“In every study since 2018, Bible Users have accounted for between 47 and 49 percent of American adults; however, the 2022 data showed a 10-percent decrease” - ABS

From the synopsis: “When Grace Community Church faces state orders to shut down indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they realize the state’s attempt to replace Jesus Christ as the head of the Church” - C.Leaders

“Writing in Vox news, Luke Winkie describes a new and growing trend for health-conscious Americans: ‘microdosing.’ It consists of introducing small amounts of marijuana, magic mushrooms, ketamine, or other formerly illicit substances into a daily routine.” - Breakpoint

“The hard truth is that my principal objection to virtually all children’s entertainment made in the last decade or so … is that it is ugly. This is not a negligible consideration.” - TAC

A Sermon (No. 405) Delivered on Sunday Morning, August the 18th, 1861 by the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.

Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. (Matthew 21:5)

“A majority (56 percent) of Gen Zers report they felt lonely at least once or twice a month during their childhood. In contrast, only about one in four (24 percent) Baby Boomers say they felt lonely this often as children.” - IFS

In-depth look at the recent National Conservatives conference: “In considering National Conservatism as brand, coalition, or invitation to stop being polite and start being real, my judgments are varied.” - Acton

“Rice had come under fire for ordaining a deacon with a history of sexual misconduct.” - RNS

“Hundreds of people—including the dean of an evangelical seminary—were found massacred by Russian military forces in a suburb of Kyiv.” - TGC

Faith in America study: “13% of Americans are atheists, not believing in God, a higher power, or any spiritual force. Of the others, a bare majority, 54%, of Americans say they ‘believe in God as described by the Bible.’ Whereas 16% say they ‘believe in God but not as described in the Bible.’” - Veith

Read the series.

In the first volume of his impressive work The Whole Counsel of God, CT Richard Gamble identifies four covenant types in Scripture. I have no qualm with the first three, but Gamble’s fourth variety of covenant is “one among the three persons of the Godhead.” (I.284). He sees a “hint” of this in the words “Let us make man in our image” in Genesis 1:26, but points to a “clearer example” in Genesis 8:21-22. In this instance “God was not speaking to Noah, but was in fact making a covenant with himself.” (I.285).

“TikTok is now the world’s most downloaded app and the world’s #1 most visited website, ahead of Google (#2) and Facebook (#3). Every day, more than one billion different videos are viewed on TikTok. Experts agree that the key to its success is its unique algorithm.” - IFS

“…everybody separates, has lines of demarcation around a set of acceptable views, lines that keep out unacceptable ones. Everybody, I think, stratifies doctrine, from the irascible discernment blogger who seems to treat every doctrine as of first importance to the liberal who makes it all negotiable.” - Mark Ward

“I want to define antithesis and common grace in their historical context to show that these concepts, when held together, help us to maintain a Scriptural balance. They help us remember that the devil is our enemy (not humanity) ” - Wyatt Graham

“Like Epstein, many counselors feel that mainstream spoken-word therapy and drug-prescribing psychiatry set too low a bar for human development. They also note that the Buddhist emphasis on deconstructing thoughts can lead to ignoring personal feelings and individual needs.” - RNS

“…leaders like Jesus and Paul labored alongside women, affirmed their giftedness, and established structures that would maximize their contribution to the gospel’s effectiveness in the church and out into the world.” - TGC

“The Cross… also reveals, in history’s most transcendent moment, that Jesus’ focus is not on trying to evoke feelings in others. Nor is it on stoically demonstrating timeless truth.” - TGC

“More bad news.” Throughout my nine-month ordeal with the brain tumor and lymphoma there were few positive developments. Even what we thought were positive developments turned out to be false hopes. My wife and I felt like we were slowly descending into an abyss. I felt like I was slipping down a steep slope to death, which lay at the bottom with its mouth open for me like a yawning chasm. I wanted to stop and get off the ride, but this wasn’t a ride, and I couldn’t stop anything. I had no control.

“Ukrainian Americans held a silent protest outside Awaken Church in San Diego County as it hosted a controversial guest speaker Saturday, Fox News Host Tucker Carlson.” - Fox

Proverbs, Wisdom & the Benefits of Good Work

“We cannot shrug at antisemitic conspiracy theories — especially coming from a celebrated human rights advocate.” - RNS

“When God is rejected or considered irrelevant there is nothing the heart of man won’t use to try and fill that sense of emptiness. This doesn’t have to be in ways as sensational as mansions or sex or hedge funds; think of the deification of the environment or ‘science,’ or the endless advertising for the latest gadget or the perfect diet, or…” - Acton

“In their indispensable book, The Coddling of the American Mind, Haidt and… Greg Lukianoff have documented how a spirit of ‘safetyism’ (which is rooted in adult anxieties) has deeply influenced how we raise our kids.” - The Dispatch

“The number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus has fallen more than 90% in more than two months, and some hospitals are going days without a single COVID-19 patient in the ICU for the first time since early 2020.” - C.Index

“Church can be so disappointing….Three principles can help us avoid romanticism, liberate us to see the larger work of God, and ground us in God’s promises.” - CToday

“Pat Barrett’s ‘Build My Life’ has regained the number one spot as the most popular worship song, a title it also held in 2019.” “In Christ Alone” remains in the top ten. - C.Leaders

“1. Transactional leadership prioritizes results over relationships…. 2. Transactional leadership values performance over genuineness.” - TGC

“You can choose to cancel your Disney+ subscription or stop taking your kids to Disney movies, but that still doesn’t offer a better entertainment alternative. Unless we back up criticism with action, nothing much will change, and the options for kids will shrink.” - Phil Cooke

I want to talk about what “the church” is. This will be a high-level discussion, not a defense of a particular kind of church (Baptists v. Methodists, etc.). I want to talk about this because I fear we forget just how important it is to get this right. As sectarian battles light up social media and the news (with no end in sight), this deceptively simple issue deserves some consideration.

There are different ways we use the word “church:”

“Christians in Lviv work and pray for victory as they face their nation’s crisis head-on.” - C.Today