Dare 2 Share Hosts Online Event to Train Teens to Take Over the World for Jesus

November 19, 2021

Last weekend (Nov. 13), Dare 2 Share, the ministry whose mission is to mobilize youth to evangelize their world, hosted a world-wide event with over 1,300 youth groups participating in the live-stream gospel training.

The event called, Dare 2 Share Live, is designed to equip teens to start a gospel revolution in their community. During the event, students are trained to “pray, serve others, and share their faith.”

“Our theme was ‘Whatever it Takes,’ based on the story of the men who tore a hole through the roof to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus,” Dare 2 Share founder Greg Stier said. “They risked their lives, money, and status in the community to get him to Jesus. We asked the teens, ‘Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get your friend to Jesus?’”

During the event, students and volunteers are trained in the morning hours, then are sent out into their communities to serve and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone they come into contact with.

“When students share the Gospel, especially with their peers, they ask questions, pray deeply and learn to depend on the Holy Spirit,” Dare 2 Share says on their website. According to the organization, this encourages teens to participate in the Great Commission (Mathew 28).

Saturday’s training included speakers, teachers, and musicians. Stier and Zane Black, who have recently been featured as speakers on Winter Jam (one of America’s largest Christian concert tours), joined Hosanna Wong and Jerrod Gunter in helping train the thousands attending the live event. Red Rocks Worship and DJ Bobbito The Chef provided the worship and music.

Dare 2 Share Live was hosted in Denver, Colorado and witnessed decisions for Christ happening all over the world. Over 100 decisions were made during the day’s training.

The Dare 2 Share smartphone app called “Life in 6 Words” is used to help teens (and adults) interact and engage with their communities. The app guides users “through the clear message of the gospel,” their website says — you just need to initiate the conversation.

The app shows real-time statistics of people who are sharing their faith all over the world, so teens are are able to join in with youth groups in other states who are sharing their faith. The app also provides the opportunity to pray for those engaging in Gospel conversations at any given very moment.

Parts of James MacDonald’s Lawsuit Against Radio Host Mancow Muller Dismissed

Stephanie Martin

November 19, 2021

In a Chicago courtroom yesterday, a judge dismissed parts—but not all—of a defamation suit that former megachurch Pastor James MacDonald filed against radio host Mancow Muller. Although Muller’s attorney had requested that the whole suit be dismissed, he indicated being “pleased” with Thursday’s developments.

According to Daily Herald, Cook County Judge Eve Reilly dismissed MacDonald’s claims that Muller intentionally inflicted emotional distress, as well as counts related to illegal eavesdropping. “The judge issued an insightful ruling in dismissing some of the major counts in the complaint,” says Mark Roth, Muller’s attorney. Meanwhile, MacDonald’s attorney, Phillip Zisook, says, “We look forward to proceeding in this case and proving the falsity of Mr. Muller’s repugnant on-air and podcast statements about James MacDonald.”

Mancow Muller: Background on the Defamation Suit

James MacDonald, founder of megachurch Harvest Bible Chapel (HBC), filed the lawsuit against Mancow Muller and Cumulus Media, his radio station’s parent company, in December 2019, seeking damages of $50,000. MacDonald, who was fired from HBC in February of that year, alleges that Muller made false claims and called the host a “con man” to “build up listener interest for his radio/podcast shows.”

Muller, who has a reputation as a “shock jock,” played a recording of MacDonald apparently talking about planting child pornography on the computer of a Christianity Today editor. Muller later accused MacDonald of asking him to hire a hitman.

MacDonald has argued that the recorded conversation was private and obtained without permission. But Judge Reilly writes, “Muller was anonymously given the recording, and the published recording was ‘of public concern’ because it concerned the conduct and fitness of Plaintiff as pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel.” MacDonald may not refile the eavesdropping counts that were dismissed this week.

The Lawsuit Continues

Counts that weren’t dismissed deal with defamation as well as false light invasion of privacy. Defamation remains on the table, the judge writes, because Muller failed to demonstrate that MacDonald is a general or limited public figure. A new court date hasn’t been set.

Mancow Muller was a former friend of James MacDonald’s and once was a Harvest church member. Muller has said he “endorsed” MacDonald and HBC for years, but “when I found out the truth, I felt it was my duty to tell my listeners.” The host added, “For me, this has always been about trying to help people and trying to expose a bad guy.”

Marvin Olasky Survived Trump as World Magazine Editor. But Not the Hot Takes.

Bob Smietana

November 19, 2021

(RNS) — Marvin Olasky has long believed in the Bible and the power of journalism.

For nearly three decades, he put his faith in both to work as the editor-in-chief of World magazine, a theologically conservative publication that values street-level reporting over “suite-level” opinions. That approach, he said, set World apart at a time when hot takes often drive more traffic than detailed, careful, intensive reporting.

“There are a whole lot of publications I can read for various opinions,” he told Religion News Service in a phone interview from his home in Austin, Texas. “But who else in Christian journalism is doing, on an issue by issue basis, that type of digging for specific details? That’s where I think World has a unique position. And I’m very proud that we’ve been able to fulfill that calling for all those years.”

Olasky had hoped to end his tenure as editor-in-chief, which began in 1994, in the summer of 2022. Those plans changed after World’s publisher announced the launch of a new online opinion section, overseen by Albert “Al” Mohler, a prominent Southern Baptist seminary president known for his conservative commentary. The decision to start the new World Opinion was made without Olasky’s approval — he had heard some discussion in the spring of 2021 about bringing in outside opinion writers but objected to the idea. He viewed the decision to start World Opinion as a no-confidence vote by the board of God’s World Publications Inc., the magazine’s parent nonprofit.

In response, Olasky resigned, effective Jan. 31.Several other key World staffers have also resigned, including senior editor Mindy Belz, who had been with the magazine since the 1980s; magazine managing editor Angela Lu Fulton; and senior reporter Sophia Lee.

All were concerned the new opinion section — which focuses on conservative political and cultural views — would overshadow World’s commitment to reporting. Perhaps more than that, they worried the conservative commentary would define World’s identity and the opinion section would claim to portray “the Christian view” on a topic, rather than one of many views held by Christians on a specific topic.

“To me, the issue is the belief that one narrow subset of Christians is in sole possession of the ‘correct’ ideology and are the only voices to be trusted,” Fulton said in her resignation letter, which she posted on Twitter. “That mindset runs counter to the message of the Bible as well as the on-the-ground reporting that we do in diverse communities in the United States and around the world. “

Olasky told RNS he has long been concerned about Christian commentary that’s based on political concerns, not the Bible. He recalled reading a magazine early in his career that rated members of Congress on how Christian their views were on the topics of the day. One of the issues included in the ratings was the fate of the Panama Canal and whether it should remain under U.S. control.

An important issue, said Olasky, but not one the Bible spoke to.

“I don’t remember the Book of Panama anywhere,” he said.

World’s editorial guidelines, which were shaped by Olasky, also warn about journalism that promotes conflict and panic. One section seems particularly fitting for the world of social media.

“Amoral journalism emphasizes all the sound and fury in the world and presents people’s lives as tales told by idiots, signifying nothing,” the guidelines read. “In reporting sensational events, we try to avoid the overheated prose that characterizes many politicized publications. Our motto: Sensational fact, understated prose.”

World has not always lived up to that standard, in the eyes of critics. In 1997, the magazine was censured by the Evangelical Press Association’s ethics committee for stories about gender-neutral language in a Bible translation that the committee deemed “distorted and sensational,” according to an RNS report at the time. That censure was later withdrawn, largely due to the committee failing to follow association bylaws.

A longtime fan of the Red Sox and other Boston teams, Olasky used a sports metaphor to illustrate his concerns about World. During the kickoff of a football game, it’s crucial the players of the team kicking off stay in their lanes as they run down their field. Otherwise, disaster will strike. In the world of Christian journalism, he argues, World’s lane is reporting informed by Christian beliefs, not conservative culture war commentary.

“I wonder if the board members understand what World’s lane is,” he said.

Kevin Martin, CEO of the World News Group, declined to speak about internal decision-making at the organization. He did tell RNS the magazine staff will continue to do in-depth reporting and will retain editorial independence.

Philippine Church Leader Charged With Child Sex Trafficking

Robert Jablon

November 19, 2021

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The leader of a Philippines-based church was charged with having sex with women and underage girls who faced threats of abuse and “eternal damnation” unless they catered to the self-proclaimed “son of God,” federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

Apollo Carreon Quiboloy and two of his top administrators are among nine people named in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury last week and unsealed Thursday. The indictment includes three Los Angeles-based administrators of Quiboloy’s church who were charged last year. The new indictment also names a church administrator in Hawaii.

Quiboloy, 71, is head of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church, founded in 1985. The church claims to have 6 million members in about 200 countries. Its United States headquarters is in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles.

The church backed the 2016 candidacy of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a close friend of Quiboloy. Duterte used the group’s radio and TV program in southern Davao city to express his views on issues way back when he was mayor of the southern port city.

Quiboloy claims to be “the appointed son of God” and in 2019 claimed he stopped a major earthquake from hitting the southern Philippines.

The superseding indictment contains a raft of charges, including conspiracy, sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, marriage fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling and visa fraud.

Quiboloy is believed to be in the Philippines, where his camp said that he and the other accused church leaders were ready to face legal issues although they did not answer the charges in a statement posted on his group’s news website, SMNI News Channel.

“We are confident and ready to face whatever is hurled against pastor Quiboloy and the kingdom leaders,” said the statement, which was attributed to an unnamed church legal counsel and accused “dissidents” of bringing up the charges to destroy Quiboloy. “We trust the process of justice and we certainly expect the truth to prevail and the kingdom ministry will continue to prosper.”

Philippine Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Quiboloy was not facing any complaint in his country related to the U.S. charges. He said without elaborating that a separate complaint for rape was filed against Quiboloy in Davao city last year but it has been dismissed but the decision was on appeal before the Department of Justice in Manila. The dismissed complaint included charges of child abuse, trafficking in persons through forced labor and trafficking in persons through sexual abuse, Guevarra told reporters in Manila.

The indictment accuses Quiboloy and others of recruiting women and girls, typically 12 to 25 years old, as “pastorals” who cooked his meals, cleaned his houses, massaged him and traveled with him around the world. Some also had sex with Quiboloy on scheduled “night duty,” including some minors such as a 15-year-old girl, according to the indictment.

They were coerced into “night duty” under “the threat of physical and verbal abuse and eternal damnation,” according to the indictment.

‘Enemies Within the Church’ Targets Christian Institutions as Marxist, Names SBC Leaders

Dale Chamberlain

November 19, 2021

The documentary film “Enemies Within the Church” has been making waves in the evangelical community for its bold claims about the pervasive presence of Marxist ideas within the American church. The film names as “enemies within the church” a number of the country’s most influential evangelical institutions, as well as a diverse group of individuals, from Bill Johnson to Albert Mohler.

The film became the subject of controversy when the Conservative Baptist Network (CBN) tweeted an announcement that a showing of the film would be hosted on the campus of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (MABTS).

The trailer of the film featured footage of other SBC entities, including a shot of the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS), seeming to imply that the SBC seminary was one of the “enemies” described in the film, drawing sharp criticism from other Southern Baptists, particularly those associated with SWBTS.

A viewing of “Enemies Within the Church,” which is available to stream on the film’s website for $12.95, reveals that SWBTS is only one of many enemies that the film identifies as propagating Marxism within the American church.

‘Enemies Within the Church’: A Synopsis

Redefining the term “woke” as an acronym for “willfully overlooking known evil,” “Enemies Within the Church” follows the journey of Cary Gordon, senior pastor of Cornerstone World Outreach in Sioux City, Iowa. Gordon narrates the film as he travels the country to interview various experts and educators about what he believes is a coordinated, subversive attack by Communists to bring down western civilization by infiltrating the church.

The film opens with a viewer advisory, which says, “Warning: the following film contains disturbing facts and evidence concerning major Christian organizations. Biblical discernment is advised.”

The shots that follow, which are accompanied by cheerful folk music, include images of civil unrest, the demolition of an old church building, proof of vaccination requirements being posted on the windows of storefronts, hundred dollar bills being set on fire, and a fiery inferno transposed over the Statue of Liberty.

The Alleged Origins of Communism in the American Church

The first interviewee Gordon consults was Trevor Loudon, whom the documentary describes as an “expert researcher on terrorist ideas,” and who describes how Communism has become commonplace in the American church.

Loudon argued that the first Communist “front” that was established to destroy America was the Methodist Federation of Social Action, which was founded in 1907 (about a decade before the Bolshevik revolution in Russia). Loudon wrongly referred to the organization as the Methodist Federation for “Socialist” Action, going on to argue that founder Harry Ward infected American seminaries and churches with Communism. He did not provide any evidence or specific examples to substantiate this claim.

Next, author and podcaster Jon Harris explained that many evangelicals became “radicalized” by social justice in the 1970s, including former Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw. According to Harris, Mouw almost walked away from his faith until he read Carl F. H. Henry’s “The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism” and found a way to frame his “leftist ideas” in a Christian theological framework. Harris then referred to Mouw and his ilk as “elites,” going on to argue that this is why most “everyday” evangelicals rallied behind leaders like Jerry Falwell and “Moral Majority” ideals, instead of people like Mouw.

The Most Dangerous Person in Your Church

Erik Raymond

November 19, 2021

dangerous church member — Adobestock #294983809

In addition to leading and teaching, pastors are called to protect or guard the flock (Titus 1:5, 9; 2:15; John 21:15-19). Therefore, it logically follows that it is important for pastors to know who is in attendance and membership within the congregation. There are obviously many practical reasons for this, but one is certainly to protect the flock from potential harm. So I ask you, “Who is the most dangerous church member you have?”

Here I am not so much aiming at an individual as I am looking at a type of person.

Sure, we all can spot the unbeliever who doesn’t fluently speak the language of Zion, we can identify the person from doctrinally anemic backgrounds because they keep cutting themselves with the sharp knives in the theology drawer, and of course, any Calvinist can sniff out an Arminian within 20 seconds.

But I submit that these types of people are not the most dangerous people that attend your church. At least, they are not in my experience.

Instead, the most dangerous church member is the apparently smart guy who is unteachable.

When I say ‘unteachable,’ I mean that he has it all figured out. He is the classic, “Don’t confuse me with the facts, I know what I believe” guy.

This is the guy who seems to have a lot of biblical knowledge. He can drop the 30 lb. words and effectively argue his point. Very often, he is quite involved and appears to have things together. However, he is dangerous because of the reason you would not think; he is unteachable.

The Most Dangerous Church Member

Let me give you some reasons why and how he is dangerous:

1. He Is Gospel-Eclipsing

The Great Commission has learning embedded in it (Matthew 28:18-20). This means that being a disciple is being one who is always learning. Therefore, to have it all figured out is to deny who you are. As Christians, we have to be people who are learning; this includes everyone from pastors to children.

2. He Is Critical

If your most dangerous church member is not being moved by the ministry of the Word, he is likely gathering bullets to shoot at leaders. He sits quietly during the sermons and teachings only to pick apart everything like a Monday morning quarterback. His unteachability looks the exact opposite of what James 1 teaches:

How to Take Care of Your Wife – 7 Guidelines

Nicholas Batzig

November 19, 2021

“What does it look like to biblically care about the needs of my wife?” That is a question that I feel as though I am just beginning to learn how to answer 11 years into marriage. While there is no silver bullet, there are many things that the Scriptures teach us in order to help guide the process of learning to take care of your wife.

In that extremely complex and, at times, hard to understand section of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we come across the comparison between the married and the unmarried (1 Cor. 7). In short, the Apostle insists that marriage is good (and the norm) but that it brings with it a division of attention. Those who are married have a preoccupation with their spouse. Those who are unmarried are free to more fully “care about the things of the Lord” while “the married man cares about…how to please his wife” and “the married woman cares about…how to please her husband.”

How to Take Care of Your Wife

Here are seven basic, biblical ways concerning how to take care of your wife:

1. Take Care of Your Wife by Leading Her in Worship.

Whether this occurs one on one or in the context of family worship, a godly husband will seek to “wash his wife with the water of the word” and to lead her “to the throne of grace” that they might together receive grace and mercy to help in time of need. A man who truly loves his wife will want to sing God’s praises with his wife and to encourage her with God’s word. This is the most foundational way that a godly husband can love and serve his wife. Everything else in the marriage is secondary to and will necessarily wax and wane commensurate with this all important calling. God has given a believing husband his wife so that he might shepherd her soul to glory.

2. Take Care of Your Wife by Carrying Her Burdens.

One of the apostolic words to husbands regarding the way in which they are to love their wives is that they are to “dwell with them with understanding” (1 Peter 3:7). A loving husband will seek to be gentle toward his wife. A truly loving husband will seek to listen to his wife as she relays her burdens. He will be patient with her when she seems to be folding under the pressures of life. He will seek to understand why she is struggling even when he doesn’t have the same burdens.

3. Take Care of Your Wife by Providing for Her.

A man who truly loves his wife will be a man who labors diligently to provide for his wife. The loving husband will be a hard working husband. This doesn’t mean that he will make lots of money; but it does mean that his priority is to “provide for his own” (1 Tim. 5:8). He will work as many jobs as might be necessary in order to provide for his wife. Being a provider is something to which a loving husband must be committed.

4. Take Care of Your Wife by Serving Her in the Home.

I don’t know if it is possible for someone to hate folding laundry as much as I hate folding laundry. My soul has a holy (and, often, an unholy) hatred of it. However, when I recognize that my wife is tired from bearing my burdens, taking our kids to school, teaching one of our sons at home, doing the shopping, driving the boys to different events and caring for many, many, many other things in our home and lives, one of the most loving things that I can do for her is to fold the five laundry baskets full of clothes. Doing the laundry, cleaning the dishes, repairing things in the home, pressure washing the house, taking her car to get the oil changed, etc. are some of the very tangible ways that a godly husband can learn to love and serve his wife in the home.

5. Take Care of Your Wife by Praising Her in Public.

One of the things that has not often been pointed out about Proverbs 31 is that it actually tells us quite a number of things about the godly husband—and does not speak merely about the godly wife.

Rick Warren: Redemptive Criticism (and Other Virtues)

Rick Warren

November 19, 2021

How have the past 10 years changed me? I hope I’m more dependent. The most important thing to me in the Christian life is depending on Jesus. You make a declaration of dependence.

I’m much less independent than I’ve ever been in my life. When you’re young, you’re cocky. You’re prideful. You think, I know how to do it. Nobody is more arrogant than the third-year seminary student who thinks he’s got a plan to build the church and hasn’t built anything.

It takes about 10 years to knock the ego you built in seminary out of you. After 10 years, then God can really start using you.

When I get up in the morning, my feet don’t touch the floor, I don’t get out of bed, till I have a long prayer that I pray every morning. Part of that prayer is, “Dear God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I want to love You more and know You better, because that’s what I was put here on earth to do. If at the end of the day I don’t know You a little bit more and love You a little better, I’ve missed the first purpose of my life.” Because God didn’t put me on earth to mark things off my to-do list.

It doesn’t matter how many things I accomplish or how many awards I win or how many interviews I do if I’m not closer to Jesus, if I’m not walking with Him. Jesus is my best friend, and I’ve walked with him now for over 50 years. And I talk with him just like I’m talking to you. In fact, I’ll often talk to Him and talk to you at the same time.

And so, being more dependent on God is the most important thing.

Being more gracious is the second most important thing. You can tell a person’s relationship to God not by their theology, but by their kindness and their joy. A lot of guys have a great theology, but they don’t know God—you don’t see it.

Amazingly, sometimes people who know the most about the doctrines of grace are the least gracious; they’re ungracious. And I want to be more like Jesus. I so want to be more and more gracious. If I’ve experienced grace, I want to show it.

One of the most Christlike things I can do is remain silent in the face of criticism.

Scripture says, when they falsely accused Christ of all kinds of stuff, He spoke not a word unto them. He refused to defend Himself.

It’s Christlike to not defend yourself.

It’s Christlike to not retaliate.

It’s Christlike to return good for evil.

When you try to do a middle road, then you get shot at by both sides.

2 Great Tips for Thanksgiving Sermons

David Lose

November 19, 2021

I don’t know about you, but I find preaching on Thanksgiving to be one of the most difficult preaching assignments of the year. I mean, other than saying “We ought to be thankful,” what is there to say in Thanksgiving sermons?

And that’s the problem, don’t you think? Thanksgiving—that is, the genuine expression of gratitude—can’t be commanded. It’s like your mom, after you forgot to say “Thank you,” prompting you with the oh-so-patient “You’re welcome.” Sure, you say “Thanks” then, but it doesn’t quite mean the same thing.

So how do we preach Thanksgiving? I can’t say I’ve got the whole thing figured out, but I’ve found a few clues in Luke’s story of the 10 lepers that’s often the reading for Thanksgiving services: 10 lepers are healed; one returns, and it’s a Samaritan, no less. OK, so one way to go is to lift up the Samaritan as an example. Trouble is most of us hate examples like this because they just make us feel guilty.

What’s more interesting, I think, is noticing that all 10 were healed. All 10, even the nine who didn’t return to say “Thanks.” So what made the Samaritan different? He noticed. That’s pretty much it. Oh, I know, he returned to say thanks once he noticed. But I think that was kind of inevitable or even almost involuntary. I mean, once you notice something spectacular, it’s hard not to say something. “I’ve got good news; the cancer is in remission.” “He proposed; look at my ring.” “I just saw the best movie.” “I can’t believe you came; thanks!”

I think it was like that for the Samaritan; once he realized he’d been healed, he couldn’t help but turn back and share his joy and thanksgiving with Jesus.

Thanksgiving is like that. When it’s genuine, it’s spontaneous, even involuntary—you recognize you’ve been blessed and can’t help but share your joy through thanksgiving.

So the Samaritan turns back to say “Thanks.” He knows he’s been given a gift and can’t help turning around to say something. And in doing so, he’s given a second gift, as he leaves his encounter with Jesus not only healed but also blessed—blessed in his own recognition of healing, blessed at being drawn into deeper relationship with the one he thanks, blessed at hearing himself commended for having great faith.

Imagine the difference that must have made in his life. He, a Samaritan, being commended by a Jewish rabbi for having great faith, faith sufficient to effect healing.

That’s the way thanksgiving always works—in giving thanks for a gift given, we are blessed again. So how does all this help us in preaching thanksgiving? Two things.

2 Great Tips for Thanksgiving Sermons

Thanking.

First, after teaching about the nature of gratitude and thanksgiving—which is certainly worth doing, if briefly—then move to this issue of noticing. For those with eyes to see, God’s blessings are all around us. And as we give thanks for them, we notice even more and are blessed yet again. We live in an age governed by a sense of “scarcity” and an ethos of “looking out for number one.” A simple word of gratitude opens us up to world of abundance, mercy and grace. It may seem a small thing—noticing and thanking—but it’s the first step to setting in motion a cycle of gratitude and grace.
Noticing

Second, after teaching, try modeling. That is, try noticing for your people. Share with them some of the things you’re thankful for, some of the places you’ve encountered God’s blessing. Even more, notice your people. Tell them what you are thankful for about them, about your life together, about this congregation and community and world you share. Having been noticed with gratitude, they will find it easier to gratefully notice in return.

Which leads me to a last word, which is to notice you. Look, I know preaching can sometimes be a thankless task. And it can feel all the more so around holidays like Thanksgiving when you don’t have quite the time you’d like to spend preparing for and celebrating the holiday because you’ve got this tricky little sermon to write. I know how hard it is…and I’m grateful—for your work, for your fidelity to God’s Word and people, for you as a preacher. Thank you. Even more, thank God for you.

Perhaps you have some ideas on how to plant seeds of Thanksgiving in your congregation—why not share them here?

The Brain and Small Groups

Small Group Network

November 19, 2021

What encourages continual transformation within the heart of a believer? Some say it is reading Scripture, while others might say that it is a healthy prayer life. Certainly, these items are vital and they incorporate two core activities of the Christian faith. Yet if you asked those who study neuroscience, it’s likely that they would have another item to add.

Co-authored by Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks, the book The Other Half of Church explores the neuroscience of transformational change and what we in the church can (and probably should) do in order to unlock huge opportunities for our churchgoers’ spiritual growth. Over the course of the next few months, let us unpack some of the larger concepts introduced by the authors while looking at the text through the lens of one’s small group ministry.

Our Brain’s Two Halves

For those who remembered their lessons from high school biology, our brain is made up of what our authors refer to as two “processors” (the left and the right), which work together but specialize in different responsibilities. While it is common that the right side of the brain is often associated with art or emotions and the left side of the brain is often associated with logic or problem solving, what may not be as commonly understood is that all of the information that our brain receives will traverse through a pathway that begins on the right side of our brain before it travels to the left side of our brain. As a result, our right brain processes data more quickly than our left brain. According to Wilder, “The right hemisphere process that creates our working identity integrates our reality six times per second. The brain brings together current experience and emotionally important personal memories to create an active sense of who we are in our relationships at that moment.”

Relationship-Fueled Transformation

When you reflect upon a season of your life where you experienced some of the greatest character growth you ever had, who was surrounding you in your life during that time? When I gave my life to Christ, I not only had a mentor in my life who was teaching me up in the faith, but I was also spending time with other Christians on a weekly basis. While I was reading Scripture and finding out who God was through the living Word, I was also observing others who were leading by example and who were showing how to live a Christian life. Indeed, I couldn’t imagine what my formation in the faith would have been if it hadn’t been for those individuals who were walking alongside me during that time. Testimonies of that “on fire” stage for new believers often echo similar details, where relationships typically seem to be at the core of the person’s season of transformation. Wilder and Hendricks agree, explaining that since “our right brain governs the whole range of relational life,” our “character formation develops out of our community, the people we call ‘my people.’ Our loving attachments and the values of our community drive our character.”

The Brain and Small Groups

When we encourage individuals in our church to grow in the Lord, what types of activities do we normally recommend for them to pursue? A common sermon on spiritual growth will likely include Scripture reading and increased prayer time, but are relationships included within such a mix? And if fellowship with other Christians is indeed mentioned, to what degree is relationship-building encouraged? If our brains are wired to process our world more through our right brain, and if our right brain governs our relational life, and if our relational life is what accelerates our ability to have positive transformation and character growth, then does our church’s prioritization of its small group ministry reflect this? In the weeks ahead, we’ll explore how small groups are the perfect vehicles for delivering the ingredients that Wilder and Hendricks list as essential for fruitful growth.

This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Cherub Babies — and Other Myths We Believe About Angels

Jessica Lea

November 19, 2021

How accurate is your understanding of cherubim and angels? In the introductory video to their series on spiritual beings, the BibleProject says, “Unfortunately, almost all of our modern conceptions about these beings are based on serious misunderstandings.” In popular culture, a “cherub” is a baby with wings. However, cherubim as the Bible depicts them are quite different for the cherub babies depicted in artwork.

“They’re way more fascinating,” says the BibleProject in their video, “Angels and Cherubim.” In the Bible, cherubim are portrayed as “hybrid creatures, a collage of different animals and every time they do appear, they look a little bit different.”

Far from being adorable and cute, cherubim are intimidating and are associated with God’s presence. The BibleProject says they “stand guard at the boundary between heaven and earth…If you see them, you know you’re entering the presence of the one who is above all and truly Other.”

Examples of Cherubim in the Bible

The first time we see cherubim in the Bible is in the Garden of Eden, which the BibleProject describes as “God’s temple residence.” God sets them as a guard at the garden after Adam and Eve sin so that the man and woman can no longer access the tree of life.

Another notable place where Scripture mentions cherubim is when the Israelites build the Ark of the Covenant. When God instructs Moses regarding the design of the ark (which is made out of gold and acacia wood), he tells him to make the covering with two cherubim on top that have their wings spread over it. God then tells Moses he will meet with him between the cherubim and give Moses his commands for the Israelites.

Says the BibleProject, “The biblical authors described the ark as the footstool of God’s throne, which the cherubim are carrying.” Psalm 99:1, for example, says that God is enthroned between the cherubim. These are just some of the times we see cherubim in Scripture associated with the holy presence of God.

What About Angels?

When you think of angels, you might think of Clarence from It’s a Wonderful Life, but probably the most common portrayal of angels in our culture is of benevolent beings who have halos and wings. However, while angels in the Bible do resemble people, they do not have wings or halos. One of their primary duties is to carry messages from God to people, such as when the angels appear to Zechariah and to Mary in Luke 1. Because human beings cannot reach out to God in his heavenly realm, God reaches out to them through angels, who are his “spiritual ambassadors.” In fact, the word “angel” means “messenger.”

The other primary role of angels is to do missions for God, such as when an angel releases Peter from prison in Acts 12. It’s worth noting that God never encourages people to go looking for angels and that when people in Scripture encounter them, those people often respond with confusion or fear. “Angels are really awesome,” says the BibleProject, “but they play a supporting role in the Bible.”

For more on spiritual beings in the Bible, check out these other videos from the BibleProject:

“Angel of the Lord”

“The Divine Council”

“The Satan and Demons”

Road Trip Games: 10 Can’t-Miss Activities for Traveling With Teens

Youth Ministrycom

November 18, 2021

Your mission trip or retreat outing is planned. The forms are in. Parents feel at ease. (Actually, that never happens.) Yet you still need to get from “here” to “there.” That’s what road trip games and activities are for!

You’ll need more than the perfect music playlist for your time in a high-end bus or a if possible motorhome scamp trailer which you can easily find on sale online. Think about what you’ll be doing with teenagers to keep them occupied for hours on end.

Whether you have a long drive to the airport, multiple hours of travel after you land, or are doing the whole trip on the road (and yes, we’ll be praying for you), you don’t need to wait for significant bonding to take place. Begin right away with road trip games, and the journey will be just as fun as the destination.

10 Road Trip Games & Activities for Teenagers

1. Secret Mind-Benders

A number of games fall under this category. A game master (usually an adult) asks a question, and then others need to figure out what the answer is and why it’s acceptable. For example:

The Line: You say, “Okay, I draw a line from Mike to the bridge ahead. Is it a good line or a bad line?” or “I draw a line from Sue to our hubcap. Is it a good line or a bad line?” (It’s only ever a “good line” if you say the word “okay” first.)
The Green Glass Door: You say, “I am going through the green glass door, and I am bringing _____, but not _______. Does it get through?” (The only items that get through are words with a two of the same letters next to each other, like “noodle” but not “pasta.” You can create your own secret code to play the game again, such as words that begin with the letters of the person you’re asking the question to.)

2. Build a Text

Sometimes you need a quiet game that still keeps kids engaged. Pass around a phone and encourage each student to add three words to a single text message. Start in the back and then have it sent to the front. By the time the phone reaches the person in the passenger seat who adds the last three words, do a group vote on who that text should be randomly sent to, with no explanation. In case of a tie, you get the final vote. Obviously, keep it appropriate and be aware the cost of sending a message based on your location.

3. This Book Gets Around

Snag a bunch of this best-selling resource to get students talking with each other. The creativity alone is worth it, but so is the bonding that these intentional questions will nurture.

4. Lip Sync Battle

Yet again, the importance of your playlist factors in here. Assuming you have some clean songs everyone knows, have the person in your passenger seat be the DJ as you challenge everyone in the van to do their best lip sync (with exaggerated expressions and all). Switch up the song every 30 seconds or so. You can vote on winners each round. Then have them do a final battle in the end for a candy bar or dessert at the next stop.

5. On the Upside/Downside

Moving clockwise, one person says something that begins with “On the upside…” and the another person replies, “On the downside…” (i.e. “On the upside, my dog caught a squirrel.” and “On the downside, the dog now has rabies.” Then “On the upside, taking the dog to the doctor made the doctor famous.” And “On the downside, it was because the doctor botched up, and your dog is dead.”)

Matt Hagee Issues Apology After Video Reveals He Welcomed Controversial Event

Jesse T. Jackson

November 18, 2021

Matt Hagee, who is the lead pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, released a statement on November 18, 2021 regarding the controversial ReAwaken America Tour event that took place at his church last week.

During the event, footage revealed that a crowd in the church’s main worship space was chanting, “Let’s go Brandon,” which is coded language for an expletive directed at President Joe Biden. The event also featured Trump’s former security advisor General Michael Flynn, who called for “one religion” in America.

Cornerstone is a 22,000 member megachurch, which was founded in 1966 by Hagee’s father and popular author, John Hagee. Matt took over as lead pastor in 2018 after his father celebrated 60 years in ministry.

Since video clips of the event began circulating, many have been questioning why a church would host such an event.

On Tuesday, Cornerstone Church issued a statement on Facebook saying, “This past week, Cornerstone Church facilities were used by an outside organization. Cornerstone Church is not associated with this organization and does not endorse their views.”

Although the statement seemed to imply that the church’s leadership had nothing to do with the ReAwaken America Tour, a video later surfaced where Hagee could be seen welcoming the crowd after being introduced by host Clay Clark.

In his introduction, Clark said, “We wouldn’t be able to host this event here if we didn’t have a senior pastor that had critical thinking skills, a senior pastor who believed in the Bible, the Constitution…So ladies and gentlemen please welcome the host and lead pastor of this church — Pastor Matt Hagee.”

Hagee told the crowd, “Hello, God bless you, and thank you for choosing to join us on this wonderful occasion here at Cornerstone. I first and foremost want to honor and recognize individuals who have served our nation on this Veteran’s Day — those of you who have given us the freedoms that we enjoy — God bless you, and thank you for all that you have done.”

“I also want to tell each and everyone of you who are here how proud I am of the individual decision that you have made today. The Bible says to choose life. ‘I’ve set before you life and death — choose life.’ And by being here, you have made the conscious decision to live in your faith rather than die in your fear. And I want to tell you how proud I am of that decision. God bless you. Have a wonderful day. Welcome to Cornerstone Church.”

Christian Teacher Wins Case Against School District’s ‘Gender-Expansive’ Pronoun Policy

Jesse T. Jackson

November 18, 2021

Virginia Leesburg Elementary School teacher Tanner Cross, who was suspended for speaking out against the school district’s proposed “gender-expansive” policy, has won a settlement filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

After a May 25th board meeting, Cross was suspended for saying, “It’s against my religion” as a Christian to “affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa.” Cross was later reinstated after a judge agreed that the teacher was “speaking as a citizen, not in his official capacity” and in “a forum where public comment was invited.”

In a statement released on Monday November, 15, 2021, the ADF wrote, “The Loudoun County School Board has agreed to a permanent injunction prohibiting it from retaliating against Cross for expressing his constitutionally protected views on the board’s transgender policy.”

According to the ADF, the school’s policy requires “all faculty and students, regardless of their beliefs about biological sex and gender, to use the pronouns that students demand regardless of their biological sex.”

“I am speaking out of love for those who suffer with gender dysphoria,” Cross said at the May 25th meeting. “I love all of my students, but I will never lie to them, regardless of the consequences. I’m a teacher, but I serve God first.”

In August, the ADF was granted permission by the court to amend its previous suit to add teachers Monica Gill and Kim Wright as clients alongside Cross.

The settlement, which was agreed upon last week, requires the school board to erase the suspension from Cross’ record in exchange for him dropping the lawsuit.

The school board also agreed to pay Cross’ ADF attorney fees, which amount to $20,000.

ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer said in their released statement, “Teachers shouldn’t be forced to promote ideologies that are harmful to their students and that they believe are false, and they certainly shouldn’t be silenced from commenting at public meetings.”

“While we are very pleased that Tanner will be able to keep serving his students in light of this settlement, the concerns expressed in our ongoing lawsuit challenging the district’s policy remain,” Langhofer continued. “Public employees cannot be forced to contradict their core beliefs just to keep a job. Freedom — of speech and religious exercise — includes the freedom not to speak messages against our core beliefs. That’s why our lawsuit asks the court to protect the constitutional rights of our clients by immediately halting enforcement of this harmful school district policy.”

Regarding the settlement, Cross said, “Just today the court issued a final order permanently prohibiting Loudon County public school board from punishing me for freely expressing my views. Teachers are just like everyone else. We have ideas and views we should be free to express. And the court has vindicated those rights for me and for all teachers. I can now confidently continue teaching at Leesburg Elementary School without fear of punishment for expressing my views.”

“It is not the job of government to mandate care or mandate individual speech. In reality, they are not protecting our students. They are pushing a radical gender ideology and allowing kids to be victims of their social experiment,” Gill said in a press conference following the settlement.

Cross Uses Student’s Preferred Name

Cross told Fox News that while he will not refer to students by a gender that is different from their biological reality, he will refer to them by their preferred first name, saying, “I’ll call any student by their preferred name. I just can’t say things that are untrue, which are untrue pronouns. I can’t say anything that’s harmful or lying to a child. I’ll continue to create an environment where there’s always respect and dignity and love and care to my students.”

“This is a huge win for teachers in this community. I’m so glad to be back with my students and my students are happy that I’m there. I feel vindicated,” Cross said.

Cross hopes that his victory will give confidence to other teachers to advocate for the good of their students.

In a September ruling, the Supreme Court of Virginia upheld the ruling of a lower court, which ruled that Cross’ suspension was “unnecessary and vindictive.” This ruling makes that decision permanent.

Watch Cross’ Fox News interview below:

TN Baptist Convention: Resolution Condemning Plagiarism Is Not Targeting Litton—But Is Related

Stephanie Martin

November 18, 2021

The plagiarism controversy involving Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President Ed Litton has trickled down to state-level denominational gatherings. At this week’s annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (TBC), voters known as messengers overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning plagiarism in church preaching and teaching.

According to The Tennessean, the passage represents “the first successful state-level effort of its kind,” further stoking a “heated political battle within the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.”

Ed Litton Plagiarism Controversy Hasn’t Subsided

After Ed Litton, an Alabama pastor, edged out Mike Stone, a Georgia pastor, in a runoff election at the SBC annual meeting in June, video came to light of a January 2020 sermon by Litton. The content was very similar to an earlier sermon by J.D. Greear, the North Carolina pastor who preceded Litton as SBC president.

Litton has said he received Greear’s permission to use the material but should have given proper credit from the pulpit. Litton also indicated that he apologized to congregants and takes the matter of plagiarism “very seriously.”

But supporters of Stone, who’s active in the Conservative Baptist Network (CBN), have been using the controversy to try to oust Litton from his leadership role. In July, the CBN called for Litton’s resignation, saying, “The testimony of Southern Baptists and of the gospel is at stake.”

Resolution Doesn’t Mention Ed Litton by Name

Lane Self, chair of the TBC’s resolutions committee, says the plagiarism resolution did indeed originate from the Ed Litton incident but “is not in any way targeting any individual.”

Shawn Allred, the pastor who submitted the resolution, denies submitting it for the CBN. Speaking during Wednesday’s session, in Brentwood, he said the resolution’s goal is “to affirm the importance of the fidelity of those who handle God’s Word each week.” Congregants, he said, expect “that those who stand before them handling God’s Word have received a fresh word from the Lord through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” Allred added, “Those who choose to use the words and ideas of others and pass them off as their own without attribution undermine the spiritual work of the Holy Spirit for themselves and the congregants.”

Texas Abortion Ban Stays in Force as Justices Mull Outcome

Mark Sherman

November 18, 2021

Texas Abortion Ban — Emily Halvorson, center, of Washington, with Planned Parenthood, joins groups of abortion-rights and anti-abortion activists as they rally outside the Supreme Court, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, as arguments are set to begin about abortion by the court, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than two weeks have passed since the Supreme Court’s extraordinarily rushed arguments over Texas’ unique abortion law without any word from the justices.

They raised expectations of quick action by putting the case on a rarely used fast track. And yet, to date, the court’s silence means that women cannot get an abortion in Texas, the second-largest state, after about six weeks of pregnancy.

That’s before some women know they’re pregnant and long before high court rulings dating to 1973 that allow states to ban abortion.

There has been no signal on when the court might act and no formal timetable for reaching a decision.

The law has been in effect since Sept. 1 and the court has been unable to muster five votes to stop it, said Mary Ziegler, a legal historian at Florida State University’s law school. “While there is some sense of urgency, some justices had more of a sense of urgency than others,” Ziegler said.

Meanwhile, the justices are two weeks away from hearing arguments in another abortion case with potentially huge implications for abortion rights in the United States.

The court will take up Mississippi’s call to overrule the two major Supreme Court rulings that, starting in 1973, have guaranteed a woman’s right to an abortion. The state law at issue bans abortions after 15 weeks, well before the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.

Viability, typically around 24 weeks, has been the dividing line: Before it, states can regulate but not ban abortion.

Even before the justices decide what to do about Mississippi’s law and the fate of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Texas’ law has effectively changed the standard at least for the time being.

It bans abortion after cardiac activity is detected in the fetus, usually around six weeks, and deputizes ordinary citizens to enforce the law in place of state officials who normally would do so.

The law authorizes lawsuits against clinics, doctors and anyone who “aids or abets” an abortion that is not permitted by law.

It was designed to make federal court challenges difficult, if not impossible. Federal courts have had no trouble preventing other bans on abortion early in pregnancy from taking effect when they have relied on traditional enforcement.

Maryland Governor Offers $100K for Information on Church Killing

AP News

November 18, 2021

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan offered a $100,000 reward on Wednesday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the death of Evelyn Player, an elderly woman in a Baltimore church.

Hogan said he has directed the Maryland State Police and all state law enforcement agencies to assist the Baltimore Police Department with its investigation and to provide enhanced visibility patrols “in an all-hands-on-deck effort.”

The 69-year-old grandmother’s death inside an East Baltimore church “has shaken city residents and community leaders to the core,” Hogan, a Republican, said in a news release.

Evelyn Player, a church sexton, was found dead inside the Southern Baptist Church on Tuesday.

The governor added that the slaying follows a string of senseless violence, including a killing in a barber shop and the assault of a priest during the daytime in Little Italy last week.

“This heartbreaking violence is tearing the city apart,” Hogan said. “Enough is enough. We need immediate action.”

This article originally appeared here.

Baptist Seminary Presidents Feud Over Controversial Film Containing ‘Untruthful Attacks’

Dale Chamberlain

November 18, 2021

Adam Greenway Michael Spradlin Enemies Within the Church — Michael-David Bradford, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Adam Greenway, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS), is calling on Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (MABTS) president Michael Spradlin to withdraw support from the film “Enemies Within the Church,” the trailer of which implies that SWBTS is a Marxist institution.

MABTS is set to host a premiere of the film on Saturday, November 20, and the Conservative Baptist Network (CBN) has been promoting the premiere. While MABTS does not receive funding from the SBC, the seminary is “Southern Baptist by theology” and “holds tightly to the same beliefs” as the SBC. MABTS president Spradlin is also a founding member of the CBN steering committee, the latter of which being an SBC entity.

The film’s trailer received stern criticism from many Southern Baptists, particularly the students, alums, and faculty of SWBTS, as one shot of the trailer features footage of SWBTS’s campus while the narrator urgently warns that some Christian educational institutions have abandoned the historic Christian faith in favor of Marxist cultural ideologies. The trailer also claimed that pastors have been “brainwashed” by Marxism while featuring footage of Matt Chandler, who pastors an SBC church.

In a November 17 letter to Spradlin, a copy of which Greenway posted to Twitter, Greenway expressed “deep disappointment” that MABTS plans to host a film premiere of “Enemies Within the Church” in coordination with the Conservative Baptist Network.

“The film’s trailer contains campus footage of the institution I am privileged to lead overlaid with narrative insinuations of ‘Marxism,’ presumably intended to leave viewers with the mistaken impression that Southwestern Seminary is something other than orthodox, Baptist, and evangelical,” Greenway wrote. “I take strong umbrage to such scandalous and scurrilous slander, particularly, when it is apparently condoned by an institution such as yours.”

Greenway then drew Spradlin’s attention to previous MABTS publications as support for his argument that Spradlin and MABTS should withdraw support from the film and cancel the premiere.

Quoting Former MABTS Academic Vice President Howard Bickers, Greenway wrote, “‘The leaders of the Seminary believe that the institution best fulfills its purpose, when a Christlike spirit and a stance of positive support are engendered. Consequently, the energies of the Seminary are focused upon the training of students rather than upon participation in divisive issues within the Convention.’”

Greenway then called Spradlin to act upon these principles, since both SWBTS and MABTS “confess congruent convictions concerning biblical authority, inerrancy, and sufficiency.”

“I prayerfully ask you to reconsider the decision to show this film and to withdraw support from those working to divide our Convention by engaging in untruthful attacks against SBC entities like Southwestern Seminary,” Greenway concluded.

New Revised Standard Version Bible Updated With Consideration for ‘Modern Sensibilities’

Adelle M Banks

November 18, 2021

(RNS) — An updated edition of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible includes thousands of changes in language, reflecting the research of a wide range of scholars who spent four years reviewing its contents as well as taking into consideration “modern sensibilities.”

A verse in the New Testament Book of Galatians that previously referred to the sons of Abraham as “one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman” will instead read “one by an enslaved woman and the other by a free woman.”

The second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew will tell of “magi” rather than “wise men” coming to Jerusalem after Jesus’ birth.

A reference to “sin offering” in the Hebrew Bible’s Book of Leviticus has been updated to the more precise “purification offering.”

The New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition Bible is the result of a commission of the Society of Biblical Literature by the National Council of Churches, which includes dozens of denominations representing 30 million church members. Representatives of both organizations joined in a presentation Tuesday (Nov. 16), as NCC subsidiary Friendship Press released to publishers the newest rendition of the translation, which was first published as the New Revised Standard Version in 1989.

“It is both ecumenical and interfaith, suitable in Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and Jewish contexts,” John Kutsko, SBL’s executive director, told the dozens attending the event via Zoom. “In a period of social and political divisiveness, it’s a virtue to be celebrated.”

A 36-page sampler details relatively few of the some 12,000 substantive changes — out of a total of more than 20,000 revisions — made for the new edition, which scholars made clear was not a new translation. Some of the updated wording is based on what Kutsko called “new compelling textual evidence,” including findings in the Dead Sea Scrolls that were located in the Qumran region of the West Bank.

For example, more than 25 words are added to a reference to David in 1 Kings, which now reads, “‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any of the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, nor did I choose anyone to be a ruler over my people Israel. But I have chosen Jerusalem in order that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’”

Other changes reflect a decision to avoid identifying people based on their disabilities.

A verse in Matthew that previously referred to “demoniacs, epileptics and paralytics,” now reads “people possessed by demons or having epilepsy or afflicted with paralysis.”

Shively T.J. Smith, a New Testament assistant professor at Boston University School of Theology who edited 1-3 John for the project, said she appreciated the range of voices that were heard and considered as the updated edition took shape.

“The NRSVue is an updated English translation that listened broadly and closely to a variety of faith-based constituencies, reading the Bible in our current times,” said Smith, who worked with focus groups and discussed the updated edition with African Methodist Episcopal Church bishops and students in her classroom.

Taking a PAUSE to Pursue Peace

Josh Weidmann

November 18, 2021

I was telling a friend that this has been the most challenging season to pastor people through—not because of masks and mandates—but because people are seemingly in disagreements all the time. I am on the front row of people’s lives, watching small groups, families, and friends be divided, unlike any time in my previous fifteen years of pastoral ministry.

When it comes to describing the current state of our world, peaceful is not the word most people would use to characterize culture. The word peace evokes images of a calm and serene environment, free from conflict or strife. Yet when we begin to think about it from a biblical perspective, we realize that God calls us to a kind of peace that doesn’t mean living in the absence of conflict. Instead, He gives us a roadmap for navigating the struggles and disagreements that come when sinful people engage with one another, inevitably leading to broken relationships.

Peace, you see, comes from the originator of perfect harmony, God Himself. But when sin entered the picture, our peace or shalom, was lost and we engaged in a battle we could never win—a conflict with our Creator. Romans 5:10 tells us, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” It was our own sinful, rebellious nature that led to us waging war against God. God knew this would happen, and because of that, He had a plan to reconcile us, to bring peace once again between Himself and His creation, and that was through the perfect life, death, and resurrection of His one Son, Jesus Christ. It is through the gospel of Jesus Christ that we are no longer an enemy of God. We are considered a child of the most trusted Father, and this love gives us a template for navigating even the worst of conflicts.

This sinful nature that once led to our battle against God can also lead us to fight amongst ourselves, robbing us of peace in our earthly relationships. James, the brother of Jesus, once wrote about what he saw the issue to be when it came to disagreements amongst the people of God. He said, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.” (James 4:1-2) Our unchecked desires and jealousy can create disunity with brothers and sisters in Christ, which can steal our peace faster than anything else.

Getting Back Our Peace

The question becomes then: how do we get our peace back? There is no quick answer to peacemaking but working to diligently gain it back where we do not have it and working equally as hard to keep it where it already exists is one of the essential steps in the process.

The author of Romans says it this way, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18, emphasis mine) This passage tells us that peace has something to do with us. There is some dependence on you. While God is undoubtedly the source of our peace and the Holy Spirit strengthens us to reconcile with those who have hurt us, there is still some responsibility, some action, some steps of obedience that depend upon us when it comes to making peace. While God never asks us to compromise truth or right living to live at peace with others or to force peace on those who refuse it in a relationship, He does ask us to examine ourselves and make sure we’ve done all we could to create it.

A Right Way and a Wrong Way To Pursue Peace

But when it comes to working towards peace, there is undeniably a right and wrong way to go about it. There are usually two ends of a spectrum that we can tend towards if we are not careful in making peace: fight or flee. We can try and verbally or physically attack when conflict arises. Still, Proverbs reminds us of how this approach can leave an even greater wake of destruction in our path: “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good (Proverbs 16:28-29).” Lies, gossip, and violence keep us from drawing near to one another and threaten any chance of reconciliation. On the other extreme, we can choose to deny or avoid any issues altogether, preferring to escape the hard conversations and refusing to engage in the steps necessary to bring peace back into a relationship. This approach allows for new sin to grow and emerge as we evade efforts of peacemaking. One of those potential sins can be bitterness which can color our perspective and influence the view of others as well. Hebrews 12:15 says this, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” When we refuse peace, we allow the roots of bitterness and the like to entangle us and those around us in more sin.

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1. Take Care of Your Wife by Leading Her in Worship.

2. Take Care of Your Wife by Carrying Her Burdens.

3. Take Care of Your Wife by Providing for Her.

4. Take Care of Your Wife by Serving Her in the Home.

5. Take Care of Your Wife by Praising Her in Public.

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Thanking.

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