Culture

As Christmas approaches, many people begin to question the legitimacy of the holiday. Was Jesus born on December 25th? Was Christmas simply borrowed from earlier pagan sources? Is Christmas a pagan holiday? Questions of this nature can be disturbing to believers who haven’t investigated the history of the holiday. Does …

The pilgrims who came over from England in 1620 were, in many ways, ordinary men and women. Some of them were members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect of Christianity). These Separatists originally fled England and sailed to Holland to escape the religious intolerance and oppression of their …

The elections are coming up quickly here in the US. I’m sure many of us are still making up our minds about which propositions and leaders we will ultimately choose. I appreciate the fact that I have the opportunity to vote, and I am always concerned about making sure my …

I remember when COVID-19 was first being discussed in the news. The idea that a pandemic was on the horizon was totally foreign to most of us; we simply had not experienced such an event in our lifetime. Early reactions seemed extreme and inconsistent. Some of us rushed to buy …

I’ve been both a youth and a lead pastor, and as such, I’ve struggled to find a way to change the culture of the groups I’ve led. There were times when I fretted about the theological maturity of my group or their ability to defend the truth claims of Christianity. …

It has been a sad time for law enforcement. Recent events have turned the public’s attention toward our profession, and the public is not happy with what it sees. The actions of a few have put all of us under insurmountable scrutiny. I’m always upset when I see or hear …

As I write this, we are in the middle of another presidential election cycle. It seems like there is another debate each week with the candidates doing their best to appeal to voters and gain their party’s nomination. It is interesting to me to see the different ways each candidate …

As I walked into the office at work, one of my coworkers began talking about the news. The headline accused a Christian of misbehavior.  I knew this Detective was not a believer. In fact, he was already hostile to religion before this scandal occurred. I knew the recent headlines would …

A recent Gallup Poll (released on December 24th) chronicles the continuing decline of religious influence in America. In 1952, 75% of Americans said religion was very important in their lives. Today, only 51% report this to be true. In addition, most Americans now believe religion is losing its influence on America. …

A recent study from Lifeway Research reveals that “most Americans want more religious meaning to the Christmas season.” 65% of those surveyed said, “Christmas should be more about Jesus.” While that might sound like good news for Christians, the number of Americans who want to “keep Christ in Christmas” – …