Court Rules Against Woman Who Refused to Make Same-Sex Wedding Websites

July 29, 2021

DENVER (AP) — A U.S. appeals court has ruled against a web designer who didn’t want to create wedding websites for same-sex couples and sued to challenge Colorado’s anti-discrimination law, another twist in a series of court rulings nationwide about whether businesses denying services to LGBTQ people amounts to bias or freedom of speech.

A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver on Monday denied Lorie Smith’s attempt to overturn a lower court ruling throwing out her legal challenge.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents Smith, argued that the law forced her to violate her Christian beliefs.

In the 2-1 ruling, the panel said Colorado had a compelling interest in protecting the “dignity interests” of members of marginalized groups through its law.

The anti-discrimination law is the same one at issue in the case of Colorado baker Jack Phillips that was decided in 2018 by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The high court decided the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had acted with anti-religious bias against Phillips after he refused to bake a cake for two men who were getting married. But it did not rule on the larger issue of whether a business can invoke religious objections to refuse service to LGBTQ people.

The Scottsdale, Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom also represented Phillips. Founded in 1994 by Christian leaders concerned about religious freedom, the group said it would appeal Monday’s ruling.

“The government should never force creative professionals to promote a message or cause with which they disagree. That is quintessential free speech and artistic freedom,” the group’s senior counsel, John Bursch, said in a statement.

Lambda Legal, a group that fights for the civil rights of LGBTQ people, had submitted a brief supporting the Colorado law.

“This really isn’t about cake or websites or flowers,” Lambda Legal senior counsel Jennifer C. Pizer said in a statement. “It’s about protecting LGBTQ people and their families from being subjected to slammed doors, service refusals and public humiliation in countless places — from fertility clinics to funeral homes and everywhere in between.”

In arguments before the three-judge panel in November, Chief Judge Timothy Tymkovich asked what Smith would do if she was approached by a straight wedding planner asking her to create four heterosexual wedding sites and one for a same-sex wedding. Kristen Waggoner, a lawyer for the alliance, said Smith would not take that job.

Colorado Solicitor General Eric Olson questioned whether Smith should even be allowed to challenge the law since she had not started offering wedding websites yet.

Alleged Victims Say ACNA Church Leaders Failed to Acknowledge Their Abuse Allegations

Kathryn Post

July 29, 2021

(RNS) — For more than two decades, Mark Rivera was a beloved volunteer leader of two churches in the Chicago suburbs. Known for his charisma and humor, the husband and father of four often boasted that he was the godfather of over 30 children in his community.

Church leaders and members in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest, of the Anglican Church in North America, trusted Rivera’s spiritual authority. According to reports from former Christ Our Light Anglican Church parishioners, they dismissed his frequent physical affection — his habit of kissing young girls on the cheek or inviting teenagers to sit on his lap — as “just Mark being Mark.”

Then, in May 2019, a 9-year-old child told her mother that Rivera had abused her, according to the woman, Cherin Marie, who asked that her last name not be used to protect the family’s privacy. For those who believed the alleged victim, the revelation was earth-shattering. Yet many in the small community, many of them family or neighbors of the accused or his accuser, doubted the child’s story.

Since then, nine additional people have made allegations of abuse by Rivera, including child sexual abuse, grooming, rape and assault, and Rivera has been charged with felony child sexual assault and abuse of the 9-year-old. To date, the diocese has publicly acknowledged only some of the allegations, and according to abuse prevention advocates, has downplayed the access he had to children and others while in church leadership.

ACNA, a splinter group of Episcopal and Church of Canada congregations, was founded in 2009 after its member churches rejected their former denominations’ acceptance of LGBTQ clergy and marriage for same-sex couples.

Rivera held several volunteer leadership positions at Church of the Resurrection, the Diocese of the Upper Midwest’s headquarters in Wheaton, Illinois, from the mid-1990s until 2013. From 2013-2019 he was a lay minister at Christ Our Light Anglican Church in Big Rock, Illinois, a church planted by Church of the Resurrection members.

In 2014, Holly, another member of the church who asked to keep her last name private, was visiting Rivera, her godfather, in Big Rock. Holly, then 16, said she remembers being in a basement room that Rivera called the “man cave” while he was on the computer. When he went to the bathroom, Holly said, she saw tabs with pornographic images open on his computer.

“After I saw that, I felt guilty, disgusted and just really gross,” said Holly, now 23. “And I remember feeling like it was really hard to breathe, and knowing what to do, because I was waiting for him to walk me home.”

As she got up to leave, Holly said, she saw Rivera had left the bathroom door open and was masturbating.

“I just felt so uncomfortable,” said Holly. “The door was right there, and you could see everything. So why would he do that unless he wanted me to see it?”

Max Lucado Says Breakthrough COVID Infection Is ‘A Case Study on the Power of the Vaccine’

Stephanie Martin

July 29, 2021

Earlier this week, Max Lucado revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19, despite receiving two doses of the Pfizer vaccine this spring. The 66-year-old pastor and bestselling author, who’s in quarantine at his Texas home for 10 days, describes his symptoms as like having “three cases of the flu.” But he’s grateful he’s not experiencing breathing problems, and he’s using the unexpected down time to intercede with God for other people.

On July 25, Lucado posted on social media: “Groan. Covid found me. Tested positive yesterday. … Yuck. Still- there is reason for thanks. Good docs. Amazing wife. I’m at home instead of a hotel. My dog likes me. Though miserable, the misery would have been worse with no vaccination. So doing my best to count blessings. Help me put this time to god [sic] use- how can I pray for you? Heaven knows, I’ll have the time to do so. Post any prayer needs and I’ll gladly pray on your behalf.”

So far, more than 11,000 Facebook users have wished the pastor well, with many taking him up on his offer to pray for their requests.

Max Lucado Preached and Shook Hands on July 18

In an interview with the San Antonio Express-News, Max Lucado describes shaking hands with worshipers after the July 18 service at Oak Hills Church, where he serves as teaching minister. Three days later, he began experiencing mild cold symptoms, and by the following Sunday he told a reporter, “I don’t think I’ve ever been this sick.” Although Lucado has Type 1 diabetes, he’s generally healthy and active.

When the pastor went to urgent care, two younger patients in nearby waiting rooms were “coming undone” with severe COVID symptoms, he says. A doctor told Lucado the only thing that set him apart from the others, who were being sent to hospitals, is that he’d received shots. “I know it gets political,” says Lucado, but “this is a case study on the power of the vaccine.”

In San Antonio, which is experiencing another COVID surge, health official Dr. Anita Kurian says breakthrough cases aren’t unusual but tend to be milder or even asymptomatic. They’re occurring, she adds, because vaccination rates in the area are low and because about 100,000 Bexar County residents never returned for a second shot.

Despite Dashed Plans, Max Lucado Says God Is Good

Instead of quarantining, Lucado was supposed to be on an “epic golf trip to Ireland” with friends, describing it as “a trip of a lifetime.” But he has another vacation to look forward to: an upcoming trip to Mexico with wife Denalyn to celebrate their 40^th anniversary. (She has tested negative for COVID.) Meanwhile, Lucado writes, “Our good Father can’t catch Covid. I’ll hang out with him.”

While he recovers, video messages recorded prior to his diagnosis are being posted to his social media accounts. In them, Lucado addresses the topic of anxiety among young people and plugs his new book “Anxious for Nothing: Young Readers Edition.” He collaborated on this edition with Andrea Lucado, one of his three adult daughters.

20 Hilarious Quotes From Kids

Dale Hudson

July 29, 2021

The weekend is fast approaching. I trust you’ve had a great week. I thought I’d share some funny quotes from kids to brighten your day as you catch your breath before the weekend begins.

Enjoy these great quotes from kids — and thank you for your heart for the next generation.

I may have over-done teaching politeness to my sons. My 4yo just said, “Oh thank you,” to the automatic soap dispenser. -Kerry
me: watch Star wars with me 10: why’s he breathing like that? 5: what is he so hairy for? What is that? 7: is he a good guy or bad guy? 10: why is he wearing black? 7: that guy sounds annoying 10: is he alive still? me: I regret everything. -dadmann
My 8 year old still says “hanitizer” instead of hand sanitizer and I’m not going to be the one to correct him. -mom overboard
Kid: Mom…did you know drinks spill sometimes? Mom: Did you spill your drink? Kid: Yes.
The mailman hardly ever brings us mail. Do you think he died? -Carsen, age 5
Jesus was in the kitchen and He said I could eat a cookie. (after being told no cookies before dinner.)
Excuse me, I understand that you like taking naps. Well, I don’t like taking naps. Henry, age 3
When I was in the backyard my sock fell off and flew over the fence. -Owen, Age 5
Mommy, I wish you were my age so you could be my daughter. -Marley, Age 5
Sometimes I like to sit in my room and listen to Taylor Swift songs and cry about all the cats that have died. -Hannah, age 6
Mom, I want a hot dog. But they don’t come from dog meat, do they? -Jace, age 5
Mom: Good morning. Do you need a hug? Eric: Actually, I need pancakes and not this hug.
Fog is just clouds that have fallen down. -Dylan, age 6
As we were folding clothes, my daughter started singing, “you gotta’ know when to hold them, know when to fold them”
There are 26 kids at the beach. Then 14 more come. How many is that? Too many for Covid-19!
School is better on Zoom because you can fart and no one smells it.
The cashier at a grocery store was telling my daughter how cute and well behaved she was. My daughter responded, ‘Mommy said we can’t talk to people with bad eyebrows.'”
“Upon seeing the piglets at the zoo, my son said, “Awwww,,,baby bacon.'”
“While passing a gentleman with an eye patch, my toddler yelled, ‘Arghh!'”
My parents just bought us a jumpoline. (trampoline)

It’s great to hear quotes from kids, but also, let me recommend these super-funny jokes for kids as you prepare to minister to children.

These quotes from kids originally appeared here, and are used by permission.

God Hates Sin but Loves the Sinner — Is That True?

David Platt

July 29, 2021

It is common to hear Christians say that God hates sin but loves the sinner, but is that true? It certainly sounds good, but the most important question is whether or not it is biblical. To answer this question, we need to think carefully about the significance of sacrifice in the Old Testament.

The sacrificial system was ordained, orchestrated, and set up by God for His people. There are two sacrifices that stand out: the Passover and the Day of Atonement.

The Passover (Exodus 12) was an annual celebration of God’s faithfulness in sparing Israel and redeeming them out of bondage in Egypt. In Leviticus 16, we see the Day of Atonement. Here an offering was brought in and sacrificed. The blood of the offering was sprinkled over the atonement cover in the most holy place as a picture that the payment of sin has been doled out. The sins of the people were atoned; the sins of the people were covered. After the animal was sacrificed, the people would go to another goat that was still alive and the high priest would then put his hands on the head and confess the sins of the people. After this was complete, this “scapegoat” would be taken out to a solitary place in the wilderness to be gone forever. This was an annual reminder from God for the people that their sins were taken away.

Flash forward to the book of Isaiah and we find a prophecy of a Suffering Servant who, “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” This same word for “carried” is the word used to describe the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement. Isaiah declared to God’s people that a redeemer was coming who would finally do away with their sin. Jesus would come and die in the place of sinners once and for all. He would come and lay His life down and take it back up again. Jesus has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Isaiah proclaimed that Jesus would be slaughtered so we could be saved. Jesus did not just endure the penalty of sin, but He took the place of sinners.

Notice how many first person plural pronouns (see italics) are included in Isaiah 53:4–6:

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

At least ten times in three verses Isaiah tells the people that the punishment which this suffering servant will endure will be in the place of sinners. Jesus bore sin and endured chastisement in our place. He is taking the payment due sinners on Himself.

When Radical was first released, an article was published in The Birmingham News about the book. One quote from the article read, “While it is a common pulpit truism that ‘God hates sin and loves the sinner,’ Platt argues that God hates sinners.”

Does God hates sin differ from God hates sinners? Psalm 5:5–6, “The Boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers, You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” Fourteen times in the first fifty psalms alone we see that God hates evildoers and that His wrath is upon them. This is not just an idea confined to the pages of the Old Testament.

John 3, the chapter that contains one of the most famous verses concerning God’s love for sinners (John 3:16), also contains one of the most neglected verses describing God’s wrath for sinners (John 3:36). So, does God hate sinners? The Bible says so. Does God hate the sin but love the sinner? In a sense, certainly that is true, but that does not mean that there is not a sense in which God hates sinners. How is this possible? Here is the key to understanding the meaning of the cross.

So: God hates sin? When we see God’s holy hatred of sin and holy judgment of sin, we must be careful not to think that this is something outside of us. Sin is a part of who we are. It is who we are. We are sinful, rebellious men and women against a holy God. Sin is ingrained into who we are. When we see God’s holy hatred due sin and His holy judgment due sin, yes that rests upon sin, but not as if it were outside of us. It is not as though His wrath and judgment are simply against what we do, whether it be lust, lying, or cheating. We are sinners at the core of our very being, and God’s holy hatred of sin therefore rests on the sinner.

The beauty of the cross is that when Jesus went to Calvary, He did not just pay the price for our lusting, our lying, our cheating, or whatever sin that we do—He stood in our place. He took the holy hatred, holy judgment, and holy wrath of God that was not just due our sin but due us. Jesus stood in our place and He took it upon Himself. So let us be very careful not to lean on comfortable clichés that sound good to us and rob the cross of its power.

Jesus endured the penalty of sin and took the place of sinners. The essence of sin is that man substitutes himself for God. But the essence of salvation is that God substitutes Himself for man. Rather than condemning us, Jesus was condemned. Thanks be to God for this wondrous prophecy from Isaiah that was fulfilled in Christ: “He will be slaughtered in your place, so that you can be saved by His blood.”

This article, God Hates Sin but Loves the Sinner — Is That True? was adapted from David Platt’s sermon titled “The Scandal of the Gospel.”

What Expository Preaching Is NOT

H.B. Charles, Jr.

July 29, 2021

What is expository preaching?

Expository preaching explains what the text means by what it says, seeking to exhort the hearers to trust and obey the God-intended message of the text. It is preaching in which the point of the message is rooted in, aligns with and flows from the primary meaning of the sermon text.

I believe expository preaching is the most faithful way to preach the word of God. Understanding and practicing expository preaching helps the preacher rightly handle the word of truth. It is important to be able to answer the question, “What is expository preaching?” But it is also important to understand what expository preaching is not.

Many preachers reject expository preaching, without really knowing what it is. Others seek to practice it, without really knowing what it is. But you should not react to a caricature of expository preaching. And you should learn a craft before you try to practice it.

What is expository preaching? Here are 15 myths about expository preaching that should be exposed to help the preacher rightly understand and faithfully practice expository preaching. Expository preaching is not whatever someone calls expository preaching. There is a growing interest in expository preaching these days. This is an encouraging fact; inasmuch as biblical preaching is the first step to true revival. Many preachers claim to be expositors now, wanting to be a part of the trend. Beware—much preaching that is called expository preaching simply is not.

What Is Expository Preaching?

**1. Expository preaching is not merely drawing ideas from the text.**

Just because a preacher reads the text, refers to the text or makes points from the text does not make it expository preaching. The expository sermon preaches the intended meaning and primary message of the text. The study of the text should begin with observations that determine what the text says. But observation must lead to interpretation and result in application for the sermon to be true exposition.

**2. Expository preaching is not a theological lecture.**

While much of what is called expository preaching is not true exposition, much of what is called expository preaching is also not true preaching. A lecture about the doctrinal themes related to the text is not an expository sermon. The pulpit is the herald’s platform, not the professor’s classroom. We are called to preach the word, not review the syllabus.

**3. Expository preaching is not pulpit exegesis.**

Exegesis is essential to exposition. But exegesis is not equal to exposition. A preacher must study the words, grammar, literary context and historical background to come to a proper interpretation of a text. But exegetical research is not a sermon. It is the ingredients of a sermon. Expository preaching is proclaiming a biblical message, not rehearsing research material.

**4. Expository preaching is not a running commentary on the text.**

The expository preacher is not a glorified Sunday school teacher, who reads a verse and comments on it. And continues in this manner until they run out of text or out of time. The expository sermon has hermeneutical integrity and homiletical structure. It is a sermon that has purpose, derived from the meaning of the text. The elements of the sermon support the purpose and move the message to a logical conclusion.

**5. Expository preaching is not textual preaching.**

Textual preaching can be biblically faithful. My father, under whose preaching I trusted Christ, was a textual preacher. Charles Spurgeon, “the Prince of Preachers,” was a textual preacher, not an expositor. But textual preaching is not true exposition. Textual preaching builds the sermon around the wording of the text. Expository preaching builds the sermon around the meaning of the text.

**6. Expository preaching is not selective exposition of the text.**

There may be multiple biblical themes in a text. But there is only one primary truth. The expository preacher seeks to understand and communicate the central theme of the text. It is not exposition if you select the portions of the text that say what you want, and neglect the rest. The Bible often messes up great sermon ideas. The expositor welcomes this intrusion, not ignores it. Hard texts make good preachers.

How To Be an Effective Bible Teacher in a Small Group

Josh Hunt

July 28, 2021

My dad used to say: “You gotta know what the Bible says before you can understand what it means.” We have to get the text itself in front of them. People are shockingly ignorant about the Word of God. We have to get the text in front of them. People are transformed by the renewing of the mind. It is the truth that sets them free. As a small group leader –and in order to be an effective Bible teacher — you have to get the text in front of them.

But we must be careful. I have talked to people who have sworn they will never go back because someone embarrassed them in a small group. Someone asked them to read the Bible when they weren’t ready. We have to get the text in front of people, and we must do it carefully.

There is another reason we must do this with care. This is stereotypically the most boring part of the group. As much as we might hate to admit it, reading a chapter of the Bible together out loud is not always the most interesting part of a group.

We’ve got to get the text in front of people, but we must do it carefully.

How To Be an Effective Bible Teacher in a Small Group

Of course, there are easy solutions to these problems. Ask for volunteers to read rather than asking an individual to read. Once someone has volunteered, then you could ask them to read if you wanted. But taking volunteers is a safer route and should be the default mode.

Reading the Bible in small chunks is inherently more interesting than reading the Bible in long sections. Read in small chunks.

But there is a secret to reading the Bible in groups that every Effective Bible Teacher knows, and I want to talk about that now.

An Effective Bible Teacher Gives Them Something to Look For

What made the Where’s Waldo series of books so insanely popular? Why is the game “Hide and Seek” so perennially popular with children? What is it about looking for something that is just so much fun?

Well, I’ll leave the philosophical answers to those questions to the philosophers. Let’s talk about how we can put this basic human dynamic to work. We all love to look for things.

Here’s the key: when you read the Word, give them something to look for.

Here are a couple of go-to examples:

As we read this text, see what we can learn about God.
As we read this text, see what we can learn about Christian living.
This is a familiar passage. See if you can find something you’ve never seen before.
It is always a good idea to read the Bible listening for emotions. I’d like half of you to listen for what David is feeling and the other listen for what Nathan is feeling as we read this passage.

The key point is variety. This is true in how you read the Word, and it is true in just about every area of teaching. Predictability kills learning. The best way to read the Bible together is any way other than the way you did it last week. Here are a few ideas to add some variety to your group Bible reading:

If you have someone with an especially good reading voice, have him or her read the whole chapter. You might email ahead of time and ask him/her to be prepared to read that chapter. The right person will be able to read it with pizzazz and make the text come alive.
If it is a passage with a good deal of dialogue, you might format it like a play and ask several people to read various parts.
If it is a long passage, I have occasionally asked people to read the passage silently. Again, give them something to look for.
There are great recordings of the Bible available. I have one where the Bible is read in dramatic fashion. Different actors read different parts. The disciples are on the lake, and there is a storm; you can hear the storm in the background. You might play an audio like this for your group. This will actually do double duty. It will read the text in a fresh way, but it will do something else. Someone in your group will have the idea, “Hey, I’d like to get something like that for my daily Bible reading.”
There is a cool app called Relax Melodies that has all kinds of neat sound effects – storm, waves, birds, rain on a roof, crickets, wind chimes, all kinds of stuff . . . iPad, iPhone, and Android versions, free and paid. If I ever have the chance, I will use it for background effect in Bible reading in a group. Such a great idea.[1]
You might read short sections of the Bible together out loud. Of course, this only works if everyone has the same translation, but this is an easy enough problem to solve. Most translations are readily available online for you to copy, paste, and print for your group.
It is not a bad idea to email your group from time to time and say something like, “We will be dealing with a great passage this weekend. But it is a little long. If you could read Psalm 139 ahead of time, it would be great.”

To be an effective Bible teacher, we have got to get the text in front of the group. Before we tell them what we think of the text, we need to get the text itself in front of the group. Don’t assume everyone knows the passage. Often the power of the Word of God is in picky details in the text. We must read the text together. But, we must do it in a way that is interesting and does not embarrass anyone in the group.

This article on How To Be an Effective Bible Teacher in a Small Group is an excerpt from The Effective Bible Teacher, by Josh Hunt

5 Aspects of Omnichannel Church You Can Apply

Eric Geiger

July 28, 2021

Last week Dave Adamson wrote a compelling article on the future of the church based on the digital tools that church leaders now have at their disposal. He applied the term “omnichannel” to church practice, and his article was the first time I have seen someone do so. Dave does this type of work with churches, so he was not just winging it and throwing out an idea. If you have background in ecommerce or marketing, you are familiar with the term “omnichannel.” It represents the thinking that a company should align all of its channels so that a customer has a seamless experience across all. In other words, the customer could easily flow back and forth between a physical store and an online store and other touch points.

If you apply “omnichannel” to a local church, as Dave has done, you essentially decide it does not matter which channel the person you are serving utilizes to interact with your church or consume content from your church, and you want all the channels (such as your podcast, your live-stream and your physical location) to offer a similar experience. If you apply “omnichannel” to a local church, as Dave has done, you essentially decide it does not matter which channel the person you are serving utilizes to interact with your church or consume content from your church, and you want all the channels (such as your podcast, your live-stream, and your physical location) to offer a similar experience.

5 Aspects of Omnichannel Church You Can Apply

1. It is the reality of what is already happening.

People are interacting (or desiring to interact) with your church in multiple ways. People may attend one week and watch online while traveling the next. Desiring that person to receive consistent teaching from his/her church in a unified manner is a good thing.

2. It forces leaders to think about people not just content.

We don’t just teach the Word; we teach the Word to real people and we must understand the people we are teaching.

3. It can help break down ministry silos.

Because people move across live streaming, podcast and the worship gathering, staff in those areas must be coordinated.

4. It helps churches use tools to reach people.

Just as the Lord used the advent of the printing press to spread the Bible and the advent of radio to broadcast C.S. Lewis and Billy Graham messages, every new technology is an opportunity to distribute the good news.

5. It helps churches think about the other 167 hours.

Perhaps the most challenging thought that Dave offered is the challenge to think about all the hours in the lives of the people we serve, and not just the weekly gathering.

And here are two cautions I have about applying the “omnichannel” term to a local church. Though I appreciate the desire to connect people where they are and connect them more than one hour in a weekly gathering, ministry leaders must do so while also thinking about these two realities:

A church is not a base of customers. The article was not advocating that, but the term “omnichannel” was developed to help companies think about their customers and their channels, and we must be cautious of any term (or thinking) that causes us to think of our church as a base of customers. A church is much more than a customer base. She is the bride of Christ and the family of God. She is a gathering of God’s people who are in community together and have joined Christ on His mission.
Consumption must not be the ultimate goal. We must not desire the people in our churches to merely consume religious goods and services, but to grow in community and to live on mission. If we settle for consumption, we are settling for a vision of local church that is too small. Yes, let’s use the tools at our disposal and let’s sync them together to communicate the message of Jesus. But let’s be sure that we don’t equate consumption with discipleship.

This article on Omnichannel Church originally appeared here.

5 Bible Science Experiments That Teach God’s Truth

CGP Kids

July 28, 2021

The goal of science experiments is to discover and understand scientific truth. Bible science experiments have the added benefit of helping young learners discover and understand God’s truth.

Use Bible science experiments in Sunday school, children’s church, small groups, VBS, camps and more. They allow children to be involved in hands-on learning rather than lecture or observation. Perhaps most importantly, Bible science experiments provide memorable moments that spark interest, command attention, and bring scriptural truth to life. That means the lessons will “stick” for children, who can apply them to their own lives.

For successful, safe Bible science experiments that “wow” children, remember these important tips:

Set up all supplies ahead of time. You lose momentum and interest if you aren’t ready to go at just the right moment.
Practice! Bible science experiments are memorable and meaningful only if they work. Never do something for the first time in front of children. Just because something sounds good on paper doesn’t mean it will be a success. Prepare!
As much as possible, don’t demonstrate the experiments. Let children do the Bible science experiments either in small groups or individually. That requires more supplies, structure and good instruction but will have a much greater “wow” effect on kids.
Be sure to move children from the abstract scientific truth you’re illustrating to an understanding of the concrete, practical truth for daily life. Do this by:

- - sharing a Bible story and/or real-life story that illustrates the truth,
  - asking good questions related to the Bible story and truth,
  - providing children opportunities to share how they will apply the Bible truth, and
  - praying together about obeying this Bible truth.

5 Bible Science Experiments You Can Try

1. Power Rockets

Bible Truth: The Holy Spirit gives me power.

Bible Verse: Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Bible Lesson: Peter preaches after receiving the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:1-41

Materials:

Empty film canisters (clear, with interior-fitting lids)
Antacid tablets (generic works fine)
Water

In Advance: Gather supplies

Bible Lesson: Share the story of Jesus’ disciples receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Emphasize how the Holy Spirit made Peter bold enough to stand and speak to thousands of people. Help children discover that the Holy Spirit will give them boldness (power, authority) to do what God has planned for them to do.

Give each child or group of children a film canister. This represents their life. Fill canisters with water. The water represents the living water, Jesus, who enters their lives when they are saved. Show children an antacid tablet. It represents the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the baptism of the Holy Spirit would give power (authority, boldness). Have children quickly add the tablet to the film canister, snap on the lid, and stand back. In a few seconds, the lid will pop off! Emphasize that just as the tablet creates power to pop off the lid, the Holy Spirit gives us power to do God’s work.

Some Christians Labeled Simone Biles a ‘Quitter,’ ‘Selfish,’ ‘Sociopath’—But Pastors Should Applaud Her

Jessica Lea

July 28, 2021

On Tuesday, Olympic gymnast and international superstar Simone Biles shocked the world when she decided to withdraw from the team final. The Olympic gold medalist, who sparked widespread support and a surprising level of backlash for her decision, explained that she was not in the right mental state to compete.

“I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat, work on my mindfulness,” Biles explained at a news conference Tuesday. “And I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job. And I didn’t want to risk the team a medal for kind of my screwups, because they’ve worked way too hard for that.” The gymnast said she did not have a physical injury and she was withdrawing in part in order to avoid getting one.

“Today has been really stressful,” she said. “We had a workout this morning, it went OK. And then just that five-and-a-half hour wait or something, I was just like shaking, could barely nap. I’ve just never felt like this going into a competition before. And I tried to go out here and have fun. Warm up in the back went a little bit better. But then once I came out here, I was like no, mental’s not there…It’s been a long week, it’s been a long Olympic process, it’s been a long year. So just a lot of different variables, and I think we’re just a little bit too stressed out. But we should be out here having fun, and sometimes that’s not the case.”

Simone Biles and the ‘Weight of the World’

Simone Biles made her announcement following an uncharacteristically shaky vault performance Tuesday. She has also withdrawn from Thursday’s all-around, but there is still a chance the gymnastics champion could compete in individual events next week. By all accounts, her team and coaches support her decision.

In a Facebook post Sunday, July 25, Biles said, “It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it. I truly do feel that I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t effect [sic]me, but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha! The Olympics are no joke! BUT I’m happy my family was able to be with me virtually They mean the world to me!”

Critics Slam Simone Biles As a ‘Quitter,’ ‘Selfish Sociopath’

In an op ed for The Daily Wire, titled, “WALSH: Simone Biles Quit On Her Team And Her Country. She Should Not Be Celebrated For It.,” writer and speaker Matt Walsh lumped Simone Biles in with other “sulking professional athletes.” Walsh, whose bio says he is “one of the religious Right’s most influential young voices,” called her a “quitter” and said that those encouraging us to celebrate her decision are encouraging us to “celebrate cowardice.”

People would not praise a male athlete for a similar decision, said Walsh on Facebook. He called Biles’ behavior “disgraceful and selfish,” adding, “We now have decorated Olympic athletes quitting in the middle of the competition because they’re sad. What an absolute embarrassment. But in some ways an appropriate representation of a country that has gone soft.”

Seth Dillon, CEO of Christian news satire site The Babylon Bee, tweeted, “Simone Biles just said sitting out the big competitions shows how strong you really are. That’s like saying soldiers who run away from battle are courageous. Cowardice is not courage; weakness is not strength. Great athletes understand this.”

One person responded, “As an active duty Officer, I can say that we prioritize mental health over running into battle. If you can’t perform your job because of your demons then I would rather you take care of yourself than put your team or platoon in danger. Don’t talk about things you don’t understand.”

Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA and president of Students for Trump, called Biles a “selfish sociopath” and a “shame to the nation.” Kirk, along with Jerry Falwell, Jr., co-founded the Falkirk Center, a conservative political think tank at Liberty University. Kirk has since left the organization, which has been renamed the Standing for Freedom Center.

Kirk blamed Biles for surrendering the gold medal to the Russians and, like Walsh, said that her decision was indicative of the overall weakness of the American population. “We are raising a generation of weak people like Simone Biles,” he said.

Justin Bieber Praises God at The Freedom Experience — Lauren Daigle, Conor McGregor Attend

Jesse T. Jackson

July 28, 2021

1DayLA organized an event that brought together Justin Bieber, Kari Jobe, Tori Kelly, Chance the Rapper, Lauren Daigle, Conor McGregor, and 20,000 volunteers from the Southern California area to serve Los Angeles county starting on July 18, 2021. The seven-day service event deployed volunteers all over the county.

According to 1DayLA.com, volunteers took part in city-beautification projects, back-to-school events, free medical clinics, homeless assistance, and aid distribution throughout the city. Volunteers were then invited to a free concert titled “The Freedom Experience” that included performances by Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper, Tori Kelly, Jaden Smith, Chandler Moore, Kari Jobe, and hosted by entertainment journalist Jason Kennedy at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on July 24, 2021.

Justin Bieber: ‘Jesus Changed My Life’

Fresh off the 2021 release of his album “Justice” and a surprise Easter EP “Freedom,” Justin Bieber had no issue letting the 1DayLA volunteers know God has changed his life and given him hope.

“Some of you might not be used to this type of atmosphere, but what you’re feeling right now is the presence of God,” Bieber told the thousands in attendance. “[God] doesn’t need perfect people. He just wants to use average, ordinary, broken people like us.”

“I’m tired of religion. I’m tired of division. I just want to know what it looks like to love people,” an emotional Bieber said. “I want to know Jesus, who goes to where the broken people are.”

Those in attendance lifted their arms in worship, much like a Sunday-morning praise gathering. Although the world faced many trials during the last year, Bieber told those packed into the SoFi Stadium: “We do got a hope, and His name is Jesus, and He’s changed my life.”

Holding back tears, Bieber invited Pastor Judah Smith onto the stage, calling him a brother who’s changed his life. “I can’t look at you or else I’m gonna cry,” Bieber told Smith.

“This miracle you see sitting in front of you,” Smith said while pointing at Justin, “was not the doing of any person or mere therapy, and therapy is important.” Smith gave testimony to the crowd about what he has witnessed in Bieber’s life. “But I am telling that this man’s life has been saved and transformed not by religion, dogma, doctrine, church services, conferences, or retreats. It has been the person of Jesus. The Resurrection and the Life.”

UPDATE: Accused Atlanta Spa Shooter Pleads Guilty to Some Charges, Now Faces Others

Jessica Lea

July 28, 2021

UPDATED July 28, 2021: The man accused of killing eight people—including six Asian women—at three Atlanta-area spas in March pleaded guilty Tuesday to four of the murders, plus 19 other charges. Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared before a Cherokee County judge for his initial legal proceedings. Next, he faces 19 more counts in nearby Fulton County, where prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for what they say are hate crimes.

In court Tuesday, Long pinpointed his crime spree on “sexual struggles,” saying the shootings were “not racially motivated.” He also denied knowing the victims at Young’s Asian Massage, saying he just wanted to “eliminate” the “temptation” that fed his sex addiction.

Long was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus 35 additional years. Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace said if Long hadn’t made a plea deal, she planned to seek the death penalty. She also said the investigation found no race-related bias against Asian people. “This was not any kind of hate crime,” Wallace told the judge.

Some citizens and community leaders took comfort in the fact that Long will never be a free man. Others called Tuesday’s outcome a slap in the face. Raymond Chang, president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative, tweeted, “Reducing the Atlanta shootings targeting Asian women to merely a ‘sex addiction’ leaves out an entire history & socialized reality of Asian women being on the receiving end of racialized fetishization – the incident was an example of this.”

Throughout the legal process, cultural and language barriers factor in, say experts. “Plea bargains don’t exist in Asian countries,” says Jongwon Lee, volunteer attorney for Korean American Committee Against Asian Hate Crime. “I believe the DA needs to explain the process of negotiations to the Asian community, or they will not accept the outcomes.”

ChurchLeaders original article written on March 19, 2021, below:

A mass shooting perpetrated by Robert Aaron Long in Atlanta, Georgia, Tuesday has caused national outrage and has intensified already fraught conversations within evangelicalism about race and sexuality.

“Mercy,” tweeted Duke Kwon, lead pastor of Grace Meridian Hill in Washington D.C., “8 shot dead in metro Atlanta, most or all victims of Asian descent. Keep in mind, whether or not this incident proves to be a racially motivated hate crime, it’s gutting news for an Asian American community already reeling from the recent rise in violent racist attacks.” Later, Kwon tweeted,

The premature public naming of sexual addiction as primary motive effectively cast the killer in a sympathetic light as powerless victim, and immediately hypersexualized seven faceless women whose identities were already bound to be framed by exotified, dehumanizing tropes.

— Duke Kwon (@dukekwondc) March 18, 2021

The 21-year-old gunman killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent. Robert Aaron Long, who was a professing Christian and highly active in his church as a teen, claims to have committed the murders because of a sexual addiction.

Sheila Gregoire, a Christian author who has voiced extensive concerns about the way evangelicalism portrays sexuality, stated, “It’s time for the evangelical church to realize that the way we talk about sex and lust and porn poses a danger to women, as the Atlanta shooting all too horrifically showed us—and 8 people, including 7 women, died for it.”

Greg Locke Tells Church Members ‘I Will Ask You to Leave’ If They Wear a Mask Again

Jesse T. Jackson

July 28, 2021

Controversial pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, made his thoughts clear about recent government murmurs of a second lockdown due to the uptick in COVID-19 resulting from the Delta variant.

Preaching a sermon out of Luke 24:13-32 titled “Holy Heartburn,” Locke told his congregation on Sunday: “Here’s what the left has told us every week, ‘If you comply, if you compromise, you’ll get in our good graces.’ ” Locke went on, “No! Because you will never comply enough. You will never compromise enough. You will never get in the good graces of godless people because all they want is compliance!”

Locke rejected the notion of shutting down the church, saying, “My hind leg if they think they gonna shut this church down. I’m gonna go and let you know that right now, in the name of God.”

“They will be serving Frosties in hell before we shut this place down. Just because a buck-wild, demon-possessed government tells us to.”

“If they go through round two and you start showing up with all these masks and all this nonsense, I’ll ask you to leave,” Locke said, as congregants stood and shouted in agreement. Locke repeated: “I will ask you to leave! I am not playing these Democrat games up in this church. If you want to social-distance, go to [another church], but don’t come to this one. I’m done with it! I ain’t playing these stupid games!

Locke then called out other pastors who are already taking precautions because of the Delta variant. “Bunch of pastors talking about how much they want to see people healed,” he said. “They’re afraid to baptize because of a Delta variant. I’m sick of it!”

“My hind leg they gonna shut us down,” Locke repeated, then warned listeners not to believe government officials who closed the nation the first time. “They know who’s going to be a problem and they know who they can control…I’m going to be a ‘problem’ moving forward. I’m not giving into this mess.”

“I’m not going to play their games.”

The pastor extended an invitation for others to join the church’s growing campus, saying, “So when all hell breaks loose and all these cowards start with this round-two business…we’ll take ya.”

DJ Soto: Why Virtual Reality Church Is Just As Legitimate As Gathering in Person

Jason Daye

July 28, 2021

DJ Soto began preaching in the world of virtual reality (VR) in 2016. He is the founder and bishop of Virtual Reality Church, a church that is intended to be radically inclusive and consistent with Christianity’s long history of adapting to new forms of media. DJ has helped plant multiple expressions of church online in digital communities, including Final Fantasy 14, Black Desert Online, and Rust. Before VR Church, DJ received a BA in Theology in 2000, gained experience as a high school computer and music teacher, worked as a photojournalist in broadcast television, and launched a multi-site campus for a mega-church in Pennsylvania. In 2016, DJ and his wife, Kari, created a new apostolic ministry to pioneer new churches across America in unusual places. Originally thinking they would plant physical churches, they soon realized a new vision to plant churches in virtual reality.

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With DJ Soto

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

Key Questions for DJ Soto

-How is what you’re doing similar to physical church and how is it different?

-Where has God brought you as far as expressing the essentials of church, such as baptism and communion, in virtual reality?

-How has the church adapted through its history and how does that set a precedent for VR Church?

-Can you speak to the concern that many pastors have that people might not return to in-person church after the pandemic?

Key Quotes From DJ Soto

“We’re not a pandemic pivot. We launched Virtual Reality Church in 2016.”

“If you’re watching technological trends, why would a software company [Facebook] spend billions of dollars to get hardware?…They view virtual reality as the next iteration of social interaction.”

“It was just an experiment at first. My first church service I think five people showed up…I was so excited because there was a lot of potential there. And none of the people that came would probably identify with any type of faith system. Many atheists came, and for the longest time, my church services were full of atheists and agnostics.”

“It was like an accidental church plant.”

“It’s not a ministry, it’s not a little side thing that we’re doing—this is the body of Christ in the metaverse.”

You Don’t Have to Hold the Rope That Social Media Gives You

Mike Leake

July 28, 2021

In his book, The Emotionally Healthy Church, Pete Scazzero shares a story from Ed Friedman about a stranger who approaches a man and hands him the end of a rope. The man, who is tied to the other end of the rope, proceeds to jump off the bridge. Now the man is stuck here having to abandon his own dreams to keep this other fella from dying. He pleaded with the dangling man to take measures to climb up the rope and end this ridiculous situation, but the man had no interest in such an idea. So the man will hold the rope — until he has an idea . . .

New Situation, Same Story

A local church pastor labors to plant a biblical faithful church in his community. His community context within an urban-Metro area, as you would expect, looks much different than a rural church in Big Sky country. His strategy will be different, he will use different words in different ways, his application points, his concerns, his emphasis from the biblical text, and much more will be different than the other pastor in the upper Midwest.

Our urban pastor has some measure of success and his church is featured in a national newspaper for their work feeding the homeless and providing education assistance to impoverished teens. It’s not all they do, of course, but this is what the media picks up on and it’s the focus of their piece. When he shares his story the words and phrases he uses and the way in which he is doing ministry brings about a check in the Spirit of our other pastor. It just “doesn’t seem right”.

The Big Sky pastor, who has a relatively wide-reaching internet presence, decides to use his influence to call out this urban pastor. He’s bothered by his use of phrases, the way he seems to be influenced by secular theories, and a host of other things. He doesn’t believe this brother is faithful in his ministry and he feels it to be his responsibility to let others know.

Here, urban pastor, hold the rope for me . . .

Hold the Rope? Well, Maybe Not

Back to our bridge. Eventually the man told to hold the rope took his stand:

“I will not accept the position of choice for your life, only for my own; I hereby give back the position of choice for your own life to you.” (Scazzero, 134)

The other man would have none of it. He accused the rope-holder of being selfish and uncaring. And he blamed him for all his troubles. If he was a good man he’d keep holding the rope. But eventually the rope-holder accepted the choice of the dangling man—who gave zero effort—and let him plummet over the bridge. (You can read the whole story here)

—

I thought of that story\ when I read an exchange on Twitter by John Onwucheckwa. John used a phrase (“white gaze”) that drew the ire of some in the anti-CRT crowd. “White gaze” doesn’t mean what you probably think it means, and John was being misrepresented. Here is the crux of his argument:

Black & brown communities need the freedom to plant churches responsive to their own contexts & needs, free from the white gaze…Black Christian history teaches us it’s possible to work on separate fronts while supporting one another in the same war.”

My point here isn’t about whether or not you agree with John or Thabiti in the article, but it’s about how John responded to this. I found this to be particularly compelling:

John’s response is that of the man who refused to hold the rope for someone who doesn’t actually want rescued. And I think this is a path forward for us with many of our social media arguments. If people are not interested in good faith arguments we do not have to continue holding the rope. Furthermore, it’s doubly foolish for us to give a platform to the one with the bad faith arguments. Doing this is comparable to asking every passerby to hold the rope.

You don’t have to spend time arguing and conversing bad faith takes when you have work right in front of you.

This brings me to my final observation—and it’s a tad prickly. I believe part of the reason why continue to hold the rope—why we keep conversing with “bad faith takes”—is because we don’t actually like the work that is set before us. This is also the reason why people are handing ropes to others and then leaping off bridges. We don’t like the world in front of us so we attempt to shape a new identity online.

In his work, Breaking the Social Media Prism, Chris Bail notes that most “extremists on social media…often lack status in their off-line lives” (Bail, 56). Is it possible, for instance, that some of the vitriol directed towards someone like Beth Moore has less to do with her authority and reach and more to do with the lack of actual authority pastors are experiencing in their local churches?

The answer to some of this social media craziness is for us to be honest with ourselves and our neglect of cultivating the things which are right in front of our faces. And we likely need to deal with some of our own hurts and disappointments in our local contexts. If we don’t, then we’ll attempt to provide healing by putting on a false online self.

It’s possible that some of our ministry is to an online field. There is value in this. I wouldn’t be writing this article if I didn’t believe that. But our online ministries will always be tainted if they’re not an overflow of our local and right in front of your face ministries. This goes for discernment ministries as well as advocating for the vulnerable. If I’m not doing it locally it’s probably a projection of a false self online.

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

Children in Church: 5 Reasons They Belong in Regular Worship

Tamera Kraft

July 27, 2021

Where do you think children in church should be most of the time? I think several compelling reasons point to why kids belong in the main worship service regularly.

I’ve always advocated for children’s church. It’s important to offer children’s services that appeal to different age group and developmental levels. Yet a movement in many churches today aims to always keep children separate from adults. Although children should have a children’s church where they can learn and worship God, they also need to be in the main service regularly with the rest of the church body.

What “regularly” means will vary from church to church. In the congregations where I’ve worked, it meant once a month and always in special services. Other churches, because of the complications involved, may elect to do it once a quarter. I don’t think keeping children in church should ever be done less than once a quarter.

Why Keep Children in Church With Adults?

Here are five reasons I believe you should keep children in church (that is, the main service) regularly:

1. Children aren’t an inconvenience.

This is one reason churches remove children from regular worship services. They want a “professional” church service where adults can enjoy the worship without being disrupted by noisy children. This sounds good, but the book of Acts never talks about having a professional service. Nor does the Bible talk about meeting our own selfish needs during church. But it does talk about not pushing children aside. In Matthew 19:14, Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

2. Children are part of the body of Christ.

Nowhere does the Bible say children are a separate body. Instead, they’re an important part of the church. So we shouldn’t always exclude them when believers meet.

During the Feast of Tabernacles, all of Israel came before the Lord to hear the reading of the Law. That way, the children heard it and learned to fear the Lord. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (6:1-3), he gives instructions directly to children to obey their parents. He considers them part of the church to which he’s writing.

3. Children need godly examples of how to worship.

If children never see adults in the main service worshiping, they won’t know how to worship or what is expected of them.

4. Children need to feel like they belong to the church community.

If children are always separate from the body of Christ, they’ll never feel like part of the faith community. And older church members will never get to know the children and be an example to them (unless they work in children’s ministry).

5. Children who don’t feel like part of the church will leave when they’re older.

Imagine the culture shock of a child who’s been in church all her life but has never been in the main service. She has played games in Sunday school, sung active songs, and heard every message or Bible story illustrated with a skit, object lesson or interactive device.

Suddenly the child turns 10 or 12, or in some cases, 18. She graduates to “big” church. The music is strange. No games, skits or illustrations are present. Someone she’s never met preaches for a long time. She doesn’t know anyone sitting in the pews around her. And there’s no candy or prizes!

Get the picture? That’s what happens to a child who’s never attended the main service. Within a few months, maybe even a few weeks, she decides she doesn’t want to be there. If her parents make her stay, she’ll leave as soon as she turns 18. If not, she’ll leave sooner.

She’ll look for a church that entertains her and isn’t boring. If she doesn’t find one, she’ll drop out of church. This may be why so many young people are no longer attending church. They were never truly part of it to begin with.

Study: Only Half of American Households Donate to Charity

AP News

July 27, 2021

For the first time in nearly two decades, only half of U.S. households donated to a charity, according to a study released Tuesday. The findings confirm a trend worrying experts: Donations to charitable causes are reaching record highs, but the giving is done by a smaller and smaller slice of the population.

The study, published every other year by Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, comes from a survey that has been tracking the giving patterns of more than 9,000 households since 2000, when 66% of U.S. households donated to a charitable organization. That number dropped to 49.6% in 2018, the latest year with comprehensive figures from those households.

Experts say many factors are contributing to the decline. The percentage of Americans who give to religious causes has decreased in tandem with attendance at worship services as the number of Americans not affiliated with any religion grows. Separately, the share of Americans who give to secular causes began to drop following the economic turbulence of the Great Recession, but it hasn’t bounced back. It reached a new low — 42% — in 2018, the study said.

Una Osili, the associate dean for research and international programs at the Lilly School, suggests this is, in part, because the Great Recession made it difficult for some younger Americans to establish a habit of giving. The study found only about a third of households headed by someone under the age of 40 gave to charity in 2018, a trend Osili believes will be a challenge for charities.

“What are the factors that will bring them into giving? Especially if they are not attending services, and not participating in networks that will lead to giving,” she said.

The nationally representative study from the university does have its limitations. It measures giving to charitable organizations, but doesn’t analyze donations made through informal crowdfunding campaigns, which tends to draw younger audiences. It also doesn’t measure contributions of goods and services.

The study says declining levels of trust among Americans for institutions and each other may also contribute to the move away from charitable giving. That mistrust is especially pronounced among millennials, which could cause another layer of challenges for charitable organizations.

The data shows a majority of households headed by a person who had a college or a graduate degree, and was married or widowed gave to charity. Wealth was also a factor.

Nearly 8 out of 10 households with more than $200,000 of wealth gave to charity in 2018, the study said. By contrast, less than 4 in 10 households with wealth less than $50,000 made donations.

“The overall pie (in giving) is slowly moving towards the ultra wealthy,” said John List, an economics professor at the University of Chicago who studies giving, adding that this shift can be dangerous. “Rich people give to causes that rich people want to give to,” he said. “You have a very different supply of goods and services from the charitable community when the rich people give versus when the middle-class or lower-class gives.”

Critics have long argued that large charitable donations by wealthy philanthropists are only possible in an era of rising income inequality, a point philanthropist MacKenzie Scott cited during her latest announcement of donations.

Phil Buchanan, the president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy and author of “Giving Done Right: Effective Philanthropy and Making Every Dollar Count,” believes the declining giving participation rate also shows charities are failing to communicate their message effectively.

American society tends to deify businesses and and athletes, he said. “And we can do a better job of elevating the work and heroism of nonprofits in communities all across the country.”

____

The Associated Press receives support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

This article originally appeared here.

Former Worship Leader Michael Gungor Ignites Twitter With ‘Christ’ Comment; Labeled a Heretic

Jesse T. Jackson

July 27, 2021

michael grungor — Screen grab from Instagram: @michaelgungor

Michael Gungor, who is one-half of the popular band Gungor, wrote a Twitter post on Friday, July 23, that ignited a furor of over 2600 comments. Gungor stated that Jesus is not only Christ, but Buddha, Muhammad, people, and the church body are also Christ. In the resulting uproar, many commenters expressed disgust and dismay at Gungor’s comments, adding that they had sung his songs during worship services.

Who Is Michael Gungor?

Gungor and his wife Lisa make up their band Gungor, which was nominated for a 2011 Grammy for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album and Best Gospel Song for the band’s album “Beautiful Things.” Growing up a pastor’s kid likely contributed to Michael’s desire to lead worship at the megachurch Resurrection Life (now RESLIFE) in Grandville, Michigan. Gungor was 20 when he become the worship pastor and served for almost six years until 2006 when he and Lisa moved to Denver, Colorado, after feeling disconnected from the church. In their pursuit of “figuring out” what it meant to be the church, the two started an outreach ministry, Bloom, which later became a house church ministry. Eventually, that turned into a worship gathering called Bloom that still meets on Sundays.

It was reported in a 2018 article that Michael doesn’t regularly attend church any longer and even spent an entire year embracing atheism.

Christ Is Universal?

Michael Gungor’s tweet can be read as a universalist statement and was seen as just that by many readers. Gungor’s actual post read: “Jesus was Christ. Buddha was Christ. Muhammad was Christ. Christ is s word for the Universe seeing itself. You are Christ. We are the body of Christ.”

Gungor responded to replies to his tweet, saying, “Thanks for all the thoughtful replies everyone. [Kiss emoji]” Then suggested everyone check out a book by Franciscan friar Richard Rohr called Universal Christ to understand what he was talking about. Then he plugged his podcast “The Liturgists,” imploring people to listen. He said he explores more in depth “how and why this tweet is true.”

One follower commented in response to Gungor’s book suggestion: “That book has changed my complete perception on everything.”

The self-proclaimed Pentecostal worship leader (the description under his Twitter handle) said he is happy his post stirred so much conversation about what “Christ” means, a topic he said he believes is important. He took to Instagram live to unpack his tweet more and answered questions. In a video that has received over 18,000 views, Gungor said his tweet was “met with some fury!”

Vatican Trial Opens Into Financial Scandal Rocking Papacy

Nicole Winfield

July 27, 2021

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A cardinal who allegedly induced an underling to lie to prosecutors. Brokers and lawyers who pulled a fast one over the Vatican No. 2 to get him to approve a disastrous real estate deal. A self-styled intelligence analyst who bought Prada and Louis Vuitton items with the Vatican money that she was supposed to send to rebels holding a Catholic nun hostage.

Vatican prosecutors have alleged a jaw-dropping series of scandals in the biggest criminal trial in the Vatican’s modern history, which opens Tuesday in a modified courtroom in the Vatican Museums. The once-powerful cardinal and nine other people are accused of bleeding the Holy See of tens of millions of dollars in donations through bad investments, deals with shady money managers and apparent favors to friends and family. They face prison sentences, fines or both if convicted.

The trial, which will likely be postponed for several months after the first hearings Tuesday and Wednesday, is the culmination of a two-year investigation into the Holy See’s flawed 350 million-euro London real estate venture. That operation exposed the Vatican’s once-secret financial dealings and its structural dysfunction, which allowed just a few people to do so much damage to the Vatican’s finances and reputation, with little expertise or oversight.

But the prosecutors’ case also suggests that Pope Francis and his top lieutenants were not only aware of some of the key transactions, but in some cases explicitly authorized them, even without full documentation or understanding the details. Given the hierarchical nature of the Holy See and the obedience required of underlings to their religious superiors, questions also remain about why some people were charged and others not.

One Vatican monsignor who until recently was considered by prosecutors to be a key suspect, Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, managed to avoid indictment. Perlasca’s office handled the London investment from start to finish and his boss had identified him as the main in-house culprit in obscuring the deal’s costly outcome. But prosecutors suggested that Perlasca flipped and became an important witness, in part after coming under pressure to recant his testimony by the lone cardinal on trial, Angelo Becciu.

Francis, who as absolute monarch wields supreme legislative, executive and judicial power in Vatican City, has in many ways already convicted Becciu.

Last year, Francis presented Becciu with evidence that he had sent 100,000 euros in Vatican funds to a Sardinian charity run by Becciu’s brother. Francis secured Becciu’s resignation as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and then stripped him of his rights as cardinal, a sanction that was announced immediately by the Vatican press office.

Becciu, who is charged with embezzlement and pressuring Perlasca to recant, has denied any wrongdoing.

The onetime chief of staff in the Vatican secretariat of state, Becciu is also linked to a mysterious figure who is also on trial, Cecilia Marogna, whom he hired in 2016 as an external security consultant. Prosecutors allege Marogna embezzled 575,000 euros in Vatican funds that Becciu had authorized for ransoms to free Catholic hostages. Bank records from her Slovenian front company show the Vatican wire transfers were used instead to pay bills at luxury shops and boutique hotels. Marogna says the money was legitimate compensation and reimbursement for her intelligence-related expenses.

Can You Be a Follower of Jesus and Not Be ‘Churchy’? After Reconstructing, Lecrae Says Yes

Jessica Lea

July 27, 2021

In an interview with NGEN Radio, Christian hip hop artist Lecrae shared that recently he has grown more comfortable with who he is. One result of this growth is that as a follower of Jesus, he no longer feels he has to be “churchy.”

“I did a lot of spiritual deconstruction over the last few years,” said Lecrae, “and now I’ve been reconstructing, and God has just really been solidifying me and just connecting me in different spaces and places that I just never really imagined. Sometimes it’s hard to see yourself outside of how everybody else sees you and just be who God made you to be, and that’s where I’m at right now.”

Lecrae: I’m No Longer Ashamed

When NGEN host Marcus Sullivan asked Lecrae how Christ was moving in his life lately, the artist shared, “I love Jesus, but I’m not ‘churchy,’ and I used to be ashamed of that.” He explained that the term “churchy,” does not refer to fellowshipping with believers, but rather to a certain type of Christian culture.

Often in American Christianity, there is unstated pressure to look a certain way or to talk a certain way, and if someone doesn’t fit those expectations, “people will side-eye you.” But that does not mean that person is not a true Christian. Lecrae compared the situation to someone who was raised in the South but doesn’t enjoy grits.

There is nothing wrong with people who do fit a certain “mold,” he said, but there is also nothing wrong with the fact that he is a follower of Jesus who he doesn’t fit into a particular cultural mold.

In an interview with The Breakfast Club last summer, Lecrae elaborated more on his deconstruction from what he called “America’s version of Christianity.” You can read about that here.

Lecrae said that his latest album, “Restoration,” released in August 2020, came from a raw place and a desire to bring people hope. He felt like Peter, who had denied Jesus—but then Jesus found Peter and restored him.

When Sullivan asked Lecrae about the pressure of being a leader, the hip hop artist responded, “If you’re gonna call shots, you’re gonna take shots.” Being a leader, he said, is about seeing a mob coming at you and being able to turn around and lead them somewhere. In his role, there are constant lies coming at him, and people often misunderstand what he says.

“Jesus is the perfect leader because he was so misunderstood that they killed him,” said Lecrae. “They wanted him to be something he wasn’t, and they didn’t appreciate what he was.”

At the end of the conversation, Lecrae exhorted believers to encourage one another instead of attacking one another. “We can become crabs in a barrel and tear each other down instead of lifting each other up,” he said.

As an example, Lecrae said that if he doesn’t like the shoes his wife is wearing, he won’t criticize her, but instead will try to encourage her toward something better. We should have the same attitude in how we relate to one another. The hip hop artist was also clear that he has been guilty of the very problem he is warning against.

“Listen,” he said, “this is the pot calling the kettle black, I done done all of it.” Sometimes, the best choice is not to say anything at all. “Sometimes our offense is defense, just saying I’m trusting God, that’s my offense.”

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**1. Expository preaching is not merely drawing ideas from the text.**

**2. Expository preaching is not a theological lecture.**

**3. Expository preaching is not pulpit exegesis.**

**4. Expository preaching is not a running commentary on the text.**

**5. Expository preaching is not textual preaching.**

**6. Expository preaching is not selective exposition of the text.**