Englishman Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an accomplished “novelist, poet, essayist, dramatist, biographer, journalist, and apologist” and has been called “the ultimate Edwardian man of letters.”1 As such, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

  On March 23, 2007, about forty women protested in Kyrgyzstan’s capital against a plan to legalize polygamy. Under then-current statutes, polygamy was punishable with up to two years in prison. Proponents of legalization in this largely Muslim country believed such restrictions were unnecessary, the unfortunate remnants of an age when Kyrgyzstan was controlled by the Soviet Union.1 It may be strange to think of polygamy’s popularity rising, but as the influence of Islam increases, so does its ability to mold society into the image of the Qur’an.

Pastor John Scripture Reference: Hebrews 2:5-18

  17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18 (ESV)

by Mike Goeke MIDLAND, Texas (BP) — My childhood was decidedly not gay. To the naked eye, it probably looked great and happy and carefree and normal. But it was none of those things. It was confusing and scary. The word that most clearly defines my childhood emotions is “fear.”

In 1945, George Orwell published Animal Farm, one of the best aimed and most cutting satires of modern times. In it he parodies the Russian revolution of 1917 and launches a devastating attack on totalitarianism. Those outside could see the accuracy of Orwell’s critique of Soviet Communism. History would suggest that those living behind the “Iron Curtain” found it considerably harder to do so. Perhaps not least because their thinking was subject to state control, and books like Animal Farm were banned.1

In 1971, John Lennon wrote a hymn for the secularist faith. The song, “Imagine,” fantasized about the state of world affairs if everyone were stripped of all beliefs and prejudices—with the notable exception, of course, of the former Beatle’s favorites. “Imagine there’s no heaven,” sang Lennon, It’s easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today . . .Imagine there’s no countries It isn’t hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace . . .

Pastor John Scripture Reference: Hebrews 2:1-4

  This is an event designed for fun and fellowship around the dinner table.  Each person or family can choose whether they would like to host six or eight other people at their home for dinner, or be invited to someone else’s home.  Hosts will be notified how many people will be coming, but no one will know exactly who until they arrive.  It’s the best way to meet people, make friends, and keep our church one close family of families. 

  Leading sociologist of religion and professor at both the University of Washington and Baylor University, Rodney Stark, has written a number of important books on Christianity and culture. In The Rise of Christianity (1997), Stark describes how, in the first few centuries A.D., Christianity grew from being an obscure Jewish sect, to becoming the dominant ideology in the West. One major reason was the impact of the church’s life. Amid the chaos of cities like Antioch, in what is now Turkey, the Church was a glorious force for urban renewal. Acts 11:26 reports that it was at Antioch that […]