In a time when the Early Church was ridiculed for their belief that Jesus was the Messiah, a layman, not an apostle, took center stage as he bore the wrath of the religious crowd.

As Christians, when we start participating in the culture we discover some harsh realities. People are not always kind, and it is not easy to be a Christ-follower engaging within a hostile world.

Jesus taught that the first shall be last, the last shall be first, and whoever would be the greatest must be the servant of all (Matthew 19:30, Mark 10:43-44). This is an “upside-down kingdom.”

Without a prepared text he was at times inarticulate. His gift was not brilliance or wit as much as it was incorruptible character. He spoke simply, clearly, and from his heart about his journey to this time and place.

During the journeys described in Acts 17-20, Paul went from city to city and experienced rejection, abuse, false accusations, and threats of violence from those around him, because he consistently and faithfully presented the Gospel message.

Over this series of articles we will dig deeply into Scripture to learn what wisdom, love, and godly conduct look like. We’ll look at character, virtue, manners, and issues like Cancel Culture and Political Correctness.

Questions. Rumors. Charges. Confusion. Devotion and hate. Allegiance and plots. Criticism and fault-finding, mingled with loyalty and following. Awe and wonder, along with jealousy and cynicism. He was divisive. Not because he tried to be—God knows he was kind, humble, and gentle—but because of what he said, where he went, who he saw, and what he did. Most of all, because of who he said he was—and because what he claimed about himself—amazing and mysterious—was true.

If God has not given us a spirit of fear, why are so many in Church leadership in the United States fearful? Fearful of government, fearful of the media, fearful of the culture, fearful of public opinion, fearful of losing members – and with them donations.

God is our refuge. Our fortress. We trust in him to deliver us from the raging storms of life—whenever and however they come. Out in the world, the tempest surges with the dangers of the fowler’s snare—seeking to trap us into sin, despair, depression, and defeat.

In one day, the intercession and action of people over the decades and nation was answered…No longer are we a nation that collectively gives the right to take the lives of the most innocent when they are the most vulnerable. This is a rebirthing of our identify as a nation. THIS IS VICTORY and this is the timing of the Lord.

Many evangelical church leaders worry about the IRS overstepping its bounds. Secular activists push the Biden Administration to use the Johnson Amendment to silence pastors’ free speech. What should we do to make sure ministry leaders’ First Amendment rights are protected?

Our Jewish friends are under attack!

If we call ourselves Christ followers, we need to stand up loudly against these movements that are springing up on our college campuses and around the nation.

We need to be aware that Marxist philosophies and anti-Semitic philosophies disguised as new “theologies” are sneaking into our churches.

Does one vote even matter?

The significance of just one vote, one voice… is huge.

Time is short.

I feel the coming of the Lord soon and I feel deeply His heart for people to be saved and set free — to come into His truth. The countdown is here!

He was sitting alone on a cot. The room was dark and damp. What light there was helped little against his failing eyesight. Short of stature, he was balding, but lean and sinewy. He squinted at the parchment. Oblivious to his sparse, inhospitable surroundings, he focused with a single-minded intensity on his writing.

“Salt and Light” Video Series Challenges Church to Leave the Building…to Enter Public Life

He was introduced as “the moral leader of our nation.” He spoke at a time when eloquence counted and words mattered. So did morality, conscience, and leadership. These virtues were not yet mocked or dismissed; they were respected and valued. He was just 34 years old.

Is there a connection between kindness and healing? We influence people’s dispositions—their attitudes, their spirits, even their health—in so many subtle ways. A warm smile, a firm handshake, a hug or a tender word of thanks or encouragement can make all the difference in how somebody else gets through her day.

You’ve got to admit it. This guy had moxie. Anyone who takes on God directly—to his face, up close and personal—is either foolish, oblivious, blasphemous—or supremely confident of his position. Or perhaps he’s nuts.

Here was another conversation between friends. Moses talked with God with a greater familiarity than most.