Joe Biden took his presidential campaign to Florida today and promoted abortions – because apparently killing one million babies a year in abortions is not enough. He told the handful of pro-abortion voters gathered for the small event that they should hold Donald trump accountable for overturning Roe so states could set their own policies […]The post Joe Biden Campaigns in Florida for More Abortions appeared first on LifeNews.com.

Series like The Wingfeather Saga bring children along for the adventure of following Jesus.I picked up the first book reluctantly. Was I really going to spend my children’s nap time reading children’s fiction? But The Wingfeather Saga had been recommended to me by so many fans that I eventually joined the throngs of Christian adults and kids who’ve enjoyed the series.From the start, author Andrew Peterson captivated my imagination, building a world I could recognize while pushing the limits of familiarity. Aerwier has a bookshop with a nerdy owner; the three Igby siblings enjoy exploring its packed shelves. So normal! But just across the street is a city prison run by lizard monsters called Fangs. Not so normal.The Wingfeather books have since been adapted into an animated series; the second season premiered at the beginning of this month, with new episodes released weekly. I remember the Christian animations from my childhood—Bibleman, Psalty the Singing Songbook, and VeggieTales —as either simplistic retellings of Bible stories or moralizing lessons. These shows did a fine job of teaching me what God expected. But they didn’t captivate me with the idea of following Jesus.The animated Wingfeather, by contrast, is lighthearted and sincere, witty without resorting to gimmicks. It cultivates endearing characters without creating familiar Christian caricatures.What makes a good Christian children’s show? Here are four things The Wingfeather Saga does well that I hope would be true of any Christian program that I watch with my kids.The show invites kids along for the adventure.One of the quickest ways to bore kids is to talk at them. Shows that offer not much more than monologues, telling children what they should think and do, will rarely capture their hearts.This principle ...Continue reading...

? Temple Baptist Church - 4-21-20241 Corinthians 15:58Introduction:? A.? The Corinthian Church was a carnal (fleshly) church and spent both their time and resources upon their natural, temporal desires.? Paul loved this carnal, worldly church as it is the only one that Paul expressed his love for.? 1 Corinthians 16:23-24? The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.? (24)? My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.? B.? Chapter 15: 1-49, Paul speaks of their great salvation through the gospel.? Verses 50-57, the victory that has been won as one day all the church of God will be at home.? C.? The Holy Ghost admonishes the church to be heavenly minded in verse 58 because the real treasures are those that are eternal, not temporal.? The therefore ties this verse to the preceding verses and is a summation or conclusion.? His plea is based upon our blessed position in the body of Christ, the hope of His soon return in the rapture, and our eternal change.? ? D.? “My” denotes ownership.? “Beloved” denotes our dearness to both the Apostle and our Saviour.? “Brethren” denotes a family relationship which is important because our dependence is not only upon the Saviour but also upon each other!? 1.? Steadfastness – deals with the possibility of quitting - Galatians 6:9? And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.? (People are quitting on every hand.? Pastors, missionaries, evangelists, SS teachers, soul winners, church workers, etc.)? 2.? Immovability – deals with the possibility of being swayed - 2 Thessalonians 2:15? Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.? (We are in the midst of the “falling away.”)? 3.? Abounding – deals with possibility of sitting down instead of serving - 2 Corinthians 9:8? And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work.? (The closer to the end of the church age, the more we should labor.? Unfortunately, it is just the exact opposite is true.)? 4.? Knowledge – deals with the understanding that our labor is not in vain - Matthew 10:40-42? He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.? He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.? And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. (Though we are in the gleanings stage or the Days of Noe, God is still in control of the harvest)? 5.? Reward – God will certainly reward us with fullness - 2 John 1:8? Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (full reward) for our labors (Parable of those who labored through the heat of the day for a penny while others entered the fields much later and received the same.)? ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO TAKE TWO THINGS:? 1.? It Takes A Real Conversion – 1 John 2:19? They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.? 2.? It Takes A Real Conviction – Jesus is coming again just like He said!? SOME THINGS WE NEED TO CONTINUE IN:? 1.? We Need To continue In One Accord? Acts 1:14? These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.? 2.? We Need To Continue In Prayer? Acts 1:14? These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.? Colossians 4:2? Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;? 3.? We Need To Continue In Doctrine? Acts 2:42? And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.? 1 Timothy 4:16? Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.? 2 Timothy 3:14? But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast earned them? 4.? We Need To Continue In Fellowship? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Acts 2:42? And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.? 5.? We Need To Continue In The Grace of God? (Salvation's Message)? Acts 13:43? Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.? 6.? We Need To Continue In Encouragement? Acts 14:22? Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.? 7.? We Need To Continue In Soul Winning (Both at home and abroad)? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Acts 26:22? Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great? 8.? We Need To Continue To Live Godly? Romans 11:22? Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.? 9.? We Need To Continue Contending For The Faith? Galatians 2:5? To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.? 10.? We Need To Continue In Service? James 1:25? But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

A megachurch pastor has denied allegations that he plagiarized an apology as he continues to face pushback for suggesting in a joke that married women should do whatever their husbands want on their wedding night.?

Study: 24 percent of clergy in North Carolina are still opposed to same-sex marriage.After the departure of thousands of traditionalist United Methodist churches from the denomination over the past five years, it might stand to reason that those congregations remaining in the fold are more progressive and open to ordination and marriage of people in same-sex relationships.But the picture is far more mixed.A new report from the Religion and Social Change Lab at Duke University that looked at disaffiliating clergy from North Carolina’s two United Methodist conferences or regions found that even after the departures, 24 percent of North Carolina clergy remaining in the denomination disagree with allowing LGBTQ people to get married or ordained within the denomination.“At least some amount of ambivalence over LGBTQ+ issues among UMC clergy is likely to persist for years to come,” the report concluded.After a four-year COVID-19 delay and the departure of about 7,600 churches—a loss of 25 percent of all its US congregations—the denomination is likely to reconsider the issue of human sexuality when it convenes its top legislative body April 23–May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Given that the denomination is a worldwide body, with hundreds of delegates from Africa and the Philippines, areas far more conservative in their views of human sexuality, it’s unclear whether the measures stand a chance of passing, even as the US delegation is far more open to such changes.Overall, the Duke report finds that disaffiliating North Carolina clergy were much more politically and theologically conservative than those who chose to remain. Some 85 percent of clergy who left the denomination disagreed with the notion that “all religious leadership positions should be open to people ...Continue reading...

Study: 24 percent of clergy in North Carolina are still opposed to same-sex marriage.After the departure of thousands of traditionalist United Methodist churches from the denomination over the past five years, it might stand to reason that those congregations remaining in the fold are more progressive and open to ordination and marriage of people in same-sex relationships.But the picture is far more mixed.A new report from the Religion and Social Change Lab at Duke University that looked at disaffiliating clergy from North Carolina’s two United Methodist conferences or regions found that even after the departures, 24 percent of North Carolina clergy remaining in the denomination disagree with allowing LGBTQ people to get married or ordained within the denomination.“At least some amount of ambivalence over LGBTQ+ issues among UMC clergy is likely to persist for years to come,” the report concluded.After a four-year COVID-19 delay and the departure of about 7,600 churches—a loss of 25 percent of all its US congregations—the denomination is likely to reconsider the issue of human sexuality when it convenes its top legislative body April 23–May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Given that the denomination is a worldwide body, with hundreds of delegates from Africa and the Philippines, areas far more conservative in their views of human sexuality, it’s unclear whether the measures stand a chance of passing, even as the US delegation is far more open to such changes.Overall, the Duke report finds that disaffiliating North Carolina clergy were much more politically and theologically conservative than those who chose to remain. Some 85 percent of clergy who left the denomination disagreed with the notion that “all religious leadership positions should be open to people ...Continue reading...

Church leaders can offer clear moral and ethical guidance for a practice that violates biblical mandates.On April 8, the Vatican issued Dignitas Infinita, a 20-page document rejecting a variety of practices that violate human dignity. Unsurprisingly, these included human trafficking, violence against women, abortion, euthanasia, sex change, and child abuse. It also included surrogacy.This isn’t the first time the pontificate has come out against this “deplorable” practice, which “fails to respect the dignity of [the] child” and “violates the dignity of the woman.” Pope Francis made waves in January when he condemned surrogacy, noting that “a child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.”Evangelical Christians and pastors value the life of the unborn. That’s why we march across the capital on freezing January mornings and pray outside of abortion clinics. Our motivation for child protection must also lead us to confront the ways children are impacted by the baby-making industry as well.But when did you last hear your pastor address the issue of surrogacy from the pulpit? Odds are, never. Protestants have a dearth of official guidance on reproductive technologies. While some are clear on abortion, very few denominations have clear teachings on IVF, let alone the much rarer practice of surrogacy.Southern Baptist Theological Seminary ethics professor Andrew T. Walker told The New York Times that when he suggested introducing a resolution about artificial reproductive technology at the denomination’s annual convention, his colleagues hesitated.Some Christians are directly involved in surrogacy and see their role as a calling to help families have children, as CT reported in 2018. But many Christian bioethicists cite ...Continue reading...

Christian artists work at the intersection of music and climate change. Christians love to sing about creation. Hymns like “How Great Thou Art” describe the beauty of creation that moves the church to sing, “I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder / Thy power throughout the universe displayed.”Nature can also be a source of confusion or anxiety for believers as they observe eclipses and earthquakes and try to discern God’s role or intent in their unfolding. And as climate change more visibly impacts humans, the natural world can seem increasingly hostile, even as it remains a source of inspiration and joy for the Christian.Where is God’s hand at work? And how should we respond to mysteries and chaos in our prayers and worship?British scholar Mark Porter believes the Christian imagination can hold a complex view of creation—as can music. His research looks at the intersection of music, faith, and climate change, showing ways to engage nature beyond using it as a signpost of God’s glory, contending also with its beauty, chaos, fragility, and brutality.“There’s not just one thing that nature imagery does,” said Porter. “It can do something besides inspire an individual to look to God in worship.”Porter’s forthcoming book For the Warming of the Earth: Music, Faith, and Ecological Crisis describes how faith communities and organizations are responding to climate change and environmental crises with music, such as Resound Worship’s Doxecology album, the activism of groups like Christian Climate Action (CCA), and Catholic song festivals centered on Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical, Laudato Si’.It’s not a how-to book for worship leaders looking to more explicitly address creation care or ...Continue reading...

Study: 24 percent of clergy in North Carolina are still opposed to same-sex marriage.After the departure of thousands of traditionalist United Methodist churches from the denomination over the past five years, it might stand to reason that those congregations remaining in the fold are more progressive and open to ordination and marriage of people in same-sex relationships.But the picture is far more mixed.A new report from the Religion and Social Change Lab at Duke University that looked at disaffiliating clergy from North Carolina’s two United Methodist conferences or regions found that even after the departures, 24 percent of North Carolina clergy remaining in the denomination disagree with allowing LGBTQ people to get married or ordained within the denomination.“At least some amount of ambivalence over LGBTQ+ issues among UMC clergy is likely to persist for years to come,” the report concluded.After a four-year COVID-19 delay and the departure of about 7,600 churches—a loss of 25 percent of all its US congregations—the denomination is likely to reconsider the issue of human sexuality when it convenes its top legislative body April 23–May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Given that the denomination is a worldwide body, with hundreds of delegates from Africa and the Philippines, areas far more conservative in their views of human sexuality, it’s unclear whether the measures stand a chance of passing, even as the US delegation is far more open to such changes.Overall, the Duke report finds that disaffiliating North Carolina clergy were much more politically and theologically conservative than those who chose to remain. Some 85 percent of clergy who left the denomination disagreed with the notion that “all religious leadership positions should be open to people ...Continue reading...

? Temple Baptist Church - 4-17-2024John 15:11? Introduction:? A.? In verse 11, we find two kinds of “Joy.”? ? 1.? My Joy.? “remain in you”? A Joy that is found ONLY in Jesus Christ!? ? a)? The Joy of Salvation.? The Joy of Sanctification.? The Joy of Security.? The Joy of Serving.? ? b)? The Key words are “remain in” which implies that the joy of God is given to every believer and can be removed by the believer.? ? ? ? c)? “Living for Jesus” is a song that describes our Joy that is found in abiding in Jesus Christ:? Living for Jesus, a life that is true,Striving to please Him in all that I do;Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,This is the pathway of blessing for me.Refrain:O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.Living for Jesus Who died in my place,Bearing on Calv'ry my sin and disgrace;Such love constrains me to answer His call,Follow His leading and give Him my all.Living for Jesus, wherever I am,Doing each duty in His holy Name;Willing to suffer affliction and loss,Deeming each trial a part of my cross.Living for Jesus through earth's little while,My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.2.? Your Joy.? The key words here are “be full.”? The implication here is that the believer can have Joy to some degree and still not have fulness of Joy.? To have fulness of Joy is totally tied to the “My Joy” that is found only in our abiding in Christ.? “I had rather be an old time Christian that anything I know!”? Nehemiah 8:10? Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.? 3.? “Your Joy!”? I hear so much “Woe is me” preaching in our day.? People live lives of quiet desperation because of circumstances while God wants His people to enjoy life!? He wants them to enjoy His creation!? Proverbs 15:13? A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.? Proverbs 17:22? A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.? Ecclesiastes 2:24? There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.? Ecclesiastes 3:10-13? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.? (11)? He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.? (12)? I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.? (13)? And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.? Ecclesiastes 3:22? Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?? Ecclesiastes 5:18-19? Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.? (19)? Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.? Ecclesiastes 8:15? Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.? Ecclesiastes 9:7-9? Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.? (8)? Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.? (9)? Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.? B.? What is this joy of Christ?? I want to look at the best definition that I have ever seen, and it comes from your Bible because “My Joy” is not found in our circumstances which are subject to change.? It is completely found in the “God of my salvation” and the “God … my strength!”? *** Habakkuk 3:17-19? Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: ? (18)? Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. ? (19)? The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.? 1.? In these verses, we find both the “Cause” and “Effect” of the Christian's Joy.? The cause and effect is certainly not found in our circumstances as our days are so full for sin and sorrow!? Noah's Day, Lot's Day, Falling Away Days, Laodicean Days, Perilous Times all work together in our day to cause God's people to fret and fear.? Habakkuk used the word “Yet” to introduce “I will rejoice” and “I will joy!”? 2.? In Verses 18-19, we find the Cause of Joy:? a)? The God of my Salvation.? True Christian Joy comes from God in the form of Eternal Salvation.? John 15:13? Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.? b)? The LORD God, my Strength.? True Christian Joy is maintained in the spiritual Strength that comes from God, not circumstances.? John 15:5? I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.? 4.? In Verses 17-18, we find the Effect of Joy:? a)? Though things go wrong, and they do; though life is hard, and it is:? b)? Rejoicing comes from our inner fountain of Joy.? ? ? ? ? ? ? 5.? There was a day when praise and rejoicing were spontaneous, not something “worked up” by emotion.? “Popcorn Testimonies” have become a thing of the past.? We need to get our Joy back and Rejoicing will follow without having to be stirred or worked up.? Rejoicing is more than an emotion; it is a realization brought about by relationship and remembrance!? 6.? We live in days when pastors feel the necessity to stir our emotions with fleshly music and preaching as to produce rejoicing.? Thus, they become Promoters—not Pastors, Entertainers—not Preachers.? ? a.? A Pastor is none of these things.? He is to feed the flock of God, not stir them up.? Churches now have “Praise Leaders!”? ? b.? I find that preaching the Word is a divider because the Word brings about the knowledge of sin, the need for repentance, and division from the world.? c.? Rejoicing should be a spontaneous result of an inner Joy found in the Lord.? Rejoicing is a product of that inward Joy, not the cause of Joy.? Romans 12:12? ? Rejoicing in hope;? patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;? Philippians 3:1? ? Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.? To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.? Philippians 4:4? ? Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.? 7.? The hymns of the Faith no longer cause Rejoicing, so the modern day “church” is now in the “Entertainment Business” instead of reproving, rebuking, and Exhorting with all longsuffering and doctrine.? Modern day preaching and music reflect the world because most professing “Christians” are more worldly than spiritual.? C.? Both rejoicing and joy are to be despite our circumstances, not because of them!? Most Christians live in discouragement with little joy.? ? Why?? The answer is simple.? 1.? Because Of Sinfulness - Matthew 24:12? And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.? ? (God's people are not drunks and harlots, but sin creeps in and we now walk at a guilty distance from God and the joy is gone.)? 2.? Because Of Our Situations - Matthew 14:30? But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.? ? (God's people have their eyes upon the “wind and waves” of circumstance and not upon Christ.? When Peter looked up instead of looking down, he saw the Lord of the “wind and waves” and once again walked on the water.)? D.? Many Christians live in defeat with no joy at all.? 1.? For The World, Joy Is Found In Circumstances – Luke 12:16-21? And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:? And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.? ? And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.? But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.? 2.? For The Christian, Joy Is Found Despite Circumstances - 2 Corinthians 7:4? Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.? 2 Corinthians 8:2? How that? in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty? abounded unto the riches of their liberality.Colossians 1:11? Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power,? unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;? 1 Thessalonians 1:6? And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord,? having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:? E.? Loss of joy comes through:? 1.? Losing the freshness of our salvation.? 2.? Losing the burning love for our Saviour.? 3.? Losing the excitement of our service.? WHERE THE CHRISTIAN FINDS HIS JOY? 1.? Christian Joy Is Found In Salvation - Luke 10:20? Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.? Psalms 35:9? And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall? rejoice in his salvation.? Psalms 51:12? Restore unto me? the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.? Psalms 132:16? I will also clothe her priests? with? salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.? Isaiah 12:3? Therefore? with joy? shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.? 2.? Christian Joy Is Found In The Holy Ghost - Romans 15:13? Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,? that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.? Joy Is Not Found In The Things Of The World - Romans 14:17? For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;? but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.? 3.? Christian Joy Is Found In God's Word - Nehemiah 8:9-12? And Nehemia

Does it matter how long theft has been prohibited? What about murder? Do laws prohibiting these acts deserve less respect because they have stood for so long? Of course not. So, why did President Joe Biden — in promoting his view that killing an unborn child should be legal — insist on pointing out that […]The post It Doesn't Matter How Old Arizona's Abortion Ban Is, Killing Babies is Wrong appeared first on LifeNews.com.

The Arizona legislature has defeated a measure to that would repeal the state's abortion ban that protect women and unborn babies. On Wednesday, following two attempts to bring up the pro-abortion bill that would repeal the ban and allow killing babies in abortions. “The last thing we should be doing today is rushing a bill […]The post Arizona Legislature Defeats Measure to Repeal Pro-Life Law Protecting Babies From Abortions appeared first on LifeNews.com.

There's big trouble at NPR after a whistleblower who exposed their far-leftist agenda abruptly resigned. Should our tax dollars be […]

A majority of American Catholics think abortion should be legal in all or most cases, although support for legal abortion is much lower among Catholics who attend mass regularly, according to a survey.

As Haiti is uprooted by violence, church leaders treat gunshot wounds, give up homes for strangers, and rescue dignitaries.Pastor Frederic Nozil has learned to keep his head down.Last year, the year he turned 53, gangs attacked his neighborhood in Pétion-Ville, a suburb overlooking Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. They ransacked the house Nozil was renting and set it on fire. Nozil moved with his wife and two daughters to a safer community a couple of miles away.Still, he took few chances. This year, he turned 54 at home, quietly. A few people from his church brought a cake. They stayed no more than an hour. “Parties attract attention,” Nozil said. “You can’t celebrate too much.”He schedules church activities to wrap up before a mandatory curfew. He will cut a prayer service short if he has a bad feeling about a police vehicle he noticed on the street. Some of his congregation risk their lives crossing gang checkpoints on their way to the church, the Centre Chrétien International Maison d’Adoration, so he knows to expect a smaller turnout.Ministry looks different, he figures, at the end of the world. “We are living in an eschatological time,” Nozil said.That’s how it felt in the early hours of March 18. It was a Monday, and the bespectacled minister should have been recovering from the usual slate of Sunday demands. Instead, he shut himself in his home for two days straight as heavy gunfire echoed through the hills.Gang members in balaclavas wound past Nozil’s neighborhood in cars and motorcycles, ascending the main road into the mountains. They shot automatic weapons and left at least a dozen pedestrians dead in their wake. They stopped in a wealthy enclave called Laboule and laid siege to its walled residences. In one home, security cameras recorded armed young ...Continue reading...

A megachurch pastor apologized for what he characterized as "careless words" when he joked that women should do whatever their husbands want on their wedding night, even though he insisted that his remarks were taken out of context.

Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, weighed in on how Christians should prepare for the End Times — especially as he believes the world is in the “last days of the last days before the rapture of the Church.”

Most pastors will tell you of the importance of small groups. Speaking from personal experience, I know that if someone is connected in a small group, there is a greater likelihood that they'll be involved in a wider mission and more involved within the local church's life. They also have a built-in support system to help them grow in Christ. A recent LifeWay study found what I already knew through personal experience—small groups are important. Scott McConnell summarized the study with these words:"Small groups and Sunday School classes provide the relational glue that allows a local congregation to be a place where people love one another. Groups and relationships that are centered on the Word of God unify a congregation and motivate people to work together on the mission of the church. Churches with few people participating in groups are not in a healthy position to make more disciples."? [1]We also know that, just as with Sunday morning attendance, there are more women than men in attendance—about 60-40. Why is it harder to get men to be actively involved in small groups? Do they not like going? Or are there other reasons?Before answering these questions, I should say that in my own experience, I have witnessed many men absolutely love going to small groups. If a man is engaged in other disciplines within the body of Christ, these "reasons" are usually not a big enough hurdle. And in my experience, many of the men who attend small groups say it's their favorite time of the weak. Nevertheless, it can be a tough hurdle for some to overcome. Here are some of those reasons: ? [1]? https://research.lifeway.com/2023/03/07/research-reveals-importance-of-small-groups-evangelism-assimilation-for-church-growth/Photo Courtesy:? ? Jantanee Rungpranomkorn from? Getty Images

At 89 years old and more than 60 years into ministry, the Stonebriar Community Church founder plans to remain its primary preacher after the church names his successor.Chuck Swindoll has said that pastors “should never retire,” and the 89-year-old won’t be stepping away from the pulpit even as his church welcomes his successor.Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, announced this week that Swindoll will transition to founding pastor, continuing to preach on Sundays, as Jonathan Murphy becomes its senior pastor on May 1.“This is a very unique way of expanding, of ‘moving into another chapter,’ as we often call it here,” said Swindoll in a video clip alongside Murphy, a Belfast-born preacher who currently serves as chair of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary.With over 60 years in ministry, Swindoll is the oldest megachurch pastor in the country and one of the most influential. He has been vocal about his plans to remain active in ministry until his death.“One of my great goals in life is to live long enough to where I am in the pulpit, preaching my heart out, and I die on the spot, my chin hits the pulpit—boom!—and I’m down and out,” he said at age 75. “What a way to die.”In his new role, Swindoll remains Stonebriar’s regular preacher, while Murphy leads day-to-day ministries and fills in to preach when needed, according to the church’s announcement.“We have the founding pastor being able to continue to preach as long as the Lord would have, and I can have a season as a senior pastor taking responsibility for the staff and caring for them and the ministry direction of the church at large,” said Murphy, who has been a guest preacher at Stonebriar and serves on the board for Swindoll’s long-running radio ministry Insight for Living.The two have been preparing ...Continue reading...

The American Solidarity Party is a small but growing alternative to the Trump-Biden race.Charlie Richert would really like to stop voting for his dad.But in the last couple presidential election cycles, the 30-year-old attorney in Indianapolis has been unable to square his conscience with picking either the Republican or Democratic party nominee, so he’s resorted to writing in a name.“There’s no way I can escape having my faith inform how I vote,” said Richert, a nondenominational Christian who grew up Republican. “Unfortunately, we’ve been kind of stuck in a doom loop of candidates at the presidential level that I’ve just not felt comfortable voting for.”This year, he’s not drawn to alternatives like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Cornel West. “Maybe I’ll write in Abe Lincoln this year. Sorry to my dad, but a new name to write in would be fun,” he said.He recalls seeking to convince his classmates in an eighth-grade mock election that they should support Mitt Romney, but his chagrin with the Republican Party’s presidential nominee tracked with the ascension of Donald Trump.In a year when both major party presidential candidates are viewed unfavorably by a quarter of Americans, many find themselves less excited about the two options at the top of the ticket. But, like Richert, that doesn’t mean they’re ready to go for third-party options.The third-party candidates running in 2024 span the ideological spectrum, from independents Kennedy and Princeton University professor Cornel West to Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Then there are the more obscure party or candidate options—the Prohibition Party, Andrew Yang’s Forward Party, Maryland politician Jason Palmer, and that man in Texas who changed his name to “Literally ...Continue reading...

Why should any of this be of great concern to Americans? To ask that question is to answer it.

Often in the quest towards marriage and finding “the one,” something happens. It's easy to overlook things that may not seem that big of a deal while dating, but these things could be destructive patterns once married. But love doesn't have to be blind. There's no reason to settle for unhealthy or harmful relationships, simply to pursue being married.We all have sin issues that we deal with on a daily basis. We've all made mistakes that we often wish we could do-over. We all need the grace and freedom that only Christ Himself can offer. But our marriages are healthier when we recognize red flags in our dating relationships, instead of choosing not to see problems at all.God cares about the decisions we make. He cares about who we marry. And we can trust He will give guidance, and help us see some red flags to be aware of along the way.Photo credit: ©GettyImages/dragana991

Today's category: ChristmasDesparate Measures? ? ? ? ? ? Little Johnny went to his mother demanding a new bicycle. His mother decided that he should take a look at himself and the way he acts. She said, "Well Johnny, it isn't Christmas and we don't have the money to just go out and buy you anything you want. So why don't you write a letter to Jesus and pray for one instead." After his temper tantrum his mother sent him to his room. He finally sat down to write a letter to Jesus.? ? ? ? ? ? Dear Jesus,? ? ? ? ? ? I've been a good boy this year and would appreciate a new bicycle.? ? ? ? ? ? Your Friend,? ? ? ? ? ? Little Johnny? ? ? ? ? ? Now Little Johnny knew that Jesus really knew what kind of boy he was (Brat).? ? ? ? ? ? So, he ripped up the letter and decided to give it another try.? ? ? ? ? ? Dear Jesus,? ? ? ? ? ? I've been an OK boy this year and I want a new bicycle.? ? ? ? ? ? Yours Truly,? ? ? ? ? ? Little Johnny? ? ? ? ? ? Well, Little Johnny knew this wasn't totally honest so he tore it up and tried again.? ? ? ? ? ? Dear Jesus,? ? ? ? ? ? I've thought about being a good boy this year and can I have a new bicycle?? ? ? ? ? ? Signed,? ? ? ? ? ? Little Johnny? ? ? ? ? ? Well, Little Johnny looked deep down in his heart, which by the way was what his mother was really wanting. He crumpled up the letter and threw it in the trash can and went running outside.? ? ? ? ? ? He aimlessly wandered about; depressed because of the way he treated his parents and really considering his actions. He finally found himself in front of a Catholic Church.? ? ? ? ? ? Little Johnny went inside and knelt down, looking around not knowing what he should really do. Little Johnny finally got up and began to walk out the door and was looking at all the statues. All of a sudden he grabbed a small one and ran out the door. He went home hid it under his bed and wrote this letter.? ? ? ? ? ? Jesus,? ? ? ? ? ? I've broken most of the Ten Commandments; shot spit wads in school, tore up my sister's Barbie doll and lots more. I'm desperate. I've got your mama. If you ever want to see her again, give me a bike.? ? ? ? ? ? Signed,? ? ? ? ? ? You know whoView hundreds more jokes online.Email this joke to a friend

Why should any of this be of great concern to Americans? To ask that question is to answer it.