by Lauren Keating | Jan 26, 2024 | Episodes
Believers from across the world continue to help Ukraine meet mental health needs exacerbated by Russia’s latest war on the country, a conflict nearing its second anniversary. When Timothy Hamilton texted his brothers a link to the World’s Toughest Row endurance race with the suggestion that they should participate together, not all his brothers were easily convinced. And, when you encounter the word “shadow,” what images and thoughts cross your mind? Tales have probably conditioned us to think of lurking dangers and the need for heightened awareness.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 25, 2024 | Episodes
Chrystal York was 13 when she learned she was conceived after her mother was raped by a man whose advances she rejected. A mob of 300 people beat and threatened to kill a Christian couple at a police station in Karnataka State, India, after the wife was falsely accused of forced conversion, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said Jan. 23. And, as an evangelistic pastor, Charles H. Spurgeon felt a passion and sensed an urgency for the salvation of the lost in his city.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 24, 2024 | Episodes
A trio of pro-life bills, endorsed by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and other pro-life groups, were either introduced, reintroduced or passed last Thursday. And, the calendar has turned over, and we are now in the thick of a political season in a presidential election year. Pastors around the country understand the gravity of this moment and want to lead their people well. So, what does that look like?
by Lauren Keating | Jan 23, 2024 | Episodes
More than 90 percent of American adults support religious pluralism, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty found in its latest Religious Freedom Index, contrary to acts of religious hatred and intolerance amid the Israel-Hamas War. Addressing a crowd he called “a beautiful picture of America,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson laid out his philosophy for the American pro-life movement in a speech at a rally just prior to the 51st annual March for Life last Friday. And, we’ve all had family members and friends who have made bad choices and wandered from their faith and their family.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 22, 2024 | Episodes
Pastor Chris Simmons and Cornerstone Baptist Church in Dallas have learned that opened doors tend to open hearts. They know this. Open Doors has revealed their Top 50 countries where it’s most dangerous for Christians. And, with less than 18 hours before the crucifixion, Jesus made certain His disciples understood the inseparable relationship between prayer and the Word.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 19, 2024 | Episodes
The 51st Annual March for Life is happening Friday in Washington, DC. Shakira loved being a mom. She calls it the greatest job there is.
And, more pastors are encouraging members to adopt and provide foster care at a time when adoptions have declined in the U.S.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 18, 2024 | Episodes
Refugees and immigrants from all over the world are coming to the U-S. Imagine if churches from across your city or community came together to pray for God to stir spiritual awakening in your hometown. And, maybe you struggle to get help. Pastors can be guilty of that.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 17, 2024 | Episodes
Just a day after remembering the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., Americans are being called to reflect on the importance of religious freedom as they observed religious freedom day on Tuesday. And, in Luke 5, Jesus boarded Peter’s boat to teach the crowd gathered to hear Him speak. Peter had a front-row seat. As he listened, he heard about living by faith instead of religious observance.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 16, 2024 | Episodes
Facing brutal cold across the country, many Americans took Monday to reflect on the civil rights work of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Evangelical Immigration Table and World Relief issued a letter Jan. 11 signed by more than 500 evangelical Christians to U.S. presidential candidates urging them to consider biblical principles when drafting solutions to the immigration crisis. And, while the Scriptures speak about many issues, they do not speak to all issues. A piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox offers some suggestions on how believers can understand what God thinks about an issue when there is no specific, related Scriptural reference.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 15, 2024 | Episodes
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day…a federal holiday set aside to honor the life and legacy of the man who help guide the nation toward providing civil rights for all races. And, in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Kie Bowman writes, “Why does the amount of time we spend in prayer matter?”
by Lauren Keating | Jan 12, 2024 | Episodes
Some of the most encouraging news we hear has roots in tragedy. This week, Carter McNeese and his wife, Audrey, were awaiting their possessions to be delivered to their new home in Shalimar, Florida when the phone rang. And, Williamstown, Missouri is a small town with a population of only 60 souls. There only one church left in the small community and on January 4, Pastor James Leezer of Providence Church received the call no one wants – the church and the parsonage are on fire.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 11, 2024 | Episodes
College classmates stoned and torched Deborah Samuel to death in May 2022, in Abuja, Nigeria, accusing her of blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad. The Supreme Court will rule on a case involving an Idaho law which bans nearly all abortions in the state. And, Caleb Davis wants you to have a strong start to the new year but he believes it won’t happen accidentally. You must be intentional he writes in the Baptist Press Toolbox.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 10, 2024 | Episodes
For most pastors, the start of a new calendar year also indicates the start of a new fiscal year for their churches. A large blank canvas sits on an easel as Richard Pope, senior pastor of Canvas Church in Salisbury, Maryland, begins his Sunday sermon. And, if you’re a preacher or a teacher…you know when the listeners is tuned in and when they’re tuned out.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 9, 2024 | Episodes
A new searchable global database of violent religious persecution encompassing Christianity and other faiths is available free to the public, Global Christian Relief CEO David Curry announced Jan. 5. In a profound journey of faith, West Point cadet Austin Hemminger’s story is one of transformation amid the rigors of basic training. And, pastors can face significant challenges as they try to balance their family and their work. Sam Rainer offers some reasons in a Baptist Press article.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 8, 2024 | Episodes
As 2024 dawns, more than 4,800 people in western Cuba are walking into the new year with new spiritual life found only in Jesus Christ. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken omitted Nigeria from the 2024 list of egregious religious freedom violators Jan. 4, disregarding widespread outcry from advocacy groups including the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. And, Dan Darling believes you can read more and with pleasure in 2024.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 5, 2024 | Episodes
The summer before Leslie Montgomery started 8th grade, her church hired a youth pastor whose parents served as missionaries in Tanzania. The new year brings new beginnings, but a lot needs to be said for consistency. Ministry needs to be face-to-face as much as possible and Gospel-centric, not activity based, veteran youth leaders say. And, an Lifeway Bible Study reminds us, “No one likes to wait for God to move. We are an impatient, impetuous people. But waiting is often a necessary step for our growth and ability to receive God’s blessings.”
by Lauren Keating | Jan 4, 2024 | Episodes
When a believer dies, it is a time of sorrow and joy. The family of Junior Hill is walking through the season today. The longtime evangelist died this week at the age of 87 in his home in Hartselle, Alabama. As many people are hitting the gym as a new year begins, some believers on the other side of the world are utilizing a gym for more than just physical health. They are strengthening their spiritual muscles. And, when a lead pastor leaves a church, it affects the entire congregation. In a piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Stephen Vail who serves as the executive pastor at First Church in Charlotte, North Carolina says the right kind of communication can go a long way.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 3, 2024 | Episodes
From the age of 7, Jeremiah Castille had a vision of one day playing professional football, following in the footsteps of those players he watched in recaps of NFL games. Back then, however, he had no idea how God would end up using this vision. Believers from Texas and Mexico continue to provide aid to victims of Hurricane Otis. The category-five storm claimed at least 50 lives and did more than $10 billion in property damage in Acapulco in late October. And, in a piece in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Kie Bowman says, “Prayer connects us to Heaven.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 2, 2024 | Episodes
A stranger slid into Carina Beaty’s Instagram DMs. The message opened not just chat windows but doors to discipleship Carina couldn’t have imagined when she and her husband opened their apartment windows years ago. And, an grateful church is a church we should all desire. A Lifeway Research article provides some ways a church can help its members be grateful.
by Lauren Keating | Jan 1, 2024 | Episodes
It started with a coffee run. On a trip to the closest city, International Mission Board missionaries Jason and Robin Ebeyer were praying to find a “person of peace” – someone who would welcome them and help in their ministry efforts. And, in an article for Lifeway Research, church health consultant Mark Dance encourages pastors to reconsider how they are related to attendance at their church.
