“People hear a song in church. They enjoy it. They search for it online. They discover the artist. Then they discover the church. Then they discover the pastor. Before long, they are listening to sermons, reading books, attending conferences, and absorbing an entire theological framework.”
(Aaron Alvarez – Reforming Worship) Years ago, I was leading the worship music at a small church. At the time, I regularly selected songs from Bethel Music. Like many worship leaders, I operated with a simple principle: if the lyrics of an individual song appeared biblical, then it was fair game for corporate worship.
One Sunday, we sang a Bethel song during the worship service. After the service ended, I stepped off the platform and began talking with people as they were leaving. A woman from the congregation approached me and asked a simple question:
“Who wrote that song we just sang?”
“It’s by Bethel Music,” I replied.
She thanked me and, while standing there in front of me, immediately pulled out her phone and looked them up. At the time, I thought nothing of it. Why would I? She was simply curious about a song she enjoyed. Several weeks later, that same woman approached me again. “I’ve been listening to Bethel’s pastor, Bill Johnson, on YouTube,” she said enthusiastically. “I’ve listened to quite a few of his sermons.” It was in that moment that something clicked. Continue reading
(Revolver) Remember when your mother told you to eat your vegetables because they were good for you?
“Should pastors engage in the political process? They absolutely should. Because many political issues are, at their heart, theological issues and moral issues that strike at the very center of what we believe to be true and what we believe people need to know in order to flourish personally and as a culture….I think the pastors need to step up. I think throughout American history, pastors have had a strong voice at key moments in American political history.”
“The bottom line is this: Republicans, right now, are in a much stronger position than they have been, not just compared to eight years ago, but over the long term as well, the relative health of the Republican Party, at least in terms of party registration, is pretty gosh darn good relative to the Democrats,”
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the wickedly foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept calamity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:9-10 (LSB)
“Whether they call themselves communists, socialists, or Democratic Socialists of America, they call for power to the people, but their real goal is power and control over the people. They want to become the spigot for all our needs. They want to be our supplier, to decide who gets what – while always setting aside a more than generous portion for themselves.”
“Tragically, his family read victim impact statements to a weeping Flynn, including from his 12-year-old and 10-year-old daughters, who begged him to confess and repent of his sin, saying in part…”
“Bakker is the archetype of the celebrity televangelism downfall. Bakker was never accountable to a local church or congregation. He was essentially his own pope, king, and god. And it proves that financial success, fame, lavishness, a large audience, and even political connections are not evidence of God’s blessing.”
“What Nate walks into is an ideological stew, complete with Communist imagery, a protester praising Hamas leadership and calling for Sharia law in New York. There were even women marching beside a man who says he wants women wearing burqas, while those same women tell Friedman they have absolutely no interest in wearing one. And of course, the usual threats of violence directed straight into the camera.”
“…major corporations like Disney suppressing the news in order to weaken the President. The Founders who devised First Amendment protections for the press could never have anticipated that. What we have now is a Constitutional protection for corruption. The Supreme Court needs to take a hard look at that scenario”
“This illustrates the problem I am referring to. Phil Johnson was able to identify some of the most popular online self-proclaimed Christian nationalist figures as representative of the movement, but if anything, they are liabilities for the guys Sean McGowan mentioned who are trying to make a difference in the ecclesiastical debate. For the record, I did critique the sermon but also noted that Johnson was encouraging Christians to vote, which for me was positive.”
“Panentheism is gradually being legitimized by the Roman Catholic church and some evangelical leaders. Within Evangelicalism, it is coming in through the Roman Catholic mystical practice of Contemplative prayer and panentheism, in which Fr. Richard Rohr and the Enneagram are deeply rooted. “Shepherds” have been using the Enneagram as a nine-week sermon series, as well as for counseling, “discipleship,” and other “spiritual formation” programs.”
In modern times, R. C. Sproul often said, “To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God.”
“They grew up more online than any generation, but many of them are now looking to get offline. They romanticize old technology, physical media, records, CDs, flip phones, older fashions, and pieces of life from generations they never even experienced.”
UPDATE
“Though Americans offer a wide array of reasons why they oppose AI and data centers—from job losses to infiltration—there’s a deeper reason. They gather at city council meetings because these places allow a mostly unchurched crowd to fulfill its desire for community, meaning, and a mission that church once provided.”
“Desronvil introduced himself as the “lone juror” and urged, “I know the whole focus has been on me, but we want to reel everything back and put the focus on the three angels… the ones that can’t speak for themselves, the ones that can’t defend themselves, and the ones that can’t fight the battles.” He was referring, of course, to Cora (5), Dawson (3), and Callan (8 months).” 
“In the face of all this, Congress does what it usually does: nothing. Plenty of pandering and bickering. This amuses the killers in Beijing. They are busy figuring out how to maximize their power by developing AI. Maybe they will ramp up the Wuhan lab for some experiments.”
“We’ve all seen the tearful pastor standing before his congregation, claiming he’s been led astray. Whether he’s admitting to an affair, gambling, or misusing church money, the appeal to forgiveness can help him get a second chance, sometimes even a third. That’s where blind loyalty gets in the way of common sense.”