Joint Session of Congress
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. In what is essentially a difference without a distinction, it was not formally a State of the Union address, as the President is in the first year of his second non-consecutive term.
To Respond or Not to Respond
Federal employees are in a bit of a bind as a result of mixed messages from their chain of command. Over the weekend, employees of agencies across the federal government were instructed by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to report by email what they had accomplished last week, or else be terminated.
The Vital Skill of Listening in Marriage
Married couples regularly underestimate the value of not just good, but great, communication in their marriage relationship. Communication underscores any truly successful marriage
Mayor Under Fire
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is under fire but may soon be exonerated from federal prosecution. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked for the corruption charges pending against him to be dropped.
A Penny Saved
You might want to hold on to that jar of pennies on your shelf, because they may soon be a relic of the past, as U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to halt production of new pennies.
A Satisfied Life
Terror at night . . . armies attacking . . . a stalking enemy . . . plagues . . . pestilence . . . wild animals . . .
Those are all descriptors found in Psalm 91 of the dangers you and I face in this world. It paints a pretty bleak picture!
Leading from Personal Vision: The Missing Piece in Pastoral Leadership (Part III)
When pastors lead with personal vision in place, their leadership takes on new depth and credibility. Instead of asking their people to live lives of purpose while struggling to do so themselves, they lead from a place of integrity and inspiration.
Tariffs
It was a wild news week on the tariffs front. First, U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on goods imported from China, Canada, and Mexico. Goods from Mexico were to be subject to a 25% tariff when entering the U.S., while goods from China were to be subject to a 10% rate, and goods from Canada were to face either a 10% (energy goods) or 25% markup (non-energy goods).
Leading from Personal Vision: The Missing Piece in Pastoral Leadership (Part II)
So how does a pastor develop a personal vision that fuels rather than fights against their ministry vision? It starts with intentional reflection in three key areas…
A Shaky Ceasefire
Less than a month into the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, there are serious signs it is faltering. After a series of hostage-for-prisoner releases, both sides are accusing the other of violating the ceasefire, and Hamas has threatened to delay the next planned release of hostages (set for this weekend).
A Thin Line
Less than two hours after swimming the best race of her life, she was in tears of disappointment.
Leading from Personal Vision: The Missing Piece in Pastoral Leadership (Part I)
Many pastors lead with a clear church vision in mind. They cast mission statements, set goals, and rally people toward a preferred future. Yet, many of these same pastors struggle with a lack of personal vision.
How to Make Sure Your Organization Fails
There is no shortage of tips, tricks, and opinions out there claiming to lead you to success. And it is true that there are a lot of different elements that can lead an organization to success. You can get pretty lost in that world if you want to.
Buyout on Hold
A U.S. federal judge has put on hold an offer put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump to buyout federal employees. The offer, which the White House says has already been accepted by 65,000 federal workers, is to voluntarily separate from the federal workforce with severance pay until the end of September rather than comply with a return to full in-office schedules.
The Devil’s in the Details
More and more these days, churches are being involved in legal actions. Denominations are suing local congregations over ownership of the church property. Former staff members are suing churches, challenging what they feel was an unlawful termination. Every week it seems we’re reading about a sexual abuse case that has caused a family to bring a case against the church.
Education Should Prioritize Communication, Not Pronouns
In today’s classrooms, students are increasingly bombarded with lessons on personal pronouns while basic communication skills—reading, writing, and speaking with clarity—fall by the wayside.
Playing for Keeps
Friend, this life isn’t for the faint of heart. You were born on a battlefield, and the enemy is playing for keeps. It is no use pulling punches: He aims to steal from you, kill you, and destroy you (Jn. 10:10a).
Peace Talks
Senior officials from the United States and Russia met in Saudi Arabia Tuesday to open discussions about ending the war in Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the U.S. delegation and was joined by national security advisor Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Confirmed
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new cabinet is rapidly being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Those who have already been confirmed include:
Tragedy over the Potomac
It had been nearly 15 years and approximately eight billion passengers since the last fatal commercial airline crash in the United States. That streak ended tragically over the Potomac River near Washington, DC, when an American Airlines flight with 64 people onboard collided mid-air with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers.