Posts in Opinion
Erika Kirk’s Tribute: ‘Let Charlie’s Miracle Be Your Turning Point’

The following remarks were made by Erika Kirk, wife of the late Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, on Sept. 21 during his memorial service held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

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A Pastoral Call: Sympathy, Not Empathy, For Charlie Kirk

(OPINION) America is dangerously polarized. We are split into camps with different facts, values and even realities. Kirk often stepped into that arena as a kind of devil’s advocate — lobbing provocative challenges and daring opponents to prove him wrong. If his death teaches us anything, it may be that endless condemnation cannot heal us.

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What Jesus Teaches Us In The Wake Of Charlie Kirk’s Murder

(OPINION) When I read or listen to the news, I often think: What is God calling us, specifically as Christians, to say and do in response to this moment?It is so effortless for me to take pre-existing political talking points — they are waiting for me like TV dinners, ready to heat up and serve — to sprinkle the salt of a couple of Biblical proof texts on top of them and to call that my response. Maybe you share this facile temptation with me.But I reckon that God expects something more robust of us than that.

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⚾️ Home Runs Are Nice, But These MLB Players Pursue A Higher Calling 🔌

For years, MLB teams such as the Detroit Tigers and the San Diego Padres have boosted ticket sales by appealing to evangelical Christians. Sunday’s Faith and Family Night marked a first for the Rangers — at least in several years — as Texas joined the growing trend of franchises organizing such events.

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🇺🇦 As War Drags On, Ukrainian-Born Christian Keeps Serving Refugees In Alaska 🔌

At first Zori Opanasevych thought her ministry to serve Ukrainian refugees might last a few months. But more than three years later, she’s still at it — leading the nonprofit arm of a Pentecostal church that helped more than 1,300 people fleeing the war resettle in Alaska.

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🛢️ Detour To A Culture War: Chicken, Dumplings And Food For Thought At Cracker Barrel 🔌

Cracker Barrel became the latest company engulfed in a culture war after announcing a new logo — and then reversing course amid criticism from everyone from President Donald Trump to the Democratic Party.

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Where Does Evangelical Support For Israel Come From?

(OPINION) As an evangelical Christian, I was taught God told Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that he would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him. This was further identified with Israel in Numbers 24:1-9. So, my support for Israel was something I believed I should do as a Christian in order to be blessed personally and nationally. This included people and land.

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🏈 How A Prominent National College Football Writer Became A Small-Town Pastor 🔌

George Schroeder loves college football. He just loves Jesus more. After over a quarter-century as a sportswriter, Schroeder found a new calling in ministry.

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📰 ‘Our Job Is Not To Cover Up Sin’: Reporter Jerry Mitchell On Faith And Journalism 🔌

Legendary journalist Jerry Mitchell reflects on faith and journalism. “The church is supposed to take care of sin,” Mitchell says. “We’re not supposed to wink at it or cover it up.”

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🗞️ My 35 Years In Full-Time Journalism: What’s Changed And What Hasn’t 🔌

Weekend Plug-in columnist Bobby Ross Jr. reflects on his 35 years in full-time journalism. It started with the editor of a small-town Oklahoma newspaper taking a chance on him.

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Sometimes Getting To The Truth Calls For More Artistry Than Stenography 

(OPINION) A professor explained that “art” was short for “artifice.” Art was an interpretation, a cleverly designed facsimile crafted to produce a particular insight or reaction. It evoked the essence of a real thing, but it was in fact not the thing. You had to keep your audience in mind.

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An Unsung Hero: Bob Case Helped Shape Christian Journalism

(OPINION) If you are a regular reader of MinistryWatch, and you appreciate our approach to the news, you should know about Bob Case. In fact, if you read WORLD Magazine, or Christianity Today, or The Dispatch, or any of dozens of other news outlets, you have — whether you know it or not — been influenced by Bob Case.

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🏈 ‘God, Why Me?’: Deion Sanders Never Asked That While Battling Cancer 🔌

Deion Sanders can’t — or won’t — stop talking about the Lord. Especially now. This week, Colorado’s head football coach mentioned God and faith at least three dozen times during a 40-minute news conference to discuss his private battle with bladder cancer.

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📺 ‘Like Losing A Friend’: Why Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Death Hit Gen Xers So Hard 🔌

Oh no, not Theo. That was the first thought of millions of Generation Xers when the news broke this week of Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s accidental drowning death in Costa Rica at age 54. Here’s why “The Cosby Show” actor was so influential and beloved.

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What An Online Theology Course Got Wrong About St. Francis

(OPINION) St. Francis of Assisi, like so many young people today, had experienced the ravages of war, spent time as a prisoner and came out of that trauma seeking something deeper in his life. He hungered for God and had the courage to step out boldly in his search. Heaping extraneous mumbo-jumbo on him really does a disservice. 

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⛪️ Conviction And Controversy: Pastor John MacArthur’s Legacy 🔌

When a high-profile religious leader dies, it’s always fascinating to see what words various news organizations choose to encapsulate that person. Such is the case with this week’s passing of the Rev. John MacArthur — after his hospitalization for pneumonia — at age 86.

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Religious Catholic Women Are Being Silenced By Power And Policy

(OPINION) As someone who works with Catholic religious communities, I hear things. Up until recently, what I’ve heard has been a hopeful message that includes how much God loves each and every one of us. In recent months, though, even what I hear from the various vowed religious women with whom I interact has become somewhat ominous.

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⛈️ Grief And Guilt: Parents Who’ve Lost Children Reflect On Texas Flooding Deaths 🔌

The grief. The guilt. The giant fog. Matt Collins can’t help but experience the catastrophic Texas flooding — especially the deaths of children in a sudden natural disaster — through a deeply personal lens.

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Minister Makes News By Mixing Faith With Psychedelic Drugs

(OPINION) There’s been much academic and journalistic attention paid in recent years to the documentable benefits of treating a host of mental disorders with psychedelics. “This Is Your Priest on Drugs” looks at a published study in which researchers administered psilocybin to clergy from various religious traditions.

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