‘Shocked, Heartbroken, Disturbed, Angry’–CCM Artist Anne Wilson Shares Emotional Plea Following Trump Assassination Attempt

July 16, 2024

K-LOVE Fan Awards 2024 Female Artist of the Year and Dove Award-winning Christian musician Anne Wilson encouraged her social media followers to pray that “God would heal our land” following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump this past Saturday (July 13).

Just minutes into Trump’s speech in front of a crowd of Pennsylvanians, a 20-year-old man, who was armed with an AR-style rifle, climbed up on a nearby rooftop approximately 150 yards from where the former president was standing and opened fire in his direction.

Before the U.S. Secret Service killed the shooter, one of the would-be assassin’s bullets pierced the ear of Trump, while another fatally hit Corey Comperatore in the head, and two other bullets critically injured 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver.

The Grammy-nominated singer, who released her last album “Rebel” in April, shared that she never speaks on “political topics” because she doesn’t feel like it is her “place” or her “platform.”

“I have my platform to focus on the hope of Jesus and leading others to HIM through music,” Wilson said. “However, sometimes there are moments that call for speaking out.”

Wilson continued, “The tragedy that took place this weekend was one of those moments. When I heard of what happened to Donald Trump I was shocked, heartbroken, disturbed, and angry. I immediately felt hopeless thinking about what this world has come to.”

The 22-year-old singer explained that this was the first “attempted assassination of a president in my generation” and called the attempt “despicable” and “pure evil.”

“No president should ever be in that situation,” Wilson said and shared what her pastor preached on Sunday, just hours following the assassination attempt.

Longtime Supporter Pastor Jack Hibbs Receives Criticism for Telling Donald Trump, ‘It’s Time To Bow the Knee’ to Jesus Christ

Stephanie Martin

July 16, 2024

The day after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, California Pastor Jack Hibbs used his Sunday sermon to implore the former president and 2024 Republican nominee to “say that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Referencing Trump’s bloodied ear and fist raised in defiance, Hibbs said he’d next like to see “Trump on his knees with his hands lifted up to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.”

In his July 14 message, the megachurch pastor also called on U.S. Christians to repent and to pray for God to bring America back to him. The situation in our country is “much more serious than what befell Donald Trump yesterday,” Hibbs said. He later clarified, “I’m not calling you to support Trump; I’m calling you to fall on your face before God.”

Hibbs, founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, was a member of former President Trump’s evangelical advisory board. He has indicated that Christians are morally obligated to back Trump and has offered support for other conservative candidates. Earlier this year, a group of Congressional Democrats objected to Hibbs as a guest chaplain, calling him a Christian nationalist.

Pastor Jack Hibbs Urged Donald Trump to Acknowledge God

Even before the assassination attempt, Jack Hibbs said, he had titled a sermon for that day “Can You Hear This?” He preached while wearing a colonial-era robe, something he said he does only during “times of tyranny.” Throughout the 70-minute sermon, the pastor referenced lessons from American history, including George Washington’s daily habit of bowing in prayer to God.

Before preaching, Hibbs played a clip of the July 13 shooting, which wounded Trump, killed a campaign-rally attendee, and seriously wounded two others. In American culture, a raised fist is a sign of victory, Hibbs noted. But he said he thinks Trump has “a very short window of time” to turn that posture into one of repentance and submission.

Trump surviving what Hibbs said was intended as a “kill shot” made the pastor think of Old Testament temple practices. Referencing Leviticus 14:14, Hibbs said:

God said all those who represent me in the priesthood, there’s to be a sacrificial basin of blood. And I want the toe of the priest to be dipped in the blood, the big toe, the right toe, dipped in blood. I want the priest’s thumb dipped in blood because his feet and his decision-making is covered in my blood. And then take the blood from the basin and put it on your right ear.

Mr. President, Let Your Bloodied Ear Lead You to Jesus Christ @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/zCTUMw39QV

— Jack Hibbs (@RealJackHibbs) July 14, 2024

Harrison Butker Responds to Serena Williams After ESPY Awards Criticism

Jessica Mouser

July 16, 2024

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has responded to tennis legend Serena Williams, who took a dig at him while she was hosting the ESPY Awards the evening of Thursday, July 11. During one part of the show, Williams told Butker, who was in the audience, “We don’t need you.”

“I thought Mrs. Williams was a great host and applaud her for using her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics,” said Butker in a statement first reported by NBC News.

“Sports are supposed to be the great unifier,” he continued, “and at an event dedicated to celebrating a diverse group of men and women who have accomplished great feats, she used it as an opportunity to disinvite those with whom she disagrees with from supporting fellow athletes.”

Harrison Butker at the ESPY Awards

ESPN held the ESPY Awards, recognizing the top athletes and teams in sports from the preceding calendar year, on July 11, and Harrison Butker was among the celebrities who attended the event.

Butker is an outspoken Catholic who generated controversy in May for a commencement speech he gave in which he told the women in attendance that they had been told “diabolical lies” and suggested that having a career was secondary to being married and raising a family. The kicker said that his wife, Isabelle, “would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”

Butker’s teammates, tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, were among those who publicly responded to the speech. Both Kelce and Mahomes praised Butker as a man of character and validated his right to his opinions while also saying they did not necessarily agree with everything Butker said. The kicker later said he had no regrets about his speech.

During the ESPY Awards, Serena was onstage with her sister, Venus, and “Abbot Elementary” star Quinta Brunson as the three celebrated women’s sports. “So, go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports,” said Venus.

An Inch Away From Eternity

Greg Stier

July 16, 2024

inch — Photo credit: Jayasahan Hansana / Unspash

The recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump was a shock to many, including me. We need to be praying for the former president, as well as the other victims and their families.

But one truth is often overlooked when tragedies like this happen. It’s this:

You and I are always an inch away from eternity.

There’s a picture circulating on the internet where you can see the bullet and its trace as it whizzed by Trump’s head. It barely missed penetrating his skull. One inch was the difference between a flesh wound and a death wound.

THE BREVITY OF LIFE

In the same way, you and I are always an inch away from death—probably not from a bullet, but from a prognosis, a heart attack, a car accident, and the like.

Having officiated funerals throughout the last 40 years, including my grandfather’s at the age of 15, I can tell you that many times a person’s death is sudden and unexpected.

I’ve officiated a funeral for a 16-year-old girl whose skull was crushed by a tree that was cut down by some teenagers goofing off in the mountains. If that tree had fallen an inch or two in a different direction, she might still be alive today.

I’ve buried car-accident victims who may have lived if the drivers had turned the steering wheel a mere inch in a different direction.

When death comes unexpectedly, our mortality-awareness-index heightens. It’s at times like this that the biggest question of life should bubble to the top of our minds:

What happens after you die?

THE CERTAINTY OF DEATH

Jesus made it clear that one of two things takes place after death:

‘Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.’

John 5:24

Put succinctly, when you die you will go to either Heaven or Hell.

So the big question I have for you is this: Do you know you’re going to Heaven after you die?

I do, and it’s not because I’m a good person. I’m a sinner. If you don’t believe me, ask my friends and family.

But I know I’m going to Heaven. The following acrostic explains how I can know. It spells out the word Gospel, which means Good News:

God created us to be with Him. (Genesis 1:27)

Our sins separate us from God. (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life. (John 3:16)

Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever. (John 10:28)

I encourage you to look those verses up in the Bible and see for yourself what God’s Word says.

Five Faith Facts About Trump’s VP Pick, JD Vance

Jack Jenkins

July 16, 2024

WASHINGTON (RNS) — On the first day of the Republican National Convention, former President Donald Trump has announced Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance will be his running mate as he seeks reelection. Before his election to the Senate in 2022, Vance was a tech venture capitalist and the author of the bestselling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” about his family history, upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, and the broader struggles facing white working-class Americans.

Vance, an adult convert to Catholicism and married to a Hindu woman, has a complicated relationship with religion and, after his recent support for keeping mifepristone, an abortion pill, legal, with the GOP’s religious base. Here are five faith facts about Vance:

Vance is an adult convert to Catholicism

Vance converted to Catholicism in August of 2019, when he was baptized and confirmed at St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati, Ohio, by the Rev. Henry Stephan, a Dominican friar. According to an interview with American expatriate and writer Rod Dreher, who was present at the baptism, Vance chose St. Augustine as his patron saint.

Vance told Dreher that he’d converted because he “became persuaded over time that Catholicism was true” and had observed that the people who meant the most to him were Catholic. Vance said his conversion would have happened sooner if not for the clergy sexual abuse crisis, which “forced me to process the church as a divine and a human institution, and what it would mean for my 2-year-old son.”

Before becoming Catholic, Vance, now a father of three, was raised by Christian relatives, including many who didn’t go to church. Around when he started law school, he “went through an angry atheist phase,” as he told Dreher.

If elected, he would be the second Catholic vice president in U.S. history — after Joe Biden.

Vance is tied to ‘Catholic integralism,’ an ideology that seeks Christian influence over society

Vance is tied to an ideology known as “Catholic integralism,” an intellectual movement that, experts say, prefers a “soft power” approach to exerting Christian influence over society. Thinkers in the movement herald the importance of a Christian “strategic adviser” to people in power.

As Kevin Vallier, a professor at Bowling Green State University and expert in Catholic integralism, told RNS earlier this year: “There’s the sense that the liberal order is so corrupt that elite Catholics have to find positions of influence and use them in a kind of noble and appropriate way,” he said.

Harvard University’s Adrian Vermeule, a leader in the movement, stated that integralists once viewed Trump as a figure similar to Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor who converted to Christianity. Vermeule has also praised Trump by likening him to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a leader widely decried as being authoritarian.

Vance, for his part, spoke at a 2022 gathering at the Franciscan University of Steubenville that was widely associated with integralism and “new right” politics. Vance has yet to answer questions about his own thoughts regarding Catholic integralism.

Vance’s wife, Usha, is not Christian and was raised in a Hindu household

According to a recent interview with Fox and Friends, Usha Chilukuri Vance, J.D. Vance’s wife, is “not Christian.” The two met in Yale Law School and married shortly after graduation. Usha, a native Californian, was raised by Indian immigrants in a Hindu household but has said she was very supportive of Vance’s conversion to Catholicism.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance arrive on the floor during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

“I did grow up in a religious household,” said Usha, who clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts as well as Brett Kavanaugh before he became a Supreme Court justice. Roberts and Kavanaugh are both Catholic. Usha continued, “My parents are Hindu. That is one of the reasons why they made such good parents. That made them very good people. And I think I have seen the power of that in my own life. And I knew that JD was searching for something. This just felt right for him.”

The Ten Boom House: Trusting God’s Will

James Emery White

July 16, 2024

In the late 1930s, Corrie ten Boom was living in a small town in the Netherlands, better known as Holland. Her home, called the Beje (pronounced bay-yay), was a tilting, centuries-old house in the center of Haarlem and its bumpy brick streets.

Actually, it was two houses. In front it looked like a typical old-Haarlem structure: three stories high, two rooms deep and one room wide. But sometime in its history, the rear wall had been knocked through to join it with the even thinner, steeper house behind it.

Horrified by the German onslaught against the Jewish people of her country, Corrie (along with her family) began to hide within their home those most threatened by arrest. It was precisely the eccentric design and construction of their house that allowed such a perfect “hiding place” to be built in Corrie’s bedroom. To this day, you can tour the home and see where so many Jewish persons were hidden, protected from capture and, most certainly, death.

The family was eventually discovered for doing this and transported deep within Germany to a place whose very name struck terror—Ravensbrück, the notorious extermination camp. Her father died within the first two weeks of his arrest. Corrie’s sister, Betsie, eventually died in Ravensbrück as well.

Corrie survived. Through the humiliation, the beatings, the deprivation, the starvation, the sickness, the stench—she survived. Corrie spent the rest of her life speaking of Christ’s love and forgiveness, mercy and sustenance, goodness and trustworthiness, wherever she went. Eventually her story was captured in the bestselling book “The Hiding Place,” one of the most life-changing biographies you will ever read. Corrie became an ambassador to the world.

I traveled to see her house in Haarlem, to see the “hiding place” and, perhaps most of all, to remember what it means to trust God.

Corrie learned to trust God early through the faith of her family. When she witnessed the death of a baby as a young girl, she realized that death could come to anyone. That night she burst into tears and sobbed to her father: “I need you! You can’t die! You can’t!”

Her father sat down on the edge of her narrow bed. “Corrie,” he began gently, “when you and I go to Amsterdam—when do I give you your ticket?”

She sniffed a few times, considering his words.

“Why, just before we get on the train.”

“Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things, too. Don’t run out ahead of him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need—just in time.”

Trusting in God is an interesting thing. It involves a “letting go.”

If I trust you with something, it means I give it to you. It passes from my hand to yours. It is no longer in my possession. If I have confidence in your character and abilities, there is a relief at the passing. I no longer worry or concern myself with the matter. It is, as they say, “in good hands.” This means that trust is very much about the person being trusted. It also means acceptance. If I trust you, then I accept what you say and what you do.

We are called to trust God in the same way, including the ultimate area of trust: his will.

The primary will of God for your life is the same as it is for everybody else—to know and to love him. When someone asked Jesus what the heart of life was all about, what the ultimate law to follow was, this is what he said: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38, NIV). We came into that love relationship through our acceptance of Christ’s work on the cross.

The Most Overlooked Part of Funerals and Church Services

Joe McKeever

July 16, 2024

The Most Overlooked Part of Funerals and Church Services — Lightstock #183413

Not long ago, my wife and I attended the funeral of a distant in-law kind of relative. We enjoyed meeting friends and making new ones, and were blessed by the service. It was all great except for one thing. Something big was missing. Not a single funeral prayer was uttered. Not the first one.

One wonders if the leaders remembered later and said something like, “Oh my—I forgot to pray.”

“Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17).

It would appear that a lot of people are forgetting to pray these days. We should find that extremely disturbing. And more than a little revealing. I’ve been in worship services where the first prayer offered was midway through the service and just before the offering.

Nothing tells the tale on us more than the place we give to prayer, whether personally or in the worship services, including funeral prayer.

Our Lord said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer for all the nations…’” (Mark 11:17, quoting Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 ).

God wants prayer to take place when His people gather. The fact that we could assemble and forget to pray says a hundred things about us, all of them bad.

–We are satisfied living in the flesh and not in the Spirit.

–We see no reason to call on the Father, whether for His presence and blessings, or for His wisdom and anointing. We are like the newly-shorn Samson who awakened and “did not know the Spirit had departed from him” (Judges 16:20). What could be more condemning than this?

–We do not hunger for His nearness, long for His comfort, ache for Him to convict the lost and draw them to Christ.

–We worship in the flesh, which means our singing, our preaching, everything, is according to man and not to God.

–Prayer for some of us is only perfunctory. Just going through the motions. Tipping our hats to the Almighty. And thus, prayer was nothing that made much difference.

I fear we have become like the worshipers of Malachi’s day who sniffed at the offerings and said, “What a weariness!” (Malachi 1:13).

God help us.

Let’s Make Church Fun Again – From Tech to Tricks

Gavin Adams

July 16, 2024

Church Used to be FUN! I don’t know about your church past. I grew up attending church and, for the most part, it was fun. Being forced to attend “big church” with my parents was a drag, but most everything else was pretty great. Let’s make church fun again.

When I became an adult and decided to volunteer in our local church, my wife and I jumped into high school ministry. We enjoyed our youth group times, so it seemed like a perfect place to volunteer.

And it was. On many levels.

As a kid, I attended a church experience for kids or students at 9:00 a.m., followed by the boredom of the adult service at 11:00 a.m. When I began volunteering in student ministry, the juxtaposition of these two experiences was much more pronounced. We had a great time in student ministry. It was entertaining and engaging. We explored theology and learned about following Jesus and had fun doing it.

My wife and I would leave that volunteer experience every Sunday for the adult service. It only took half a hymn to suck the enthusiasm out of our souls.

My 22-year-old self pondered this weekly experience. “Perhaps adults don’t like to have fun at church?”

Or maybe pastors have forgotten that fun and church aren’t enemies.

Let’s make church fun again.

If you answered yes, I’m guessing you have received your fair share of criticism. Mind you, not from the unchurched, nonbelievers in your community, but from Christians and other churches. For some reason, many Christians and church leaders have bought into the belief that religion must be boring. That church can’t be fun. I guess we’ve associated dull with reverent. Hyper-serious to “spiritual.” Enjoyment has become a line in the religious sand. If you have fun in a religious service, it’s not really religious, and God can’t be pleased, right?

I partially understand. As Christians, we take God seriously. We take His church seriously. Most things we take seriously come with a certain level of seriousness (nobody wrote that down, I’m guessing). It makes sense.

But boring is not biblical. It’s not a matter of truth. It’s just how we’ve positioned ourselves as the church. It’s how we’ve positioned religion.

Here’s my question: Can a church be entertaining without becoming entertainment?

There is a difference. Entertainment serves one point: Enjoyment. But entertaining is different. Entertaining is enjoyment with purpose. Joy with a strategy.

Impactful Discipleship: Fostering Spiritual Growth in Youth

Stephanie Martin

July 15, 2024

Impactful discipleship is essential in 21st-century youth ministry. In fact, discipling teens is our number-one goal. These days, young hearts and minds are molded by a whirlwind of influences. So effective youth ministry discipleship is crucial.

Discipleship for teens is more than a Bible study series. It’s about nurturing a deep, life-changing relationship with Christ. By fostering spiritual growth, you give students a faith foundation to sustain them through life’s highs and lows.

Here are practical steps for impactful discipleship with teenagers.

Impactful Discipleship in Youth Ministry: 10 Insights

Share this life-changing list with volunteers, group members, and parents.

1. Build authentic relationships.

Connection is at the heart of impactful discipleship. Teens need youth leaders who genuinely care about them as individuals. So interact with kids outside of formal church settings. Attend their games and plays. Ask about their families. Showing interest builds trust, making kids receptive to spiritual guidance.

2. Create space for questions.

Adolescence is a time of searching for truth. So provide a safe, nonjudgmental space where teens can ask tough questions. Encourage open discussions during youth group. Address doubts and fears with empathy and understanding. Most importantly, seek answers together in God’s Word.

3. Actively pursue biblical truth.

Gone are the days of lecture-based teaching. Kids crave interactive, engaging content. So try group activities and multimedia resources. Add real-life applications to make lessons stick. Also encourage teens to lead discussions. They can present Bible skits or create art projects too.

4. Emphasize a personal relationship with God.

Encourage teens to grow closer to God with daily devotions. Provide teen-friendly Bible reading plans and journals. Teach kids how to pray and meditate on Scripture. With these habits, they learn to rely on God’s guidance in day-to-day life.

5. Offer mentorship and accountability.

Pairing teens with adult volunteers provides key discipleship support. Mentors can meet with teens to discuss the faith journey and pray together. One-on-one mentorship and small groups maximize discipleship efforts.

Heartfelt Prayers: Encouraging Kids to Talk to God

Stephanie Martin

July 15, 2024

Saying heartfelt prayers to God helps nurture children’s faith. For kids to grow close to Jesus, they need to know he’s always listening. Teaching children to pray involves more than rote recitation, though. Heartfelt prayers are everyday conversations with God that become natural parts of life.

Children’s ministers, Sunday school teachers, and parents can teach and model heartfelt prayers. Discover expert insights for helping kids harness the power of prayer.

11 Suggestions for Nurturing Heartfelt Prayers

Use these practical tips to help kids go to God in prayer.

1. Start with simple, relatable language.

When teaching kids to pray, use age-appropriate wording. Children understand better when terms are familiar and clear. Explain that praying is like talking to a friend. Jesus is always ready to listen and help. This makes prayer less intimidating for young minds.

2. Create a routine.

Consistency builds any habit, including prayer. First build a routine that includes prayer in daily activities. Pray before meals, at bedtime, and during car rides. Then prayer will become natural. Routine prayers create a rhythm that kids come to expect and enjoy.

3. Encourage personal heartfelt prayers.

Yes, memorized prayers have a place. But also help children express their own thoughts and feelings in prayer. Let kids know they can talk to God about anything. That includes happy moments, worries, gratitude, and daily activities. Personal prayers show children that God is interested in their life.

4. Use visual aids and activities.

Next, many children are visual and kinesthetic learners. So use visual aids like prayer jars and walls. Have kids add prayer requests or notes of thankfulness. Then devote time to praying for those things. Crafts like prayer bracelets also help children pray creatively.

5. Model prayer in all situations.

Children learn by observing adults. So model heartfelt prayers for them. Share your own prayer life openly, whether giving thanks, asking for guidance, or expressing concerns. When children see parents, teachers, and pastors pray, they’ll follow that behavior. Then they can develop their own prayer habits.

6. Teach through biblical accounts.

The Bible is filled with people who prayed. Use them to teach kids about different purposes of prayer. Daniel in the lions’ den, Hannah’s prayer for a child, and Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane are powerful examples of faith. Discuss and relate these to children’s own experiences and prayers.

‘We Didn’t Hate Him’—SC Pastor Leads Man Suspected of Setting Church Vans on Fire to Christ

Janna Firestone

July 15, 2024

SC Pastor Church Van Fire — Screengrab via YouTube / @WYFF News 4

Brandon Greene (18) was arrested for setting fire to two church vans in Pauline, South Carolina. While Greene sat in jail, Pastor Kiah Graves of Philadelphia Baptist Church chose to visit the suspect.

“We really felt compelled to share the love of Christ with Brandon,” Pastor Kiah Graves told a local news station.

Pastor Kiah Graves Visits Suspect Who Set Church Vans on Fire

According to WYFF local news, Brandon Greene, a teenager, was arrested on suspicion of arson. Before dawn on July 4, law enforcement responded to a 911 call involving two church vans burning in the parking lot of Philadelphia Baptist Church in Pauline, South Carolina.

The caller mentioned seeing someone leave the church parking lot in a truck and followed the truck to get a better description.

Arson investigators were able to obtain video footage of the suspect and the truck from a nearby business. Local police posted images and a description on their Facebook page and received a number of tips that led them to the suspect.

Greene was arrested and taken into custody later that afternoon and “charged with two counts of arson with a $10,000 bond,” deputies told WYFF.

Pastor Kiah Graves went to the jail and visited with Greene and led with love, instead of judgment. During their conversation, he was able to encourage Greene.

“Although his actions were wrong and harmful in the fact that we might have to buy new vans, we didn’t hate him,” said Graves.

“It was an amazing moment. We hugged each other,” Graves continued. “I told him that the church loved him because Christ loved us, and then, long story short, I got to share the gospel with him.”

Graves recounted what he said to Greene: “Brandon, we forgive you because we’ve been forgiven of our sins, but we want to know if you understand that.”

“He gave his life to Christ in there, repented of his sins, and wants to be baptized,” said Graves. “But none of that would have happened, I don’t think, if everybody wasn’t on the same page of, yes, let’s catch him, let’s make sure we get that squared away, but also don’t leave him by himself.”

The pastor shared more about the importance of forgiveness.

“Forgiveness and a hope of redemption for other people, offering second chances, is a way that Spartanburg could be known as one of the best places on earth to live,” said Graves.

‘It Was God Alone Who Prevented the Unthinkable From Happening,’ Donald Trump Says Following Assassination Attempt

Jesse T. Jackson

July 15, 2024

Donald Trump — Screengrab via YouTube / @FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth

Less than 24 hours after an assassination attempt on his life that took place while he was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump told Americans that it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”

Shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday (July 13), just minutes into Trump’s speech in front of a crowd of supporters, a 20-year-old man, who was armed with an AR-style rifle, climbed up on a nearby rooftop approximately 150 yards from where the former president was standing and opened fired in his direction.

Before U.S. Secret Service could neutralize the shooter, one of the would-be assassin’s bullets pierced the ear of Trump, while another fatally hit Corey Comperatore in the head, and two other bullets critically injured 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump credited God for sparing his life, saying, “Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”

“We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness,” he added. “Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.”

Trump called for unity amongst the American people so that evil doesn’t win, saying that “in this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win.”

Max Lucado Preaches at Gateway Church: ‘[Jesus] Will Get You Through This’

Jessica Mouser

July 15, 2024

Pastor and best-selling author Max Lucado preached at Gateway Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this past weekend, giving a sermon titled, “You’ll Get Through This.” Gateway has been dealing with fallout over the past month following allegations that founding Pastor Robert Morris, who has since resigned, abused Cindy Clemishire in the 1980s when she was 12 years old.

“You have welcomed us into your worship service many times over the last decade, yet of all the occasions that we have been here, none are we more honored and grateful than we are today,” said Lucado after being received onstage with a standing ovation from the congregation. “It is a genuine blessing to be in your presence.”

Lucado’s wife, Denalyn, joined the pastor on the stage. “I know the last few weeks have been hard. I know you’re walking an uphill path, and you’re feeling the wind in your face,” Lucado told the people of Gateway Church. “But I also know that God is still on the throne and that he loves with a deep and abiding affection. And Jesus is building his church. He’ll get you through this. Indeed, that’s the theme of my message: You’ll get through this. Let’s pray, and then we’ll get to work.”

Max Lucado Returns to Embattled Gateway Church

On June 14, a woman named Cindy Clemishire published allegations on The Wartburg Watch that Gateway Church’s Pastor Robert Morris had sexually abused her from 1982 to 1987, starting when she was 12 years old and he was in his 20s.

Clemishire says the abuse did not stop until she told her parents about it. After her father allegedly called Shady Grove Church in Grand Prairie, Texas, where Morris was serving as a pastor at the time, Morris stepped away from ministry for two years.

Clemishire’s father reportedly did not tell authorities about the abuse, and Morris returned to ministry after the two years were over. He founded Gateway in 2000, and the church has since grown to an attendance of over 25,800.

Gateway elders initially responded to Clemishire’s allegations by saying that Morris had already previously acknowledged “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” in his 20s and that he had done everything necessary to repent of that sin and be restored. According to Morris, “In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father.”

Morris said the father gave his blessing for Morris to return to ministry, something that Clemishire vehemently denies. She also says that in 2005, when she sought $50,000 from Morris for counseling costs related to the alleged abuse, the pastor offered her $25,000 on condition she sign a non-disclosure agreement. She refused.

Clemishire says that she has tried to tell her story over the years, but people have not been interested in it until now. On June 18, Gateway elders announced that they had accepted Morris‘ resignation and that they had not previously understood the “inappropriate” relationship to have been abusive.

They said they would be conducting an investigation into events within the timeframe Clemishire gave for the alleged abuse. Morris also resigned as an overseer at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama.

Clemishire, who has hired attorney and abuse survivor advocate, Boz Tchividjian, says (and a leaked email shows) that Gateway knew in 2005 that Morris’ “inappropriate relationship” involved a minor. She believes that Gateway should have fired Morris instead of allowing him to resign. Moreover, Clemishire has expressed concerns about Gateway’s investigation, including the fact that it does not cover Morris’ tenure at the church.

‘He Died a Real-Life Super Hero’—Churchgoing, Jesus-Loving Girl Dad Shielded His Family From Sniper Fire at Trump Rally

Jesse T. Jackson

July 15, 2024

Corey Comperatore was violently shot Saturday evening after he shielded his family from a sniper who was attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania.

An engineer by profession, the 50-year-old Comperatore, who was the former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, a husband to his wife, Helen, and a father to their two daughters, Allyson and Kaylee, is being hailed as a hero for protecting his family from this senseless act.

At approximately 6:15 p.m., the shooter, who has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, used an AR-style rifle to fire off multiple shots at Trump while lying on a rooftop an estimated 150 yards from where Trump was speaking to a crowd of Pennsylvanians in the hopes of securing their vote for November’s upcoming presidential election.

U.S. Secret Service gunmen immediately returned fire, killing the would-be assassin, but not before Crooks was able to shoot several shots in Trump’s direction. One of those bullets hit the former president in the ear, another fatally hit Comperatore, and two other bullets critically injured 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver—both of whom have been reported to be in stable condition at Allegheny General Hospital.

Dr. James Sweetland, an emergency room physician who was attending the rally with his wife, was sitting in the bleacher section located behind Trump near Comperatore at the time he was shot. Sweetland immediately rushed to Comperatore’s aid, and with the help of others placed his body on the bench of the bleachers and started performing CPR. Sweetland recalls that after about two minutes, he was tapped on the shoulder by local authorities informing him that they would take over.

Sweetland informed Fox News that Comperatore’s wound was a very serious gunshot wound to the head.

Comperatore’s wife posted on social media that her husband “died a hero he always was.”

His daughter Allyson also posted on social media and said her father was “the best dad a girl could ever ask for.”

“Yesterday time stopped. And when it started again my family and I started living a real-life nightmare,” she added. “What was supposed to be an exciting day that we had all looked forward to (ESPECIALLY my dad), turned into the most traumatizing experiences someone could imagine.”

Greg Laurie Prays That ‘Miraculous’ Survival Serves as ‘Turning Point’ for Donald Trump

Stephanie Martin

July 15, 2024

In an interview on TBN Sunday (July 14), California Pastor Greg Laurie expressed hope that the attempted assassination of Donald Trump will lead the former president to a deeper faith in Jesus as his Savior. The pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship told host Erick Stakelbeck that he’s also praying for revival in America, starting with individuals and families.

After Saturday’s shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Laurie posted, in part, “It’s time for us as a nation to pray, regardless of our political affiliation. God spared Donald Trump today.”

On Sunday, the pastor shared a longer statement with church members and social media followers. “It was nothing short of miraculous that he survived,” Laurie wrote of Trump. The pastor described the former president as having displayed “grace under fire” and prayed for his complete recovery.

Laurie said he’s praying for all of America’s leaders and candidates. It’s “crucial that we dial back the inflammatory rhetoric” and seek “the redemptive power of Jesus Christ,” he added.

Here is an interview I just did about the assassination attempt on President Trump yesterday with @ErickStakelbeck on @TBN
I also talk about the need for a spiritual awakening in America. pic.twitter.com/9jLbFMjxiE

— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) July 15, 2024

Greg Laurie: ‘God Is Sovereign Over All Things’

TBN’s Stakelbeck began by reading Trump’s July 15 statement, which credited “God alone” for preventing the “unthinkable from happening.” The host asked Greg Laurie if surviving an assassination attempt is the kind of “life-changing event that can draw [Trump] into a more intimate relationship with God.”

Laurie described watching a documentary about President Reagan, whose beliefs changed “dramatically” after he survived a shooting. It’s “very significant” that Trump is acknowledging “that it was God that stepped in,” the pastor then said. “I pray that this is a turning point with President Trump.”

Laurie, who has prayed with Trump in the Oval Office and elsewhere, described the former president—and the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee—as always receptive to offers of prayer.

Next, Stakelbeck asked whether Americans can find any encouragement from Saturday’s troubling event. “It reminds us that God is sovereign over all things, and he can intervene,” Laurie replied. “And no one can stop or thwart his plans.”

Laurie, who will be leading the 35^th annual Harvest Crusade on July 20, said God wants all people to be saved and to come to him. “And he will use events like this, personally and in our history, in our news, to remind us that he is here and that we can call on him.”

Events like this can spark a revival, or restoration, Laurie said. “We do need to pray for a spiritual awakening in America, but revival and awakening can happen for each of us individually.”

The pastor encouraged prayers for America, saying the country is “at a crossroads.” He also urged all Christians to register to vote and then “vote biblically.” Laurie acknowledged, “We’re never gonna find the perfect candidate, [but] we have to get as close as we can, to the candidate with the biblical worldview.” As important as voting is, he added, “The most important weapons in the arsenal of a Christian [are] praying and preaching the gospel.”

Greg Laurie: Calm Down, Follow Example of Fallen Firefighter

The next topic of conversation was the heated rhetoric in American politics, which Laurie said “has to stop.” The pastor said it’s “ridiculous” to compare Trump to Hitler and to call him a threat to democracy—and that such talk leads to horrible actions, such as Saturday’s shooting. It’s possible to communicate and to disagree calmly, Laurie noted.

Prioritize Like a Pro: The One Question Every Leader Should Ask

Gavin Adams

July 15, 2024

I was recently on a leadership coaching call. The leader on the other side of the conversation is doing a great job in a tough situation. He made some necessary decisions nine months ago, but they came with consequences.

He’s now working to rebuild portions of the organization and team.

When we met, his first question was, “How should I prioritize my time?”

Great question.

The Leadership Dilemma: Too Much To Do

Leadership isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would do it.

One complication of leadership is the sheer amount of tasks compared to the time available to complete them. No leader can get to everything, especially in a growing or rebuilding season.

So, how do you prioritize your time and energy?

Our temptation is to list all the things we need to do or could do and then prioritize based on what we feel is most important.

Here’s the problem: That approach can lead to prioritizing pet projects, favorite people, or low-hanging fruit. Perhaps a pet project should be highly prioritized, but how do you know?

You need a starting standard to remove your intrinsic bias. Something that cuts through the options and opportunities for you. A clarifying question to reveal what really matters.

The One Question That Clarifies Your Priorities

While working with this leader, I asked him to list all the things he could do, wanted to do, felt he should do, and felt others expected him to do.

That’s a pretty long list.

Then I asked him to filter the list through one question:

What does your mission require of you?

There are so many things he could do, so many things people expected him to do, so many things that are potentially helpful or seem beneficial. But not all things are equal. Everything he could do isn’t necessarily what he should do. At least not now.

When we look at everything that could be done and filter the list through this question, prioritization becomes much easier.

Your Primary Job as a Leader Is…

Every leader has one primary job: The mission.

The mission sets your priorities, direction, and intention. When we set (or reset) the mission as our true north, every activity, including our priorities, becomes clearer.

Who should you spend time with? Those who are most mission-critical.

What projects should you prioritize? The projects that are most mission-critical.

What problems are most important? Mission critical problems.

This question helps you prioritize today’s work, tomorrow’s work, next week’s work, and next year’s work.

Conclusion: Staying Mission-Focused

Remember, leadership is about focusing on what truly matters. By filtering your tasks through the lens of your mission, you ensure that your efforts are always aligned with your organization’s core objectives. This approach not only helps in prioritizing tasks but also in achieving long-term success.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

The Goal of Spiritual Practices

Josh Reich

July 15, 2024

Almost every year, when news years goals and resolutions roll around, millions of people make a goal connected to their spiritual life. It might be reading their bible more, praying more, being more generous, which is awesome. But often, we fail to move the needle in those places, or at least to the degree we’d look to.

Often then, we get frustrated with ourselves, think something is wrong with us, and many times, fail to reengage with God.

Have you ever asked why that is? There are many reasons this happens, but I think one of them centers on spiritual practices.

Have you ever asked yourself: What is the goal of spiritual practices? When I read my bible, pray, give, fast, or any other spiritual practice, what am I hoping will happen?

We are in the middle of a series on spiritual practices at our church. At some point, to actually grow in our faith and spiritual journey, we have to ask this important question. I often; assume something will happen or believe that the point isn’t that important because we are supposed to do it.

But if you think about the question, you will start to think of things like growing close to Jesus, growing in my faith, learning about Jesus.

Spiritual practices are the ways that we connect with God and relate to God. But spiritual practices also do something else; they are how we become more present to God, others, and ourselves.

This is why the goal of spiritual practices is so important because if we don’t know the purpose, we won’t know why we need to practice them or what we are trying to experience or accomplish when we practice them. We will also miss what God is trying to do in us, around us, and through us in those practices. We can read our bible, pray, take a sabbath, and miss all that it could be.

While spiritual practices do many things, I think they bring about 2 significant things:

They are about our formation, how we become more like Christ, how we walk with Christ as his disciples, as his apprentices, alongside him.
They help us to be present with God, ourselves, and others. They help us be aware of what is going on in us, what is going on in others, and what God is doing. They help us not to miss things.

As we practice them, we are looking for how God is forming us. As we experience difficulty or struggle through practice, we are looking for what God is doing in us, how we are being shaped, and who we are being shaped into. But practices are not just us and God. They involve the community and are shaped by the community. Yes, you will be alone often as you practice spiritual practices, but they also have a deep connection to others both in practice and how we interact with others after the practice. This is often forgotten, and I think that brings damage to the Christian life.

This article originally appeared here.

Why Your Sunday Setlist Matters

David Santistevan

July 15, 2024

It’s kind of a tired discussion—setlists, songs and how many new songs to lead. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just that my world revolves around picking a Sunday setlist and finding songs. If I’m honest, I look forward to days I don’t have to pick out a Sunday setlist. It feels like vacation.

But this one activity we do day in and day out is something we can’t lose interest in or give up on.

Why Your Sunday Setlist Matters

Here’s why:

Songs are important. Church aside, consider the prominence that songs have in our culture. Movies wouldn’t make sense without them. Sporting events would lack energy without them. Moments rarely pass without hearing some type of music. From department store background music, to wedding ceremonies and concert halls. From iPhones to elevators, dance clubs to churches, songs are the single most important vehicle of communication and connection in the world.

All of a sudden, “What songs are we singing on Sunday?” carries more weight, doesn’t it?

From a biblical perspective, songs tell the story of the Gospel and frame our worldview each week. And while I don’t buy the argument that every worship leader is a theologian (don’t give us that much credit, unless you are one), we are influencing the theological framework of our people on a weekly basis.

When a young couple has a miscarriage, our songs give them voice.

When an elderly woman is widowed, our sings give her voice.

When a 9-year-old boy is diagnosed with cancer, our songs give him voice.

Songs of lament, songs of faith, songs of truth, songs of hope.

While it’s rather common to daydream and zone out during a sermon (sorry preachers), songs stick in your psyche even when you’re not actively listening.

Music is powerful. Friedrich Nietzsche himself (who said “God is dead”) states:

God has given us music so that above all it can lead us upwards. Music unites all qualities: It can exalt us, divert us, cheer us up or break the hardest of hearts with the softest of its melancholy tones. But its principal task is to lead our thoughts to higher things, to elevate, even to make us tremble. … The musical art often speaks in sounds more penetrating than the words of poetry, and takes hold of the most hidden crevices of the heart. … Song elevates our being and leads us to the good and the true.

Guiding Principles in Choosing a Sunday Setlist

So what are some guiding principles we can abide by in this continual act of picking out songs to sing?

1. Realize the Power of Familiar

What is the sweet spot of how many new songs to lead? When is a song finished? How do I know if my congregation is sick of a song? You may not know the answer to these questions, but one thing is sure: There is something powerful about familiar music.

I know we artistic types value being “different” and “creative.” But that very well may work against you in your local church.

There are actually scientific studies related to the power of predictable and familiar music.

John Seabrook, in his book The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory, says,

Familiarity with the song increases one’s emotional investment in it, even if you don’t like it.

If people know a song well, they feel more invested in it emotionally and will respond more. You and your team might be sick of a song, but realize that your congregation is just catching on and the song might give you the most traction after you’ve sung it 17 times.

Women As Image Bearers – God-Called and God-Gifted

Paul David Tripp

July 15, 2024

You can barely open your computer, watch Netflix, go to a movie, or follow popular music without encountering our culture’s objectification, negation, and sexual exploitation of women. Our society attaches a woman’s worth to her beauty or views them only as objects for sexual pleasure; the degrading of female image bearers is all around us. Why are female pop stars pressured to dress provocatively? Why are fashions designed not to cover the woman’s body but to expose it? Why do countless women find the workplace to be sexually threatening? Why are a woman’s breasts often more esteemed than her brain? The Bible presents women as image bearers of the Creator.

Women as Image Bearers

Popular media oppresses women with norms of beauty that literally take surgery to obtain. How far away have we fallen from the dignity of women as image bearers of God himself? When it comes to the value, dignity, significance, and uniqueness of the imprint of the image of God, men and women are equals. Hear these words again: “So God created man in his own image, / in the image of God he created him, / male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). To reduce a woman down to the shape of her body, to dishonor, denigrate, or objectify her, or to negate the value of her gifts and her God-given contribution as one of his image-bearing resident managers, dishonors not only her but God himself.

I wish I could say that the issue of devaluing women as image bearers is an issue only outside the church, but I cannot. Now, I do believe that God has designed different roles for men and women in his church. I think Scripture is quite clear that the role of pastor/ elder is, by God’s design, for men. But I also am convinced that we have undervalued and underutilized the God-given and essential gifts of women. The Bible does not teach that the primary role for women is in the home. The Bible does not teach that a woman’s spirituality comes through her husband. The Bible does not teach that a woman’s life will only be complete if she is married. The Bible does not forbid a woman from being highly educated and having a successful career. The Bible does not prohibit women from leading men in political, education, and business situations.

Valuing Women’s Gifts

Let me give you two examples of how these truths connect to the life and health of the body of Christ. One woman in the church where we are members is a professor of black history at a local college. She is not only a historian, but she is a theologian whom God has used to help our church think through and navigate issues of race. Because her gifts are valued, she has been an essential contributor to the health of our church in tumultuous times. Her combination of historical expertise and gospel literacy is a gift of God to our church, but it is important to note that giftedness had to be recognized by leadership and given a voice in order for our congregation to be helped and blessed by it.

Years ago I was one of the pastor/elders of a church in the Philadelphia suburbs. Once a year we would go away for an elders’ retreat with our wives. We would eat together and do activities together. But when it came time to discuss the church, the men would go into one room for those talks while the women went to another room to share parenting stories and recipes. Luella, my dear wife, found it both strange and uncomfortable. She reminded me that each of these wise and godly ladies had a different experience of the church than the elders did, and it might be helpful to hear from them. She wasn’t asking for women elders but for the gifts and experiences of women to be valued and given expression.

So one Saturday morning after breakfast the women joined the men in a discussion about church. It was one of the most important and eye-opening conversations the elders had ever had. We learned things about ourselves and the life, culture, and ministry of our church that we would have never known any other way. As the women lovingly shared with us, some of our weaknesses and failures were exposed. We began to see these women as not only wives and mothers but also women as image bearers, built by him to be essential contributors to the life and health of his church. We scheduled a time for our wives to be part of the conversation at every retreat after that.

A woman who comes to her pastor with a concern about issues in the church, questions about a sermon, or concerns about leadership attitudes or decisions should not be brushed off, wrongly criticized, dismissed, or silenced. A woman who has not gotten married or who has pursued a career should not be judged. Married women should not be viewed as attachments to their husbands but rather as God-called and God-gifted contributing members of the body of Christ who happen to be married. Women do not experience the body of Christ as men do. Women see things that men don’t see. Women communicate truth differently than men. A body of Christ is healthiest when women are esteemed and their gifts highly valued, not just in the home but also in the church. The church needs highly trained women theologians. The church needs to give voices to gifted gospel-communicating women. We need to encourage gospel-wise women to write. To do anything less fails to treat women with the honor that was stamped on them at creation.

The Nature and Marks of Spiritual Pride

Nicholas Batzig

July 15, 2024

Pride is the greatest snare in the souls of men. It is essentially a measuring of ourselves by ourselves and a comparing of ourselves among ourselves (2 Cor. 10:12). When we allow pride to fester and take root in our hearts, we begin to think, act and speak as if we are, because of our supposed virtues, spiritually superior to others. As we do so, we make that in which he believe we excel our standard of holiness, rather than God’s Law with its unattainable depths and requirements. Additionally, when we foster spiritual pride we reveal that we do not truly see our need the atoning sacrifice of Christ for our sin.

John Owen once wrote, “Spiritual pride is the worst sort of pride.” He explained,

Pride, or carnal confidence in our own wisdom and ability of mind for all the ends of our duty towards God, either keeps the souls of men under the bondage of darkness and ignorance, or precipitates them into foolish apprehensions or pernicious errors.

In 1742, Jonathan Edwards published Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England. Edwards had taken note of the great evil of spiritual pride in his consideration of what was transpiring in many where he ministered. As he saw the ways in which so many set themselves up as examples of godliness over against others, he set down some of his thoughts about the nature and marks of spiritual pride.

The Nature of Spiritual Pride

Edwards first explained the nature of spiritual pride. He wrote,

The first, and the worst cause of errors that prevail in such a state of things, is spiritual pride. This is the main door, by which the Devil comes into the hearts of those that are zealous for the advancement of religion. . .This cause of error is the main support of all the rest. Till this disease is cured, medicines are in vain applied to heal other diseases. ’Tis by this that the mind defends itself in other errors, and guards itself against light by which it might be corrected and reclaimed. The spiritually proud man is full of light already; he don’t need instruction, and is ready to despise the offer of it.

Edwards went on to offer a rationale about why spiritually pride is not easily detected in the hearts of those whose hearts are full of it. He noted,

Of all kinds of pride, spiritual pride is the most hidden and difficultly discovered…because those that are spiritually proud, their pride consists much in an high conceit of those two things, viz. their light and their humility; both which are a strong prejudice against a discovery of their pride. Being proud of their light, that makes ’em not jealous of themselves; he that thinks a clear light shines around him is not suspicious of an enemy lurking near him, unseen: and then being proud of their humility, that makes ’em least of all jealous of themselves in that particular, viz. as being under the prevalence of pride.

Marks of Spiritual Pride

Regarding the marks of spiritual pride, Edwards first observed that the spiritually proud person loves to talk about the sins of others while seeing very little sin in his own heart. He wrote,

The spiritually proud person shows it in his finding fault with other saints, that they are low in grace and how cold and dead they are, and are quick to discern and take notice of their deficiencies. The eminently humble Christian has so much to do at home and sees so much evil in his own that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts.

According to Edwards, the next mark of spiritual pride is that of speaking harshly about the sins of others without doing so about their own sin. He suggested,

Spiritually proud persons…speak of almost everything they see in others in the most harsh, severe language. It is frequent with them to say of other’s opinion, conduct, advice, coldness, silence, caution, moderation, prudence, etc. that they are from the devil or from hell.

Pastor Jack Hibbs Urged Donald Trump to Acknowledge God

Harrison Butker at the ESPY Awards

THE BREVITY OF LIFE

THE CERTAINTY OF DEATH

Vance is an adult convert to Catholicism

Vance is tied to ‘Catholic integralism,’ an ideology that seeks Christian influence over society

Vance’s wife, Usha, is not Christian and was raised in a Hindu household

Let’s make church fun again.

Impactful Discipleship in Youth Ministry: 10 Insights

1. Build authentic relationships.

2. Create space for questions.

3. Actively pursue biblical truth.

4. Emphasize a personal relationship with God.

5. Offer mentorship and accountability.

11 Suggestions for Nurturing Heartfelt Prayers

1. Start with simple, relatable language.

2. Create a routine.

3. Encourage personal heartfelt prayers.

4. Use visual aids and activities.

5. Model prayer in all situations.

6. Teach through biblical accounts.

Pastor Kiah Graves Visits Suspect Who Set Church Vans on Fire

Max Lucado Returns to Embattled Gateway Church

Greg Laurie: ‘God Is Sovereign Over All Things’

Greg Laurie: Calm Down, Follow Example of Fallen Firefighter

The Leadership Dilemma: Too Much To Do

The One Question That Clarifies Your Priorities

Your Primary Job as a Leader Is…

Conclusion: Staying Mission-Focused

Why Your Sunday Setlist Matters

Guiding Principles in Choosing a Sunday Setlist

1. Realize the Power of Familiar

Women as Image Bearers

Valuing Women’s Gifts

The Nature of Spiritual Pride

Marks of Spiritual Pride

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