An unmanned SpaceX Starship rocket exploded last week shortly after blastoff from Texas. The resulting debris field included parts of Florida and temporarily grounded flights at Orlando International Airport. It is the second mid-air explosion in two months for the Starship program, which touts its mission as including eventual manned travel between points on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and SpaceX are investigating the cause of the incident.

There may be a GOP trifecta in Washington, DC, but that hasn’t prevented the U.S. Senate and U.S. House from producing dueling budgets. Last week, the U.S. Senate passed its budget resolution by a vote of 52-48, and the U.S. House passed its version on Tuesday by a vote of 217-215.

Germany has a new presumptive Chancellor and the prospect of a new coalition government after German voters went to the polls and awarded the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party more than 28% of the seats in parliament.

The United States has paused military aid to Ukraine in an effort to speed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. The move comes days after a tense Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On that day. Those three words denote a dramatic change in perspective and destiny. They provide a window into why and how you should have hope about your future.

U.S. tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico are now in effect, and the previous U.S. tariffs on China have been doubled. Canada and China responded with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, and Mexico announced it will do the same this weekend.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s new cabinet is rapidly being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Those who have already been confirmed include:

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.

“Maybe it’s an April Fools’ Day joke in February.”

That was my first though when I saw the news. But no, it wasn’t April Fools’ Day, and it wasn’t a joke.

The eyes of the world (an average of about 127.7 million pairs of them) were on Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday, as the Kansas City Chiefs attempted to win a third straight championship.

You have wounds. I have wounds. Everyone we encounter has wounds. These are hardly trifling affairs, either.

As has become customary in American governance, it was a very full first week for the new Trump administration. The number and scope of executive orders and actions was likely even higher and broader than normal due to the fact that Republicans are also in control of both chambers of Congress.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has begun, with the release of three Israeli hostages in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners. While the deal offers a temporary reprieve, lasting peace remains uncertain, and believers are called to seek both justice and peace (Ps. 34:14, Is. 1:17).

Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, marking a historic return to office and the beginning of a wave of executive orders. As political power shifts, believers are reminded that our ultimate citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20) and true freedom is found in Christ (Gal. 5:1).

In a historic use of presidential pardon power, outgoing President Biden issued pardons for political and personal allies, while incoming President Trump granted sweeping clemency to January 6 defendants. As believers, we are reminded that while human leaders act with personal and political bias, God alone grants true justice and mercy (Psalm 103:6-8).

Microsoft is reportedly renewing its interest in acquiring TikTok after President Trump delayed enforcement of the app’s mandated sale, raising ongoing legal, political, and national security debates. As this unfolds, Christians are reminded to prioritize what is true and edifying, aligning their focus with Philippians 4:8.

You want to leave a legacy. You want to lead a life that makes a difference and leaves an impact. You want the world and those you love to be better as a result of your life.

Do you have faith in the end of your story? It is a critically important question for Jesus followers living in a broken world (that is all of us)! Why?

Those were the central words proclaimed by my brother-in-law this week as he eulogized his mother. He shared how his mom had left him an inheritance far more meaningful than money or possessions, and that when she, along with his dad, had consistently and faithfully prioritized service to those around him, it had left its mark on him.

The bodies of two Israelis held hostage by Hamas were discovered in tunnels beneath Gaza this week. The remains were identified as a father and son, Yosef Al-Ziyadnah and Hamza Al-Ziyadnah, both of whom were kidnapped alive by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100 (making him the longest living president in U.S. history). Carter served as the Governor of Georgia on his way to winning the White House in 1976.

The enemy’s tactics of ego and shame aim to distract you from God’s Truth—tempting you to either elevate yourself above God or be crushed by shame over your sin. But the Truth is this: God, who is greater than all, has crowned you with His glory and honor (Ps. 8:5).

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been impeached following a controversial invocation of martial law, shifting power to the Prime Minister while the Constitutional Court deliberates his fate. This turbulent moment serves as a reminder that earthly governments are temporary, but God’s eternal Kingdom endures forever (Ps. 9:7).

A flurry of legal developments, including the discharge of President-elect Donald Trump’s conviction and the resignation of Special Counsel Jack Smith, sets the stage for Trump’s second inauguration. This moment invites believers to approach world events with discernment, humility, and a commitment to fostering healing and truth in a divided world.