Our deep bond with the Lord‚ made possible because of Calvary‚ changes everything. His love transforms us and radically alters what we do with our lives.

Our deep bond with the Lord‚ made possible because of Calvary‚ changes everything. His love transforms us and radically alters what we do with our lives.

Before Thanksgiving‚ the high school writers’ workshop I teach concluded the semester with “cookies and Q&;A.” Students put aside their writing assignments‚ and instead of unpacking excerpts from the Puritans‚ we munched snickerdoodles and talked about the more granular details of the writerly life. A talented group of writers‚ the students had prepared long lists of questions about world-building and outlining‚ character development‚ theme‚ and the enigmatic mechanics of publishing. I navigated the tangle of inquiries as best as I could‚ but after a half hour of unraveling the details of revisions‚ beta readers‚ and platform‚ a concern nagged me. In focusing on the minutiae‚ had I steered these young‚ eager minds away from the most important principle of all? “Before we go any further‚” I said‚ holding a hand up and trying to ignore the flush of shame that warmed my cheeks‚ “the single best piece of advice I can give you is something I learned from my pastor. If you learn nothing else from this class‚ please remember this one thing: approach every piece of writing as an offering to the Lord.” Pearl of Pastoral Wisdom If you love to write‚ you know the craft is an exercise in weathering crests and falls. An irresistible spark of inspiration propels you to the keyboard‚ but when your words topple onto the page‚ they lean off-kilter. The scene you grasped so brilliantly in your mind stumbles out in a mess of elbows and knees‚ a cheap replica of the elegance you’d envisioned. When your piece finally hobbles into the world as a mere shadow of what you’d imagined‚ the worry sets in: Will people misunderstand you? Will you offend anyone? Are you wasting your time? Approach every piece of writing as an offering to the Lord. It was during one such moment of anxiety that my pastor offered me his words of wisdom. Over cups of coffee in my living room‚ I wrung my shirtsleeve like a dishrag and voiced my fear that my most recent work would let down my friends and colleagues. What if I’d failed miserably? He didn’t pause in his answer: “Your work is an offering to the Lord‚ and your job is to walk as faithfully as you can with what you have to offer‚” he said. “What the Lord chooses to do with the finished product is according to his will‚ not yours.” Since that conversation on a drab winter’s evening‚ I’ve cleaved to these words during moments of burnout‚ doubt‚ and exhaustion. They’ve infused me with new strength when I’ve been bone weary. And they’ve freed me to approach each new project with joy‚ knowing that any good that arises from my scribblings is by God’s doing‚ not my own. Steward Your Words When we consider each written piece as an offering to the Lord‚ writing transforms into an act of stewardship. The impulse to sculpt our observations into coherent sentences takes on new heft‚ blooming from a private delight into a ministry in which we “work heartily‚ as for the Lord and not for men” (Col. 3:23). When viewed through the lens of offering‚ solitary hours spent clacking away on a keyboard become vehicles not for our personal indulgence‚ nor for our acclaim‚ but for his glory. As well they should‚ as this love of wordsmithing—this urge to translate what we see and feel into language and somehow preserve the essence—is a generous gift from God‚ not of our own making (Rom. 12:3). Having received from the Lord a heart for words‚ we’re not to squander it for ourselves but rather to pour it out in service to his people (12:6–8). We’re to “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus‚ giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17). We’re to provide an offering with all our heart (Matt. 22:37) and craft sentences‚ however meager‚ that he may not spurn. Remain in God’s Word To write as an offering requires we tether ourselves to Scripture. “Look at the Word‚ and look at the world‚ in a quest to see God as marvelous‚” John Piper recommended during a writer’s summit last summer. “Cultivate a capacity to see what is there‚ and to savor what you see. It is more likely you will find heart-awakening words if you are awake yourself.” We remain awake to God’s work in the world when we hold tightly to Scripture‚ as we train ourselves to reflect on what matters to him and to set our minds on whatever is true‚ honorable‚ and lovely (Phil. 4:8). Whether we write nonfiction‚ novels‚ poetry‚ or children’s stories‚ we aim to speak the truth in love with greater clarity and precision (Eph. 4:15). “For the word of God is living and active‚” writes the author of Hebrews‚ “sharper than any two-edged sword‚ piercing to the division of soul and of spirit‚ of joints and of marrow‚ and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). To write for the Lord‚ we must allow his words to guide ours. We must illuminate our own words with the true lamp to our feet and light to our path (Ps. 119:105). Release Your Work to God Two months after my pastor’s encouraging words‚ I received a letter from a young reader about the same piece over which I’d so agonized. At just the right time‚ in ways I never could have fathomed‚ the Lord worked through that book to uphold her during a time of sorrow and need. My work was imperfect‚ but God’s grace abounded. Writing is a vulnerable calling. We shakily offer a piece of our heart to the world‚ and as social media spawns criticism like so many hatched flies‚ we cringe before festering reminders that we’re not good enough. Because the truth is‚ we’re not. We’re finite and fallen‚ and the work we create and shape with our own hands will always flaunt cracks. It will always reflect our brokenness. My work was imperfect‚ but God’s grace abounded. And yet our God is the One who redeems. Through Christ‚ he takes the scarlet stains of our sins and makes them white as snow (Isa. 1:18). He takes our brittle and crumbling works and molds them into mountains. Writers‚ approach your work as an offering. Even as we arduously strive with pen in hand to reflect God’s goodness‚ and even as our desperate efforts fall short‚ we need not be anxious (Matt. 6:25; Phil. 4:6). Rather than succumb to dismay‚ turn your work over to him. He’ll do with it what he will‚ and any good that comes from it will be by his work‚ not yours (Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28). Aim to transcribe what’s true‚ good‚ and pure. And know that when you fail‚ the Lord can take your broken pieces and assemble them into something lovely and whole—for his glory and not for your own.

Many Christians think of apologetics as the elite playground for a few select Christian philosophers—and we haven’t been picked for the team. We may appreciate those who do it‚ and occasionally pass along their YouTube clips‚ but we think we’ll never be effective at defending the faith. We feel inadequate‚ uninformed‚ or ill-equipped for the task of apologetics. Sure‚ we might read a book about sharing our faith or attend a class on evangelism‚ but apologetics? That’s for “those people” over there. It’s true some are trained as professional apologists‚ but every Christian is called to be an apologist. At the end of the day‚ apologetics is conversational. It answers honest questions while seeking to love one’s neighbor in the process. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to defending and advocating for the Christian faith. The context of unbelievers’ questions may change‚ but the basic principles of apologetics remain the same. In The Augustine Way: Retrieving a Vision for the Church’s Apologetic Witness‚ Joshua Chatraw and Mark Allen invite Augustine of Hippo to offer his insights into our current apologetic moment. Chatraw is a fellow with The Keller Center and the Beeson Divinity School Billy Graham chair for evangelism and cultural engagement. Allen is professor of biblical and theological studies at Liberty University. This book represents a continuation of their efforts in their coauthored Apologetics at the Cross. Though more than 1‚500 years old‚ Augustine’s thought offers an apologetic remedy for what ails a fractured and self-focused society. The method commended here connects Charles Taylor’s work with Augustine’s. It seeks to return apologetic ministry to members of the local church. Discover the Augustine Way Apologetic methods in our post-Christian society can’t assume people understand biblical and theological categories. Augustine faced a similar reality. His world was rapidly Christianizing‚ but the vestiges of paganism persisted. When the Bible was used to explain reality‚ the explanation was often mixed with abstract philosophy and non-Christian beliefs. This is what led Augustine to the group known as the Manichees. They mixed bits of Scripture into their otherwise pagan view of the world‚ not unlike New Age spirituality today. The Augustine Way‚ as Chatraw and Allen describe it‚ is a process of addressing the universal questions of our day with hope while humbly critiquing the philosophical and spiritual flaws of alternative worldviews. We know from Augustine’s autobiographical Confessions that he explored several cultural options to solve his deepest questions. None of them could quite satisfy his desire for truth‚ but each held elements that helped him on his pilgrimage toward truth. Traditional apologetics relies primarily on evidence and reasoned arguments. The Augustine Way affirms the value of arguments‚ but it also recognizes we must step inside common cultural narratives‚ critique what’s lacking‚ and pinpoint the perennial issues they address. “People reason within the images‚ stories‚ and myths they’ve inherited through their social setting‚” Chatraw and Allen argue. “Indeed‚ they will use a kind of logic‚ but it will be one that fits the larger framework that they live and move within” (39). Good apologetics considers individual people rather than dealing only with universal ideals. This requires understanding our current “social imaginary‚” as Taylor describes it‚ present in the hearts of late-modern men and women. There’s a need to “zoom out to see the big theological picture‚” Chatraw and Allen argue‚ but those concerned with the souls of others “can’t afford to settle for approaches or arguments aimed at an imagined abstract or universal person” (66). Good apologetics considers individual people rather than dealing only with universal ideals. Throughout Augustine’s spiritual journey in Confessions‚ we see a unique focus on his interior life. Augustine’s inward turn was for the purpose of eventually looking upward to God for ultimate meaning. In contrast‚ the authors note‚ “In our day each person imagines themselves creating their own unique meanings out of raw material of a universe devoid of any necessarily true‚ universal purpose” (39). The Augustine Way understands this modern impulse yet seeks to reorient the inner toward seeking rest in God. Walk the Augustine Way The Augustine Way is a renewed apologetic posture for the 21st century. It begins by finding points of agreement in the culture‚ then offering the hope of the gospel. We need humility to do this. The authors write‚ “Sometimes it’s tempting (and pleases our Christian base) to simply try to burn rivals to the ground rather than explore what might be apologetically salvageable in their beliefs‚ excavating to expose foundational posts still standing amid the debris‚ pointing beyond themselves to the triune God” (97). The goal isn’t to win an argument or destroy someone’s worldview. From within the church‚ we’re inviting people to become part of the church‚ which is “a community of pilgrims on a journey home” (99). This humble posture demonstrates our renewed hope and identity. We’re shaped and formed in our desires and eternal outlook in the community of the saints. We hear the voice of the bishop of Hippo beckoning: Come into communion with the Lord and his body and find rest. The deeply personal and life-shaping Christology of Augustine brings into focus our new identity as pilgrims. “Christ was not just someone Augustine looked to but rather the one he looked through to see himself and the world around him‚” Chatraw and Allen write. “Christ healed his sight and opened his eyes to a point of view in which humility was the key to knowledge” (116). Continue on the Augustine Way Chatraw and Allen demonstrate the contemporary applicability of the Augustine Way through their interactions with famous YouTube exvangelicals Rhett and Link and the popular Apple TV+ shows Ted Lasso and The Morning Show‚ inviting readers to make meaningful apologetic connections. This‚ however‚ is a two-edged sword because readers in 2033 will be less familiar with these references than readers in 2023. The goal isn’t to win an argument or destroy someone’s worldview. From within the church‚ we’re inviting people to become part of the church. The argument of the book relies heavily on two main works from Augustine‚ Confessions and City of God‚ which are helpful. However‚ it could have benefited from a deeper engagement with other works‚ such as Augustine’s sermons and letters. These writings have an “on the ground” quality‚ demonstrating how he directly addressed the concerns of his audience‚ whether a wealthy Roman widow or the common Christian worshiping in North Africa. Other works of Augustine are addressed and referenced‚ but perhaps The Augustine Way could be clearer through a closer examination of additional texts. Though presented by an academic press‚ The Augustine Way should make an appearance on every pastor’s shelf. It should also appear in the hands of Christians wishing to understand how to best engage neighbors‚ coworkers‚ and others given our secular age. The book is enjoyable‚ practical‚ and not burdened by academic jargon. After reading The Augustine Way‚ perhaps readers will finally see they belong on the apologetics team after all.

In his keynote message at TGC’s 2023 National Conference‚ Andrew Wilson teaches on Exodus 32. He delves into the story of the golden calf‚ drawing parallels to the fall of humanity in the garden of Eden. Wilson explores how idolatry shapes individuals‚ leading them to become like what they worship‚ and he contrasts the destructive consequences of worshiping false idols with the transformative power of worshiping the true God. Moses is presented as an example of someone who‚ through time spent with God‚ embodies mercy and justice. Wilson ultimately reminds us of the security of salvation through Jesus’s perfect mediation.

Kevin Durant is a G for this

NASHVILLE‚ TENNESSEE—Former President Donald Trump compared the criminal indictments he faces to the Biden administration’s targeting of Christians as he spoke at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention Thursday night. “For all Americans‚ but especially for Christians‚ nothing is more important than to defeat this wicked system and to return to equal and impartial justice under the constitutional rule of law‚” the former president said. “They’re weaponizing law enforcement to target parents‚ conservatives‚ and Catholics‚” Trump noted‚ citing the (since-rescinded) Department of Justice memo targeting concerned parents of public school children in 2021 and the memo from the FBI’s Richmond‚ Virginia‚ office urging investigations into “radical-traditional Catholic hate groups‚” citing the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Catholics‚ they’re being persecuted. Catholics‚” he repeated. “But evangelicals‚ they’re all on the list.” WATCH: "They're weaponizing law enforcement to target parents‚ conservatives‚ and Catholics‚" Donald Trump says‚ referencing in part the FBI memo citing the SPLC against "radical-traditional Catholic hate groups." @NRBConvention https://t.co/NoA6tIYtv6 pic.twitter.com/acB47YaQmY— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) February 23‚ 2024 He pledged that if he wins the 2024 presidential election‚ “Never again will the federal government be used to target you‚ religious believers.” He promised to open an inquiry into “every political prisoner who has been unjustly prosecuted” under the Biden administration. “The same DOJ that dropped charges against Antifa‚ where they killed people‚ where they destroyed cities … the same Biden DOJ has rounded up six pro-life activists right here in Tennessee‚ arresting them for a peaceful protest outside a clinic‚ where they prayed‚ sang hymns‚ and were removed with great force‚” Trump said. He noted that these protesters got “convicted on outrageous charges.” The former president was referring to pro-life activists Chet Gallagher‚ Coleman Boyd‚ Heather Idoni‚ Cal Zastrow‚ Dennis Green‚ and Paul Vaughn‚ who were convicted and face up to 11 years in prison due to their peaceful protest in the hallway outside a Mount Juliet abortion facility in March 2021. Last month‚ a Nashville grand jury found them guilty of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and conspiracy against rights. “These are persecuted Christians. They are being persecuted by Joe Biden and his people‚” the former president said. ?WATCH: "Let's call these brave Americans what they really are‚ persecuted Christians??‚ they're being persecuted‚" former President Donald Trump says of the 6 pro-lifers convicted in Tennessee. @NRBConvention pic.twitter.com/ccpiU1T24U— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) February 23‚ 2024 Trump promised to defend Christian symbols and to launch a task force to combat “anti-Christian bias.” “No one will be touching the cross of Christ under the Trump administration‚ I swear to you‚” he said. “I will never allow the Big Media or left-wing pressure groups to silence you.” ?WATCH: Former President Donald Trump pledges to create a task force to combat "anti-Christian bias" after the Biden DOJ launched a "persecution" of Christians??.https://t.co/XQMZRE3M4t pic.twitter.com/cHDjCdfkNA— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) February 23‚ 2024 “Remember‚ every communist regime throughout history has tried to stomp out the churches just as every fascist regime has tried to co-opt them‚” he said‚ claiming that the Left today is using both strategies. Trump also repeated his claim that his opponents target him because they’re trying to get at the American people. “They’re not after me; they’re after you‚ and I just happen to be standing in the way‚” he said. “They try to shame Christians; they try to shame us‚” Trump said. “I’m a very proud Christian‚ actually.” “I’m being indicted for you‚” he added. Then the former president joked about facing more criminal charges than great criminals of the past. “I’ve been indicted more than Al Capone‚ the great gangster‚” he said. “I’ve been indicted more than some of the greatest criminals in history.” He joked that every time “my plane flies over a blue state‚” he receives a summons to go to court. Yet “with me‚ I get indicted and my [poll] numbers go up … because the people know it’s a scam‚” he said. WATCH: "I've been indicted more than Al Capone‚" Trump says. "Think of it‚ I’ve been indicted more than some of the greatest criminals in the world for nothing." @NRBConvention pic.twitter.com/s9n3lnn5gy— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) February 23‚ 2024 Trump warned that Christians “can’t afford to sit on the sidelines in this fight. The corrupt persecution by this regime will not stop with me.” “Ultimately‚ the radical Left is coming after all of us because our allegiance is not to them‚” he said. “Our allegiance is to our creator‚ they don’t want to hear that. … We do not answer to bureaucrats in Washington‚ we answer to God in heaven.” “How any Christian or person of faith could vote for a Democrat is crazy‚” Trump added. He said the greatest threat to America comes from within‚ and he said America cannot prevail without God’s help. “To achieve victory in this fight‚ just like the victories of the past‚ we still need the hand of our Lord and the grace of almighty God‚” the former president said. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  The post Trump Condemns ‘Persecution’ of Christians Under Biden DOJ‚ Pledges Feds Will ‘Never Again’ Target Them appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The networks are doing their level best to continue to fuel the ongoing panic over in-vitro fertilization treatments (IVF) in the wake of Alabama’s Supreme Court opinion that granted embryos rights equal to those of a child in utero. But from watching the coverage‚ it is pretty obvious that what is happening is about something beyond just IVF. The most nakedly obvious framing comes‚ as is often the case‚ via ABC’s David Muir on World News Tonight: DAVID MUIR: Meantime‚ back here in the U.S. tonight‚ and to the new fallout that could affect so many women in this country. It comes after that decision declaring frozen embryos are people by Alabama's highest court. Tonight‚ more Alabama hospitals and clinics have halted IVF‚ even with women‚ families‚ in the middle of treatments. Tonight‚ Vice President Kamala Harris saying this is because of Donald Trump and his picks for the Supreme Court overturning Roe. ABC and CBS filed similar reports containing similar elements: the IVF patients scrambling to come up with a contingency after their clinics suspended their programs‚ some statement or other from the IVF providers‚ the high financial cost of IVF‚ a tie-in to presidential politics with some clip from Vice President Kamala Harris‚ and some sort of reference to the Dobbs opinion that did away with Roe v. Wade. NBC was a bit more intellectually honest in that they bifurcated the storytelling element from the political element and filed two different reports. Correspondent Laura Jarrett handled the personal storytelling elements with patient accounts and statements from the providers. Correspondent Dasha Burns’ filing from CPAC centered around the politics of the ruling‚ with statements from multiple elected officials‚ including President Joe Biden and Senator Tommy Tuberville among others. But why fuel the panic? There are eight IVF clinics total in Alabama‚ and three have paused their procedures. This means that five clinics remain wherein people can seek and obtain services. So‚ not a total shutdown of IVF.  The panic point for the media is the Court’s grant of personhood to human embryos. Such a finding‚ were it to be upheld by the United States Supreme Court‚ drives a dagger into efforts to codify Roe. Personhood‚ even if not uttered out loud‚ is the whole ball game and the media know it. It’s hard to imagine the liberal media caring too much about IVF except that these stories enable advocacy for a Roe restoration. Personhood gets in the way of that.   To view ABC transcript‚ click HERE To view CBS transcript‚ click HERE To view NBC transcript‚ click HERE    

The nation reels over images of Venezuelan migrants beating up on New York cops in Times Square‚ and is disgusted to discover that the dangerous transnational criminal gang known as Tren de Aragua has established beachheads in New York‚ Miami and Chicago. Reasonable people might believe that it is time‚ perhaps‚ to accelerate deportation of these criminal elements back to Venezuela. But did you know that the Maduro dictatorship stopped allowing deportation flights from the US? Per The Wall Street Journal: Venezuela has followed through on a threat to stop accepting flights of migrants deported from the U.S. and Mexico‚ people familiar with the measures say‚ adding pressure on President Biden as a surge in illegal migration becomes a key issue in this year’s presidential election. President Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime introduced the measure after Washington reimposed some of the economic sanctions it had previously lifted on Venezuela. The U.S. said that Caracas has failed to live up to the loose pledges it made to restore the democratic order and move toward holding fair presidential elections. Venezuela has also asserted a claim to a resource-rich region of neighboring Guyana‚ drawing further warnings from the U.S. The almost weekly flights from the U.S. to Venezuela came to a stop in late January‚ U.S. officials said‚ after an initial deal was struck in October. The chances of restarting them now appear bleak as relations between the two sides deteriorate‚ according to people involved in the discussions. In sum‚ Maduro followed up on his threat to block incoming deportation flights from the U.S. over a snapback of sanctions‚ levied in response to the regime’s continued exclusion of opposition presidential candidate María Corina Machado from the ballot. We covered that threat when it happened a little over three weeks ago‚ while ABC‚ CBS‚ and NBC did not. The networks chose instead to continue to shill for the dead Senate border deal.  In lieu of shilling for the dead border deal‚ the networks now shill for the new Biden executive orders on immigration that are expected to come down the pike momentarily (no word on whether these orders will actually reverse his first batch of executive orders that created this border mess in the first place). Therefore‚ there has been no time‚ whether on ABC‚ CBS‚ NBC‚ Telemundo or Univision‚ to explain that Biden has no way of actually returning Venezuelan illegal aliens to their home country.  This ongoing saga serves as a reminder that Biden's border policy is at the mercy of two Latin American socialists. The first just halted deportation flights. The second‚ Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO)‚ blew up at The New York Times over a report alleging that the cartels were funneling money to his closest assistant during the 2006 presidential campaign‚ and doxxed the NYT's Mexico City bureau chief.  And AMLO‚ who has operational control over the southern border‚ is mad at the Biden administration over this old investigation.  Which‚ again‚ you didn't hear about on the network evening newscasts.