“The viewpoints I encountered on the radio were too extreme. … I signed up to receive one daily news summary from an apparently reasonable right-of-center organization (The Morning Dispatch) and one daily news summary from an apparently reasonable left-of-center news organization (Axios).” - Kenneth Berding

“Maybe there are regions where attendance may be actually climbing. That’s what I did in the map below using data from 2008 and 2022.” - Ryan Burge

Read the series.

This article represents the arguments of those that urge abstinence from potentially intoxicating beverages. What is the case for refraining from alcohol?

“The erosion of civility not only undermines the fabric of society but also weakens the nation’s ability to stand united in the face of external threats. It is a wake-up call to recognize that a house divided against itself cannot withstand threats from without.” - Providence

“…when Dunster withheld his fourth child from baptism at Cambridge Church in the winter of 1653, it made news.” - Desiring God

When the Arab terrorist group Hamas entered Israel on October 7, the world was horrified. On that day, these terrorists kidnapped 200, killed 1,400, and wounded more than 4,500 Israelis. Innocent men, women, and children were slaughtered simply because they were Jewish.

The appalling attack brings to memory another terrible act of violence against the Jewish people that took place 85 years ago. On November 9–10, 1938, innocent Jewish Germans endured devastating physical and spiritual darkness much like the evil perpetrated against Israel today.

“Something is seriously wrong when Christians crave cultural popularity and acceptance. That’s why I greatly appreciated the points made in this article by Brett McCracken” - Randy Alcorn

Wommack: “This county ought to be totally dominated by believers.” - RNS

“’Grand Canyon University categorically denies every accusation in the Department of Education’s statement and will take all measures necessary to defend itself from these false accusations,’ the school said in a five-page statement.” - BPNews

“the numbers still tell an overwhelmingly one-sided story: white Protestants consistently dwarf every other racial and religious demographic in the GOP electorate…. conservatives and racial issues are oil and water—unmixable and with a highly flammable element.” - Acton

“We all know generally how language ‘works,’ and for this reason communication is possible. In so arguing, I admit that my hermeneutical cues do not come immediately from the Bible itself, and this, my critic suggested, constituted a ‘direct assault on the sufficiency of Scripture.’” - Mark Snoeberger

“The war has spurred millions in donations to ministries that provide everything from emergency supplies to security gear for future attacks.” - CToday

“Although ACBC continues to recognize GCC as an approved training center for counseling, the counseling organization is also investigating complaints against the megachurch regarding its counseling practices.” - CPost

“In this brief survey of Christian Nationalism, I hope to answer six questions: What is Christian Nationalism? Why is Christian Nationalism surging? Is Christian Nationalism biblical? Can Baptists embrace Christian Nationalism?…” - P&D

Last time we noted that from the beginning we’ve been designed for fellowship, for interpersonal relationships—and that for our time in history, the church is a significant part of God’s plan for that. He even commands us to keep at it.

OK, if God says I’m supposed to fellowship, then I will.

But what’s the point? What am I supposed to be trying to accomplish? I don’t suppose there’s any bigger waste of time than a bunch of people standing around without any understanding of what they’re there for.

Most Christians, I suppose, go through the traditional church activities because, well, that’s what we do.

“Perceptions of safety declined most in Canada, where the index score dropped four points in 2022 to a new low of 83 — matching the score for the U.S., which remained stagnant from the previous year.” - Gallup

“the law would provide a system for Ukraine’s government, as well as lay members of Orthodox churches, to learn whether any church leaders are covertly supporting Russia’s war efforts” - BPress

“While young adults have been found to be more generous with their time volunteering than older generations, just over half of pastors say they’re ‘very concerned’ that younger Christians don’t support their local churches financially” - CPost

“the final phase will take place in October 2024. At that point, recommendations on what doctrinal changes — yes, doctrinal changes — the church should adopt will be put in front of Pope Francis for consideration.” - Get Religion

“All who love the gospel must pray for a greater sense of the virtuousness of catholicity. And yet in an era where marginalized believers look for as many allies as possible, I fear more of us might need to pray that our catholicity doesn’t become a vehicle for compromise.” - 9 Marks

“The Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has announced its recent acquisition of the Heritage Collection from Spurgeon’s College UK. The collection consists of thousands of books, manuscripts, letters, artifacts, newspaper cuttings and more from Charles Spurgeon.” - BPNews

“Jesus is saying, ‘You judge people according to the flesh. But I don’t do that!’ Jesus does not form an opinion about you according to the flesh. He does not base a judgment about you on your appearance, ability, age, friends, race, gender, work, home, family, or experience.” - Colin Smith

“…the name Halloween is a shortening of All Hallows’ Eve and signifies the night before All Saints’ Day. For centuries on All Saints’ Day, the Church celebrated the lives of Christians who went before us.” - Breakpoint

“Central to understanding the complexities of Halloween and its implications is the recognition that our world is not just physical; it’s a spiritual battlefield as well.” - DBTS Blog

“Knowing what I know now, I know that I should have asked more questions. I should have taken the opportunity to request a meeting between the Interim CEO, myself, and our legal counsel to gather more information.” - C.Index

A Review of The Future Restoration of Israel: A Response to Supersessionism, edited by Stanley E. Porter and Alan E. Kurschner, Eugene, OR, Pickwick, 2023, 448 pages, paperback.

Read the series.

Bavinck: “No science can be imagined without accepting beforehand, quietly and without criticism, the reliability of the senses, the objective existence of the world, the truth of the laws of thinking, and the logical, ideal content of perceptible phenomena” - TGC

“If you are unable to participate in Halloween with a clear conscience, there are plenty of other things to celebrate this time of year, from Reformation Day to All Saints Day, to the beauty of fall’s changing colors, to, as always, the sovereignty of God and the victory of Christ over everything.” - Breakpoint

“The term means different things to different people, but we’ll just use it here to mean a particular church group which recognizes itself and distinguishes itself from others.” - Word by Word

“ ‘I see that hand. I see that one, too.’ And you’re thinking, ‘Wait, no you don’t. No one is raising their hand.’” - Lifeway