Grand Blanc Attack
Pray for and grieve with those who are hurting and grieving. As you do so, resist the urge to be anxious or fearful. The brokenness of our world is in plain view, and we can be assured it will continue to be present. You can be equally assured of a peace that passes all understanding when your mind is stayed on Jesus (Philip. 4:7).
Rate Cut
The policy decisions of the world’s superpower matter. That includes economic decisions such as the federal funds rate. These are issues worth understanding, and in some cases worth factoring into your decision making.
They do not, however, impact your eternity, and this reality should dictate your level of fixation on them (translation: the federal funds rate should have no impact on your peace).
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philip. 4:7).
Love Your Enemies
Justice and vengeance belong to the Lord (Rom. 12:19), and the perpetrator of this horrible act will face earthly justice. But you and I, my friend, are called to love and forgiveness. That is a difficult calling. It requires us to be open to our enemies turning from evil even after inflicting evil upon us.
Will you embrace that level of love for your enemies? It will truly set you free.
Shutdown Looming
This story continues to be on loop. While the two major U.S. political parties have divergent priorities, including on matters of spending, shutdown politics has become ubiquitous across all versions of partisan control. In every variant of partisan control, Congress and the White House have been unable to fund the government under anything close to regular order.
The result is perpetual government shutdown watch. We have said it before—when one deal is reached to avoid a shutdown, it is really just setting the date on which you can expect the next shutdown threat.
So how should you as a Jesus follower—knowing the facts above—interact with a story like this?
Dr. Oz
Dr. Oz’s medical beliefs may be influenced by Gnosticism, mysticism, and perhaps even the occult. Christians should be aware and vigilant.
Resigning Prime Ministers
This week, no matter your prime minister, president, or earthly king, allow your status as an eternal citizen of heaven to inform the way in which you “seek the peace and prosperity of [your] city” (Jer. 29:7).
The End of All of Our Exploring: Charlie Kirk and the Call for Unity
All Christians have been called to unify, to seek justice, and join in a spiritual battle, knowing that Charlie Kirk’s courageous witness and his assassination combine to call us into a struggle that demands every breath we take. That is the beginning and the end of all of our exploration.
Department of War
The policies and actions of the U.S. military carry enormous consequence. As the world’s most powerful and sophisticated fighting force, the actions—and even the posture—of the department responsible for overseeing that force are of immense importance.
Bolsanaro Sentenced
Governments of men—and their leaders—are fallible, and their reign will come and go (Dan. 2:21). All of them. This is a challenging truth to grasp when our preferred leaders are in power, but it is one that is essential for both flourishing and the preservation of our own sound thinking (2 Tim. 1:7).
Block Everything
Everyday life in France was significantly disrupted last Wednesday as nearly a quarter million people took to the streets to “Block Everything.” The protests and unrest are in response to President Emmanual Macron’s selection of Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister. Hundreds were arrested, and it is likely that additional demonstrations will happen in the days ahead.
Charlie Kirk Assassinated
Charlie Kirk, 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated while speaking at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University last Wednesday. Kirk leaves behind a wife and two young children. Four days before he was killed, Charlie posted on X, “Jesus defeated death so you can live.”
Shooting in Minneapolis
Each of us is not only intentionally designed by a loving God but also called by name and claimed by God.
There are many variations of losing touch with this clarion call on our lives, but your mission and mine includes reminding those around us they are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14), and intentionally designed for a specific purpose (Eph. 2:10).
Earthquake in Afghanistan
You are to be an agent of comfort and compassion when tragedy strikes those around you (2 Cor. 1: 3-4). As you pray for those who are living under Taliban rule and are now facing the devastation of an earthquake, ask your loving heavenly Father to show you how to best serve in this trying moment.
Change the Rules
You, as a Jesus follower, are almost certain to at times find yourself aligned with the majority party or a pending nominee, and at others unaligned with one or both. Regardless of your current status, you should seek a multitude of godly counsel (Pr. 11:14) and expect the same of your elected leaders.
Protests and a Ceasefire
God’s Word repeatedly reminds us to persistently pursue peace because true and lasting peace will not be fully attained until eternity. That does not reduce our tenacity in pursuing it (we should aim to model the Prince of Peace), but it should provide a bulwark against discouragement when peace proves to be elusive.
Bolton Raided
You very likely have zero knowledge about whether John Bolton is guilty or innocent. Likewise, you have no visibility into whether the motives of law enforcement are pure or tainted. You do, however, have the ability to avoid pre-judging either question and—to the extent you choose to follow this story at all—commit to a fair evaluation of the facts on both sides before coming to even an internal conclusion on the merits.
A Week of Peace
We as The Equipped community remain in steadfast prayer for those living in a war zone. We also remain steadfast in our pursuit of peace (Ps. 34:14), while acknowledging that true and lasting peace requires far more than just the cessation of war.
Military Parade in Beijing
This week, pray that world leaders would abandon a course of gathering authority unto themselves and instead embrace a humility that seeks broad counsel.
In a similar way, let’s you and I commit to carefully considering the trusted counsel of godly friends as we endeavor to follow Jesus through life’s tricky decisions.
Not Unanimous
More economic winds. You almost certainly have no control over what the Fed decides to do about interest rates. You do, however, have a great deal of responsibility to wisely steward the resources entrusted to you.
Starving Hostages
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues to wage, outcry over the ensuing humanitarian collateral damage is growing.