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This is the last episode for the month of July – time for our monthly news roundup. In this episode, we’ll be talking about assisted suicide, children reading the Bible, and Chinese authorities shutting down a virtual church service.Continue Reading
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This week we’re going to be talking about the recent demonstrations throughout Cuba. Many there have been protesting the Communist government. At the same time, many in our country are increasingly viewing Communism/Socialism favorably. What does the Bible have to say that would influence how we view all of this? That is what we’ll discuss in this episode.Continue Reading
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This week we’re going to be talking about the number of young adults who are not doing anything. A recent study found that about one fifth of young adults are not employed, not in school, and not receiving training for future work. What does the Bible have to say about this? And how might this affect the church in the future? We’re going to talk about that today.Continue Reading
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This week we’re going to be talking about patriotism and the church. This Sunday is the 4th of July. Many churches around the country are going to be having special patriotic elements incorporated into their worship services. Is this a good thing or not? What does the Bible say that would relate to this? We’re going to discuss that today.Continue Reading
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This is the last episode for the month of June – time for our monthly news roundup. In this episode, we’ll be talking about the number of Americans who are reading the Bible, the Department of Education and transgender students, and the effects of the pandemic on our emotional well-being.
STORY #1 –More Americans Are Reading the Bible
“The latest State of the Bible report from the American Bible Society finds that 181 million Americans opened a Bible in the past year—up 7.1% from the previous year.
“When thinking about their own usage, 24% of Americans say their Bible reading has increased this year compared to last. Around 2 in 3 (63%) say it has stayed the same, while 9% say it has decreased.
“In January 2020, 48% of Americans were considered Bible users by the American Bible Society—the lowest percentage in the 10 years of the study. That number rebounded, however, in January 2021 as 50% or 128 million Americans are Bible users this year—the highest percentage in four years and the most in raw numbers since 2014.”
[…]
“Even as fewer Americans are avoiding the Bible completely, not enough are reading it on a regular basis. Around 1 in 10 (11%) say they read it daily, and another 5% say they read it four to six days a week.
“That combined 1 in 6 Americans who read Scripture at least four times a week is an important number. Extensive research of the impact of Bible reading shows that is the amount necessary to see significant life change. People who engage with Scripture one to three days a week demonstrate the same effect on the personal lives as those who don’t engage with it at all. Those who read the Bible four days a week or more, however, see radical, life-altering effects.
“Unfortunately, even among churchgoers regular Bible reading is not common enough. Close to a third (32%) of U.S. Protestant churchgoers say they read the Bible every day, according to a 2019 Lifeway Research study. Including the 27% who say they read it a few times a week, fewer than 3 in 5 churchgoers read the Bible more than once a week. A full 12% say they rarely or never read the Bible.” (Lifeway Research)
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STORY #2 – Department of Education Says Sports, Bathrooms Must Be Open to Transgender Students
“On Wednesday, the Department of Education said public schools cannot discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity under a new Biden administration policy that will impact such contentious issues as sports and the usage of bathrooms and locker rooms.”
“The Department of Education’s decision impacts multiple hot-button issues, including the use of bathrooms and locker rooms by students who identify with the opposite gender. It also affects athletics and the controversy over biological boys competing in girls’ events. In its new policy, the Department of Education says it will ‘fully enforce Title IX’ to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity ‘in education programs and activities.’ The latter term includes sports.” (Christian Headlines)
Related material:
STORY #3 – 44% of Americans Hit ‘Lowest Emotional Point’ of Their Lives During Pandemic
“If there was a growing mental health crisis before 2020, a new study finds the coronavirus pandemic may have sent it spiraling out of control. Half of Americans feel they lost complete control of their lives during the last year.
“A survey of 2,000 people reveals 47 percent feel helpless, while 44 percent say they hit their lowest emotional point within the last year. Since last March, Americans report struggling more with anxiety (42%), depression (37%), and loneliness (31%) than ever before.” (Study Finds)
Related material:
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This week we’re going to be talking about same-sex marriage. With it being “pride month,” I figured we ought to take at least one episode on the podcast to talk about something related to that. Last week Gallup came out with new statistics regarding the number of Americans who support same-sex marriage. In what should be no surprise to anyone, the percentage of people in our society who support same-sex marriage continues to increase. There are some lessons in this that we need to consider that go beyond simply what the Bible teaches about homosexuality. We’re going to consider some of these lessons today.Continue Reading
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This week we’re going to be talking about whether Christians need other Christians in order to follow the Lord, or if we can be faithful to God without other believers. This is an important topic, especially in light of the year we have had with the pandemic and the lockdowns, closures, and isolation for many that followed.Continue Reading
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Ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden, sin and temptation have plagued mankind. As long as the world stands, evil forces and destructive influences will surround us.
We continue to deal with problems related to sin and temptation – both individually and collectively – but the specific issues that rise to prominence will vary from generation to generation. This material addresses some of the chief issues facing our present age – abortion, racism, drug abuse, social media, materialism, and more – by presenting explanations, statistics, and Bible principles. There are also questions at the end of each lesson in order to aid in both personal and group Bible studies.
As Christians, we need to understand the state of the world around us so that we can guard against its destructive influence and help lead others to the truth. Both young people and adults will benefit from a study of these issues.
Click here for more information and to download a sample of the book.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
If you have further questions about using any of the material on this site, please contact me.