Vatican Tries to Reboot Priesthood Amid Crisis Over Abuses

By

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February 17, 2022

ROME (AP) — The Vatican opened a three-day conference Thursday on rebooting the Catholic priesthood amid a drop in vocations and a credibility crisis over the “depraved” clergy sex abuse and cover-up scandal.

The conference’s organizer, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, said the symposium’s aim is to break down a “clericalized” concept of the priesthood that is at the root of the scandal. He denounced that priests had assumed a perverted place of power over their flock, when the church is really the “People of God.”

Such a distortion has created a crisis in which “sex abuses are just the visible and perverse tip of the iceberg,” Ouellet said. He cited abuses of power, conscience and spiritual abuse, as other “depraved” behaviors by priests.

He said he hoped the conference would help chart “a new equilibrium” in which women, in particular, play a greater role in the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis opened the conference repeating his call for priests to be close to God, their bishops, other priests and the People of God.

Francis didn’t mention the abuse scandals, but he, too, blamed “clericalism” for distorting the true meaning of the priesthood, which he said is a vocation of service, not power.

“Clericalism is a distortion because it is based not on closeness (to others) but distance,” he said.

Officially, the conference isn’t about the sex abuse scandal. But Ouellet’s opening speech made clear the issue was an unavoidable backdrop to the discussions.

Another issue informing the conference is the crisis in priestly vocations. The schedule includes sessions dedicated to the questions of priestly celibacy and the role of women in the church.

According to Vatican statistics released this month, there were 410,219 Catholic priests in the world in 2020, down 4,117 from the previous year, the last available data. The steep drops in North America and Europe were offset by increases of new priests in Africa and Asia.

The statistics also showed a decline in the number of seminarians preparing for the priesthood, down from 114,058 in 2019 to 111,855 in 2020.

This article originally appeared here.

4 Tell-Tale Signs Your Small Group System Is Broken

By

Mark Howell

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February 17, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Did you know there are tell-tale signs that your small group system is broken? You know how certain things in life are tell-tale signs something is wrong? For example, when your car’s bouncing down the road and the tires are wearing unevenly…it’s a tell-tale sign that your car’s wheels need to be aligned. Or when your thermostat is set on 72 but it’s 82 in the house and the air conditioner is blowing hot air. Or how about when your debit card is declined the morning after your paycheck is deposited?

Tell-tale signs.

4 Tell-Tale Signs Your Small Group System Is Broken:

Your total number of groups is remaining the same year after year.

Your total number of groups is remaining the same year after year. If your total number of groups isn’t growing, it’s a tell-tale sign something is broken. Even if your church’s attendance is flatlined, a growing total number of groups is an indication of a healthy small group system.

A flatlined total number of groups may indicate a number of issues:

You are simply adding new members to existing groups (instead of focusing on launching new groups).
As existing group leaders move away or “take a break” you’re finding a replacement (instead of letting the group die).
You haven’t taught your group leaders to “fish for new members” themselves (and they’re relying on you to send them replacements.

Your percentage connected remains the same year after year.

Your percentage connected remains the same year after year. If your percentage connected is not increasing year after year, it is a tell-tale sign something is broken (or inadequately designed). Even if your church’s attendance is increasing, a healthy small group system (or the right small group system) will allow your percentage connected to increase year after year.

A flatlined (or decreasing) percentage connected my indicate:

Your menu of belong and become options is too broad and needs to be pared down (to narrow the focus to only the best option(s).
Your system is inadequate to the challenge and simply isn’t designed to expand quickly enough.

You’re not sustaining the new groups you are launching.

You’re not sustaining the new groups you are launching. When you are launching new groups but you’re not sustaining a high enough percentage of them, it’s a tell-tale sign something is broken.

A low percentage of new groups sustained may indicate:

You’re not providing appropriate support for new group leaders (i.e., you don’t have an effective coaching structure in place).
The method you’re using to launch new groups is poorly designed (i.e., a flaw in the launching strategy may actually predict poor affinity or unreasonable expectations).

Group members show few signs of life-change.

Group members show few signs of life-change. It is a deeply held assumption that the optimal environment for life-change is a small group. If life-change is not happening in a meaningful way (and stories of life-change are hard to find), it is a tell-tale sign something is broken.

A lack of life-change evidence may indicate:

A poorly designed method of gathering stories.
A lack of intentionality in doing TO and FOR your leaders what you want them to do TO and FOR their members.
A laissez-fare attitude or lack of intentionality in guiding the selection of group curriculum.

When Pastors Fail Their People

By

Scott Sauls

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February 17, 2022

What happens when pastors fail their people?

Very recently, another two high-profile pastors were exposed for moral failure in their ministries.

I share this essay more as a reminder to myself than anyone else that this could happen to anybody — including me. Whenever I hear a story like this, it scares me as much for myself as it does for anybody else. There have been times and seasons when I, too, have been — or at least felt — on the edge of moral compromise. In my worst moments and seasons, I have had the abrasiveness of Moses, the victim posture of Jonah, the wrongful ambition of Simon the sorcerer, the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, the cowardice of Peter, and the cluelessness of the twelve disciples.

In almost 25 years of ordained ministry, I have been fruitful and faithful on the one hand, and have failed the people around me (even this past week!) on the other. Over the years, I have offered as many apologies to those I have failed as I have received apologies from those who have failed me. No doubt, there are many blind spots in addition to this, making me as much a sinner as I am a shepherd.

We pastors fail. And especially this pastor, bear not only the trials and transgressions of our congregations, but also the trials and transgressions within ourselves. We are walking contradictions, broken and frail, like partially blind beggars trying to help other people see clearly and feast fully.

Sadly, this walking contradiction reality of ours has sidelined some of us. At the same time, we remain carriers of the promise given to every believer, that he who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6).

As you consider my words below, will you also pause and pray for us pastors, those who serve alongside us, and the congregants whom we serve? For what Paul said of himself — “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst” — we could all very confidently say of ourselves.

It is a great mystery, why God chooses such flawed sinners like us to tend to his beloved sheep.

May the very worst things about us not lead us out of ministry, but into greater humility, deeper repenting, more love, and less wrongdoing in this sacred trust that God has put into the hands of flawed leaders.

Lord Jesus, give us all grace to endure until the end, and all the while to grow in, and never to shrink back from, the Spirit’s virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. For such virtues offer healing to all whose lives we touch. And we want to be healers, even as we look to you, Lord, the one and only Perfect and Good Shepherd, to tend to our own wounds and countless imperfections.

May Jesus have mercy on us all.

“His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God.”

(2 Chronicles 26:15-16)

Monica Lee: This Is How I Small Group

By

Small Group Network

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February 17, 2022

“This Is How I Small Group” is a periodic series about getting to know members of the small group. Some will have decades of experience; others will be brand new to small group ministry. Each one has a unique perspective that makes them invaluable to their church and to the small group network.

Name: Monica Lee
Current town: Portage, Michigan
Current church: Radiant Church (Kalamazoo, MI)
Current job title: Groups & Discipleship Pastor
How long you’ve been in that role: 5 years
One word that describes how you work: Strategic

Q. How did you come to be in your role? Share about your background.

A. My background is relatively broad: I grew up on a horse farm and showed horses nationally. I attended Michigan State University to receive my Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with a minor in pre-veterinary studies and began my career in the corporate world in veterinary pharmaceuticals. I met both Jesus and my husband as a 24-year-old and they both changed my life forever! We had a son, Gavin, and I continued as a working mom. But, as I was pregnant with my daughter, Taylor, my pharmaceutical company unexpectedly and spontaneously liquidated and closed. God knew the plan, as soon after my water broke incredibly early with my daughter (24 weeks) and after a 3-week long bedrest, she was born exactly three months early. My heart changed and I just couldn’t return to work. I found myself serving my family as a stay-at-home mom. I always figured I would return to the corporate world, but during that time, the Lord called me into vocational ministry—I knew it was pastoral ministry, but I wasn’t able to speak it to anyone but my husband. When both of my children were in full-time elementary school, I accepted my first position at our church: the event coordinator. A year later, I became the Executive Pastor’s Assistant. Three years into that position, I thought I was leaving employment to gain my Christian Ministry certificate from Liberty University, but then was asked to come back as the Project Manager to launch our second campus. After that campus launched and my degree was complete, I was asked to join our staff as the Groups & Discipleship Pastor.

Q: What does a typical workday look like for you?

A: My day begins around 6AM with a coffee, my Bible, and prayer. After sending my two high schoolers off to school (because they still need mom), I head out to work. I start out my department’s workday with team prayer, connect with our administration team to respond to their questions, and then begin my day. Truly, each day is different, but a typical week includes personal ministry meetings, strategy meetings, leader acquisition, leader equipping, discipling, leading prayer meetings, teaching at our ministry school, and vision/strategic planning. We currently have 2 campuses, a downtown prayer center (and future campus), with additional campus developments planned. Because my role operates centrally, I work closely with our campus pastors and central teams to ensure that those who call Radiant Church home are finding a sense of belonging, engaging, growing, and living out our values and mission.

Q: What about groups ministry have you been the most fulfilled by?

A: – Their group is the narrator and provides the setting—but Jesus is the hero in their story! You can argue with a lot of things in life, but you can never dispute someone’s testimony/experience.

Q: What tools, apps, subscriptions, etc. are most helpful to you?

A: Logos is a trusted friend! 🙂 We also utilize RightNow Media, Zoom, basecamp, and InDesign. For apps, I love Spotify for my podcasts and music, the basecamp app, waze, and the notes app–I’m a fan of all of them.

3 Truths for When Christians Don’t Remind You of Christ

By

Tamara Chamberlain

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February 17, 2022

remind you of christ — Lightstock #319341

Have you ever felt tired and weary by the actions of fellow Christians?

Over this past year, I’ve been so deeply discouraged and truly saddened by the way I’ve seen followers of Jesus speak and act in relation to the world around them—in relation to fellow image bearers. My soul is heavy and tired.

Recently, I’ve shifted from a deep sense of sorrow for the way it seems Christians have moved away from the message of Jesus to anger for the way biblical truths have been misrepresented.

But this has all challenged me to internally reflect on my own faith. As much as my heart is filled with what I would like to think is righteous anger, I can’t overlook my own responsibility in the way I carry myself as an ambassador for Jesus.

I want my life to reflect his glory in every aspect of my life. I want the heart of Jesus to be my heart towards the many pressing issues that are unfolding around me. But honestly, I’ve begun to grow weary by the actions of American Christians at large. I fear our witness is being compromised for the sake of what we “feel” our lives should look like as Americans who are free. It seems as if we’re mixing our identity in Jesus with our identity as citizens of a nation.

But I don’t want to be discouraged and I don’t want to lose sight of the beauty of the body of Christ. Surely, Jesus knew we wouldn’t get it right every time.

From the Crusades to slavery, people have used Jesus to support their own agendas. I must take a moment to point out how absolutely unacceptable and far off from the heart of Jesus these events were. And the list goes on much further than these. The more I ponder on past events and even current events that are unfolding before our very eyes, I’m left asking God why do his people continue to act so egregiously in his name?

Now I can not and will not condone any of the unbiblical actions historically or currently made by Christians in the name of Jesus. But I also know it is damaging for a Christian to stay in the place of discouragement and sorrow towards fellow believers.

Here are three important truths to keep in mind when other Christians don’t remind you of Christ.

1. You Don’t Get to Make the Call on Someone’s Salvation.

In our attempts to make sense of the disconnect between a Christian’s actions and their faith, we must refrain from making the judgement that they are not saved. Scripture is clear that there are people who claim to be Christians and truly are not. But that isn’t for you to decide.

It’s the Lord’s job to separate the chaff from the wheat. It’s not our right to make predictions or claims along the way. Make no mistake. Jesus does not take lightly those who proclaim a false witness. The Kingdom of God will be purified. Judgement will come.

The imagery of the wheat and the chaff in Matthew shows how difficult it is for us to distinguish the difference. It’s not until the wheat and the chaff are full grown that a farmer can decipher what to harvest and what to burn.

Justin Bieber, Christian Celebrity, and SEO

By

Ray Hollenbach

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February 17, 2022

Over the many years I’ve been blogging, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend: we would much rather talk about big social topics than about ourselves. When I post something about Christian celebrities or a controversial topic, the number of visitors to my site soars and comments pour in. Topics like Jimmy John Shark would also engage visitors all over the world.

For example, years ago I posted something about raising the dead, which is hardly a requirement for following Jesus. Everyone rushed to the table with comments on Twitter, Instagram, and FB where the state of the church was sliced, diced, and deconstructed.

Or in another vein, with the mere mention of a Christian celebrity I can drive thousands more visitors to my site. This means that SEO data is now driving much of the content on Christian websites. Christian celebrity means lots of Internet clicks. Mention Justin Bieber in the headline and your post is likely to go viral. Why is that?

If, however, I post something about our individual need to wait for God in silence, or our personal destiny to become conformed to his image, I get the internet equivalence of chirping crickets. Nothing. Like busking in the Metro, everyone hurries by. And why not? Christianity is way more fun when we’re talking about other people. Following Jesus isn’t such a joyride if he wants to talk to me–at least, that’s what we think.

I’m sure today’s snarky tone doesn’t help–no one likes a scold. And it’s true, I am one of us as well. I would much rather about famous people and political issues than listen to the still small voice addressing the secrets of my heart.

Image my surprise when I found the private notes of a world leader who longed to hear the whisper spoken to him alone. A man who held a position of national significance, no, wait–historical importance. Yet he was a man who positioned himself in the quiet place and waited for his best friend to come and sit with him.

My heart is not proud, O LORD,

my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;

like a weaned child with its mother,

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD

both now and forevermore. (~ Psalm 131, a psalm of David)

God took the boy out of the shepherd’s field and put him in the palace, but not before embedding the hillside, the breeze, the night sky and the quiet times into his heart. The Biblical histories of Samuel and Chronicles will tell you the palace was a place filled with intrigue, politics, war and power–and it was. The Psalms and Proverbs will tell you that David took time to climb the stairs, shut the door, and pick up the harp.

Our greatest need–my greatest need–is the daily presence of the Holy Spirit, not social media posts about Christian celebrity. When David knew he had stepped over the line, claiming power and privilege as some sort of birth right, he repented before the Lord and begged that the presence would remain:

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51: 10-11)

At the end of each day, literally, as I lay me down to sleep, my Father won’t be impressed with my intellect or insight. He’ll be concerned with the beat of my heart. In the quiet (if there is quiet) he will want to know if I lived a whole-hearted life that day. Did my actions spring from the well of the Spirit or the treadmill of importance? He will be concerned with these questions because he knows that spiritual formation happens each day. The only question is: what have we formed?

This article about Christian celebrity and SEO originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

“This Is How I Small Group” from the Small Group Network

By

Small Group Network

-

February 17, 2022

This Is How I Small Group is a periodic series at the Small Group Network about getting to know members of the small group. Some will have decades of experience; others will be brand new to small group ministry. Each one has a unique perspective that makes them invaluable to their church and to the small group network.

Name: Monica Lee
Current town: Portage, Michigan
Current church: Radiant Church (Kalamazoo, MI)
Current job title: Groups & Discipleship Pastor
How long you’ve been in that role: 5 years
One word that describes how you work: Strategic

11 Questions from the Small Group Network:

Q. How did you come to be in your role? Share about your background.

A. My background is relatively broad: I grew up on a horse farm and showed horses nationally. I attended Michigan State University to receive my Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with a minor in pre-veterinary studies and began my career in the corporate world in veterinary pharmaceuticals. I met both Jesus and my husband as a 24-year-old and they both changed my life forever! We had a son, Gavin, and I continued as a working mom. But, as I was pregnant with my daughter, Taylor, my pharmaceutical company unexpectedly and spontaneously liquidated and closed. God knew the plan, as soon after my water broke incredibly early with my daughter (24 weeks) and after a 3-week long bedrest, she was born exactly three months early. My heart changed and I just couldn’t return to work. I found myself serving my family as a stay-at-home mom. I always figured I would return to the corporate world, but during that time, the Lord called me into vocational ministry—I knew it was pastoral ministry, but I wasn’t able to speak it to anyone but my husband. When both of my children were in full-time elementary school, I accepted my first position at our church: the event coordinator. A year later, I became the Executive Pastor’s Assistant. Three years into that position, I thought I was leaving employment to gain my Christian Ministry certificate from Liberty University, but then was asked to come back as the Project Manager to launch our second campus. After that campus launched and my degree was complete, I was asked to join our staff as the Groups & Discipleship Pastor.

Q: What does a typical workday look like for you?

A: My day begins around 6AM with a coffee, my Bible, and prayer. After sending my two high schoolers off to school (because they still need mom), I head out to work. I start out my department’s workday with team prayer, connect with our administration team to respond to their questions, and then begin my day. Truly, each day is different, but a typical week includes personal ministry meetings, strategy meetings, leader acquisition, leader equipping, discipling, leading prayer meetings, teaching at our ministry school, and vision/strategic planning. We currently have 2 campuses, a downtown prayer center (and future campus), with additional campus developments planned. Because my role operates centrally, I work closely with our campus pastors and central teams to ensure that those who call Radiant Church home are finding a sense of belonging, engaging, growing, and living out our values and mission.

Q: What about groups ministry have you been the most fulfilled by?

A: The testimonies of Jesus changing people’s lives: salvations, answered prayers, healing, discipleship, a sense of belonging, and life-change. Their group is the narrator and provides the setting—but Jesus is the hero in their story! You can argue with a lot of things in life, but you can never dispute someone’s testimony/experience.

Q: What tools, apps, subscriptions, etc. are most helpful to you?

A: Logos is a trusted friend! 🙂 We also utilize RightNow Media, Zoom, basecamp, and InDesign. For apps, I love Spotify for my podcasts and music, the basecamp app, waze, and the notes app–I’m a fan of all of them.

Q: What are your best work tips or productivity hacks?

A: Calendar planning and strategy is a necessity for me–I work in strategic blocks so my headspace remains productive. I’ve also learned to identify and prioritize what I deem as the most important ways to spend my time and equip/invest in others to delegate as much as possible. It’s not always easy making time to develop others, but it’s playing with the long game in mind! Lastly, I have learned to be all-in wherever I’m at: I work really hard, but I’m learning to also rest hard (that’s been a work in progress for me).

Christian Influencer Accused of Scamming Fitness Clients, Sued for Up to $1 Million

By

Jessica Lea

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February 16, 2022

Former fitness influencer turned Christian influencer Brittany Dawn Davis is facing a lawsuit from the Texas attorney general for allegedly scamming past clients of hers. Some of Davis’ former followers believe that she pivoted to Christianity in order to avoid scrutiny for the scamming allegations, which came to public attention in 2019.

“Fitness and health are no longer my identity. My identity is in Christ,” said Davis in a November 2019 announcement that her channel’s content was shifting from fitness to faith. Davis, who has nearly 1 million followers on TikTok, used to focus on nutrition, workout routines, and tips for getting drinks at Starbucks. Now her social feeds are full of videos on topics such as Christian dating, the power of prayer, and her marriage.

On Feb. 1, 2022, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Davis, a Texas resident, and her business, Brittany Dawn Fitness LLC, alleging that Davis violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act. The state is seeking between $250,000 and $1 million in penalties and court fees. According to the lawsuit, Davis misled fitness clients who had eating disorders, failed to deliver on promises of personalized fitness plans, and charged shipping fees for “goods delivered by email.”

Several of Brittany Dawn Davis’ former followers who are Christians told BuzzFeed News they believe that her shift to Christianity is merely a rebrand. “If she were truly repentant, she would be facing the things that she has done, and this would be her witness,” said Shanna Samul. “She is not immune because she belongs to Jesus. If anything, she should be held more accountable.”

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Brittany Dawn Davis Sued by the State of Texas

The lawsuit alleges that beginning in 2014, Brittany Dawn Davis “profited from the sale of online fitness packages to thousands of consumers with the promise of personalized nutritional guidance and individual fitness coaching.” These packages ranged from $92 to $300 in price.

“However,” says the suit, “the online nutrition and fitness plans delivered to consumers were not individualized. Defendants also failed to provide the promised coaching and check-ins. Defendants largely ignored consumer complaints or, if they did respond, offered only partial refunds. In 2019, consumers’ complaints on social media garnered media attention prompting defendant Davis to make a video apology posted to YouTube.”

At the beginning of 2019, media outlets reported that thousands of people claimed that they had paid for supposedly customized fitness plans only to discover that other clients were being sent the same generic plan. When clients tried to contact Davis on social media, their comments were deleted.

“I apologize to anyone who feels like they got scammed from me,” said Davis in her apology video, which has since been deleted from YouTube. “I now realize that I should have had more help and that this is a lesson that I am having to learn the hard way, and for that, I am sorry.”

Megachurch Pastor Promotes Religion Professor Saying Franklin Graham Has ‘Spirit of Antichrist’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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February 16, 2022

A religion professor from Columbia University and Yale Divinity School told megachurch pastor Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley that Christians who refuse to wear masks are possessed by “the spirit of the antichrist.” He specifically named Franklin Graham, Paula White, and Robert Jeffress on the grounds of their support of former President Trump, though all three have expressed support for COVID-19 vaccines and have adhered to mask mandates.

Professor Obery M. Hendricks made the comment on Wesley’s #CanIPushIt podcast earlier this month. The podcast is meant to dive into and examine some of the “contrary, diversive, and divisive issues” within one’s faith.

“My job is not to make you think what I think,” Wesley said regarding his podcast. “My job is to just always make sure we’re thinking.” By thinking and examining different positions, it helps us develop a “tolerance and an appreciation” for people who differ on certain theological convictions.

Before Hendricks appeared on the podcast, Wesley, who pastors Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia (8,000 members), told his listeners it is a mistaken belief in the body of Christ that in order to be a “true Christian,” one needs to believe the same things and have similar speech as another Christian brother or sister.

“The beauty of our faith is that we can unfold an entirely wide spectrum of different beliefs and yet still challenge one another to grow,” Wesley said in his introduction.

Wesley promoted Hendricks’ new book titled “Christians Against Christianity,” in which the professor talks about how right-wing evangelicals are destroying the nation and Christianity. Hendricks specifically challenges widely held positions on LGBTQIA, immigration, Muslims, and NRA partnerships, arguing that they distort the Bible.

The professor said he wrote the book because he was angry, outraged, and sad at what he saw going on in the United States in the name of Jesus. “There had to be a push back on right-wing evangelicals,” he said.

Right-wing evangelicals have “so distorted the meaning of the gospel,” Hendricks told the pastor. According to Hendricks, those evangelicals have unknowingly turned so many people against the gospel, because they are doing “evil in the name of Jesus.”

Hendricks said that the book, though it doesn’t explicitly describe it as such, fights against the demonic trend of “Trumpism.” Further, Hendricks intends for the book to remind people what the gospel really says and what gospel responsibilities really are, because it has not been clear in the “public sphere” in recent times.

The professor defined right-wing evangelicalism as a “Christian supremacist movement.” Hendrick uses the term “right-wing” to describe an underlying stratum of white supremacy that ties patriotism to Christianity, “which is blasphemous.” That group is a very divisive and poisonous force in today’s world, because it’s anti-democratic, Hendricks continued.

Skillet’s John Cooper Explains His Brazen Approach Regarding Deconstruction

By

John Cooper

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February 16, 2022

John Cooper deconstruction — Photo by Jesse Jackson.

Imagine a scenario where I take my wife to a restaurant. Some random dude walks up to her and forcefully embraces her against her will and says, “Hey, honey, why don’t you leave that dope and get with a real man?” Should I be jealous (the good kind, not the bad kind)? Absolutely!

Imagine a second scenario where some dude direct-messages my wife and writes, “I’m sorry to be so blunt, but I need to tell you that I think you’re absolutely beautiful. You are perfect, and I wonder if your husband even gets that? I don’t mean to pry, but you deserve better. I’m always here if you need someone to talk to.” Should I be jealous (the good kind, not the bad kind)? Absolutely!

I’ve been outspoken about what I believe to be the dangers of deconstruction and relativism within Christianity. Everyone that I know who has left Christianity in the last five years began with what he or she described as “deconstructing my faith.” It is an epidemic that some still refuse to acknowledge. A friend of mine texted me a few days ago and asked, “Why are you so brazen in your words about deconstruction?” Another comment I read online said, “John used to be so loving and now he sounds angry.” Please understand, I am not the least bit angry at people who don’t believe the way I do. I truly love them! Whether that means atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Buddhists, universalists, or any other spiritualist. And I am not angry at anyone who struggles with faith, has questions, or has deconverted from Christianity. I’ve got lots of love for you. I personally know many people who have lost their faith, and I have seen and felt the heartbreak. To be frank, it has broken my heart.

For the purpose of, one, clarity and, two, a warning to fellow Christians, let me be clear about what I am brazenly speaking out against.

There are people who have deconstructed, deconverted, and disavowed the faith and subsequently began a platform or brand or “ministry” (my word for it) where they attack core principles of Christianity, speak out against the Bible, and attempt to lead others into deconstruction. Some do this aggressively, like the guy hitting on my wife in the restaurant. Or, they may do it subtly, like the guy sending my wife the direct message. Either way, they are actively recruiting. They often do this by making videos of why the Bible isn’t reliable or why the God of the Bible is immoral, mean, or bigoted in some way. They mock — either aggressively or subtly — those who still adhere to the belief that the Bible is the unchanging Word of God. They seek out — aggressively or subtly — people who are struggling, sad, questioning, or having a bad day. Then they whisper (or scream) that it’s because Christianity is oppressive. This is what I have a problem with. And even though these people feign shock at my brazen words, are they being any less brazen?

To be honest, I prefer the guy in the restaurant to the direct message (DM) guy. No spectator would be surprised at my jealous anger towards the dude grabbing my wife against her will. On the other hand, if I get too angry at the shady direct-message guy trying to win over my wife in a nice tone that suggests, “I’m the sensitive, accepting guy you can trust,” there will be plenty of spectators accusing me of overreacting. In fact, as we speak, some have accused me of overreacting. But I must sincerely ask, “Do you think it’s possible that you are under-reacting?”

Lifeway Research: Most Pastors See Racial Diversity in the Church as a Goal but Not Reality

By

Marissa Postell Sullivan

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February 16, 2022

Most Protestant pastors say every church should strive to achieve racial diversity, but few are achieving it.

A new study conducted by Lifeway Research surveyed 1,000 Protestant pastors to learn their views on race and racial reconciliation in the church. The findings reveal some gaps among churches, including the difference between what pastors say they want for their churches as far as racial diversity and what their churches actually look like. There are also differences between what African American pastors are doing to lead their churches toward racial reconciliation and what steps white pastors are taking toward this end.

“For years, pastors have expressed a desire to have more ethnically diverse churches,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “So every few years we want to check in on the progress they’re making toward achieving that goal.”

The Reality

Churches aren’t often racially diverse. Most Protestant pastors in the United States say their churches are predominantly one racial or ethnic group (76%). There has been some progress over the past five years, however, as more pastors say there is at least some racial or ethnic diversity in their churches today (22%) than said so in a 2017 Lifeway Research study (17%).

There are a few indicators of churches that are most likely to be predominantly one racial or ethnic group. White pastors are more likely than pastors of any other race to say their churches predominantly represent one racial or ethnic group. Furthermore, the more education a pastor has, the more likely that pastor’s congregation is to consist of predominantly one racial or ethnic group. Pastors with master’s degrees are most likely to pastor primarily monoracial churches (82%) with the likelihood decreasing among pastors who have a bachelor’s degree (73%) or no college degree (66%).

And if you’re looking for a multiracial church, you’re most likely to find it in the West, as pastors in the West are most likely to say they lead multiracial churches (36%).

The Goal

Despite the reality that most churches are made up of predominantly one racial or ethnic group, most pastors think racial diversity should be a goal for their churches.

Today, 88% of Protestant pastors say every church should strive to achieve racial diversity. That’s a noticeable decrease from the 93% who said the same in 2017. This drop is seen most clearly when looking at the number of Protestant pastors who strongly agree that every church should strive to achieve racial diversity. Whereas 80% of pastors strongly agreed with this statement in 2017, only 68% strongly agree today. At the same time, there was an increase in pastors who somewhat agree from 2017 (13%) to 2021 (20%).

Although the majority of pastors across every age demographic say churches should strive for racial diversity, the youngest demographic of pastors (those age 18-44) are more likely to say they want racially diverse churches (91%) than older pastors (86%). Mainline pastors are also more likely to agree churches should strive for racial diversity (93%) than evangelical pastors (86%). And pastors in the South are more likely to agree (90%) than those in the West (83%).

“The peak of pastor aspiration for more racial diversity in churches was measured just days after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 where clashes with opponents ended in deaths and injuries,” McConnell said. “While such events that year reminded pastors of the need for progress on racial reconciliation, there remains a consensus among pastors that this unity should be seen within their churches each week.”

The Threat

Perhaps one reason pastors care so much about pursuing racial diversity in churches is that they recognize racism as a threat to the church today much like it was a threat to first-century churches when the apostle Paul frequently addressed divisions between Gentile and Jewish Christians.

With recent rises in conversations surrounding Critical Race Theory (CRT), one may expect it to be a larger concern than racism for pastors; however, more pastors (48%) say racism is the bigger threat to the church in the U.S. today than CRT (29%). Another 16% of pastors say neither is a threat to the church, while 6% aren’t sure.

‘Open the Doors’ of Heaven: Tyrese Gibson Shares That His Mother Has Died From COVID Pneumonia

By

Dale Chamberlain

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February 16, 2022

Fast and Furious star Tyrese Gibson announced via Instagram on Monday that his mother has passed away from COVID pneumonia. Gibson had previously asked his followers to pray for his mother, Pricilla Murray, as she was put into a medically induced coma.

Gibson’s posts and updates about his mother had resulted in an outpouring of support for the actor and his family, with thousands of people typing out prayers and kind words in the comment section. Kenny G even went on Instagram Live with Gibson and played a song for Gibson’s mother. Gibson explained that she had been a huge fan of his.

On Monday, which was Valentine’s Day, Gibson shared a video wherein he held his mother’s hand and said, “Rest in peace, Mom.” The caption read, “On behalf of my family and everyone who ever spent any time praying for my mother, this is the saddest moment of my life…My sweet Valentine just passed away.”

“May the Lord Jesus Christ and his angels open the doors of heavens and embrace her,” Gibson went on to write. “We as a family are broken and just can’t believe this…May the Lord Jesus Christ honor your walk with him and embrace you into the heavens.”

“From here on I ask that you HOLD MY HAND MOTHER and never let my hand go,” Gibson wrote. “Like you held my hand as a child and a teen, never let my hand go mother.”

In the video, Gibson can be heard telling his mother, “I’m going to hold your hand for the rest of my life, okay? Everywhere I go, I’m going to hold your hand the way you held my hand when I was a kid. Every journey this life takes me to from here on, you’re going to hold my hand, Mom.”

As Gibson had been asking for prayer for his mother, he credited her as the reason he is a Christian, telling her in a previous video, “I’m strong because of you. I know Jesus because of you.”

Throughout his mother’s hospitalization, Gibson also championed the power of prayer, particularly when many people rally together.

“I have a great relationship with Christ, but I just said, ‘You know what? I’m going to have to put this up on my timeline, because prayers from around the world…can change everything.’”

Carey Nieuwhof: Why Burnout Is Not Inevitable and How Pastors Can Avoid It

By

Jessica Lea

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February 16, 2022

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Carey Nieuwhof: Why Burnout Is Not Inevitable and How Pastors Can Avoid It

Carey Nieuwhof is the founding pastor of the influential Connexus Church, as well as a leadership author, speaker, podcaster, and former attorney. His podcast, blog, and online content are accessed by leaders over 1.5 million times each month. Carey’s most recent book is “At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor.”

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Carey Nieuwhof

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Key Questions for Carey Nieuwhof

-Are most pastors so stressed by their careers and lives in general that they want to escape from them? Have you experienced this as a pastor yourself?

-What are the thinking and planning errors that lead to perpetual stress and eventual burnout?

-How can leaders tell if they are living at a good pace or are going too fast and are fooling themselves?

-How do you say ‘no’ well, and how do you structure your calendar?

Key Quotes From Carey Nieuwhof

“When it comes to pastoral ministry, most of us feel an intense sense of calling. Hopefully, if you don’t have that, you’re not in ministry. But what I found before my burnout was that the stress was becoming really, really difficult to handle.”

“When I talk to a lot of leaders, in ministry and out of ministry, they seem to have this escapist notion that, ‘I have so much pressure right now. I just want a job with no pressure.’”

“It’s not like the pandemic ushered in burnout. It’s not like, ‘Oh, what is this new thing? Burnout? We’ve never heard of it before.’ Burnout has been around for decades, and it’s been a casualty of ministry for a long time.”

“If you quit your job, guess what? You bring you into your next assignment, and if you just naturally run at an unsustainable pace, you’re going to have that problem.”

“What are you doing during your workday to guarantee a much more sustainable pace?”

“I spent all of my thirties pedal to the metal. Hard, hard, hard. Run, run, run. And our church was growing, and so I was validated by the external success. So externally, we’re growing. Internally, I’m imploding, and I didn’t realize that at the time because I thought I could just push through it. And people told me, particularly toward my late thirties, ‘Carey, you’re going to burn out,’ and I’m like, ‘No, I’m not. That’s for weak people.’”

GiveSendGo Back Online After Hack Targeting Canadian ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protests

By

Jack Jenkins

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February 16, 2022

(RNS) — Controversial Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo is back online after being hacked over the weekend, with digital attackers leaking the names and emails of people who donated to the ongoing protest against pandemic restrictions in Canada spearheaded by truck drivers.

GiveSendGo addressed the hack in a tweet Tuesday morning (Feb. 15), saying the website was “attacked by malicious actors attempting to eliminate the ability of its users to raise funds.”

“GiveSendGo has a dedicated team aggressively focused on identifying these malicious actors and pursuing actions against their cybercrime,” read the statement.

The hackers targeted contributors to the so-called Freedom Convoy protest that has halted traffic at some U.S. border crossings, ground parts of Ottawa to a halt and spurred Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to activate emergency powers in an effort to shut down the demonstration. The catalyst for the protest, which arrived in the country’s capital in late January, was Trudeau’s requirement that truckers quarantine if they are unvaccinated and cross the U.S.-Canada border.

Although Canada is one of the most vaccinated countries in the world — including most of its truckers, according to Trudeau — the protest has grown into a broader symbolic pushback against all pandemic restrictions, including masks, lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

The demonstrators initially used the more mainstream fundraising website GoFundMe for their efforts, quickly accruing millions of dollars. But GoFundMe took down the donation page in early February, saying it violated the site’s terms of service.

The move outraged many conservatives in the U.S. but spurred demonstrators to utilize GiveSendGo, which has actively promoted the protest fundraiser. The shift to the Christian website, in turn, quickly encountered resistance: Last week, a Canadian judge issued an order halting access to funds housed in the website, and the Canadian government has warned it will freeze the bank accounts of truckers who continue to form blockades.

GiveSendGo noted in its statement that no money was stolen in the hack and credit card information was not exposed.

“We are in a battle,” the statement read. “We didn’t expect it to be easy. This has not caused us to be afraid. Instead, it’s made it even more evident that we can not back down. Thank you for your continued support, prayers and the countless emails letting us know you are standing with us.”

The hack, which made the website largely unusable until Tuesday morning, was conducted with a dramatic flair. According to a video captured by a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reporter, the website was temporarily replaced with a video from the Disney movie “Frozen II” on Sunday night, as well as the words “GiveSendGo is NOW FROZEN!” As the clip played, a column of yellow text scrolled across it addressed to “GiveSendGo Grifters and Hatriots.”

Munich Report on Sex Abuse Heightens Catholic Church Divide Over Sexuality

By

Claire Giangrave

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February 16, 2022

Munich Report — With the towers of the cathedral in the background, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, bids farewell to the Bavarian believers in downtown Munich, Germany, Feb. 28, 1982. The Vatican on Jan. 26, 2022, strongly defended Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s record in fighting clergy sexual abuse and cautioned against looking for “easy scapegoats and summary judgments,” after an independent report faulted his handling of four cases of abuse when he was archbishop of Munich. (AP Photo/Dieter Endlicher, File)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Supporters of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI rose to his defense in the past week after a report on decades of sexual abuse in his former archdiocese in Munich accused the retired pontiff of covering up and ignoring abuse by Catholic priests there.

But some believe the defense of Benedict is less about his legacy and more about the deepening polarization in the Catholic Church and its approach to homosexuality and priestly celibacy, issues that are both now center stage in Germany.

“I don’t think the report is going to change the mind of people either way” when it comes to Benedict, said Bill Donohue, longtime president of the Catholic League, a conservative watchdog and promoter of the church.

Benedict “is hated by the Catholic left because he is the one who really enforced the Scriptures of the Catholic Church as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith,” said Donahue, referring to the prelate’s tenure during the papacy of St. John Paul II as an enforcer of Catholic dogma, when then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger earned the title “God’s Rottweiler.”

“The impending schism in Germany is far more serious than this,” said Donahue, who called himself proud to be called “the Rottweiler’s Rottweiler.”

A report from the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, published Jan. 10, found that bishops who oversaw the diocese between 1945 and 2019, including Ratzinger, failed to punish clergy and laypeople who committed sexual abuse.

More importantly for many Catholics, however, is the movement in the wider German church that has involved the country’s Catholics in wide-ranging discussions of the most pressing issues facing the institution, including sexual abuse, for nearly three years. The “Synodal Path,” as the discussions are known, followed a 2018 report that scandalized Catholics in the country when it found more than 37,000 cases of clerical abuse in Germany over the span of 68 years, leading to a massive exodus of faithful.

The Synodal Path discussions ended in early February under the shadow of the revelations from Munich. Even after Benedict responded contritely to the accusations, German Catholics felt “disappointed,” said Claudia Lücking-Michel, vice president of the Central Committee for German Catholics and a delegate to the Synodal Path.

While the Synodal Path addresses a wide array of topics facing the local church, including female ordination and power structures, the question of homosexuality “is currently at the very center of public discussion,” Lücking said.

The report, she said, “was the last drop that made the cup overflow.”

While many Germans identify clericalism — the abuse of power by Catholic clergy — as the main culprit for the church’s systemic failure to respond to sexual abuse, some Catholic conservatives blame the presence of homosexuals in the church.

“We have a homosexual scandal here, not a pedophilia scandal,” Donohue said. “Clericalism may have something to do with why some bishops were enabled, but it has nothing to do with why a man would put his hands on a minor.”

US Ukrainian Clergy, Flocks Show Support Amid Russia Crisis

By

Luis Andres Henao and Peter Smith

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February 16, 2022

Ukrainian clergy — The Rev. John Haluszczak stands in St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. Haluszczak's church recently held a "Souper Bowl" fundraiser, selling homemade soups and pierogies, to help feed the needy in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Yuriy Opoka prays his wife and young daughter will be safe in Ukraine as he closely follows the massive buildup of Russian troops on the country’s borders and dire warnings that they could invade at any time.

The 33-year-old journalist often calls his family from Philadelphia, where he’s attending an English course, and recently joined others in the city’s Ukrainian community at a rally calling for peace back home.

“My 5-year-old daughter asks my wife why Russians want to kill Ukrainians,” Opoka said about his loved ones, who live in the western city of Lviv. “I’m frustrated and also worried about them.”

Religious leaders and members of the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States are growing increasingly concerned over the threat of a dramatic escalation of the nearly decade-old conflict and have stepped up efforts to show support for family members and their Eastern European homeland.

That support ranges from offering spiritual succor during special prayer services and maintaining charitable donations to organizing demonstrations and full-throated institutional declarations opposing Moscow’s actions amid the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

Moscow, which has more than 100,000 troops deployed near Ukraine, insists it has no plans to attack and said Tuesday that some of its troops had pulled back from the area. But a U.S. defense official said Russian troops were moving toward, not away from, the Ukrainian border, and Western officials warn an invasion could happen at any moment.

“It’s a stressor for all of us here … because of the danger that it will be a bloody mess,” said the Rev. Taras Lonchyna, pastor of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Trenton, New Jersey. “Our parishioners have contact with their families. … They’re not only concerned about COVID but about the war.”

St. Josaphat parishioner Myroslava Kucharska said she talks daily with her two sons and four grandchildren who live in the southern city of Mykolaiv and in Kyiv, the capital.

“I tell my sons: ‘Be ready, be ready,’” Kucharska said. “We’re praying with tears in our eyes. … We know what war means.”

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, where most in the congregation have relatives in western Ukraine, has responded to the crisis by keeping parishioners up to date on the situation and encouraging prayer, including at a recent service focused on peace. Should the need arise, the Rev. Jason Charron said, the church is prepared to provide humanitarian help as it has in recent years for the country’s war-torn east.

After emerging from decades of communist Soviet rule, Ukrainian Catholics are prepared to resist any invasion that would threaten to put them under the Kremlin’s thumb again, Charron said: “For them, the repression of their culture and their history is tied with the repression of their faith.”

Pro-Life State Legislators Preparing for Post-Roe Era

By

Tom Strode

-

February 16, 2022

WASHINGTON (BP) – Pro-life lawmakers in dozens of states apparently are preparing for a day, maybe as early as this year, when legalized abortion is no longer the rule throughout the United States.

Legislators in 34 states have introduced at least 175 abortion-related bills – mostly pro-life proposals – already in 2022, according to Americans United for Life (AUL). That number is certain to increase. Five states did not open their legislative sessions until February, while the legislatures of Louisiana and North Carolina will not begin meeting until March and May, respectively. In addition, Texas and three other states do not have regular sessions scheduled this year.

State legislatures are addressing the abortion issue in anticipation of what could be a momentous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices are expected to rule by June or early July on a Mississippi law that prohibits abortion after 15 weeks’ gestation. Many pro-life and abortion-rights advocates believe the justices are likely not only to uphold the law but to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade opinion that legalized the procedure nationwide. Such an opinion by the Supreme Court would return abortion policy to the states.

Most state lawmakers are focusing on “what happens after” that decision, said Katie Glenn, AUL’s government affairs counsel. “A lot of states are introducing trigger laws or conditional laws that would take effect if Roe is overturned.”

For some pro-life lawmakers, their legislative sessions may end before the high court issues an opinion in the case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. “[T]hey want that law to take effect immediately,” Glenn told Baptist Press. “They don’t want to have to wait until next January, where the political pressure could be mounting.”

Chelsea Sobolik, public policy director for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), also called for state legislators to act now.

“As we await the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dobbs case, we would encourage every state to prepare now for a potential post-Roe world where abortion becomes unnecessary and unthinkable,” she told BP in written comments. “Life-saving laws matter because they rightly protect those who cannot protect themselves. And their passage in these states is proof that advocacy of the pro-life community is making a difference.”

The message of AUL – which has written many of the hundreds of state, pro-life laws enacted in the last three decades – to lawmakers, Glenn said, is: “Now is the time to proceed boldly. It’s the time to demonstrate to the court that this is well in hand.”

This Nine-Question Idolatry Quiz Will Ruin Your Day

By

J.D. Greear

-

February 16, 2022

The Apostle Paul says that at the core of all our sin is idolatry. He didn’t just mean bowing down to statues (though that counts). Idolatry is much bigger than that: It’s deciding something has such worth and weight that we think possessing it is the key to a happy life. So we prioritize it over knowing and obeying God.

Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship” (CSB).

Paul is asserting that worship should be an eminently reasonable, common-sense response to what God has done.

Yet at the core of everyone’s sin is a worship disorder. So, what is that for you? What in your life has ultimate worth? What is the key to a happy life? What do you feel you couldn’t be happy without?

If you really want to uncover the things in your life that steal your worship from God, then you need to do an Idolatry Detection Test.

1. Fill in this blank: The thing I’d be most worried about losing is ________________.

(Don’t write down “God.” That’s cheating.)

Is it your family? Money? Respect? Success? Be honest with yourself. Just because you write something down doesn’t mean it is an idol.

2. Fill in this blank: The thing I’d be most worried about never attaining is ________________.

For me, the thing I have been most worried about never attaining is some stature of success. But my wife, like many mothers, tends to answer this with “being a good mom.” It’s not that I don’t care about being a dad, or that she doesn’t care about success. But at the root, we have different idols competing for our hearts.

This is why my moods can sometimes rise and fall based on how well the church is doing, why preaching a bad sermon can be so devastating to me. For Veronica, if the church doesn’t do well, it doesn’t hit her as viscerally. Of course, she cares, but it’s not going to devastate her. But if one of our kids is not doing well in school, then that’s a different story.

So what is it for you?

3. Fill in this blank: “If I could change ________________ about myself right now, I would.”

Is this your career, your living situation, or your looks? Again, there is nothing wrong with these desires for change, but it is important to be aware.

4. Throughout your life, what have you been most willing to sacrifice for?

Worship and sacrifice always go hand in hand. You are willing to sacrifice to gain the favor of whatever you worship.

Again, I sacrifice for success and reputation. Why do I have a propensity to overwork? I want to be successful. Why? Because I want to walk across the street one day and overhear someone say, “There goes J.D. Greear …”

It’s dumb, I know. Don’t do this to me if you see me at the mall.

Don’t Compartmentalize Your Christianity

By

Paul David Tripp

-

February 16, 2022

The next time you’re standing in your kitchen, bedroom, or at your desk, I want you to look at drawers. Yes, drawers. The place where you store cutlery, clothes, or staplers and pens.

Sadly, many people who call themselves Christians live functionally compartmentalized lives. Whether they realize it or not, they have divided their lives neatly into two drawers: real life and spiritual life.

The real-life drawer is the one they dig into frequently and are most comfortable with. It contains all the stuff of everyday life, like their job, physical health, friends and family, leisure, money, possessions, and daily routine.

This drawer dominates their thinking and their doing. It’s where they expend most of their emotional and physical energy, and where most dreams will be realized or dashed. The contents of this drawer are the location of their highs and lows, their joys and sorrows.

Then they have a second drawer—the spiritual life drawer. All the “God” stuff goes here. It’s the drawer for Sunday worship, small group, tithes and offerings, short-term missions trips, and the evangelistic conversations with neighbors or extended family members.

Yes, they believe in Jesus, his forgiveness, and the eternity to come, but these beliefs don’t have a radical impact on the way they think about themselves and life in general. Their faith is an aspect of their life, but not something that shapes everything in their life

I think I am describing many Christians. Could I potentially be representing you?

I wish Paul Tripp could claim innocence from this two-drawer verdict, but I can’t.

Ask yourself: on any given day, what most influences the way that I think about myself and my life? What is the driving factor for the majority of what I think, say, and do?

The biblical narrative and worldview only has one drawer—it’s called the gospel in everyday life. Everything goes in that drawer! Scripture asserts that you were bought with a price (the life and death of Jesus), so you don’t belong to you anymore. (Actually, because of creation, you never did belong to you!)

God has a radical, single-drawer purpose for your life. The best word for that purpose is ambassador (see 2 Corinthians 5:20). The only thing an ambassador does is represent the ruler who sent them—every day, all the time, in everything you do.

Presence of Jesus

Therefore, your purpose in life is to make the invisible presence of Jesus visible in the lives of others. You are the look on Christ’s face. You are the tone of his voice. You are the touch of his hands. You are the physical representation of his grace.

This is your mission in every situation, location, and relationship of your life—to make the grace of the invisible King visible.

When, by God’s grace, you live an as ambassador, compartmentalized Christianity and two-drawer living become impossible!

Ask God for that grace once more today, and again and again every day for the rest of your life!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. In what ways have you compartmentalized your Christian faith? What are some of the “items” that are exclusive to the real-life drawer and spiritual life drawer?

2. Yesterday, what most influenced the way that you thought about yourself and your life?

3. Today, what will be the driving factor for the majority of what you think, say, and do?

4. This week, where is God calling you to be an ambassador in a particularly difficult or intimidating situation or relationship?

5. How can you practically make the invisible presence of Jesus visible that area? Be specific in how you prepare regarding the way you interact and speak.

This article originally appeared here.

R.C. Sproul: Did God Die on the Cross?

By

R.C. Sproul

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February 16, 2022

died on the cross — Adobestock #818074011

The famous hymn of the church “And Can it Be?” contains a line that asks a very poignant question: “How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?” Is it accurate to say that God died on the cross?

This kind of expression is popular in hymnody and in grassroots conversation. So although I have this scruple about the hymn and it bothers me that the expression is there, I think I understand it, and there’s a way to give an indulgence for it.

We believe that Jesus Christ was God incarnate. We also believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross. If we say that God died on the cross, and if by that we mean that the divine nature perished, we have stepped over the edge into serious heresy. In fact, two such heresies related to this problem arose in the early centuries of the church: theopassianism and patripassianism. The first of these, theopassianism, teaches that God Himself suffered death on the cross. Patripassianism indicates that the Father suffered vicariously through the suffering of His Son. Both of these heresies were roundly rejected by the church for the very reason that they categorically deny the very character and nature of God, including His immutability. There is no change in the substantive nature or character of God at any time.

God not only created the universe, He sustains it by the very power of His being. As Paul said, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). If the being of God ceased for one second, the universe would disappear. It would pass out of existence, because nothing can exist apart from the sustaining power of God. If God dies, everything dies with Him. Obviously, then, God could not have perished on the cross.

Some say, “It was the second person of the Trinity Who died.” That would be a mutation within the very being of God, because when we look at the Trinity we say that the three are one in essence, and that though there are personal distinctions among the persons of the Godhead, those distinctions are not essential in the sense that they are differences in being. Death is something that would involve a change in one’s being.

We should shrink in horror from the idea that God actually died on the cross. The atonement was made by the human nature of Christ. Somehow people tend to think that this lessens the dignity or the value of the substitutionary act, as if we were somehow implicitly denying the deity of Christ. God forbid. It’s the God-man Who dies, but death is something that is experienced only by the human nature, because the divine nature isn’t capable of experiencing death.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

4 Tell-Tale Signs Your Small Group System Is Broken:

Your total number of groups is remaining the same year after year.

Your percentage connected remains the same year after year.

You’re not sustaining the new groups you are launching.

Group members show few signs of life-change.

Q. How did you come to be in your role? Share about your background.

Q: What does a typical workday look like for you?

Q: What about groups ministry have you been the most fulfilled by?

Q: What tools, apps, subscriptions, etc. are most helpful to you?

1. You Don’t Get to Make the Call on Someone’s Salvation.

11 Questions from the Small Group Network:

Q. How did you come to be in your role? Share about your background.

Q: What does a typical workday look like for you?

Q: What about groups ministry have you been the most fulfilled by?

Q: What tools, apps, subscriptions, etc. are most helpful to you?

Q: What are your best work tips or productivity hacks?

Brittany Dawn Davis Sued by the State of Texas

The Reality

The Goal

The Threat

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Carey Nieuwhof

Key Questions for Carey Nieuwhof

Key Quotes From Carey Nieuwhof

If you really want to uncover the things in your life that steal your worship from God, then you need to do an Idolatry Detection Test.

1. Fill in this blank: The thing I’d be most worried about losing is ________________.

2. Fill in this blank: The thing I’d be most worried about never attaining is ________________.

3. Fill in this blank: “If I could change ________________ about myself right now, I would.”

4. Throughout your life, what have you been most willing to sacrifice for?

Presence of Jesus

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

New Articles

New Podcasts

Q. How did you come to be in your role? Share about your background.

Q. How did you come to be in your role? Share about your background.