Martin Luther King Jr. On Love Your Enemies

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January 15, 2024

On November 17, 1957 Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a message at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. King’s voice is strong and passionate in the recording and belies the fact that he was sick. His doctor had told him to stay at home in bed but King refused, insisting that he preach. The civil rights leader used Matthew 5 as the text for his message titled Love Your Enemies. It’s a message that he said he preached once a year adding new insights that corresponded with his experiences.

He said the passage is part of his basic philosophical and theological orientation—the whole idea of love, the whole philosophy of love. He read from verses 43 through 45,

“Ye have heard that it has been said, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.’ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.”

100 Three-Word Posts for Online Outreach

By

Toni Birdsong

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January 15, 2024

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

“…God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” ~ Eccl. 5:2 In the abbreviated world of social networks, we attempt to share the depths and riches of God’s word in status updates, comment boxes, and 280 character Tweets, Threads, and Instagram posts. To get your creative muscle amped, we’d like to get you thinking in even shorter bursts of truth for online outreach. Here’s a list of 100 Three-Word Power Posts. All express God’s word.

Remember, living out your faith online isn’t about how much Scripture you can wallpaper onto the Web. It’s about you being in such exciting fellowship with God that the notes from that conversation easily fall onto the pages of every other conversation you hold.

Feel free to cut and paste these posts for your own tweets or status updates.

You might be surprised how just three words can minister to others—when those three words are Scriptural.

Online Outreach to Share Christ

1. He. Turns. Tides.
2. God. Fills. Gaps.
3. His. Hands. Hold.
4. God. Is. Love.
5. Be. Still. Know.
6. God. Is. Bigger.
7. Therefore. Be. Holy.
8. He. Is. Able.
9. God. My. Portion
10. God. Whispers. Grace.
11. Fixed. On. Heaven.
12. Ransomed. By. Love.
13. God. Hears. You.
14. God. Patiently. Waits.
15. Make. Christ. Known.
16. Christ. My. Portion.
17. God. Of. Everything.
18. His. Love. Rescues.
19. Seek. Him. First.
20. Yes. God. Can.
21. God’s. Love. Pursues.
22. God. So. Loved.
23. In. His. Keeping.
24. Come. Follow. Me.
25. He. Fails. Not.

Why ‘Forgiveness Is a Gift You Give Yourself’ Is a Dangerous Myth

By

Leslie Leyland Fields

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January 14, 2024

We have a new mantra in both American Christianity and in American secularism: forgiveness. And we believe that forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.

Forgiveness is the latest tool for believers and nonbelievers alike to overcome a painful past and difficult relationships and people, to achieve personal peace, happiness and success.

But this widespread view of forgiveness, called “therapeutic forgiveness,” popular both inside and outside the church, effectively guts the gospel and robs it of its real power. Here are six myths that are threatening our understanding and practice of biblical forgiveness.

1. ‘Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.’

So said a megachurch pastor on CBS This Morning a few weeks ago. He’s one of a parade of Christian and secular writers and speakers in the last decade, including Fred Luskin, the founder and director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects, who states outright that “forgiveness is for you and not for anyone else.”

Biblical forgiveness is a gift to the offender.

We release another person’s debts for their sake and for Christ’s sake.

Forgiveness enables us to care about the good of the other rather than just ourselves. This is the gospel: loving our neighbors and our enemies. Yes, the forgiver often heals through forgiveness as well, but as a consequence of “loving their neighbor.”

It’s not all about us.

2. Forgiveness is about letting go of the past.

Secularized forgiveness, emphasizing self-empowerment and “letting go,” focuses mostly on the future, giving insufficient attention to what happened in the past.

In biblical forgiveness, God redeems and heals the past rather than erases it.

God continually admonishes us to “remember” Him and to remember the events of the past, both the triumphs and the disasters.

When we turn from the past entirely, we will miss the wisdom and compassion that we can learn from our wounds. As Dr. Dan Allender has written, “Every tragedy in the past is an opportunity for redemption. And each time we forget, we lose another moment to experience God’s mysterious redemption in our lives. “

3 Reasons Churches Struggle To Empower Younger Leaders

By

Eric Geiger

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January 14, 2024

Intuitively church folks know that their churches must empower younger leaders. Simply stated, if a church fails to engage new generations, the church will eventually die. Yet while people know a church must empower younger leaders, some churches struggle to do so. They struggle to hand significant responsibility to younger leaders, to empower younger leaders to launch new initiatives, and to joyfully allow themselves to be led by a new generation. In churches that struggle to empower younger leaders, these three cultural realities exist:

3 Reasons Churches Struggle to Empower Younger Leaders

1. The familiar trumps the unknown.

To empower younger leaders may mean that things will look and feel different. Younger leaders may make different decisions and approach things differently. So empowering younger leaders introduces some unknown variables, and in churches that struggle to empower younger leaders, the unknown is too risky. What if we don’t like it? So the familiar, even if it is a familiar that fails to engage new leaders, is preferred.

The Most Difficult Decision for Pastors in Church Revitalization

By

Ron Edmondson

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January 13, 2024

There is a difficult decision church revitalization we don’t talk about much—if ever. Yet, pastors think about it a lot.

I know this from personal experience and from talking to literally dozens of pastors attempting church revitalization.

I’m convinced it’s the hardest thing any pastor will face who wants to see a declining established church ever thrive again.

Often it is not until we admit a problem that we can really focus on some solutions.

So, here’s the secret, hardest part I’ve observed about church revitalization:

Deciding if You Will Stay Long Enough to See a Turn.

That’s it.

And this can honestly be said about many other changes we make as leaders. You have to decide if you are going to outlast the tension change naturally creates.

To test my assertion, if you are in the first couple years of leading church revitalization, see if any of these apply:

You wake up some days and don’t know if you can do it anymore.
You and your spouse dream about where you could work—maybe another church; perhaps even in the marketplace.
Secretly you search job site boards looking for other positions for which you might qualify or be interested.
You wonder if you are alone and if anyone else struggles this way.
There are times you wonder if the problem is you—if you’re doing something wrong, if maybe it is a sin to even be thinking as you do some days.

Any of Those Sound Like Your Story?

Let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with any of these. Those are raw human emotions. Change is not only hard for the congregation—it’s hard for the one leading it. And some of it may simply be a way to cope and survive. You get little “mini-mind breaks” that keep you going.

But here’s what I know to be true: Until you decide if you’re going to outlast the critics and weather the storms of change you will likely never realize the success you really came to achieve.

Of course, there is never an excuse to be arrogant, tyrannical or controlling. I always tried to be humble, but purposeful. God had sent me and the church had called me to do a job. Helping a church revive again requires change. And leading change is hard and the reactions to it are not always pretty.

The Question in Church Revitalization Is Not if It Is Going to Be Difficult.

Someone told me that the longer the church has been in decline the longer it will take to revitalize. I know for sure it takes longer than we often hope it will.

8 Signs You Love Legalism More Than Jesus

By

Frank Powell

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January 13, 2024

Growing up, Sunday mornings were dreadful. Most everyone wore suits. The preacher yelled, especially when it seemed like he had nothing to say. And the same old guy prayed marathon prayers using a host of words with more syllables than his age. Since I was too young to understand churchy vernacular, I timed his prayers instead. Sorry, God. It helped pass the time.

Maybe it’s not fair, but years of Sunday sermons painted a God who was, at least in my mind, agitated, skeptical and shallow.

After graduation, I entered a new season, away from parents and Sunday suits. By this time, I was convinced I couldn’t earn God’s love. Besides that, I hadn’t been baptized, and in my fellowship, the road to heaven passes through a small pool of water.

So, I began my new season without God (thankfully He never left me).

Behind my earliest picture of God and my eventual (though temporary) divorce was legalism. I breathed its toxic fumes from a young age. Breathe in…”Frank, if you don’t give your life to God, you’ll go to hell. Do you want that?” Breathe out…God is an angry master. Breathe in…”Frank, are you really going to a church outside of the Church of Christ? Do you know what they teach?” Breathe out…I’m right, everyone else is wrong.

For years, legalism distorted my perspective and desire to follow Jesus.

What is legalism? In short, legalism is adding anything to the gospel. Legalism takes the words “Follow me” and adds stipulations, clauses and barriers. It’s a facade, and, over time, you believe its lies. The ultimate lie being the simplicity of the gospel isn’t good enough.

Legalism shifts the end goal from Jesus to something else. Legalism doesn’t care where you focus—anything but the risen Savior will do. And it inevitably turns God into an agitated old man, skeptical about anything that breathes.

If you’re exhausted with legalism’s demands, you can break free. It won’t be easy or quick. I’m still fighting for freedom. But you can break the chains, and it starts with recognizing you’re enslaved.

Here are eight signs you’re trapped in legalism.

1) You believe God loves you. But you don’t believe He LIKES you.

If you painted God’s face right now, what would it look like? Is he smiling? Is he frustrated? For most of my life, I pictured God with a “Lee Trevino in Happy Gilmore” face. It was a slow, disapproving, puzzled head shake.

Don’t get me wrong. I believed God loved me. But I didn’t believe he LIKED me.

And we all know loving someone and liking them are two different things. When you like someone, you enjoy their presence. You welcome their company. You ask them over to watch the Super Bowl or go to the movies. You take selfies with them.

5 Ways Pastors Can Help Heal the Brokenhearted in Their Care

By

Scott Ross

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January 13, 2024

On my office wall hangs a picture that speaks profoundly to me about God’s desire to bind the brokenhearted to Himself. The picture—Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son—elicits many reminders for me about how God cares for those who feel alone and who hurt. He is our leader in times of trouble (Psalm 23), our help when the waters threaten to drown us (Isaiah 43:2), a compassionate caregiver when we feel broken (Matthew 12:20).

Sadly, none of us are immune to being brokenhearted today. We may call it something else—sorrow, grief, anxiety, loneliness, disappointment, despair—but the result is the same: we need somewhere to turn and someone to talk to.

We need to know that we are loved and that, in the end, all will be well.

One year before he died, Henri Nouwen penned these powerful words that I believe all of us need to hear today:

Long before your father and mother, your brothers and sisters, your teachers, your church, or any people touched you in a loving as well as in a wounding way—long before you were rejected by some person or praised by somebody else—that voice has been there always. “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” That love is there before you were born and will be there after you die.

What Nouwen is saying is this: when we know we are loved by God, we can trust He is with us through any difficulty that comes our way.

Shepherding in a Storm

This brings us to pastoring in 2021.

When a storm threatens the flock, a shepherd has one goal: get the sheep quickly through the gate to safety. The chaos of that moment before the storm may seem overwhelming as the sheepdog runs around herding the sheep to where they need to go. There is no organizational chart or checklist. The goal is simple: a storm is coming, and the sheep must all be safe.

This is the situation we are in as well. Shepherding so many people who are reeling over the continual loss from COVID-19 and the ongoing wrongs of our world, we have one goal: get our hurting people to safety—lead those brokenhearted to the foundation of God’s love and presence during the pain. Our goal isn’t simply to help them flee the storm; our goal is to nudge them into the arms of a God who calls them beloved.

Noah’s Ark Craft Ideas for Sunday School Classes & Bible Lessons

By

Stephanie Martin

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January 12, 2024

Noah’s Ark craft ideas help children learn and remember a favorite Bible lesson. Near the beginning of the Old Testament, we hear about faithful Noah and his family. In Genesis 6, Noah obeys God and starts building a massive ark, subjecting himself to ridicule from neighbors. Then he rounds up animal pairs and what must have been a massive amount of provisions. Imagine being cooped up in that smelly boat while it rained for 40 days and 40 nights!

A Noah’s Ark craft can focus on the building of the vessel itself. Or it might feature lively animals entering the gigantic boat. After the Great Flood, a dove bearing an olive branch signifies to Noah that dry land is near (Genesis 8:11). So you can represent that aspect of the Bible story in your kids craft. And, of course, there’s the colorful rainbow at the end of the story, symbolizing God’s trustworthy promise (Genesis 9:13).

Kids will love the creative Noah’s Ark craft ideas below. Some are better for younger kids, while others require some fine-motor skills. Adapt the activities for your Sunday school class or small group. Be sure to display all the Noah’s Ark creations afterward, for parents and church members to see!

10 Noah’s Ark Craft Activities Kids Will Love

To help you prepare a Bible lesson about Noah and the ark, we’ve gathered a boatload of great craft ideas. Which ones will you try?

1. Build the Boat

First, help little learners construct Noah’s ark with wooden craft sticks. Then fill up each boat with fun animal faces.

2. Float Your Boat

Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy creating this ark out of dry cereal. Also provide craft supplies for fluffy white clouds and steep blue waves.

3. A Change of Scenery

This simple coloring craft is great for illustrating the different parts of this beloved Bible lesson.

4. Animals Galore

Do you have a bunch of animal stickers in your children’s ministry supply closet? Then use them for this Noah’s Ark craft. Children will have a blast adding animals to the ramp or boat.

5. Crafty Creatures

Check out this fingerprint Noah’s Ark activity. Preschool children will love making animals out of paint. Just make sure the paint is washable!

John Cooper Calls Lil Nas X to Repentance After Rapper Releases ‘J Christ’ Video

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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January 12, 2024

On Friday (Jan. 12), Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Nas X followed through with his promise to release his controversial new song and video titled “J Christ.”

Ahead of dropping his new single, the “Satan Shoes” creator marketed his release by telling his fans that he was entering his “Christian era” and even posted a fake letter from Liberty University congratulating him on being accepted to study “Christian Leadership and Biblical Studies” at the university.

The outspoken gay rapper, who slid down a stripper pole from heaven into hell to give the devil a lap dance in his 2021 “Montero” music video, caused controversy amongst Christians earlier this week after he shared his new single’s cover art, which depicted him hanging on a cross like Jesus.

Worship leader Sean Feucht called the image “blasphemous” and said, “He would never mock, to this degree, another religion. Why? Because they would not tolerate it.”

Even the parent company to Lil Nas X’s Columbia Records label, Sony Music Entertainment, joined in on the blasphemous marketing scheme by launching a website titled “Save Nas.” The website includes Satanic imagery and pictures of the rapper giving Satan a lap dance. It asks questions such as whether or not Lil Nas X is “possessed by a gay demon” and suggests that the rapper’s logo is the image of “a man’s butt” as a homosexual reference.

“J Christ,” the video that Lil Nas X both wrote and directed, has received over 1.7 million views less than 24 hours after it was released on YouTube. In it, he walks around heaven portraying himself as a savior-like figure, wearing women’s clothing and a gold-plated necklace that says “sexy.” He also can be seen welcoming celebrity look-alikes representing people such as Michael Jackson, Kanye West, and Taylor Swift, through the gates of heaven.

The video shows the rapper crossing up Satan, who is wearing a pair of Lil Nas X’s “Satan Shoes,” and dunking on him in a one-on-one basketball game. Viewers see the rapper cheering in a woman’s cheerleading outfit, hanging on a cross wearing tasseled go-go boots with a crown on thorns on his head, and sheering sheep. He also portrays a Noah-like character saving animals from a global flood in an ark with his emblem on it.

The “J Christ” video ends by flashing the text from 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

‘It Is Finished’—Season 4 of ‘The Chosen’ Is Ready To Hit Theaters in February

By

Stephanie Martin

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January 12, 2024

In a video announcement this week, Dallas Jenkins, creator of “The Chosen,” shared that his work on Season 4 of the highly acclaimed show is complete. While driving to the Los Angeles airport on Jan. 8, the director and producer revealed he’d been putting final touches on the season with the composers, music and sound mixers, and other post-production staff.

“It is finished,” Jenkins said. “Season 4 is, for all intents and purposes, done. My work on it is done.”

In a first for any streaming TV show, all eight episodes of “The Chosen,” Season 4, will release in theaters. Starting Feb. 1, Episodes 1-3 will run for two weeks. Then Episodes 4-6 will release on Feb. 15, also running in theaters for two weeks. Finally, Episodes 7-8 will release on Feb. 29.

“The Chosen,” the first multi-season show about the life of Jesus, has won awards and garnered strong viewership. An estimated 200 million people have watched the first three seasons, according to producers.

Dallas Jenkins: Season 4 of ‘The Chosen’ Is the Best Yet

Dallas Jenkins revealed that many people who’ve seen early cuts of Season 4 say something to the effect of “I’m surprised I’m saying this” or “I didn’t think this was possible, but season 4 is the best season yet.” Jenkins said he agrees with that take. “That doesn’t mean it’s the most fun [season] or always even the most enjoyable,” he added. “But I do think it’s the best, and it’s the most mature.”

Season 4 is challenging but “impactful,” Jenkins has said, because the tone grows more somber as Jesus approaches the events of Holy Week. A brief trailer for the new season aired Monday night (Jan. 8) during college football’s national championship game.

In post-production, crew members watched the Season 4 episodes on a large screen to see and hear “every single detail.” Jenkins said, “Man, I want people to see this [season] in theaters…It’s more epic, and production values are bigger, but the storylines are bigger” too.

Jenkins urged anyone who’s “on the fence” about heading to movie theaters to just go. “Don’t be nervous about the running time,” he urged. Those times aren’t entirely accurate because they include “all the trailers and the credits.” Plus, there’s a five-minute intermission. After seeing Episodes 1-3 in a theater, Jenkins said, “I’m fairly certain when Episode 3 ends, you’re going to want to go see 4 through 6 as soon as possible.”

Tickets for the theatrical release of “The Chosen,” Season 4s are available at www.thechosenriseup.com.

Up Next: A Christmas Movie and ‘The Chosen,’ Season 5

After “The Chosen,” Season 4 concludes its full-season run in theaters, the episodes will debut across streaming platforms.

‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ Director Martin Scorsese Wants To Make Jesus’ Teachings ‘Accessible’ With New Film

By

Jessica Lea

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January 12, 2024

Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese has said that he will start filming this year on a new movie about Jesus. Scorsese says that his goal is to make Jesus’ teachings “accessible” while avoiding the negative connotations of organized religion.

“Right now, ‘religion,’ you say that word and everyone is up in arms because it’s failed in so many ways,” Scorsese said in a Jan. 8 interview with the Los Angeles Times. “But that doesn’t mean necessarily that the initial impulse was wrong. Let’s get back. Let’s just think about it.”

“You may reject it. But it might make a difference in how you live your life—even in rejecting it,” the director continued. “Don’t dismiss it offhand. That’s all I’m talking about. And I’m saying that as a person who’s going to be 81 in a couple of days.”

Martin Scorsese Wrestles With the ‘Christian Way’

Martin Scorsese, whose films include “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” “Gangs of New York,” “Hugo,” The Wolf of Wall Street,” and “Shutter Island,” has been nominated for numerous Academy Awards and won one for “The Departed.” His most recent film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” is an “epic western crime saga” about the murders members of the Osage Nation suffer because of their oil profits.

Scorsese’s 1988 film “The Last Temptation of Christ,” which depicts Jesus and Mary Magdalene making love, was widely decried by Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox church leaders as offensive and immoral. Even film critic Roger Ebert called the movie “technically blasphemous.”

Scorsese told the Los Angeles Times that in that movie, as well as in others he has directed, he was exploring “ways into redemption and the human condition and how we deal with the negative things inside us. Are we decent and then learn to become indecent? Can we change? Will others accept that change?”

Scorsese believes that society has become “corrupted because of its lack of grounding in morality and spirituality. Not religion. Spirituality.” He said he does not like the word “religious” because “it’s misinterpreted often. But there’s basic fundamental beliefs that I have—or I’m trying to have—and I’m using these films to find it.”

Scorsese’s 2016 film, “Silence,” is about two Jesuit priests who travel to Japan to search for their mentor, who has gone missing. It is based on Shūsaku Endō’s book of the same name and explores the challenges of maintaining faith in the face of evil and suffering.

Actor Andrew Garfield, while not identifying as a Christian, has said that practicing the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius in preparation for his role as one of the two priests caused him to fall in love with Jesus. “That was the most remarkable thing,” said Garfield in an interview, “falling in love, and how easy it was to fall in love with Jesus.”

Vatican Launches Massive Restoration Effort of Baldachin in St. Peter’s Basilica

By

Claire Giangrave

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January 12, 2024

St. Peter’s Basilica — A view of the 17th-century, 95-foot-tall bronze canopy by Gian Lorenzo Bernini surmounting the papal Altar of the Confession in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. (Photo © Fabbrica di San Pietro/Mallio Falcioni)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Four hundred years after its creation, the famed baldachin that sits above the tomb of St. Peter in Rome will be restored ahead of the 2025 Jubilee year in what experts described as a titanic undertaking during a news conference at the Vatican on Thursday (Jan. 11).

Nearing 100 feet tall and weighing over 60 tons, the bronze and metal structure decorated with gold details towers beneath the dome in St. Peter’s Basilica. The term “baldachin” derives from an ancient name of the city of Baghdad, Iraq, known for its precious fabrics. Four spiraling, 36-foot-tall bronze columns placed on 8-foot-tall marble blocks support a canopy made to resemble richly adorned cloths.

Since famed architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, along with a team of master artisans and artists, completed the imposing structure, the baldachin has suffered significant decay. The Fabbrica of St. Peter’s, which handles the maintenance of the basilica, teamed up with Microsoft to take 6,000 detailed pictures of the baldachin using drones, which revealed that the structure was in dire need of repair.

The sheer size of the baldachin represents a challenge for restorers. The tight schedule, which promises to unveil the newly restored structure in December, just in time for the Holy Year, makes it a massive undertaking.

“Everything is big in St. Peter’s, and this challenge is also big,” said Alberto Capitanucci, who leads the technical team at the Fabbrica of St. Peter’s, during the news conference.

The decay of the baldachin is also caused by the large number of visitors who come to view the basilica, sometimes as many as 50,000 in a single day. This alters the temperature and humidity enough to corrode the bronze and iron of the structure and to cause the constant expansion and compression of the wood.

A view of top of the Gian Lorenzo Bernini baldachin at the Vatican. (Photo © Fabbrica di San Pietro/Mallio Falcioni)

“A prerogative of planning the work is the awareness of coming up against a giant,” said Pietro Zander, responsible for overseeing the tombs and artwork at the Fabbrica. “It’s a giant for art history, but above all a giant for its shape and size.”

“We are about to embark in a titanic endeavor,” he added.

The bright gold ornaments of the structure, especially at the top, are covered in a dark coat caused by fatty substances used to restore the baldachin in 1758, when a team of 60 experts worked for years on the project. Almost 250 years later, only a dozen people will work on restoring the baldachin using the latest technologies to assess the alloys, materials and a few mysteries.

At the base of the winding columns, inspired by the original columns’ position by the tomb and supposedly taken from King Solomon’s Temple, there are quirky and unexplained details that have puzzled art historians and enthusiasts alike. Small, gilded reliefs of a fly, a rosary, a lizard eating a scorpion and a reptile appear on the baldachin.

“The restoration will lead to many discoveries,” Zander predicted, including how it was built and the alterations that occurred during the restoration.

The restorers will be able to get close to the baldachin using a large structure that will enclose it completely. Masses and liturgies will still be able to take place in the basilica, reassured Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, who oversees the running of the basilica and heads the Fabbrica.

Examining How America Got Mean

By

James Emery White

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January 12, 2024

David Brooks wrote an important article for the Atlantic that was simply titled, “How America Got Mean.” His conclusion was both insightful and deeply disturbing.

No one denies that we’ve become a mean-spirited culture. We’ve become increasingly rude and cruel and abusive and violent. Whether it’s toward a waiter at a restaurant, a nurse at a hospital, a teacher at a school or road rage on the interstate, we’ve become…mean. Coupled with this is our increasing lack of compassion and empathy for others. In 2000, two-thirds of American households gave to charity. In 2018, fewer than half did.

As Brooks notes, there are many reasons offered for this.

There’s the technology story—that social media is driving us all crazy.

There is the sociology story—that we’ve stopped participating in community organizations and are more isolated.

There is the demography story—that America, long a white-dominated nation, is becoming a much more diverse country; a change that has millions of white Americans in a panic.

There is the economy story—that high levels of economic inequality and insecurity have left people afraid, alienated and pessimistic.

And obviously, all of these are having an effect. But Brooks argues, and I agree, that the deepest issue is that we are no longer schooled in kindness and consideration. Which means we live in a world where people feel licensed to give their selfishness free rein.

It’s all about morals.

In a healthy society you have a web of institutions—families, schools, religious groups, community organizations and workplaces—that help form people into kind and responsible citizens.

We don’t have that today. We don’t have moral formation, which, Brooks outlines, involves three things: first, helping people learn to restrain their selfishness; second, teaching basic social and ethical skills—things like welcoming a neighbor into a community or disagreeing with someone constructively; and third, helping people find a purpose in life.

We used to be concerned with teaching and developing virtue—with molding the heart along with the head. This wasn’t just in schools, but rather throughout all of culture—Sunday school, the YMCA, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

18 Ways To Ruin Your Reputation on Facebook

By

Paul Steinbrueck

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January 12, 2024

Facebook is a great way for you to build and maintain relationships with people both inside your church and in your community. But Facebook is not without its risks. Every time you post something, you risk hurting, offending or distancing yourself from people. You risk ruining your reputation on Facebook.

First, the ugly things to avoid to not ruin your reputation on Facebook …

18 Ways to Ruin Your Reputation on Facebook

1. Don’t post something out of frustration in the heat of the moment.

We all get frustrated at times. And if you want to engage people authentically, you need to “keep it real.” But Facebooking when angry, frustrated or hurt is never a good idea. Take a few minutes (or a few hours) to cool down, and then think again if you really want to use Facebook to vent.

2. Don’t criticize people.

Even if you don’t use a person’s name, chances are you’re Facebook friends with that person or someone close enough to the situation to know who you’re really talking about.

3. Don’t embarrass yourself.

Expect everyone in your congregation and your community to see everything you post to Facebook. So don’t post anything you wouldn’t be comfortable saying or showing from the pulpit on a Sunday morning.

4. Don’t embarrass your family.

Our spouses and kids say and do funny things all the time. Most of those things can be posted to Facebook with no problem, and they help people to see you’re a normal person with a normal family. But be sensitive and when in doubt, ask your spouse and kids if it’s OK to share a quote, happening or pic online.

5. Don’t criticize other churches in the community.

Every church has a different mission, ministry philosophy, style of worship and theology. But we all share one Lord, one faith and one baptism. We should be known for our unity, not our division.

See Page 2 for the self-absorbed things to avoid to not ruin your reputation on Facebook …

Start Your Day With Listening to God

By

Randy Alcorn

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January 12, 2024

Augustine said, “By hearing Thee I am happy; because of Thy voice I am happy.” There’s no place we can go to hear God speak authoritatively, to hear His voice with complete confidence, other than the Bible itself.

We need to hear from God before we hear from everybody else. That’s a good reason not to start the day by looking at email or text messages, but rather to first look at the messages God has placed in your primary inbox: Scripture.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14)

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. (Psalm 119:147)

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8).

A. W. Tozer said, “Listen to no man who has not listened to God.” Once we hear from God, only then are we ready to bring His perspective to the onslaught of human opinion and need, the trivial and the overwhelming that comes upon us wave by wave throughout the day. (Listening to Scripture on audio might be a great way to start your day with God’s Word, and you can play it while you make breakfast, take a shower, or pack a lunch.)

Dallas Willard writes in Hearing God, “Our failure to hear His voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it, that we want it only when we think we need it.”

Only when we understand our need for God’s Word—and are ready to listen to Him—are we prepared to listen to others, and to give back to them not from sludgy murk, but from a reservoir of pure waters. “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). Crying infants aren’t concerned about doing their duty; they simply want to be fed. They crave milk because they need it.

If you’re not craving God’s Word, you’ve forgotten what you’re missing—or perhaps you’ve never known. If that’s the case, dive into it. After you’ve spent enough time there, you’ll find that television and social media and popular culture will ring hollow to you.

Father, you’ve spoken to us through Your Word. Help us turn off the world’s incessant noise so we might hear you. With all the voices that clamor for our attention, Lord, help us turn off and turn away from others’ and listen to yours, when we rise in the morning and all throughout our day.

This article about listening to God originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Gospel Centered Hymns for Communion

By

Nicholas Batzig

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January 12, 2024

Celebrating the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis poses quite a few challenges for the minister of the Gospel. Foremost among these challenges is that of keeping the meditations close to the message of the passage upon which you have just finished preaching. Additionally, the minister must strive to keep the observation of the Supper fresh for those who are in regular attendance. Of course, this is not to say that repetition–in and of itself–is a bad thing. Repetition is necessary and useful; however, it can also lead to a staleness if ministers are not laboring in advance to purposefully bring the central message of the Gospel to bear from the text to the table. Thankfully, the church has, at her disposal, quite a remarkable aid to assist in the administration of the Supper: namely, the repository of theologically robust gospel centered hymns which put Gospel truths into poetic expression for the people of God. I almost certainly end up citing at least one line from a hymn in every worship service when I administer the Supper.

It should come as no surprise to us that we find poetic expressions of truth to be quite potent in the way in which they tend to work on our minds and emotions–after all, God has given us poetic genres in Scripture for this very reason. Sinclair Ferguson once explained the interconnectedness of poetic genre and the truth that it was conveying when he said, “In any language with poetry–and certainly in Hebrews poetry in the Old Testament Scriptures–the medium appears to be part of the message.”

In light of that fact, here are a few ideas about how you can learn to integrate Gospel poetry at the table:

Gospel Centered Hymns for Communion

Read and sing your way through a trustworthy hymnal on a semi-regular basis. In order to reach for the right verse of a hymn to incorporate at the table you have to know the poetic truth of the hymns in advance. Those of us who grew up in a church that sang hymns certainly have at an advantage. Many did not, however; and have to learn them for the first time as adults. Take time to read through the hymns in the Trinity Hymnal or Hymns of Grace and Gloryor Hymns of Grace. You can also find almost all of the hymns in these particular hymnals at Hymnary.org.

How Should We Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

By

Ray Hollenbach

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January 12, 2024

Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Day in the United States. After the events of recent years our annual federal holiday should carry new meaning. How should we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Everyone reveres the prophet after he’s dead, but will we allow his message to reach us, again, today?

How Should We Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?

In predictable Biblical tradition we honor Dr. Martin Luther King after he’s gone, and in short order have reduced the honor to an innocuous three-day weekend for federal employees. But events like the murder of George Floyd have revealed how short our memories are. Whoever the prophet might be, in his day the prophet is rejected, ridiculed, scorned, misunderstood, misquoted, vilified, and in some cases shot in the head.

Jesus understood this dynamic well:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!” (Matthew 23: 29-31)

Sweet and gentle Jesus railed against the powerful religious tendency to ignore the word of God when it is living and active, while building cold stone monuments to the word after the voice is silent.

Outreach Strategy for Advertising: 10 Helps

By

LifeWay Resources

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January 12, 2024

Your church faces an ongoing challenge: how do you continually encourage guests to visit, particularly those with no prior exposure to church? Without guests, your church will not grow. Between the workplace and children’s activities, families are busier, and it seems harder to get people’s attention. A few churches can generate guests with little effort (mostly due to location or size), but for most of us, it takes a more strategic approach. That approach usually includes advertising. Here are ten guiding principles for outreach strategy, adapted from a manual co-authored with Eric Ramsey, to consider as you get started.

Outreach Strategy for Advertising: 10 Helps

1. Advertising does not replace evangelism

But it can enhance the effectiveness of evangelism. Many churches have deferred to marketing as their outreach strategy. This transfers the responsibility of the Great Commission from your people’s mouths to your church’s mailers. Instead, marketing should energize both corporate and personal evangelism.

2. Evangelism is about relationships

The best evangelism takes place when people are on a journey with Christians in a local church. Outreach advertising helps bring more people into relationship with the church so they can hear the claims of Christ in the context of believers living out their faith.

3. The interested unchurched are not offended by outreach through marketing

That is, if it is honest, authentic, and excellent. It is those who are interested that are the most fruitful for outreach – not those who are hostile.

4. Outreach advertising does take into account the felt needs of people.

However, it must lead them to their real and deepest needs if it is to be biblically appropriate.

5. Outreach advertising itself does not need to present the plan of salvation

in order to assist in bringing people to faith in Christ. However, the your outreach strategy must ultimately include a presentation of the gospel and incorporation into a local church.

Discover five more principles of outreach strategy for advertising on page two . . .

Korn Guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch Shares Picture of Israel Baptism To Celebrate ‘Spiritual Birthday’; John Cooper Says ‘Brian’s Testimony Is an Absolute Miracle!’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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January 11, 2024

Brian “Head” Welch, a guitarist of the popular Grammy Award-winning nu metal band Korn, recently shared an image of his 2005 Jordan River baptism in celebration of his “spiritual birthday.”

Korn was founded in the early 90s by Welch, Jonathan Davis, James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, and David Silveria. The band is known today as one of the pioneers of its genre.

But in February 2005, Welch announced that he was leaving the band after accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior and was choosing to focus his future music endeavors on glorifying Christ. He later released three Christian solo albums and formed the Christian metal band Love and Death in 2012.

Welch struggled with drug and alcohol addiction until the he said God used his daughter to help save him.

On Thursday (Jan. 11), Welch posted, “Happy spiritual birthday to me,” alongside the image of his baptism.

“This pic was the number one most downloaded photo on @yahoo the day it came out,” he added. “Probably because of the ridicule that I brought on myself—a metal guitarist getting baptized in Israel, resembling the popular white American image of Jesus Christ haha.”

Welch said that when he originally shared the image in 2005, people who saw it thought “it was a practical joke.” But what happened to him on the inside, he said, “was no joke at all and it is just as powerful and secure today—19 years later.”

Welch explained that when he was able to come to the “end of [himself],” it was “so precious” because it helped him realize that he had “truly despised” himself and that his egoic, “depressed, addicted view of [his] existence had to die.” Welch added that “laying my life down in the Jordan River waters in Israel symbolized that death to self.”

“New life will never be birthed until a death happens; a laying down of one’s pride and egotistical state of mind,” Welch continued, thanking his fans for having his back throughout this journey. “Whether you are on a similar spiritual journey or not, I seriously respect and appreciate you all,” he concluded.

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A post shared by Brian Welch (@brianheadwelch)

In 2012, Welch joined his Korn bandmates onstage at a music festival in North Carolina for the first time since leaving the band in 2005. Welch later went on to play guitar on Korn’s 11th studio album, “The Paradigm Shift,” officially rejoining the band on May 2, 2013.

Alabama Coach Nick Saban, Known for His Leadership, Grit and Christian Faith, Retires

By

Stephanie Martin

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January 11, 2024

Legendary Alabama head football coach Nick Saban shocked the sports world Wednesday (Jan. 10) by announcing his retirement. In addition to winning seven national championships—six at Alabama and one at LSU—Saban developed many players and assistants who made a successful leap to the pros.

Saban is currently ranked fifth on college football’s all-time wins list, with a record of 292-71-1. But in his retirement statement the coach said, “It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it.” Saban also emphasized he’s made it a priority to help players find success in life after football.

Saban, 72, has previously spoken about his Christian faith and how it affected his leadership style.

Nick Saban on Character and Morals

During an appearance on the SEC Network in December 2020, Nick Saban was asked if he’d be watching the upcoming playoff selection show, slated for a Sunday morning. “I go to church from 11 to 12,” he replied, “so they’re going to have to either schedule it at a different time, or I’m going to find out [the results] when I get out of church.”

Saban, who is Catholic, regularly attends St. Francis of Assisi Church in Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama. Father Tom Ackerman said Saban and his wife, Terry, are a familiar sight at the parish but “don’t garner a lot of extra attention.”

Nick and Terry Saban helped fundraise to expand the church facility and to construct the Saban Catholic Student Center. “We felt it would be great for [college students] to have a place where they can go socialize and develop the kind of relationships that might be helpful to them and their faith development,” the coach said about the center, which serves about 6,000 students.

Saban, whose father was a football coach, grew up rooting for Notre Dame. When asked in 2016 if his faith affected his work, Saban said, “I don’t think there’s any question about the fact that character [and] moral development are all a part of leadership.”

The coach added, “I look at it as, we always say, ‘God have mercy,’ but that mercy is not a well. It’s not a cistern. It’s a channel that should run through us to other people. That’s part of what we try to do for our players, so they have a chance to be more successful in life.”

Nick Saban on Leadership and Teamwork

After 17 seasons with Alabama, Saban said he’ll continue supporting the football program as it transitions to new leadership. “I’m always going to be here for Alabama however they need me,” he said.

Saban will be remembered as a hands-on leader who emphasized the importance of “the process.” During 28 seasons as a college head coach, Saban never had a losing season. (During his two years in the pros, he led the Miami Dolphins to a 15-17 record.)

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18 Ways to Ruin Your Reputation on Facebook

1. Don’t post something out of frustration in the heat of the moment.

2. Don’t criticize people.

3. Don’t embarrass yourself.

4. Don’t embarrass your family.

5. Don’t criticize other churches in the community.

See Page 2 for the self-absorbed things to avoid to not ruin your reputation on Facebook …

Gospel Centered Hymns for Communion

How Should We Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?

Outreach Strategy for Advertising: 10 Helps

1. Advertising does not replace evangelism

2. Evangelism is about relationships

3. The interested unchurched are not offended by outreach through marketing

4. Outreach advertising does take into account the felt needs of people.

5. Outreach advertising itself does not need to present the plan of salvation

Discover five more principles of outreach strategy for advertising on page two . . .

Nick Saban on Character and Morals

Nick Saban on Leadership and Teamwork

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