Sakir Akkan, a Turkish Muslim, 21, who entered the country illegally through San Diego in November 2023 and was released by Customs & Border Patrol, forced the girl into a vehicle while wielding a metal pole, then tore her clothes off and raped her. Legal InsurrectionThe Border Patrol arrested Akkan in the San Diego sector […]

A woman traveling on United Airlines was removed from a flight along with her baby and elderly mother for allegedly misgendering a flight attendant. The woman explained the situation, stating, “I was speaking with the flight attendants and got their pronouns wrong, which one of the flight attendants didn’t like.” Despite apologizing and explaining that […]

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Today’s verse is a reminder of how God has provided for us in our lives.

When King Pyrrhus defeated the Romans at Heraclea in 280 BC, he achieved a great victory—and a great defeat. His army’s casualties were so excessive they undermined the value of his conquest. In war, sometimes a win turns out to be a loss on closer inspection. These “Pyrrhic victories” can turn a battlefield success into an unintended catastrophe. The conflict may be won but at a high cost. Pyrrhic victories can also take place off the battlefield. Too often they’re found in our families, friendships, and churches. In a conflict, a stand is taken in a manner detrimental to those involved. Maybe, like us, you’ve unwittingly made this wrong assumption: I’ve faithfully defended a biblical position on a contested issue, and so I’ve honored Christ. But this sentiment is incomplete. If we’ve expressed a biblical truth without biblical love, we’ve missed the mark. Upholding Christ-honoring truth requires Christ-honoring communication. How we say what we say always matters. If we’ve expressed a biblical truth without biblical love, we’ve missed the mark. This is true in every area of disagreement we may encounter: Family members make lifestyle choices we know are sinful. Friends adhere to doctrinal positions we believe to be in error. We reach an impasse with fellow church members over personal offenses or conscience issues. Whatever the points of contention, even if we believe ourselves to be right, we must avoid being wrong in our manner of communication if we want to honor Christ. Twin Virtues Needed in Every Conflict We’re the parents of college-aged twins. When one comes home from university for the weekend and the other doesn’t, we miss the one who remained on campus. The weekend doesn’t feel right or complete. Similarly, attempts at communicating in conflict can only be considered biblical or Christ-honoring with the presence of two virtues: humility and love. These twins are part of the Lord’s plan for godly communication, and they’re necessary to avoid being wrong in our manner—even when we’re right in our message. These virtues guard us from being rude, harsh, angry, argumentative, manipulative, or condescending. In love—as we’ve been loved by Christ—we’ll communicate not only with conviction but also with gracious affection. In humility—as we’ve been served by Christ—we’ll communicate not only with courage but also with deference to others, considering them more important than ourselves. Let’s Get Practical How can we practically display Christlike humility and love in our communication? In at least five ways. 1. Recognize the other viewpoint. Listen to gain an understanding of the other person’s circumstances and heart. Ask questions for clarification, and give space for a thorough response. Proverbs 20:5 reminds us that “the purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” Seek to thoroughly comprehend the other point of view so your response is relevant and focused. 2. Respond with gracious wisdom. Let James 3:17 guide your response: “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” Imagine communicating like that. Purpose and pray in advance—even in the moment—to communicate with the wisdom James describes. This quality of speech is supernatural but possible as you walk in the Spirit. 3. Reason from the Scriptures. The Scriptures are the Christian’s authority for all of life: “The rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether” (Ps. 19:9). Since our goal in disagreement must be for all involved to glorify Christ by submitting to his Word, resist the temptation to argue from personal experience or preference. While the commands and principles of Scripture are our standard, sometimes we may disagree on how they’re applied. Explain your position biblically, but be careful not to elevate your applications to the level of the Bible’s authority. 4. Reaffirm your love. We live in a culture that equates disagreement with hate. That’s not the genuine Christian way, for “love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). In light of such prevailing assumptions and accusations, it’s helpful to overtly communicate that you genuinely care, and that you’re seeking to love as Christ has loved you. Provide reassurance of your affection and concern—with both actions and words. 5. Realize your limitations. Remember it’s the Lord, not you, who transforms hearts and lives. You can say and do the right things, but that doesn’t guarantee that others will agree or mend their ways. Your hope must be firmly fixed on your sovereign God, who does all things well in his good time. Trust the Lord that his Word will accomplish his purposes in both you and others as you continue to pursue being right—in the right way.

My grandmother died last year on her 96th birthday. When I got the call that the end was near, I quickly drove to my parents’ home in Tennessee. In those final hours before she died, we held her hands and sang hymns. We recited Scriptures she loved and talked about heaven. Late in the evening, my grandmother died with family, friends, and a hospice nurse holding vigil by her side. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints,” I whispered, the room now quiet in the absence of her labored breathing. A wave of conflicting thoughts swirled in my mind. Death is natural. Death is a part of life. But death is also unnatural. It’s an enemy. This isn’t right. My grandmother was a faithful believer. Though I knew she was with the Lord, I wasn’t sure how to feel about her death. There’s an ache of grief, even if it’s grief with hope. But how do we grieve? What do we do with death—the thing that everyone faces but none of us wants to endure? If death is a natural part of life, why are we so afraid of it? In We Shall All Be Changed: How Facing Death with Loved Ones Transforms Us, journalist Whitney Pipkin answers common questions about grieving the death of a loved one and facing our mortality. Death is a doorway that leads us to eternity, but it’s also an enemy that will chase humanity until Christ returns to put it in its grave. Theology of Death It’s tempting to cloak our feelings about death with cheery Bible verses and “buck-up” clichés. However, if death is truly the enemy Jesus came to destroy, then it’s right to grieve its reach in this life. It’s right to lament because death is lamentable, even if it’s anticipated. Pipkin writes, “There is no tidy theology that will keep those tears from falling. But our suffering in death need not be deepened by surprise” (33). We all must face our mortality. Walking with our loved ones through death is a rehearsal for our own step into eternity. Unless Christ returns in our lifetime, we will die. Developing a theology of death teaches us to sit with grief and understand the hope of Christ’s return. Walking with our loved ones through death is a rehearsal for our own step into eternity. Death is a result of sin. “For the wages of sin is death,” Paul argued (Rom. 6:23). But Jesus came to die to pay for our sin and give us the free gift of eternal life. We still bear the curse of sin, yet Christians no longer bear its condemnation for Jesus has swallowed it in victory for us (1 Cor. 15:54). Pipkin writes, As Christians, we know that if Christ tarries, death will be the mode of our deliverance from this sin-soaked world and into His very presence. We do not welcome it because of this. But, because of this, we can look it in the eye. We can grab death by the horns and say, “How then shall I live?” (78) By braiding together the inevitability of death and our victory in Christ from it—through it—we shed our fear by numbering our days as we look forward to the imperishable. Grief and Hope Walking through her mother’s illness and death forced Pipkin to grapple with what Scripture teaches us about death—both as a curse and as deliverance from suffering. Pipkin’s mother was diagnosed with cancer at age 43. Over the two decades of her battle with cancer, she pursued every possible treatment, clinical trial, and new medication. She fought to give her children as much time with their mother as possible. Even so, the time was achingly short. “None of us is ever ready to witness the slow demise of a loved one or a sudden shocking departure,” Pipkin writes. “No—losing my mother’s presence on this earth has blown a chasm in me that will never be closed. I was not at all done being mothered at age thirty-three. I see now that I never will be” (26). As a loved one is dying, Pipkin observes, it offers an opportunity to “extend improbable grace” as we serve them in their final days (27). We can draw close to them to offer the hope of the gospel, whether they’re believers or unbelievers. Once they’re gone, though, we grapple with their absence. Grieving with hope means testing God’s promises, putting weight on all the things we’ve said we believed but have only now in the death of our loved one dared to prove. In the hope of resurrection, all God’s promises hold true. Death Is Not the End As Pipkin takes us through her experiences in caregiving, she paints a hopeful picture of what’s next for the believer. Resurrection day is coming. These bodies crushed beneath the weight of cancer, chronic pain, and old age will one day be raised imperishable just as Jesus was. The comfort in death is the hope of resurrection. Because of Jesus, death is not the end, nor is it a path we’ll travel alone. Pipkin writes, “Perhaps the greatest comfort Christians have in the face of death, then, is that their God went first” (73). Grieving with hope means testing God’s promises, putting weight on all the things we’ve said we believed but have only now in the death of our loved one dared to prove. We Shall All Be Changed is an honest book. Pipkin’s personal stories will resonate with anyone who has lost a family member. But it’s also a gospel-infused, hopeful book written with beauty and truth. Having read it, I fear death less but hate it more as an enemy. And I believe down to my bones that what Jesus accomplished at the cross and the empty tomb means everything for our present comfort and our future hope. One day Christ will return, “and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:52). My grandmother, Pipkin’s mother, the faithful father you lost, the church friend you miss, me, you. Yes, we’ll face death, but we shall also all be changed.

The year 1776 remade the world. In one extraordinary year, a combination of books, ships, machines, inventions, paintings, and declarations created a new cultural landscape that we could characterize as WEIRDER: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic, Ex-Christian, and Romantic. In this breakout session from TGC23, Andrew Wilson teaches how these different transformations came together to shape our world—how the church of 1776 responded and what we can learn from them.

Following the first 2024 Presidential Debate Thursday night, the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) had very little to say in President Joe Biden’s favor. The post-debate coverage emphasized what was obvious to all viewers, specifically that the night was a disaster for Biden’s campaign. ABC’s White House correspondent Jonathan Karl detailed his conversations with other Democrats, as the debate progressed, who expressed their concerns about Biden’s chances in the race, saying that “you are starting to see here at least privately discussions among Democrats about whether or not Biden can effectively go on with this campaign against Donald Trump.” Other Democrats who had been firm Biden supporters also voiced their “shock” and dissatisfaction: I talked to one member–Democratic member of Congress who is a strong supporter, until now, of Joe Biden, saying to me, ‘I am in a state of shock. He is diminished to an extent that has become undeniable.’ Biden's gonna have to answer these questions–this was not just one night in the campaign. This was the night in the campaign so far. Another Democrat said, ‘I wish this performance had been during the Democratic primary. If it were, we would have had a different nominee.’     On CBS, co-host Norah O’Donnell seemingly displayed doubt about claims from the President’s advisors blaming his poor performance on a cold. She pointed out that not only was his voice unsteady but he also failed to refute former President Donald Trump’s apparently obvious lies: We witnessed President Biden opening this debate and continuing it with a very shaky voice, a raspy voice that we have learned from advisors close to him that apparently he's had a cold for the past several days. But he also had a number of wandering answers during this debate. He had a number of facts and accomplishments that he wanted to tout but I think his voice sometimes was distracting from that. President Trump offered repeated lies and exaggerations but then President Biden failed to fact-check Trump most of the time. Co-hosts Margaret Brennan and Gayle King mentioned Biden’s ramblings about “being raped by your sister” when answering a question about abortion. On the other hand, White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe stressed Democratic displeasure, stating, “Some house Democrats who were gathered tonight watching this together talking about–talking to the White House about having him step down. That's how bad it was, in their view.” NBC correspondent Hallie Jackson told co-host Savannah Guthrie that she, too, heard murmurs about a potential Biden replacement which, while “potentially impossible” was still a significant “shadow” on the president’s campaign: I will tell you that in about the back half of the debate, maybe the latter third of the debate, I heard from a Democratic lawmaker, member of Congress, who has been a strong supporter of President Biden’s, who suggested the possibility, Savannah, of perhaps an open convention, or replacing President Biden on the ticket. I will tell you, it is all but potentially impossible for that to actually happen. But the fact that that is even being raised, the fact that is even a shadow, now, hanging over the debate performance for President Biden is at minimum a headache for the Biden campaign moving into the next stretch of this campaign ahead of the Republican convention in the next couple of weeks. And at worst, potentially, something that will dog them for months, given what we have seen from voters in polling consistently, which is, yes, concern about President Biden's age.  The transcripts from all three networks are below. Click "expand" to read: ABC News 6/27/2024 10:45:19 JONATHAN KARL: I think we have to be very clear. This was a very bad night for Joe Biden. I have been talking to Democrats as this debate progressed, and you are starting to see here at least privately discussions among Democrats about whether or not Biden can effectively go on with this campaign against Donald Trump.  Donald Trump did go through rapid fire lies, I mean, a machine gun of lies, at times during this debate. He said things like, “Everybody wanted Roe v. Wade repealed,” that–that everything was rocking good when he was president, there were no wars, the unselect committee deleted all the evidence that he–Nancy Pelosi refused 10,000 National Guard troops. None of that was true, and Biden was not effectively able to bring the argument back to him.  I talked to one member–Democratic member of Congress who is a strong supporter, until now, of Joe Biden, saying to me, “I am in a state of shock. He is diminished to an extent that has become undeniable.” Biden's gonna have to answer these questions–this was not just one night in the campaign. This was the night in the campaign so far. Another Democrat said, “I wish this performance had been during the Democratic primary. If it were, we would have had a different nominee.” (...) CBS News 6/27/2024 10:39:10 PM EST NORAH O’DONNELL: We wa–witnessed President Biden opening this debate and continuing it with a very shaky voice, a raspy voice that we have learned from advisors close to him that apparently he's had a cold for the past several days. But he also had a number of wandering answers during this debate. He had a number of facts and accomplishments that he wanted to tout but I think his voice sometimes was distracting from that. President Trump offered repeated lies and exaggerations but then President Biden failed to fact-check Trump most of the time. (...) 10:41:52 PM EST MARGARET BRENNAN: For President Biden and some of the things we talked about, the importance of abortion, in particular, for Democrats–he stumbled on his answer and it wasn't just meandering.  O’DONNELL: Biden stumbled. BRENNAN: Joe Biden stumbled on his answer. He started talking about abortion and then said something about being raped by your sister. He went from… GAYLE KING: And your in-laws. BRENNAN: …went from the very key issue of abortion, something about the border and a recent death of a 12-year-old girl allegedly at the hands of a migrant. So, he took himself into an issue that is not a strength for him, the very real border crisis in this country. He also seemed to lose his point a few times on the issue of foreign policy which he is so proud of. He took Donald Trump to a weakness which was referring to that deadly day in 2021 with the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The–one of the single deadliest days for U.S. Troops in that entire 20-year war and said “No soldiers died on my watch.” 13 service people died. So, it was–it was as if some parts of this were memorized and then the points were lost. (...) 10:53:10 PM EST ED O’KEEFE: Or at least some house Democrats who were gathered tonight watching this together talking about–talking to the White House about having him step down. That's how bad it was, in their view. (...) NBC News 6/27/2024 10:42:17 HALLIE JACKSON: It was a shaky start. [Wouldn’t?] at times, meandering at times. I will tell you that in about the back half of the debate, maybe the latter third of the debate, I heard from a Democratic lawmaker, member of Congress, who has been a strong supporter of President Biden’s, who suggested the possibility, Savannah, of perhaps an open convention, or replacing President Biden on the ticket. I will tell you, it is all but potentially impossible for that to actually happen. But the fact that that is even being raised, the fact that is even a shadow, now, hanging over the debate performance for President Biden is at minimum a headache for the Biden campaign moving into the next stretch of this campaign ahead of the Republican convention in the next couple of weeks. And at worst, potentially, something that will dog them for months, given what we have seen from voters in polling consistently, which is, yes, concern about President Biden's age.  (...)