Since 1985, the Newsboys have been topping the charts of contemporary Christian music (CCM). But many Christian artists are deconstructing and becoming “exvangelicals.” Apologist Sean McDowell sat down with two Newsboys, Michael Tait and Jeff Frankenstein, to discuss how deconstruction has played out in Christian music.

“Is there something wrong with the contemporary music scene and evangelicalism as a whole that we need to address?” asked McDowell.

As Some CCM Artists Lost After Deconstruction, the Newsboys Have Kept God at the Center—On and Off the Stage

Michael Tait, previously of DC Talk, has been the lead singer of the Newsboys since 2009, and Jeff Frankenstein has been on keys for the Newsboys since 1994. Especially in the 80s and 90s, contemporary Christian music soared in popularity.

Since that time, however, many contemporary Christian artists have gone through deconstruction with varying outcomes. McDowell referred to the “former people of DC Talk or the co-founder of the Newsboys saying he’s an atheist, and Jars of Clay going a certain leftward direction.”

The three attempted to uncover the root of deconstruction and how it has affected Christian music artists.

“Man is innately flawed. Man has free will,” Tait said. “We can sometimes be tempted to go off and doubt and wonder.” He spoke of his own conversations with God, especially when he’s asking God questions, adding, “Sometimes you have to search in the Word for the things that are hidden for us.”

Frankenstein shared his own experience of not feeling free to doubt and ask questions growing up. He empathizes with those who are now asking questions. “As Christians, we’ve made a lot of grave errors when we react to hearing about other believers deconstructing,” he shared. “We’ve started with judgment first, instead of approaching the situation with compassion.”

Deconstruction stems from “a lot of different things” Frankenstein explained. “I think the 80s and 90s culturally was such a different time” where kids were “forced to be a certain way where you weren’t given that free will to decide for yourself.” He spoke of the implications of Christian hypocrisy.

A person’s walk with Christ “isn’t setting you free, just by rules and regulations,” he argued. “Maybe you haven’t seen the true spirit of God.” Frankenstein said that people today are often isolated, without others seeing “the person you really are” and with unchecked information from social media feeding their minds.

Tait mentioned how important confession is in his own life. He admits that he’s “messed up” and then “gets back up.” Some who are going through deconstruction “fall into that dead place of craziness; they never come out of it.”

The Christian music industry is a business where profits are made by selling albums and tickets. McDowell wondered about the temptation to “value competence and giftedness over character and depth.”

“There’s a pattern that you see happen where this pure thing that you brought to the table now has to be marketed and manipulated and put into the system with these gatekeepers,” explained Frankenstein. “It loses its innocence.”

In an opinion piece published on Wednesday (Nov. 20) by The Wall Street Journal, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy shared that their new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plans to target the government’s funding of Planned Parenthood.

Earlier this month, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he appointed Musk and Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, a new department Trump will create after taking office. Trump said that DOGE will advise his administration in its pursuit to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies,” actions Trump claims are “essential to the ‘Save America’ movement.”

Musk is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Ramaswamy is the founder of the pharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences and recently ran for president of the United States as a Republican. He ended his campaign in January and endorsed Trump.

RELATED: Greg Laurie to Elon Musk, Richard Dawkins, and Other ‘Cultural Christians’: Take the Next Step

Trump has described DOGE as an agency that will “provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government [that has] never [been] seen before.”

Trump has given Musk and Ramaswamy a deadline of July 4, 2026, to complete the task DOGE has been given.

DOGE announced on Wednesday that one of the ways it plans to reduce spending is to cut off government funding to “groups like Planned Parenthood.”

Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization founded by Margaret Sanger in 1916, is the America’s largest provider of reproductive health services and abortions. According to Planned Parenthood’s 2022-2023 annual report, the organization performed 392,715 abortions during that time span. This was a 5% increase from the previous year and a 20% increase from the prior 10 reports.

Abortions make up over 97% of Planned Parenthood’s services.

Planned Parenthood reported over $2 billion in income for 2022-23, $699.3 million of which came from taxpayer funding through the means of Government Health Services reimbursements and grants. The Charlotte Lozier Institute noted that taxpayer funding given to Planned Parenthood has increased by 46% since 2010.

DOGE Aims To Cut Planned Parenthood’s Taxpayer Funding

Musk and Ramaswamy shared in their op-ed that they plan to follow the “Supreme Court’s guidance” in reversing a “decadeslong executive power grab.”

One way they plan to so, they said, is focusing on “delivering cost savings for taxpayers.” The DOGE leaders continued, “Skeptics question how much federal spending DOGE can tame through executive action alone. They point to the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, which stops the president from ceasing expenditures authorized by Congress.”

Both before and after his Cleveland Browns won a wild, wintry football game Thursday night (Nov. 21), veteran quarterback Jameis Winston quoted Scripture and thanked God on national television.

Before the Browns faced their AFC North rival Pittsburgh, reporter Kaylee Hartung asked the QB how a victory would feel. “The horse is preparing for battle, but victory comes from the Lord,” replied Winston. “So I’m dependent on the Lord.”

RELATED: Browns’ Jameis Winston Credits ‘Unwavering Faith, Ultimate Belief [and] Dependence on the Lord’ for Underdog Win

The Browns, who entered the game with a 2-8 record, secured a 24-19 victory at home against the previously 8-2 Steelers. Despite giving up a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter, Cleveland scored a go-ahead touchdown with 57 seconds left.

How did they expect the Steelers to beat this man, on this night? He was blessed to play in the snow he didn’t have to play in it. “day by day. 1 play at a time”. That horse certainly was prepared for battle. Jameis may not win, but he never loses.
pic.twitter.com/iGZ08tT38v

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) November 22, 2024

Jameis Winston: ‘The Lord Has Blessed Me’

Jameis Winston, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2013 at Florida State and was drafted No. 1 overall by Tampa Bay in 2015, had never played in conditions below 40 degrees at kickoff. He woke up excited Thursday and Face-Timed his wife and boys, he said, telling them he was “definitely eating the snow today.”

Before kickoff, when asked about the challenging conditions, a smiling Winston said, “I am so happy and grateful that the Lord has blessed me to play in some snow. To be in true football weather, in Cleveland, Ohio, at Huntington Bank Field today, to give him the glory. It’s a beautiful day.”

After the victory, Winston joined the Thursday Night Football desk to talk about his team’s performance. When asked how he maintains confidence despite moving around in the NFL, the All-Pro QB referenced Proverbs 3:5.

“One of my favorite [Bible] verses [is], ‘Trust in the Lord with your whole heart, and lean not on your own understanding,’” said Winston. “I may not know what’s going on, but…I’ve got faith that I can make something happen at any single time.”

The Thursday Night crew called Winston a “national treasure,” saying they appreciate his authenticity and enthusiasm.

Jameis Winston: ‘I Don’t Believe in Coincidences’

Last month, Jameis Winston became the Browns’ starting QB after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury. Before leading Cleveland to an Oct. 27 upset of the Baltimore Ravens, Winston spoke about his “unwavering faith, ultimate belief, [dependence] on the Lord.”

RELATED: Deshaun Watson Gets Baptized in the Jordan River

After Thursday night’s win, Winston thanked the hardy fans and praised his teammates’ gritty performance in the elements. The QB said he was especially proud of Browns running back Nick Chubb, who recently returned from a serious knee injury sustained against the Steelers 14 months ago.

“What advice do you have for a woman whose husband has stepped away from the church and no longer spiritually leads the family?” asked an attendee at a Living Proof Live event held by author and Bible teacher Beth Moore.

“My answer to this is gonna sound so hyper-spiritual,” Moore replied, adding that nevertheless, “It’s the truth, it’s the only answer I’ve got, and that is just that my stability has been in Jesus, and it is the only way I’ve been able to stay stable.”

“I have had quite the journey with my husband, who I love very, very much,” Moore shared with the crowd. “I’ve been married this coming fall for 45 years, 45 miraculous years. And the reason why Keith and I have made it is because we’ve each been married to five different people, truly…we didn’t ever have to divorce and remarry because we kept being different than we were.”

Beth Moore: ‘Hold Tight to Jesus’

Beth Moore is an author, speaker and Bible teacher and the founder and visionary of Living Proof Ministries. She has written numerous bestselling books and Bible studies, including her memoir, “All My Knotted Up Life.” In that memoir, Moore describes difficulties she has faced in her marriage to Keith Moore, including dealing with severe trauma that he suffered from an event that happened to him as a child. 

RELATED: Beth Moore: What Will ‘Make or Break’ Your Bible Teaching

During a Q&A session at the Living Proof Live event, Moore alluded to particulars of her marital struggles. “He’s had quite a journey and so have I,” she said. “My husband has had to live with bipolar and very serious, serious PTSD that he earned through the worst tragedy, the worst kind of tragedy, a fire when he was a little boy with his brother.”

“I just want you to know, I came in with equal junk,” Moore said. “Baggage attracts baggage…so I literally picked the guy on my campus that I thought was as—he was so cute that I could hardly bear it and was probably as messed up as I was. And then we made it together. So you can imagine what our lives were like.”

But even though Moore says that her marriage has survived only by the grace of God, she also told attendees that she didn’t “know what [my] ministry would look like without this exact marriage…I think about the arrogance I would have had.” Moore does not believe that God would have carried out the same work through her had she been married to a man similar to her friends’ husbands.

“I’d be going all over the place, me and my husband, doing marriage seminars,” she joked. “If you ever see that I’m doing a marriage seminar, come get me.”

“[Keith and I] just keep falling back in love,” Moore continued. “And the last time I really didn’t want to. I was like, I’m not doing that again. But I did, and…hold tight to Jesus and try to stay off the roller coaster.”

A former West Virginia youth pastor is facing a staggering 191 child sex abuse charges. John Radcliff has been charged in four different counties for crimes that allegedly occurred between 1987 and 2003. 

Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.

According to WDTV, Radcliff was originally arrested in September for child sex crimes that allegedly occurred in 2018 and 2019. Following Radcliff’s arrest, more victims came forward, and a sprawling investigation ensued. 

Authorities have identified victims in the West Virginian counties of Lewis, Harrison, Braxton and Nicholas. 

RELATED: Ohio Pastor of 35 Years Charged With Child Sex Crimes

The charges against Radcliff include 56 counts of first degree sexual assault, 15 counts of first degree sexual abuse, 63 counts of sexual abuse by a parent or guardian, 56 counts of incest, and one count of display of obscene material to a minor. 

The court documents did not disclose where Radcliff served as a youth pastor but said that he was “a preacher and led a youth ministry” and that he was “viewed as a father figure” by the victims.

Radcliff is accused of abusing multiple girls, beginning when they were just 3 or 4 years old. Several of the alleged victims are Radcliff’s own nieces.

All of the girls, who are now adults, told investigators that Radcliff made them perform sexual acts on him and sexually assaulted them in other ways throughout their childhoods. 

RELATED: Pastor Sentenced to 50 Years for Raping His Own Children; Ex-Wife Charged With Permitting Child Abuse

According to WBOY, one victim said that when she was 8 years old, Radcliff put her hand down his pants and “began ‘teaching her’ how to stimulate a man.”

On the latest episode of their podcast, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jeremy Vuolo reflect on marriage and the changes and challenges they’ve experienced together. The couple, who wed in 2016, have two daughters, ages 6 and 3, and are expecting a baby.

Jinger Duggar Vuolo is the sixth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and starred on the TLC shows “19 Kids and Counting” and “Counting On.” Jeremy Vuolo was a pro soccer player before turning to full-time ministry. He now serves at John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church and The Master’s Seminary.

During their Nov. 20 podcast episode, Jinger, 30, and Jeremy, 37, look back at their eight years of marriage, saying it has both “flown by” and “feels like we’ve been married forever.” The couple agreed they’re both “different people” now—including theologically—but are still “on the sanctification growth process.”

Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jeremy Vuolo’s Anniversary Reflections

The Vuolos were forced to deal with and work through challenges they never expected, Jinger said. That made the beginning of their marriage “so hard and yet so sweet” because it led to a quick bond.

Referring to her brother Josh Duggar, in prison following his conviction for receiving child sex abuse materials, Jinger said, “There was so much heartache and pain. Yet at the same time, I think we just leaned into each other. We leaned into the Lord, and God sustained us and grew us deeper in that time.”

RELATED: ‘We’re Super Excited’—Jinger Duggar Vuolo, Husband Jeremy, Announce 3rd Child Is on the Way

She continued, “I wouldn’t trade that, because God uses all things. He works it all together for our good, and I think it’s hard to see when you’re in that moment. It’s hard to see when you’re in the midst of the pain. You just want it to go away.”

To her husband, Jinger said, “Your love for me regardless of what we were walking through, it was so comforting and so helpful, and God allowed all of that.”

Jeremy Vuolo, who praised his wife’s outward and inward beauty, agreed that God has proven faithful. Pointing to the Old Testament tradition of an Ebenezer, he said, “We can look and see how God was faithful and…how he grew us closer, how he matured us, how he was showing us our own areas of weakness or sin.” An Ebenezer, Jeremy said, can be a reflective conversation, a journal entry, or any other reminder of God’s goodness. He added:

In those moments of doubt and those moments of struggle, it’s not ours to understand what God’s doing, it’s to understand who God is. When Job was going through all the suffering…God did not come down and start explaining to him why he’s allowed him to go through all that. [God] simply…declared his person to Job: Let me tell you who I am. And as we look at the one who’s in control…we see his character. We can have peace.