faith

Pastor and author Andy Stanley is receiving both praise and criticism after a sermon he preached saying that gay people who attend church "have more faith than I do."

As you and I know, the only One who can transform a sinful human heart is Jesus: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Why, then, don’t more people learn from tragedy to turn to him?

By seeking and studying what God has revealed, we can make God’s thoughts our thoughts. We have, Paul wrote, the mind of Christ. We can know His design for human beings and for marriage and family, the purpose of government, the rightful end and object of worship, the significance of art and music and the place of science, and especially what has gone wrong with our world and what He’s doing to set it right. The ultimate goal is not to know things about God or even about His mighty acts in history. It is to know Him, and as Jesus put it, to love Him, with all our heart, soul, and mind.

Today could be the most significant Christian holiday that Christians know about the least. Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas, was set aside in the Church calendar to remember the visitation of the Magi to the infant Jesus. The day’s name comes from a Greek word that means “manifestation.” Through these strange visitors, God’s gift of Himself to the world was first made manifest to the wider world, and we are given a glimpse of the fulfillment of God’s promise that through Israel the rest of the world would be blessed.

Award-winning singer and songwriter Matt Maher says the trend of Christians walking away from God can be partially blamed on believers not growing in their faith as they age.

To be Christian, especially in this confusing cultural moment, requires the intentional cultivation of our minds. An exemplary model of someone who took this calling seriously is James Clerk Maxwell.

Justin Brierley, the host of the Unbelievable? podcase and the theology and apologetics editor for Premier Christian Radio told Christian Headlines it's nearly impossible to "live in a Christian bubble in today's world" due to the influence of social media and the Internet.

When we surrender our lives daily to the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), asking him to make us more like Jesus (Romans 8:29), he answers our prayer and uses us to lead others to our Lord.

While cultural engagement can be uncomfortable and our cultural opponents can be rancorous, we owe everyone we meet the privilege of hearing the truth that changed our lives.

A feature of life today is how quickly culture changes. That can leave many Christians, even those with a strong personal faith, struggling to make the connections between what is true, real, and good and how to think about all the issues that seem to barrage us. What Christians need is a strong public faith, one that provides clarity and meaning.