We are all sinners (dare I say even repeat offenders) who have fallen short of the mark (Rom. 3:23). You and I both find ourselves in need of a Savior. In the same breath, there is cause for great rejoicing because the cost of your sin has already been paid in full (Rom. 6:23). Your redemption is a free and finished work, so walk free of your sin and leave it behind today!

Your impact on behalf of the vulnerable can begin immediately. Walk upright. Defend those vulnerable to oppression. Desire and pursue equal justice.

Hero or not, each of us will die. Your physical body will one day give out, and only your eternal being will remain. I confess much of this is beyond my finite mind, and yet it is the foundation of my greatest reason for hope. My eternity has nothing to do with my fragile and failing body, and everything to do with the One who created me and called me his own!

It is a word never to be uttered. It should especially never be mentioned in an e-newsletter or any other subscription-based form of communication. It is in every way taboo, and one every marketing plan will scream for you to steer clear of at all costs. Despite all these realities, it is a word you and I should take seriously and deploy regularly:

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The federal government has approved $9 billion of spending cuts. How should Christians view this development?

It is a difficult concept for me to fully understand and yield to, and it presents itself in the form of a question. Perhaps you can relate. The question is this: Should I sit or should I serve?

At the risk of eliminating any suspense, the answer is yes. Yes to both. Yes and yes.

You serve a God who loves you too much to leave you as you are, and He is using the heat in your life to refine you, and to produce a treasure worthy of His name.

Jesus may just walk up to you today in the course of your everyday life. It could be in the form of a friend, a foe, or simply someone in need. Will you notice Him?

Scottie Scheffler is the top-ranked player in the world and made news earlier in the week by speaking candidly about the reality that success in golf is “not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.”​

You and I need trusted and Godly counsel in our lives. We need those who are willing and able to call balls and strikes for us according to God’s Word.

The United States is turning up the pressure on Russia both economically and militarily. U.S. President Donald Trump announced both planned economic tariffs on Russia and an increased supply of weapons for Ukraine in an effort to turn back the military offensive led by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted a lower court’s injunction that had temporarily blocked the Trump administration from dramatically scaling back the U.S. Department of Education. The decision allows the administration to move forward with its plan to reduce the footprint of the agency—a plan that contains both elimination of programs and personnel as well as reorganization of certain programs to other federal agencies.

You must empty yourself in order to be filled by the mighty power of the One who is greater than both you and the powers of this world who will come against you!

America’s 249^th birthday—July 4, 2025—was celebrated with fireworks, BBQs, and the signing of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” After months of negotiating and drafting, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate finally approved joint language just in time for the bill to be signed into law on Independence day. The bill-turned-law makes significant changes to U.S. tax law, as well as spending programs.

After 30 years of fighting between dozens of factions, and hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of people dead, there is a new peace deal in place between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, upheld a Tennessee law that bans puberty blockers and hormones from being administered to minors for the purpose of transitioning to the opposite sex. Twenty-seven states have similar laws on the books, and the Supreme Court’s ruling mostly ensures those laws will remain in effect.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 to limit the use of universal or nationwide injunctions by lower courts, reinforcing that such courts may only issue rulings for the parties directly involved in a case. This decision underscores the constitutional boundaries of judicial authority, reminding Christians that while human power is limited by design, God’s authority is limitless and eternal.

The United States and China have a deal. While details and implementation specifics remain incomplete, both countries confirm an agreement to allow the U.S. more access to rare earth minerals in exchange for an easing of tariffs on imports from China.

The king had a simple instruction from the prophet. He was simply to strike the ground with arrows. The king followed the instruction and struck the ground with the arrows but stopped after three strikes. This angered the prophet and limited the king’s blessing. It is a strange story, and it has direct application to your life this week.

Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, are dead, and Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, are injured after a gunman went on an overnight shooting spree with apparent plans to target dozens of elected officials. Authorities say the suspect, who was later taken into custody near his home, had a target list of more than 40 Democrat lawmakers and attempted to harm at least two additional officials at their homes on the night of the attack.

The U.S. Army celebrated its 250th anniversary this week with a parade of troops, military equipment, and music in the streets of Washington, DC. It was among the first of what will be many events commemorating 250 years since many of the foundational moments in American history—including the adoption by the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The celebratory event was met by protests in many American cities but went off without major incident in DC.

Israel and Iran are at war. The two countries have long been enemies and there has for some time now been sustained hostilities, proxy skirmishes, and recently direct engagement between them. This week marked a significant escalation, however, with Israel embarking on a multi-day and ongoing campaign to cripple Iran’s nuclear weapons capability. The result has been the destruction of multiple sites related to Iran’s nuclear enrichment and development, as well as the death of multiple Iranian military leadership.

It is all about the number, but everyone’s number is different. The annual time trials had arrived, and every swimmer was being judged by the number on the clock when they touched the wall at the end of the race. Some got to the wall with smooth beautiful form while others appeared to struggle a great deal. But so long as every swimmer swam legally, the “how” and the aesthetic appeal (or lack thereof) were of no consequence. 

The U.S. State Department is “aggressively revok[ing] visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,” according to a statement by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The move comes amid increasing economic tension—including an ongoing tariff escalation—between the U.S. and China, and also as world observers warn about the possibility of a Chinese takeover of Taiwan.

The man at the center of multiple high-profile legal challenges is back in the United States and facing charges of human smuggling. Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported from Maryland to his native El Salvador in March, a move that sparked numerous legal challenges and ultimately a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court ordering the administration to “facilitate” Garcia’s return to the U.S. Garcia remains in federal custody and awaits prosecution.

The betrayal was worse than the execution. It had to have been, because it came from the hand and heart of one he deeply loved.

You know the story. Judas—now known as Judas Iscariot because of this very story—betrays Jesus in the leadup to the crucifixion of Jesus. It was a betrayal Jesus predicted at the last supper (Matt. 26:21) and one foreshadowed by David generations in advance (Ps. 41:9).

There are yet again new rounds of negotiations to end the fighting in two major wars. First, Israel has reportedly signaled agreement with a U.S.-led framework that includes a ceasefire, hostage exchanges, and increased aid into Gaza. Hamas wants changes to the framework but has reportedly indicated an openness to continued negotiations.