle. But with the exception of the few who decide at the first flash of my scalpel that pe..

Perplexed Scientists Think C-Sections During Childbirth Are Affecting Human Evolution

Photo Credit: Lisa EspinosaWhy is obstructed labor such a common complication during human childbirth? A team of evolutionary scientists thinks recent human evolution and the modern practice of childbirth via C-section contribute to the problem. Obstructed labor happens when a baby is unable to smoothly pass from the mother’s womb through the birth canal. A major cause of both maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, obstructed labor is especially common in poorer countries and results in ..

US

The Superbowl and vocation

The Superbowl is this weekend, time for the obligatory polls about whether or not God gets involved in the outcome of sporting events. One-quarter of Americans believe that he does. About a half believe that God rewards faithful athletes with health and success. Certainly, the easy answer is that of course God doesn’t care about a sporting event because He has much more important things to do. But if God attends to the fall of a sparrow, why wouldn’t He attend to the fall of a pigskin? The real ..

The anti-Trump “resistance”

French Resistance fighters, 1944 Democrats have gone into full resistance mode, with Democratic Senators boycotting confirmation hearings to prevent a vote on President Trump’s candidates. (Republicans suspended the rules and approved Treasury Secretary candidate Steven Mnuchin and HHS Secretary candidate Tom Price anyway. See this.) Meanwhile, a self-described “alternative left” has emerged that is pressuring Democratic elected officials not to co-operate with the Republicans. Notice how the us..

Trump’s Supreme Court nominee

President Donald Trump has nominated Colorado appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Antonin Scalia. Reportedly, Judge Gorsuch is from that same mold: eloquent, learned, articulate, and an “originalist” when it comes to interpreting the Constitution. He is the author of a book against euthanasia and supported Hobby Lobby in its suit against the Obamacare birth control mandate. An Anglican, he would be the only Protestant on the bench, joining the 5 Ca..

“Pregnant people”

The British Medical Association has issued guidelines saying that to avoid offending the transgendered, health workers should not refer to “pregnant women.” Rather, say, “pregnant people.” After all, a biological female–no, that wording is forbidden too; we must say “assigned female”–who identifies as a man can have a baby. And since we must go by self-identification, that means that men can be pregnant. The Transgender movement has at least destroyed feminism. Now that men can claim the identit..

Church & Theology

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“Enlightenment” and True Freedom

“I think, therefore I am.” René Descartes penned this popular line in his 1637 treatise, Discourse on the Method, and it’s a good summary of the book itself. Heralding the importance of scientific discoveries and the necessity of doubting one’s own view of the world, Descartes’s work is often considered the first domino to fall in what is now called the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, with its explosion of scientific discoveries and philosophical arguments, had one task:..

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New Book — Rooted: Theology For Growing Christians

As you may know, my friend Jeff Medders and I wrote a short, accessible book on the most important doctrines of the Christian faith. It’s called Rooted: Theology for Growing Christians, and it released this weekend from Rainer Publishing. As two men who’ve served in church leadership in various ways, we kept running into laypeople who were accidental Universalists, Arians, mystics, and even worse. We’ve found that it’s often not their fault; rather, they spent most of thei..

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Church Grammar: Theology as the Language of Christianity

If you’re anything like me, you’ve had your favorite dinnertime evangelists, the local Jehovah’s Witnesses, show up at your door. They’re kind. They smile. And they even tuck in their shirts. To top it all off, they speak Christianese pretty well. Or do they? Though they sound like Christians, they come bearing bad news–an anti-gospel that denies the divinity of Jesus and only offers the possibility of Heaven for a select few people. Their gospel sounds so close to the bib..

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Jesus Hanging Out with Wild Animals

The Temptations of Christ, 12th century mosaic at St Mark’s Basilica, Venice. On a recent episode of Word Matters, Trevin Wax and I discussed Mark’s rendering of Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness, particularly the unique insertion of the phrase, “He was with the wild animals” (Mark 1:13, HCSB). After discussing the prominent views of this passage throughout church history, Trevin and I both landed at the same conclusion: Mark is recapitulating the temptation scene of Ge..

Finance

Creative Giving Ideas: 10 Better Ways to Give

Have you ever given a gift and it just didn’t have the effect you desired? Maybe you’ve given one too many gift cards and you’re ready for something different – something creative! There are better ways you can give – the Bible even has something to say about it! Below are some better ways you can give and make someone’s day! Whether you are giving to a stranger or someone you know, they’ll be sure to love these gift ideas. 1. Send a plain white card with one compliment inside.The simplicity of ..

Lincoln’s Proclamation of Thanksgiving

Abraham Lincoln Washington, DC October 3, 1863 An excerpt from Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens…to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also…commend to His tender care all those who have become widow..

The Grass is Greener for Good Stewards

Sometimes it’s tempting to think about the life we’re working toward. We can’t wait until _____________ (fill in the blank). That something could be school, a better job, a bigger paycheck, a newer car or house, or better health. Don’t get me wrong, these things can motivate us sometimes when we feel overwhelmed, and can help to stay on track. But when the ‘next phase’ is all that we think about, we risk losing sight of what we have in front of us. Is the grass always greener?The idea that the g..

30 Awesome Zig Ziglar Quotes

Zig Ziglar was one of the most inspiring voices of the 20th century. His motivational books and speaking events inspired thousands of people to improve their lives. He wrote over two dozen books and was considered the King of Motivation and the ultimate coach of salesmanship. Unfortunately, Zig Ziglar passed away on November 28, 2012; he was 86 years old. He will always be remembered for his inspiring words and his encouraging messages. While there are many great quotes out there, today I wanted..