🏟️ Faith And Baseball: Why These Fans Feel A Special Connection To MLB’s Playoff Teams 🔌

It's baseball playoff time, and six remaining teams look to make it to baseball's proverbial promised land. Here's why some of their fans have such a special — even spiritual — connection to the teams.

The Sad State Of Contemporary Cessationism

(OPINION) Pastor P. Yesupadam is one of my closest friends in the world and the truest Christian I know. But he was not always a follower of Jesus. To the contrary, although his father gave him the name Yesupadam, meaning “the foot of Jesus,” he grew up hating that name and hating the caste system of India. That’s because he was born into an untouchable family, suffering terrible deprivation and almost dying of starvation as a boy.

Christianity, OpinionDr. Michael BrownOctober 10, 2024Dr. Michael Brown, Michael Brown, news, Christianity, opinion, cessationismComment

Spin-Kicking For Jesus And Other Karate Moves

(OPINION) A lot of people — hordes, in fact — feel some amorphous pull toward the spiritual. There’s the old saying that all people are born with a God-shaped hole in them and only God can fill it. At some point in their lives many folks become seekers. But just as we all have to start at the beginning, we all have to grow.

Opinion, ChristianityPaul PratherOctober 7, 2024Paul Prather, Christianity, Spirituality, Karate, Spiritual growth, opinion, religion, karate, Jesus, newsComment

⛈️ With Chainsaws And Supply Runs, The ‘Faith-Based FEMA’ Responds To Hurricane Helene 🔌

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, faith-based disaster relief ministries are working alongside neighbors to feed survivors and clear damage.

To Be An Israeli Jew Means Living With Danger Every Day

(OPINION) When I moved to Israel, I couldn’t have foreseen the horror that would unfold less than two months later, when Hamas terrorists stormed the southern border, massacred 1,200 citizens, and took 251 others hostage on Oct. 7. In all the years I spent dreaming of my aliyah — the return to the homeland described in Jewish texts — I never accounted for the country being thrust into national disarray.

A Great Cloud Of Witnesses: The Power That Comes With Holy Sites And Saints

(OPINION) Kathy and I are winging across the Atlantic, returning to the States after spending two weeks in Italy. For me, the trip been a kind of pilgrimage. Now there’s a word with which many of us are unfamiliar.

Christianity, Opinion, ReligionMichael MetzgerOctober 1, 2024Mike Metzger, Michael Metzger, religion, Christianity, opinionComment

Is The IDF Committing Terrorist Acts Against Hezbollah?

(OPINION) There is a Talmudic dictum that states, “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.” This is part of a discussion of the laws of self-defense, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited it with reference to the targeted killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Dad Loved Animals, Children And God — But Often Hated Himself

(OPINION) More than anybody I’ve ever known, Dad loved God. I mean, he really loved God, as if God was as real and tangible as a puppy or my mom. Meanwhile, he fought a probable emotional disorder on his own, the best he could, with no counseling and no medication, just him and the Holy Ghost waging war with his demons.

Opinion, ChristianityPaul PratherSeptember 30, 2024Paul Prather, Mental health, Memories, Photos, Christianity, opinion, God, familyComment

The Book Of Ruth Is A Romance — And So Much More

(OPINION) If you haven’t read Ruth recently, or ever, you should. It’s a classic romance. I should say, it’s a romance among other things. That’s what intrigues me about the Bible, Old Testament and New. Nothing is ever just one thing. It works on a straightforward level, but it’s also full of allusions to other biblical passages and buried meanings and, well, there’s no end to it.

Opinion, Christianity, Judaism, ReligionPaul PratherSeptember 23, 2024Paul Prather, Bible, Christianity, Ruth, opinion, JudaismComment

Only God Is God: The Rest of Us Are Discardable

(OPINION) There is only one Creator, only one worthy of adoration and worship, only one whose name will be proclaimed throughout eternity. The rest of us are created beings, here for His pleasure and purpose. He is eternal. We are here today and gone tomorrow. He is essential. We are dispensable and disposable. Only God is God.

Christianity, OpinionDr. Michael BrownSeptember 23, 2024Michael Brown, Dr. Michael Brown Comments

The 2 Rails Of The Southern Baptist Convention

(OPINION) I want to remind us of what is good about being a Southern Baptist. That’s why I’ve chosen Hebrews chapter 10, verses 23 and 24, to be the theme verses for this year. And the theme statement will be “Hold fast."

Christianity, News, OpinionClint PressleySeptember 21, 2024Clint Pressley, SBC, Southern Baptist Convention, opinion, ChristianityComment

🏀 Small-College Coach Garth Pleasant Never Made Excuses — And He Became A Legend 🔌

When a legend invites you to the Big House, you go. The story of how our columnist ended up at a Michigan Wolverines game with basketball coach Garth Pleasant, who won 720 games and four small-college national championships.

Paging Hezbollah: Understanding Israel’s Attack On Lebanon And Syria

(OPINION) Can you imagine the level of physical and psychological trauma throughout Lebanon and parts of Syria as thousands of Hezbollah pagers exploded, leaving many Islamic militants injured, hundreds of them critically, and several of them dead? It sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie more than real life, especially at the scale on which it occurred.

Islam, Israel, Jewish, Judaism, News, Middle East, OpinionDr. Michael BrownSeptember 18, 2024Dr. Michael Brown, Michael Brown, Israel, Hezbollah, Middle East, terrorism, Islamic terrorism, Islam, Muslims, Jews, Judaism, GazaComment

I’ll Say It Again: Christians, Get Thee To Church … Now!

(OPINION) As I’ve argued for years, being spiritual on your own isn’t enough. I located a column I wrote in 2015 — speaking of repeating myself — that outlined a half-dozen arguments for why believers need to join a congregation of like-minded pilgrims. Here’s a lightly edited version of that.

📰 Is A Pulitzer Winner’s Move From The WSJ To A Catholic Paper Surprising? Not Overly 🔌

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist is leaving the Wall Street Journal for the National Catholic Reporter. Why this is a surprise — and why it's not.

Politics Matter These Days — But It’s Not The Gospel

(OPINION) Politics are very important. Politics played a role in the abolition of slavery and segregation and in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Conversely, it was because of a political vote that Hitler came into power, resulting in the deaths of multiplied tens of millions of lives.

When Charles Spurgeon Took On Slavery And Billy Graham Took On Segregation

(OPINION) Without a doubt, Charles Spurgeon and later Billy Graham were gospel preachers rather than social justice warriors. Yet, both addressed some of the greatest social evils of their day without for a moment diluting their Jesus-centered messages.

Hey, Bill Maher, I’m That Other Guy Who Loves Being A Dad

(OPINION) For men and women alike, choosing to remain childless used to be a decision frowned upon by the larger culture. Now, childlessness is rapidly becoming our culture. Look, I get it. Yet I don’t get it. Having kids might be only a choice, but it’s a choice I can’t imagine having forgone.

Opinion, Society, ReligionPaul PratherSeptember 9, 2024Paul Prather, Bill Maher, Christianity, Parenthood, Childless, opinion, fatherhood, religion, fathersComment

📽️ ‘Reagan’ Movie: God’s Purpose In President’s Life Emerges As A Central Theme 🔌

The new "Reagan" biopic focuses on Ronald Reagan's role in the Cold War and the fight against Soviet communism. But faith emerges as a major storyline in the 135-minute biopic.

Hollywood Offers Harmful And Misleading Latter-day Saints Portrayals

(OPINION) Hulu is releasing a docuseries in September called “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” and Hollywood is releasing a film called “Heretic” in mid-November. The Hulu series might attract voyeur types, but I’m hoping that more discriminating viewers will be repulsed by the sensational immorality featured in the program.

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