How To Avoid Being Sexually Immoral: 7 Lessons We Must Learn

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November 29, 2021

Some time ago, a good friend of mine fell into immorality and disqualified himself from ministry due to an inappropriate relationship with a woman in his church. I want to try to redeem this tragedy by offering the following seven thoughts in an effort to spare us, our families and our churches from a similar fate. There’s hope: we can learn how to avoid being sexually immoral.

How to Avoid Being Sexually Immoral

1. Don’t say it can’t happen to you.

While most of us readily nod our heads in agreement, in our hearts we can still live in functional unbelief of this fact. We need to constantly remind ourselves of Paul’s warning to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 10:12:

Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

That means sexual immorality can and could happen to us, and we must be vigilant in this area and all others. The world is broken, our enemy is against us and our flesh is weak. We must focus on how to avoid being sexually immoral.

2. Repent of your pride and self-righteousness in this area.

The Bible clearly teaches:

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov. 16:18).

Every pastor I’ve ever known who has fallen into sexual sin was one who at one point believed he never would. So often, it is our pride that allows us to “push the envelope” and think we are the exception to the rule. It is also pride that can keep us from getting the help we need so we could have avoided this particular fall in the first place.

Most affairs don’t begin on a whim. The seeds are sown in the soil of an unhappy or tumultuous marriage. Brothers, if there are currently problems in your marriage, here is a vital step in how to avoid being sexually immoral – please reach out to someone and deal with them now so you don’t become a statistic later.

3. Put all the needed safeguards against immorality in place—and keep them there.

The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives (Prov. 16:17).

All of us know this is true, but are we living as if it is true?

Why a Lot of Professing Christians Never Attend Church

By

Joe McKeever

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November 27, 2021

“Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together”—unless, of course, the Lord reveals to you that you are the church, as one lady said to me. Or, that you are smarter than the preacher, the deacons are trying to run the church, or no one in the congregation will speak to you. Hebrews 10:25, sort of. All these could be reasons why someone would quit going to church.

When you don’t want to do something, you shouldn’t have to have an excuse.

If you do not want to go to church, for instance, if you can skip church for a whole year and never miss it, you should “man up” and admit, “I’m not a Christian and don’t believe all that Bible stuff. Church is for people who take the Lord seriously. Not me. So, I don’t go.”

Hmm. That felt ‘mean,’ didn’t it? But it’s dead on accurate.

Please read on.

By “go to church,” we don’t necessarily mean a building with a steeple on it. It could be a group of God’s people gathered in a living room to sing and pray and study the Word. Or, 50 people in a storefront. The point is not the location or the structure but God’s people meeting on a regular basis for the work and worship of the Lord.

Why Would People Quit Going to Church?

The redeemed of the Lord will be drawn to one another. They love each other. Jesus said so. They will not never go to church.

I heard of a pastor somewhere who collected excuses on “why people who call themselves Christians don’t go to church.” He did not make these up…

1. A lady in the hills of North Georgia said, “In the winter it’s too cold, and in the summer I’m afraid of rattlesnakes.”

2. A farmer said, “One of my cows gets out of the pasture every Sunday. Keeps me home all four Sundays every month.” When asked about the fifth Sunday, he said, “They all get out on the fifth Sunday!”

3. A lady told her pastor, “I’m a shut-in and I’m offended you haven’t been to visit me.” He kept trying, but she was never home.

4. “We’re not settled in yet.” Oh, I’m sorry. How long have you lived here? “Only 7 years.”

Hell and Brimstone: Don’t Overlook This Hot Topic in Your Ministry

By

Greg Stier

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November 26, 2021

I’ll never forget when a teenager asked me two tough questions after a Dare 2 Share conference. The first: “Do you mean my friends who don’t know Jesus will die and spend an eternity in hell and brimstone forever?”

She had approached me after a drama that dealt head on with the subject of hell. Afterward, I challenged kids with the urgency of sharing the Gospel with friends. When the crowd started leaving, this very somber girl asked me her heartfelt question.

During the next few minutes, I shared with her a few Bible verses. One passage was 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, where Paul writes bluntly on the subject.

“…when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.“

The girl was stunned by the biblical rawness of the theology of hell. But her second question was even more stunning. “Why has my youth leader never told me about hell?” With tears in her eyes, she said she’d never heard about the theology of hell and the urgency and responsibility of rescuing friends from this coming judgment.

I couldn’t answer. I had no idea why her leader never talked about the urgent subject of saving others from hell and brimstone for eternity.

Why Do Youth Leaders Avoid Teaching About Hell and Brimstone?

Maybe her leader didn’t want people to accuse him or her of using scare tactics. But is it scare tactics to yell “STOP!” at a child running toward a busy intersection? Is it scare tactics to warn a generation headed toward hell and brimstone to “STOP!” before it’s too late?

Maybe this youth leader had a weak theology of hell. Perhaps he or she didn’t really believe that people who die without Jesus spend a Christ-less eternity in the Lake of Fire (see Revelation 20:11-15 and many other passages).

Maybe this youth leader didn’t want to cram too much “hell and brimstone” preaching down teenagers’ throats. But by and large, Generation Z hasn’t heard the theology of hell.

Trusting God When You’re Trapped in Uncertainty

By

Daniel Henderson

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November 26, 2021

I used to say that we live in uncertain times. While I still believe this is true, I am starting to conclude that we all live uncertain lives. While God’s truth and our eternal destiny in Christ are certain, many other factors in our lives are a bit unpredictable and unclear at times. It is the nature of the journey.

Trusting God When You’re Trapped in Uncertainty

I suppose today as you read this you face some measure of uncertainty. You may face major questions about your health, your job, your finances, your children, your grandchildren, your church or someone in your circle of friends. Clearly, we cannot avoid uncertainty in this life, but we can respond to it in a Christ-honoring and soul-profiting fashion.

The Search for Clarity

Recently I read a profound interchange documented in a book by the renowned ethicist John Kavanaugh. He tells of a time in his life when he went to Calcutta to work for three months at “The House of the Dying.” This experience was part of his heartfelt search for direction about his future. The first morning there, he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him.

“What do you want me to pray for?” she asked. He responded by explaining that he had come thousands of miles from the U.S. to find direction: “Pray that I have clarity.”

She said firmly, “No, I will not do that.” When asked why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for. She laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

Being a Christian Does Not Make You Immune to Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicide

By

Jay Lowder

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November 26, 2021

Being a Christian does not make you immune to depression, hopelessness, and suicide. At 21 years of age, I was so depressed and desperate for a way out that I found myself crouched on the couch, my white-knuckled hand holding a gun to my head. By God’s grace, my roommate happened to come early from work that day, and I put down my weapon when I heard his car pull up. Several weeks would go by before I finally talked to my roommate about my depression, and what his early arrival that day circumvented.

Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicide Are Not an Uncommon Story

Friends, my story is not an uncommon one. But when I relay these events to my Christian friends, they often react as if it is. As I share about how mentally unstable I was during that time of life, they reason that I must have not known the Lord, and they rejoice that I do now.

I, too, rejoice that I have God in my life; without Him, I literally wouldn’t be here. However, even after I met Christ, there was a season when I drifted far away from God where I was again plagued with thoughts of suicide. Even though I did not make another attempt, I did battle with thoughts of escapism and self-violence. Although it is unthinkable to many Christians, being a disciple of Jesus does not make you immune from depression, hopelessness and yes, even suicide.

In today’s world, the church has normalized most “struggles” humans go through. If someone has a porn or lust addiction, we are quick to extend our compassionate prayers, help them get connected in a support group and offer computer software that will block seducing images. For those who are ready to quit their marriage or walk on out a family, there are workshops and counseling services. Temptation, gluttony, debt, gossiping, pride — the “acceptable” list of problems the Church is willing to address goes on and on. Personal issues like these are met with a warm and extended hand; they are the types of downfalls people feel comfortable going to the pastor, support group or even the altar for.

A Christmas Skit for Any Size Church

By

Karl Vaters

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November 26, 2021

christmas skit — Shutterstock: Stock Photo ID: 222951379

Christmas is a time for traditions. But not all traditions work for all churches. The church I pastor seldom does Christmas plays. And when we do, they’re anything but traditional. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But we live within driving distance of Disneyland, Hollywood, major music venues and massive megachurches. I can literally hear the fireworks from some of the world’s biggest, most famous, multi-million-dollar Christmas spectacles from my backyard. Teenagers in bathrobes singing “Silent Night” can’t compete with that. So we don’t try. Instead, we stick with simple get-togethers. And sometimes we’ll come up with an idea no one else has tried and give it a shot. The most successful Christmas skit we’ve ever done is one I wrote a few years ago.

If there’s one thing I know about small churches, it’s that a lot of what we do happens in that last-minute scramble. If your church is looking for an off-beat way to re-tell the Christmas story, here’s an idea for a Christmas skit. It’ll help people see the birth of Jesus as told in the Gospels in a way they’ve never seen it before—while honoring the biblical narrative.

The premise of the Christmas skit is that there’s an entire epic’s worth of wonder, joy and excitement packed into the very few verses that make up the biblical Christmas story. All you need is two actors willing to go a little over-the-top and two non-speaking volunteers. The only props are a laptop (or a notepad) and a phone. The only staging needed is a desk and two chairs.

Here’s the entire script of Christmas skit. It lasts about 20-25 minutes.

It’s also available to print as a PDF version.

See page 2 for the beginning of the Christmas skit.

How to Stop Being Crazy – 4 Steps

By

Michael Warden

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November 26, 2021

We’ve probably all heard the saying: Insanity is repeating the same behavior over and over again expecting a different result. Brilliant. Love it. It’s sooo true. Unfortunately, simply hearing that saying hasn’t stopped me from continuing to live that way sometimes. We need help in how to stop being crazy.

I saw it in some of the ways I lived this past year. I would take up some practice—whether it was a specific workout routine, a business growth strategy or a new nutrition plan—and if it didn’t produce the results I wanted, rather than pause and examine why, I would often just do it again, only harder. Then when it failed a second time, I would do it again even harder (or maybe just angrier . . . sometimes I confuse doing something angrily with giving it my all).

The end result? I exhausted myself by year’s end. I felt like I really worked hard last year (because I did), but I failed to achieve the goal.

Why? Because I’m a little bit insane. (I say “a little bit” to make myself feel better.) I can get caught up in my own personal crazy-train loop, doing the same thing over and over, expecting it to produce a different result every time.

Can you relate? For example, maybe you:

keep giving your spouse the silent treatment every time he or she hurts your feelings, and wonder why your relationship never improves.
consistently fail to hold your team members accountable, and wonder why you’re not reaching your goals.
do the same dull workout routine week after week, and wonder why you’re not getting any results.
overpack your time every single week, and wonder why you can never seem to get on top of your schedule.

Maybe it’s not any of those. Maybe you’ve got it all together. But I’m guessing you don’t. I’m betting you’re probably a little bit insane too. (No offense.)

I want it to be different. I want learn how to stop being crazy, and turn up the authentic butt-kicking. To do this, I’m incorporating a new tool. I thought I’d share it with you. It’s deceptively simple, but don’t let that throw you. A lot of people fail to employ this simple practice in their lives. Because they’re insane, like me.

It’s called the Learning Loop, and it’s really just a simple 4-step process for improving your performance in any practice or endeavor you go after—from working out, to leading better, to improving communication with your spouse. It’s how to stop being crazy. Here goes:

How to Stop Being Crazy

Step 1: OBSERVE

At regular intervals, press “pause” and simply notice what is happening with respect to the behavior or practice. Are you doing it? If so, what’s helping you do it? If not, what’s stopping you? What’s the effect? What results, if any, are you noticing?

Step 2: EVALUATE

What’s the lesson or insight you can draw from what you’re observing? What’s needed now (or the next time you do “X”)? How might you adjust your strategy or approach to improve your results? What other ideas do you have about it?

Step 3: DECIDE

Based on your evaluation, what will you do? Decide on a clear course of action. Don’t leave it ambiguous. If you have multiple options and aren’t sure which one to do, just choose one and try it.

Step 4: ACT

Follow through on the decision. Act! Then repeat the Learning Loop.

Observe. Evaluate. Decide. Act. A simple process to stop the crazy.

This year as you charge after those New Year’s Resolutions and/or goals and/or themes and/or whatever works for you, I strongly urge you (and myself) to incorporate the Learning Loop as well.

The alternative is insane.

The Digital Bible Revolution – YouVersion Reaches 500 Million Devices

By

Russ McGuire

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November 25, 2021

About two weeks ago Life.Church’s YouVersion ministry marked the download and install of its Bible App on the 500 millionth unique device.

While pastor Craig Groeschel started the church modestly in 1996 in a two-car garage in Oklahoma City, that small congregation has grown into one of the largest multi-campus churches in America and serves hundreds of millions through it’s digital outreach. Life. Church’s mission is “to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.”

The church’s website says that their mission is “the driving force behind everything we do.” Over the past 25 years, probably no church has more extensively leveraged digital technology to increase the reach and richness of its ministries, all driven by that mission. Call it the digital Bible revolution.

The Digital Bible Revolution

Wave 1: The PC Revolution

By the time Groeschel planted Life Covenant Church, the PC revolution was already well established in mid-america. The pastor leveraged PC technology to create a welcoming environment for the unchurched, and to reach out to his neighbors with attractive marketing materials.

The church quickly outgrew that two car garage, and in 2001 merged with MetroChurch in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma. The two churches combined into LifeChurch and continued to offer services at both of their locations, with Groeschel and other ministry leaders driving between the two campuses.

In 2003, LifeChurch started adding campuses beyond easy driving distance and leveraged other existing technologies, include video tapes and satellite communications, so that Groeschel could preach to the entire church body.

Wave 2: The Internet Revolution

Bobby Gruenewald, a two-time web entrepreneur had joined the LifeChurch staff in 2001. He began exploring ways to leverage technology to help people build online relationships with Christ at the center.

Over the next few years, the church began aggressively leveraging Internet technologies. Not only was broadband used to effectively stream video to new campuses, but in April 2006 the church’s Internet Campus opened (now known as Life.Church Online), streaming weekly services around the world. That same year, they launched MySecret.tv, a website where people could confess their secret sins as an act of repentance. The following year, LifeChurch experimented with offering an Easter service within the Second Life virtual world.

As the church grew and began to see their mission playing out beyond their campuses, they realized that their mission was truly about doing anything to help people become fully devoted followers of Christ, whether or not those people ever identified with Life.Church. The church saw an opportunity to help other churches by using the Web to freely share content, resources, and lessons learned. Originally called Church to Church, this has become the Life.Church Open Network.

In 2015, when the Internet domain service opened up to new top-level domain names, the church renamed to Life.Church and took the matching web address.

Wave 3: Mobile/Social Revolution

In 2007 Gruenewald began building a website to make the Bible available online. There was very little engagement until the team optimized the site for mobile devices. Since we always have our devices with us, users naturally began to read and engage in the Bible more often and more deeply.

When Apple announced that the iPhone would support installed apps beginning in July 2008, the LifeChurch team focused on converting their web app into a mobile app. The YouVersion Bible App was one of the first 200 apps in the App Store. In the first three days, 83,000 people installed the app on their iPhones. Since then, the app has grown in both features and content. Users can highlight verses and take notes that they can either keep private or share with others. The app also includes reading plans and devotionals to help users engage with God’s Word, and it is the Word that remains at the center of the Bible App. It currently offers 2,609 versions of Bible text in 1,769 languages.

“Throughout the last several years, we have continually seen God do more than we could imagine through YouVersion. As the app has grown exponentially to reach people in every country of the world and change millions of lives, our faith has also grown to see new possibilities,” said Gruenewald. “We believe this is just the beginning for YouVersion. We have a fresh vision for where the Bible App is headed, and we’re excited to roll out new features in 2022 to better serve pastors and church leaders.”

Having been installed on more than half a billion devices, the Bible App is the most dramatic example of how Life.Church has leveraged digital technologies to increase the reach and richness of their ministry in support of their mission, but the church continues to innovate.

Wave 4: Connected Intelligence Revolution

Gruenewald’s team at Life.Church has continued to develop tools to improve the church’s ability to achieve its mission. Not surprisingly, those developments are leveraging the data-centric capabilities of the Connected Intelligence Revolution, and equally unsurprisingly, Life.Church makes these tools freely available to other churches.

The Church Online Platform was first released in 2011 as a free tool to allow churches to easily take their church services online. The platform has continued to mature with tools for engaging with virtual attendees, integration with leading streaming services, online giving, and powerful analytics.

Church Metrics is another platform tool that helps churches perform detailed analysis of church health and for helping make better decisions about how to serve their community. External data (like weather) is also integrated with church data to help make sense of historical trends and to, for example, help predict this weekend’s attendance.

I imagine Life.Church will continue to look for ways to use digital technologies to achieve their mission.

Five years ago I interviewed Gruenewald when Bible App downloads had reached 200 million, which was amazing — that number represented 60% of the U.S. population. Now, we can no longer use our national population as the measuring stick for the digital Bible revolution. Life.Church is clearly thinking and acting on a global scale. I look forward to seeing how God will use Life.Church’s digital ministry over the next five years and beyond!

This article on the digital Bible revolution originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

‘The Voice’ Contestant Uses Worship Anthem to Proclaim God’s Love

By

Stephanie Martin

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November 24, 2021

Thanks to a performance by contestant Jeremy Rosado, viewers of “The Voice” this week heard about the “Reckless Love” of God. The song by Bethel Music’s Cory Asbury proclaims the “overwhelming, never-ending” love of God, who “leaves the 99” to find the lost one.

On Monday, Rosado’s rendition of “Reckless Love” earned him a standing ovation from the studio audience and his celebrity coach, Kelly Clarkson.

Who Is Jeremy Rosado?

Rosado, 29, isn’t new to TV singing competitions. Ten years ago, he placed 13^th in season 11 of “American Idol,” where celebrity judge Jennifer Lopez nicknamed him “Jer-Bear.” Exposure from that show helped launch Rosado’s career as a Christian artist and a church worship leader.

In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Rosado describes growing up in a large Puerto Rican family in Queens, New York, where he and his siblings performed “shows” for relatives. After moving to Florida, Rosado sang in his high school’s gospel choir and participated in every talent show he could find.

He also helped his mom raise his niece and eventually became the girl’s legal guardian. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he says of Jocelyn, now a college freshman. “I definitely had to push the music aside because I had to provide for my daughter, to be a single dad. [But now] I’m able to actually take a chance [with music] because it’s her turn to spread her wings.”

Jeremy Rosado Gives Glory to God

Of his run on “American Idol,” Rosado admits he “had a lot of immaturity vocally back then,” at age 19. But the publicity led to lots of offers and opportunities, including going on concert tours, making three albums, and serving as worship leader at Free Life Chapel in Lakeland, Florida, from 2015 to 2018. And all that experience helped mold Rosado into “a totally different singer” from his “Idol” days, he says.

On “The Voice,” Rosado says his hook is being “this big emotional guy who sings the big emotional songs.” To his coach, he pitches songs—including worship music—that “kind of play to my story, or that I feel so deeply.”

Rosado has cited Francesca Battistelli, Kirk Franklin, and Israel Houghton as his musical influences. The singer’s three albums are available on Spotify and Apple Music.

When his latest TV gig is over, Rosado says he plans to release a new album. He also has a “game plan in my head” for next steps, including what he hopes will be a major record deal. Another goal involves working in Christian broadcasting, “even locally” at Florida radio stations.

Following Monday’s performance of “Reckless Love,” Rosado took to social media to glorify God and thank his supporters. “Last night wasn’t about me, it was about HIM,” he posted on Instagram. “I’m not sure how America received this performance, it’s seems mixed between people online but what I do know for sure is that, the millions of lives that were impacted and told about the love of Jesus is worth it! Thank you family for sticking with me and for voting last night, praying for the best! I love you.”

CBN Calls Out SBC Seminary Professor for Promoting Gay Son’s Sermon

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 24, 2021

CBN — Photo from Instagram: @jonathan_merritt

The Conservative Baptist Network (CBN) released a statement Wednesday night (Nov. 23) blasting Dr. James Merritt’s endorsement of his son’s recent sermon. Jonathan Merritt identifies as a homosexual. Merritt is a Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) pastor and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) visiting professor.

Merritt, who is also lead pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Georgia, and former SBC President (2000-2002), shared a message with a link on his Twitter account earlier this week (Nov. 22) saying, “Good Shepherd New York • 11.21.21 https://youtu.be/JtZla6bnxn8 via @YouTube I don’t agree with my loved son @JonathanMerritt on everything to be sure. But I encourage you to listen to his message on Mark 13. It is both brilliant and faithful to the gospel and the coming of Jesus!”

CBN wrote on its Twitter page, “Promoting homosexual preachers is not loving, biblical, or Baptist,” then provided a link to the full statement.

Who Is Jonathan Merritt?

Jonathan is an award-winning contributor for The Atlantic, author, speaker, and holds a Master of Divinity from SEBTS. On his birthday this year (Aug. 4), Jonathan described himself on his Instagram page as, “a gay man, beloved by God, who has endured the worst the world could throw at him and fought his way to health and wholeness.”

His post recalled a day in 2012 when someone publicly outed his sexual orientation, calling it “painful” and a “betray[al].” Jonathan shared that the trauma resulted in a “boatload of therapy” just to be able to “love the delightful human that God made when God made me.”

According to his post, this is the first time he’s written about his “identity” online because of trauma that left him “bruised and untrusting.” He added that he is “dead dog afraid” to be vulnerable to the public.

Jonathan wrote: “This disconnect between my private and public life has felt unnecessary and unsustainable. I don’t want to live fearful of the opinions of strangers or the venom of bigots.” Wanting to enter the second half of his life with more “authenticity, alignment, and integrity than I exhibited in the first half,” Jonathan said he wants to make clear he’s a gay man who’s beloved by God.

UPDATE: NY Pastor Resigns After Suggesting Men Are Free to Rape Their Wives in His Sermon

By

Dale Chamberlain

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November 24, 2021

UPDATED Nov. 24, 2021: Dr. Burnett Robinson, who suggested in a sermon that husbands are permitted to rape their wives, has resigned, according to a statement sent to ChurchLeaders from the Greater New York Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The statement reads:

Pastor Burnett Robinson has resigned as the Senior Pastor of the Grand Concourse Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists recognizes many have been deeply harmed by the sentiments expressed by Robinson. The views he expressed are wrong and not accepted by our church. Rape and sexual assault of women are crimes and should always be treated as such. We will continue to educate and counsel all pastors, seminary students, and staff to fully understand that this type of rhetoric is abhorrent and unequivocally unacceptable. We will continue to pray for and seek to become stronger advocates on behalf of survivors and those still living with violence and abuse. The Seventh-day Adventist Church condemns any language or behavior that perpetrates or encourages any type of violence against women. We humbly apologize and ask for forgiveness.

Moreover, Religion News Service reports that the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has also issued a statement, saying, “We wholeheartedly condemn any form of behavior or rhetoric that perpetrates any type of violence against women — or any person. This is not what the Seventh-day Adventist Church believes.”

ChurchLeaders original article written on Nov. 23, 2021, below:

A change.org petition is calling for Dr. Burnett Robinson to resign as senior pastor from Grand Concourse Seventh Day Adventist Church in the Bronx, New York after a video of his sermon about wives submitting to their husbands began circulating. In the sermon, Robinson suggests that it is permissible for husbands to rape their wives.

The church has deleted the sermon video from their YouTube channel, but YouTube user Sarah McDugal captured Robinson’s words and uploaded them herself. In this one minute and 22 second clip from Robinson’s sermon, Robinson can be heard quoting Ephesians 5:22 and then explaining his interpretation of the text.

“‘Wives, you must submit yourself to your husband as unto the Lord,’” Robinson quoted from Ephesians. “And in this matter of submission, I want you to know upfront, ladies, that once you get married, you are no longer your own. You are your husband’s.”

After this remark, Robinson paused a few moments for effect. As Robinson continued to pause, the congregation began laughing. Amid the somewhat nervous chuckles, Robinson said, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Robinson then went on to illustrate what he meant by expressing his confusion at something he watched on television earlier that week.

“And besides that, because I saw in court the other day on TV where a lady sued her husband for rape,” Robinson said. “And I would say to you, gentlemen, the best person to rape is your wife.”

Wife Accused of Having ‘Trust Issues’ After Posting Viral TikTok Video With ‘Christian Marriage’ Rules

By

Jessica Mouser

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November 24, 2021

A video from a woman on TikTok explaining her and her husband’s rules for “Christian marriage” has gone viral, with some users particularly taking issue with a rule that a husband and wife should individually have no friends of the opposite sex.

“You want to go out of your way and be alone with men?” asked Bailey, whose handle is @bmcpher, in a follow-up video addressing the controversy. “Or you need to go out of your way behind your wife’s back and be alone with women? That’s a red flag. But ya’ll keep saying I’m insecure. That’s fine.”

Christian Marriage Advice From Bailey

Bailey posted two videos with rules she and her husband follow in their marriage. The first video has gotten 2.5 million plays as of this writing. She included the hashtag #christianmarriage and began the video with text saying, “Rules my Husband and I have for our marriage that make people ANGRY.” Those rules are:

-No friends of the opposite sex
-No work [girlfriends]/ [boyfriends] or being alone with the opposite sex
-No texting the opposite sex without the other knowing

Rules from the second video include:

-No lusting after others (no following scandalous pages)
-Always put each other first (even over parents)

Comments have been turned off for both of the videos, but prior to that, responses reportedly ranged from people who agree with Bailey to people who believe her rules show that her marriage is characterized by distrust, insecurity, and a desire to control the other person.

In her follow-up video about boundaries in Christian marriage, Bailey responded to user @lindseymethner, who had asked, “So you and your husband lose out on potential great friendships because of trust issues?”

At the beginning of her response, Bailey appeared to imply that she was not generalizing this rule for all couples. “It’s not a lack of trust thing so much as it’s just a boundary of respect that we both feel is right for us,” she said.

Greg Laurie on the Likelihood of Another Jesus Movement and Why Pastors Need to Evangelize

By

Jessica Mouser

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November 24, 2021

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Greg Laurie on the Likelihood of Another Jesus Movement and Why Pastors Need to Evangelize

Greg Laurie is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, one of the largest churches in the country, as well as the founder of Harvest Crusades, which nearly 10 million people have attended. He is also the founder of Harvest America, one of the largest gospel presentations in American history. Greg is the author of over 70 books, including “Jesus Revolution: How God Transformed an Unlikely Generation and How He Can Do It Again Today.”

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Greg Laurie

► Listen on Apple
► Listen on Spotify
► Listen on Stitcher
► Listen on YouTube

Key Questions for Greg Laurie

-Tell us a little about your journey. How you did you come to know Jesus?

-For people who might not know what the Jesus Movement is, help us understand what it was and how it impacted the church.

-You’ve been in ministry now for 50 years, so you’ve seen many cultural shifts. Were there any reasons why the Jesus Movement happened when it did?

-How do you help regular, everyday people be evangelistic?

Key Quotes From Greg Laurie

“I knew I was going down the wrong path, but I didn’t know what the right path was. I knew nothing of the Christian faith. All I knew of Jesus was a picture of him hanging on my grandmother’s wall when I lived with her for a period of time.”

“I transferred to Harbor [High School] with the sole purpose of becoming a full-blown, legitimate hippie drug user. I wanted to change who I was. I wanted to become a different person. And that’s exactly what happened, but not in the way I expected.”

“We need to pray God will do it again. And the next expression of a spiritual awakening probably will be different than the Jesus Movement. But you know, it was a sovereign work of God that simply took place.”

James Choung: How to Avoid Major Pitfalls When Pursuing True Revival

“I went to this guy’s house to use drugs every single day and we walked by Chuck Smith’s house. We didn’t even know it was Chuck Smith’s house. And Kay [Smith] later told me, ‘We saw these kids walk by our house and we would pray for them every day that the Lord would save some of them.’ And I was one of those kids. So Kay was really the one who prompted Chuck to start thinking about reaching out to these hippies.”

Pope Francis After US Christmas Parade Crash: May Good Overcome Evil

By

AP News

-

November 24, 2021

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis sent his condolences Tuesday to the victims of the Christmas parade crash in Wisconsin that killed five people and said he was praying for “spiritual strength which triumphs over violence and overcomes evil with good.”

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, sent the telegram of condolences on behalf of Francis to the archbishop of Milwaukee, Monsignor Jerome Listecki.

Francis asked that those affected by the “tragic incident” know he is spiritually close to them, and called on “the Lord to bestow upon everyone the spiritual strength which triumphs over violence and overcomes evil with good.”

Police say Darrell Brooks Jr., 39, was behind the wheel of the SUV that sped through the parade route Sunday in the city of Waukesha, killing five people and injuring 48 others in that Milwaukee suburb. Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said Brooks was leaving the scene of a domestic dispute that had taken place just minutes earlier.

One of the pending legal cases against Brooks at the time was that he had deliberately hit a woman with his car in early November after a fight.

This article originally appeared here.

Target Makes Liberty Counsel’s ‘Naughty’ List for Censoring Christmas

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 24, 2021

Liberty Counsel Target — Source: Mike Mozart from Funny YouTube, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Liberty Counsel has released its annual “Naughty and Nice Retail List,” placing Target, TJ Maxx, and Barnes & Noble on the list of businesses that “silence and censor” Christmas.

The non-profit ministry, which specializes in “providing assistance and representation involving religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family,” started noticing businesses censoring the word “Christmas” back in 2003, as companies began using words like “holiday” and “season” instead of “Christmas.”

Due to the rising anti-Christmas attitudes businesses were adopting, the Liberty Counsel launched their annual “Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign” to combat the ever-growing censorship of the true meaning of the holiday season: Jesus.

Every year, the campaign releases a list of retailers who celebrate Christmas and a list of those who censor it. The list’s goal is to encourage Christians to support businesses that aren’t ashamed to promote the name of Christ by not censoring Christmas. “If retailers choose to profit from Christmas while pretending it does not exist, we encourage you to politely explain why and then patronize their competitors,” Liberty Counsel’s website reads.

Apart from the perennial honoree Hobby Lobby Stores making the “nice” list, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath & Body Works, Bealls Department Store, Belk, Best Buy, Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, Christmasplace.com, Dillard’s, Hallmark, The Home Depot, JCPenny, Kirkland’s, Kmart, Kohl’s, Lehman’s Hardware, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Menards, Nordstrom, Old Time Pottery, Sears, Staples, and Walmart all landed on the “nice” list.

The companies placed on the “naughty” list were Academy Sports + Outdoors, Barnes & Noble, Burlington Coat Factory, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gap, Inc., J. Crew Outfitters, The Limited, The Loft, Lord and Taylor, Right Aid Pharmacy, Target, TJ Maxx, and Walgreens.

One of America’s largest and most famous retailers, Target, made the “naughty” list, because the Liberty Counsel claims they don’t make Christmas the main focus on their website or within their stores. According to the list, Target’s marketing includes language like, “pack your season full of merry,” “seasonal ugly sweaters,” and “secret gifting room,” more than they do Christmas.

Walmart, another one of America’s largest retailers, was commended by the Liberty Counsel for not being afraid to label categories like decorations as “Christmas” instead of “holiday.”

Both lists provide numbers and/or website addresses to each company, so that patrons can share their thoughts with businesses that downplay Christmas or show appreciation for companies that celebrate it openly.

Faith Advisory Board With Trump Ties Urges Religious Vaccine Exemptions for Military

By

Jack Jenkins

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November 24, 2021

(RNS) — More than 1,700 religious leaders organized by former President Donald Trump’s faith advisers are urging the U.S. military to grant religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, alleging service members with spiritual objections to the inoculations are being “stripped of their religious liberties.”

But while the effort singled out COVID-19 vaccine mandates first initiated by President Joe Biden, it did not grapple with similar military mandates that predated the ongoing pandemic. It also lacked support from at least one of Trump’s longtime faith advisers — a hint at possible divisions among the former president’s evangelical allies regarding COVID-19.

In a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Nov. 15, the group of faith leaders insisted military brass grant exemptions to COVID-19 vaccines before looming deadlines. Active-duty Navy and Marine Corps members must get the shots by Sunday (Nov. 28), while the Army has until Dec. 15. The Air Force deadline already elapsed on Nov. 2.

“We should be rewarding their bravery and the bravery of all our men and women in uniform, by not forcing them to choose between sincere religious convictions and staying in the military,” the letter read in part.

“We urge you to grant religious exemptions as soon as possible for every American risking their lives to defend our country. Religious freedom is enshrined in our Constitution and must always be protected.”

The letter was organized by the National Faith Advisory Board, a group founded in September with the former president’s support and led by Paula White-Cain, a Florida pastor who oversaw the Trump administration’s faith office. In addition to White-Cain, signers of the letter included several evangelical Christian leaders who advised Trump, such as Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, co-founders of Kenneth Copeland Ministries; Pastor Jack Graham, head of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Texas; Pastor Jentezen Franklin of Free Chapel church in Gainesville, Georgia; and the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

Other prominent signers included Ralph Reed, founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition; former Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann; and conservative commentator Eric Metaxas, a Trump loyalist who attracted media attention in 2020 after he admitted to punching an anti-Trump protester and emceed a “Jericho March” in Washington protesting the results of the presidential election.

The letter zeroed in on the COVID-19 vaccine but did not mention other long-standing vaccine requirements for members of the military. According to The Washington Post, neither the Army nor the Navy granted any religious exemptions to vaccine requirements over the past seven years — including during Trump’s tenure.

Representatives for the advisory board did not immediately respond to questions about whether they took issue with the military’s previous record of not granting vaccine exemptions on religious grounds.

Most active-duty service members have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, with the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force reporting inoculation rates of at least one dose ranging from 94% to 99% (the Air Force’s data includes members of the newly created Space Force).

But holdouts have caused controversy, with critics noting military leaders are largely rejecting religious accommodation requests. For example: As of Nov. 16, the Air Force reported it was processing 4,817 such requests but had yet to grant any.

Chiefs Defensive Tackle Chris Jones Enjoys Career Night, Lives by ‘I Am Second’ Mantra

By

Cole Claybourn

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November 24, 2021

This story is courtesy of Sports Spectrum, and is used by permission.

The Kansas City Chiefs picked up a much-needed win on Sunday over the Dallas Cowboys. One big reason was the play of defensive tackle Chris Jones.

The veteran from Mississippi State recorded a career-high 3.5 sacks to go along with five total tackles, two tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection that led to an interception that sealed a 19-9 win over the Cowboys. The win was the fourth in a row for the Chiefs, and it brought their record to 7-4 as they sit atop the AFC West.

On Jones’ wrist during the game were a couple of wristbands, which proclaim his faith in Jesus. One says “I am Second,” a phrase he also has in his Twitter bio. The other says “I play for Him.” He says he’s worn them since entering the NFL in 2016.

“It’s a Christian wristband,” Jones told Sports Spectrum ahead of Super Bowl LIV. “I am second, God is first. And I also have a wristband [that says] ‘I play for Him.’ I play for God, Jesus Christ. I’m a very religious guy. I believe my faith is everything and that’s what I live by.”

Over the past few seasons, Jones has become a rock on the Kansas City defense, and in June 2020, he was rewarded with a four-year, $85 million contract, with $60 million guaranteed.

He shared with Sports Spectrum that his faith has always been important to him, going back to his childhood in Houston, Mississippi.

“My grandma, right behind her house, probably 200 feet, is a church that everyone in my small town, everyone in my neighborhood, goes to,” he said. “I was raised in a church. My grandfather used to play guitar. My grandmother has a singing group, so it was a natural thing for us to go to church every Sunday.”

Jones also uses his social media presence to share his faith and give God the glory, as he did on Sunday following the win, tweeting, “Thank you God!”

He also has a tweet pinned from 2017 that serves as a declaration for his faith, which says, “Whoever finds God finds life!!!”

He told Sports Spectrum ahead of Super Bowl LIV why he chooses Jesus over everything else.

“Jesus means the Son of God,” he said. “The most perfect human being who sacrificed His life for us, so that right there means a lot so our sins can be forgiven.”

The Chiefs will look for a fifth straight win on Dec. 5 as they host the division-rival Denver Broncos after their bye week.

Christian Community Isn’t Parasitic

By

Mike Leake

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November 24, 2021

It was 1941 and Great Britain was in the midst of their engagement in World War II. Winston Churchill was the leader and was tasked with giving a speech to the House of Commons. Amongst other things he gave these words:

Nothing is more dangerous in wartime than to live in the temperamental atmosphere of a Gallup Poll, always feeling one’s pulse and taking one’s temperature. I see that a speaker at the week-end said that this was a time when leaders should keep their ears to the ground. All I can say is that the British nation will find it very hard to look up to leaders who are detected in that somewhat ungainly posture. (Churchill)

You cannot lead with your ear to the ground. You cannot lead if you’re constantly checking the pulse of people. But what pastor can’t at least somewhat identify with the megachurch pastor who informed Os Guinness that he was always “haunted” when he looked at his Christian community because he realized “they are always only two weeks away from leaving for another church.” (Guinness, 71)

In his book, The Call, Guinness laments what he calls a “leadership co-dependent on followership.” His words are very much in line with the insights of Edwin Friedman in Failure of Nerve who spoke of the “fallacy of empathy.” He said:

…a focus on being empathic towards others, rather than on being responsible for one’s own integrity, can actually lessen the odds for an organism’s survival by lowering the other’s pain thresholds, helping them to avoid challenge and compromising the mobilization of their “nerve”. (Friedman, 144)

I agree, in part, with the insights of Friedman. And I give Guinness a hearty “amen” when he calls us to be “inner-directed rather than other-directed” and to “truly make one audience decisive, the Audience of One”. (74) There is a type of leading which is actually harming because its own identity is centered upon the response of another. That will inevitably lead to harm of self and others.

What About John Maxwell?

But what do we do with the insights of John Maxwell? There must be some truth to the statement that “He that thinketh he leadeth, and hath no one following, is only taking a walk. If you’re all alone as a leader, are you really leading?” (source) Aren’t the insights of Maxwell, and those who make similar claims about leadership, pushing us into this co-dependent relationship which both Guinness and Friedman decry?

If Maxwell is absolute then there would have been times in which Jesus wasn’t leading but only taking a walk. Was he leading as he went to the Cross? Certainly, even if all his followers left Him, he was leading the charge and securing our redemption. Leadership can, and at times must, be lonely. Friedman and Guinness are correct on this point.

Where does 1 John 1:4 Fit?

Maxwell’s insights, then, cannot be absolute. But neither can those of Friedman. Otherwise, what do you do with 1 John 1:4?

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Some manuscripts do have “your” joy may be complete. And that makes more sense, doesn’t it? We wouldn’t be baffled much by a verse that said essentially, “I’m writing this so your joy in Jesus will be complete”. But the fact that it makes more sense means that it’s least likely. Scribes didn’t tweak a text to make it more obscure. So “our joy may be complete” is the preferred reading.

How Pastoral Care Stunts the Growth of Most Churches

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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November 23, 2021

Of all the mysteries that shouldn’t be mysteries, why most churches remain small is perhaps the greatest.

I’m sure there are a few leaders who want to keep their churches small, or who don’t care about growth.

But most small church leaders and pastors I meet actually want to reach more people. They want to see their mission fully realized. They hope and pray for the day when they can reach as many people people as possible in their community.

But that’s simply not reality.

The Barna group reports the average Protestant church size in America as 89 adults. Sixty percent of Protestant churches have less than 100 adults in attendance. Only 2 percent have over 1,000 adults attending.

As a result, the dreams of most small and even mid-sized church pastors go unrealized. Why?

I outlined eight reasons most churches never break the 200 attendance mark in this post, but today I want to drill down deeper on one that kills almost every church and pastor: pastoral care.

If pastors could figure out how to better tackle the issue of pastoral care, I’m convinced many more churches would grow.

Here’s why. And here’s how.

How Pastors Die Trying

When the pastor has to visit every sick person, do every wedding and funeral and make regular house calls, attend every meeting, and lead every Bible study or group, he or she becomes incapable of doing almost anything else.

Message preparation falls to the side, and providing organizational leadership for the future is almost out of the question.

The pastoral care model of church leadership simply doesn’t scale.

It’s somewhat ironic, actually.

If you’re a good pastoral care person (and many pastors are), people will often love you so much that the church will grow to 200 people, at which point the pastoral care expectations become crushing.

Saying the Lord’s Prayer With Kids: A Helpful Guide

By

Mark Altrogge

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November 23, 2021

I try to pray for my family on a regular basis. And the pattern Jesus gave us in the Lord’s Prayer helps me focus. The words help me stay on track in my prayers. Just as the Lord’s Prayer is a wonderful guide for adults, it offers meaning for kids too.

Read on to discover suggestions for saying the Lord’s Prayer with your kids. The tips work whether you’re teaching Sunday school, leading children’s church, or holding at-home family devotions.

Pray the Lord’s Prayer With Kids

First, here’s the wording of the Lord’s Prayer:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:9-13

Here’s a phrase-by-phrase guide for praying the Lord’s prayer with kids:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.” (9)

When we start with this, we acknowledge that God is our Father. He cares about us and our family deeply. God adopted us as his own children through Jesus, and as our Father he hears our prayers. He has a family he cares deeply about, so I know he cares for my family. I don’t always start with this. But when I do, it encourages my faith to bring my cares to him.

“Hallowed be your name” or “Holy is your name.” When we pray this, we acknowledge that our Father is infinitely holy, righteous, and pure. In a sense, we bow before God. We humble ourselves before his holiness and glory and power. We take a moment to think about who we’re praying to.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven. (10)

God’s kingdom is his rule, specifically his spiritual rule. Although he is King over the whole universe and earth, through Jesus the King, God brings his rule into our lives when he saves us. I ask the Lord to bring his rule into the lives of every one of our children, our grandchildren and descendants, and save every one until Jesus returns.

Include Other Promises From the Bible

Often I pray one of the many promises for parents God has spoken in his word. For example:

The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you. PSALM 102:28

“My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.” ISAIAH 59:21

Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. PSALM 112:1-2

God makes many more promises to save our offspring. So I pray he will save every one of our children and descendants until he returns.

I also ask the Lord, as part of bringing his kingdom rule into our lives, that Kristi and I and all our descendants will know him, love him, and delight in him and his Word. I ask that we will lead lives worthy of the gospel and bear much fruit for him. You can do the same as you pray the Lord’s Prayer with your kids.

Give us this day our daily bread (11)

I try to remember to thank the Lord for how abundantly he always provides for us and our children. I ask God to provide for our needs. For example, I might ask him to provide money for us to travel to visit our children and grandchildren in other states. And I ask him for any other needs and ask our generous Father to provide for our kids.

How to Avoid Being Sexually Immoral

1. Don’t say it can’t happen to you.

2. Repent of your pride and self-righteousness in this area.

3. Put all the needed safeguards against immorality in place—and keep them there.

Why Would People Quit Going to Church?

Why Do Youth Leaders Avoid Teaching About Hell and Brimstone?

Trusting God When You’re Trapped in Uncertainty

The Search for Clarity

Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicide Are Not an Uncommon Story

See page 2 for the beginning of the Christmas skit.

How to Stop Being Crazy

Step 1: OBSERVE

Step 2: EVALUATE

Step 3: DECIDE

Step 4: ACT

The Digital Bible Revolution

Wave 1: The PC Revolution

Wave 2: The Internet Revolution

Wave 3: Mobile/Social Revolution

Wave 4: Connected Intelligence Revolution

Who Is Jeremy Rosado?

Jeremy Rosado Gives Glory to God

Who Is Jonathan Merritt?

Christian Marriage Advice From Bailey

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Greg Laurie

Key Questions for Greg Laurie

Key Quotes From Greg Laurie

What About John Maxwell?

Where does 1 John 1:4 Fit?

How Pastors Die Trying

Pray the Lord’s Prayer With Kids

Here’s a phrase-by-phrase guide for praying the Lord’s prayer with kids:

Include Other Promises From the Bible

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