Is the Tithe for the New Testament Believers?

Polaris is perhaps the most important star for navigation. Its consistent location in the night sky reveals true north. However, the North Star isn’t enough. Mariners need sightings of several stars to establish their location accurately. Similarly, when we pursue human well-being, we have to consider body, spirit, and soul together. If we isolate one aspect of our humanity as our focus, we’ll end up off course every time. In The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life, Justin Whitmel Earley, a lawyer and popular author, emphasizes habits of the body that shape the soul. His goal is to bring the spiritual and physical aspects of humanity together by focusing on habits of the body. As Earley admits, his task is complex: While the systematic lawyer in me wants to find neat categories for how the body and spirit interlock to form a soul, the Bible cannot be reduced to a simple body + spirit = soul math equation. But it does give us some stars to gaze up at. Here are three: body, spirit, and soul. (20) His target audience is believers who’ve slipped into an excessive spiritualism that ignores the body. As a result, this volume emphasizes stewardship of the body as a vital aspect of a holistic Christian life. Focus on the Physical An essential element of Earley’s diagnosis of the problem is tucked away in a footnote. He argues, “While Christianity has historically opposed gnosticism and all orthodox Christianity has rejected the ‘physical bad, spiritual good’ distinction, our modern age has become increasingly gnostic, seeing the physical as secular and religious things as spiritual” (23n5). He bases his diagnosis of this rising problem on his own physical collapse in his early 30s, when neglecting his body led to a struggle with anxiety. He had assumed that the Christian life “was about knowing the right things, which [he] assumed would trickle down and eventually shape the rest of [his] life” (4). No doubt this problem will resonate with some readers. Yet both the broader culture and much of the evangelical Christian subculture presently put a high premium on the body. Antiaging products and weight-lifting regimes abound and are practiced with a near-religious fervor. The average American spends far more time nourishing her skin than her soul. Many people are far more in tune with their protein intake than with the worldviews they metabolize. Both the broader culture and much of the evangelical Christian subculture presently put a high premium on the body. There was a grave need for the apostle John to write a letter to the early church to combat its anti-body, pro-spirit tendency (e.g., 1 John 1:1–4). However, many evangelicals seem to need a reminder in the opposite direction, one more like Paul’s letter to Timothy reminding him that while “bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:8). Pursuing Optimization Nevertheless, there’s no denying that our overweight, overworked, overstressed culture could use an overhaul of bodily practices. Best-selling secular books like Atomic Habits and The Body Keeps the Score have already made a strong case for the formative power of habits. Those books are joined by hundreds of self-proclaimed experts online promising us better systems, structures, and somatic practices that will improve our mental and physical well-being. Readers familiar with the works of Daniel Siegel, Jonathan Haidt, Bessel van der Kolk, Anna Lembke, and Daniel Kahneman will appreciate the way Earley takes their insights and puts them within a Christian framework. For example, in his chapter on suffering, Earley introduces the concept of antifragility, the idea that “our bodies need stress, pain, and suffering to be healthy” (148). Thus, he argues, “If the body teaches the soul, then something of this reality of physiological antifragility must echo a deep spiritual truth” (149). By interrogating culture and examining its constructs against Scripture, Earley avoids many unhealthy practices. However, this culture-first approach will leave readers constantly evaluating trends like weighted vests, carnivore diets, and cold showers for their spiritual benefits instead of seeking intimacy with God first as we faithfully steward our bodies. Still, many readers will no doubt benefit from Earley’s book as they, like him, fight to overcome their “dark night of the body” (5). Abundant Advice In his quest to help Christians understand how their bodily habits influence their spiritual health, Earley provides ample practical wisdom. The book’s subtitle, “Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Whole Life,” is an understatement. Readers encounter scores of habits and practices from food-charting with accountability partners to box breathing to sleep hygiene. He even includes helpful instructions for Christian communities to practice a “technological ethic together” (203). By interrogating culture and examining its constructs against Scripture, Earley avoids many unhealthy practices. Habits have an important place in our spiritual formation. Yet when Earley labels “life hacks for health” as “spiritual disciplines” that are “just as important to [his] life with God as . . . [his] prayer times,” he seems to overreach (8). On the one hand, he’s perfectly clear that “our habits won’t change God’s love for us, but God’s love for us should change our habits” (14). On the other hand, the preponderance of practices could press the reader toward a habit-based sense of righteousness. There’s no doubt that physical disciplines can improve mental health and often accompany real spiritual growth. However, the human heart tends toward legalism and thus requires constant reiteration of righteousness by faith in Christ alone (Gal. 3:1–7). Earley recognizes this, because he briefly addresses this tendency at the end of each chapter in a section called “Grace > Legalism.” It’s a good reminder, but it’s easy for goal-oriented readers to skip. Earley makes a concerted effort to bring the body, spirit, and soul together to help Christians navigate life. When accompanied by a substantial emphasis on the gospel, The Body Teaches the Soul will benefit Christians seeking to improve their physical health.

Once the steel and manufacturing jobs dried up, the town of Venice began to sink. This Illinois community lost two-thirds of its population, before seeing its last remaining grocery store close, and even its only school. But things are looking up again thanks to an unlikely ally, who presented himself as a financial and managerial […] The post Town Devastated by Steel Mill Closure Reborn Thanks to NCAA Ref and the Hope for New Grocery Store appeared first on Good News Network.

In 1978, a low-budget pseudo-documentary called Faces of Death emerged from the shadows and quickly became one of the most infamous underground films of the VHS era. Marketed as a “shockumentary,” it promised viewers a CONTINUE READING... The post Faces of Death: The VHS-Era Urban Legend appeared first on The Retro Network.

Artificial intelligence and advancing technologies are on the rise. No new news there. However, the type of technology we are seeing and the capabilities it has, are ever new. Large language models like ChatGPT, Grok and DeepSeek are replacing the need for search engines and making life more manageable for countless people around the globe. From aid with email responses to writing cover letters for resumes to one-on-one tutors and brainstorming assistants, these tools are revolutionizing the human experience—for many. Increased technological power ought to cause the human person to reflect on life in a different way. The rise and influence of AI is causing many to consider deeper philosophical questions. What does it mean to be human? If a machine has more knowledge than I do, is it better than me? What jobs will AI replace? What is the purpose of education if machines can relay any fact we need and accomplish any intellectual task much quicker than human beings? Dissecting the true foundation of things is critical for the human person. For this reason, St. Thomas Aquinas opened his Summa Contra Gentiles, Book One with this quote from Scripture: “My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate impiety” (Prov. 8:7). The closer we approach the reason for the existence of reality and the more we understand what it means to be a human person, the more fulfilled we will become. As a department chairperson at a high school on Long Island, this is where AI hits home. My school is consistently investigating how to utilize artificial intelligence in the context of education. Ultimately, these technologies are presenting a healthy challenge for educators. It is forcing us to consider what our purpose is in relation to students and what a successful education is all about. Great teachers are not merely funnels of information. What students remember about their teachers is the way they paid attention to them. Our favorite teachers from our childhood were compassionate, patient and challenging. They were fully human. There was a way they looked at us when we were not on task and a way they returned our work to us when we received an “A” for a challenging assignment or test. Artificial intelligence can relay information. These large language models are mimic machines; they are not conscious thinkers. They are the shiniest technology known to man, but they are still tools of our creation. These machines can regurgitate massive amounts of details and facts. There can be a place for its use in small pockets of guided instruction in the classroom, but the main portion of student-to-teacher interaction ought to be human because education is not just about learning. Education is not about a piece of paper (a diploma) which enables a student to arrive at a distinguished university so that this student can receive a high paying job upon graduation from that university. Unfortunately, this is the mainstream concept of education. This flawed conception of education is the purpose for which parents send their children to school. The foundation of education, however, is much richer. Education is not a robotic enterprise. It is not concerned with a step-by-step mechanical process that arrives at the achievement of simply completing the grade levels required. It is not about gaining a career with an abundant salary either. True education is formation. True education is concerned with obtaining the good and reaching the truth. Goodness and truth are what the human person is made for. Possessing them is the goal of education. School is only impactful and only breeds inspiration for its students if it captivates the learner through their entire human ethos. No advanced technology can accomplish that encounter between persons. That is why Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines technology as “a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge.” The “task” that AI accomplishes in a mechanical way is education. However, true learning is never artificial nor is it a system of mechanics. So, as the early school year carries on around the country we ought to reflect on how we desire our children to utilize AI. Due to the known negative impacts of screen use and the isolating temptation of using technology over interacting with other living and breathing human beings, there must be continuous discernment on how to best use AI to form the next generation of Americans. Education is the avenue for forming the minds and hearts of the future. So, let’s remain rooted in true education and go back to forming, because there are young people waiting to be changed forever by the human interaction of teacher and student. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post How AI Is Sparking Questions About the Purpose of Education appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Norm Macdonald Candidate

The panel features monsters with African, Indigenous Caribbean and intersex features, encouraging viewers to connect the sins and punishments depicted to those considered "other"

The pursuit of freedom is the route to happiness.

Swalwell’s Wrecking Ball Waltz: Dems’ 2028 Plan to Smash Trump’s Ballroom Out of Pure Spite