Lighthouse Faith

We've heard the harrowing details of the planes crashing into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, of how the First Responders risked their lives -and hundreds of them died- to save people trapped inside. More than three thousand people died on September 11, 2001 after terrorists hijacked planes and flew them into the towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. But there were thousands of regular folks who fled their apartments, homes and offices not knowing if they would live out the day. One of them was Christina Ray Stanton. She and her husband were living the dream as New Yorkers climbing the corporate ladder of success. They lived in lower Manhattan a few blocks from the World Trade Center. When the first plane hit, they could see the smoke coming from the tower from their balcony. When the second plane approached, it flew within 500 feet of that balcony over Christina's head. The sound rendered her temporarily deaf and knocked her to the floor. They grabbed the dog and fled the apartment with whatever they had on. In a matter of seconds they became refugees fleeing what seemed like a war zone. It took Christina a decade to talk about that day... and another near decade to write the book that tells the story of how 9-11 made her faith a reality. In this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Christina gives voice to her book, "Out of the Shadow of 9-11",  which tells an inspiring true story of a faith transformed.

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Imagine you were ten months old when your missionary father is killed by the very tribe members he had come to bring the Gospel. Then imagine that his wife, your mother, took you as a toddler to that very same tribe to continue your father's work. That's either insanity, a love that surpasses all understanding, or a faith that can move mountains. But that is in fact the early life of Valerie Elliot Shepard, the daughter of one of the most influential Christian women of the 20th Century, Elisabeth Elliot. Valerie has published a book of her parents' love letters called, 'Devotedly, The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot'. In this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Valerie shares how her parents' faith in Jesus Christ created in them a deep desire to serve Him, and also transformed their friendship into a deep love and eventual marriage, that is so different from today's relationships. She is their only child, but they were able to fuel a faith foundation in some of the most prominent pastors of today, including Dr. Tim Keller, founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.

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Alex and Stephen Kendrick emerged on the scene in 2003 with a small film called Flywheel. They were two ministers from Albany, Georgia, with a passion for telling the Gospel narrative through film. Flywheel, shot on a shoestring budget which wouldn't even pay for catering on most productions... ended up getting picked up by Sony. The rest, as they say, is history. They soon followed with Facing the Giants, Fireproof, War Room and Courageous. Each film takes on the different challenges we all face; in our work, in our marriages and in the trials of being a father. Overcomer is about identity, and who defines that.  Today the Kendricks are known for blazing a path in the faith-based movie industry, which has become a lucrative niche market. They talk about the battles and blessings, of keeping their brand focused on its foundational principle, which is to be a messenger of Jesus Christ.

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The latest mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio pose  a quandary for pundits who want to blame right wing or left wing political views for the shootings that left scores dead. Political Science professor Paul Kengor, says it's time to put blame where blame is due: the presence of evil. During this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, we talk about his recent article in Crisis Magazine called, "Giving the Devil His Due," and how our modern culture is so adverse to the idea of a devil, or Satan, or just plain spiritual evil. But with the last two shootings having no common political factor, or no common sociological/psychological factors, it's time to talk about a proposed real culprit, the Devil.

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If your college-bound student is taking philosophy this fall semester, beware that they are in danger of losing what religious faith they have. That's because some 70 percent of college philosophy professors are atheists, and they have no problem challenging impressionable minds on why they believe there is no God. But, and here's the good news if you're  a person of faith, some philosophers are coming back to religion.  In a new book called, Faith & Reason, editors Brian Besong and Jonathan Fuqua chart this new trend emerging in philosophy. In the book,  eleven well-known philosophy professors divulge their conversion stories of why they found faith a suitable companion to reason.  It's mainly, for the simple fact that faith answered questions about why things happened, that reason alone could not make sense of. Questions like, 'why is there anything at all?' are queries that are out of the realm of science. Why atheism grew so much among intellectuals in the past century is a question that Besong and Fuqua can answer as well. But the reason for the growth of atheism is also quite simple.

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It's difficult to think of death as being a happy ending, especially when the person dying is a beautiful young wife, and mother of four children. But the story of  Kara Tippetts-- pastor's wife, mommy blogger and best-selling author-- becomes one of triumph in the hands of filmmakers Jay and Sofia Lyons.  Their documentary film, The Long Goodbye: The Kara Tippetts Story, has just been released, and follows Kara through her last few years as she battles stage-four breast cancer. In this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast,  the Lyons' talk about how Kara, in dying, taught them a lot about how to live. Kara says in the trailer, "Why is it so many people withhold love?" It's a line that is at once convicting and uplifting. Love is the answer. It always has been; even for someone, "leaving the party early," as Sofia says.  Death is something everyone will face. In watching Kara, we all get to thumb our nose at death and say, "You don't have the final word!"

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Social media mania, computer crazed, smart phone savvy and oh yeah, more spiritual than religious. The Millennial generation may have an affinity for avocado toast and taking selfies, but they shun organized religion having been raised on the internet and individual freedoms, aka 'determining right and wrong for themselves.' But something happened to a few of those Millennials who are now searching  for something beyond a surface spirituality. They craved a foundational faith that transcends theirs, and their parents' generation. That's who Lauren and Michael McAffee represent. Their book, "Not What You Think: Why The Bible Might Be Nothing We expected Yet Everything We Need," is a commentary on the state of their generation's spiritual mindset, but also a candid prescription of what it actually needs and hungers for. Their own spiritual genealogy shows a strong religious background. Lauren is the daughter of Stephen Green, head of the Hobby Lobby franchise, and major benefactor of the Museum of the Bible. But that disclaimer allows her to be honest about her own spiritual questions. She and Michael have made their faith their own. They've looked at the evidence, and now want to tell their contemporaries what they concluded.

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With Pope Francis taking the helm of the Catholic Church six years ago, there's been a decided divide between the conservative and liberal wings of the Church body.  Early on Francis was a media darling. Liberals love him for his more personal, humble approach to Christian doctrine. While conservatives still long for the good ole days of Pope Benedict XVI, the now retired pontiff who was more comfortable in the world of theological academics than in the vast splendor of the Vatican's top spot. Enter into this fray, Father Joseph Fessio, the "founder and editor of Ignatius Press, which is the primary English-language publisher of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's writings and the publisher of Catholic World Report." Fr. Fessio joins Lighthouse Faith Podcast to talk about all things Catholic: the sex abuse crisis, the draining membership of the Catholic faithful, and of course the philosophical fissure that has grown larger since Francis became the Bishop of Rome. How can the Church move forward comfortably when there seems to be more that divides it than unites it? It can be done. But requires a return of true faith, not one mired in politics and secular group think. Here's Fr. Fessio's vision of the future.

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A wise woman of faith once said to me, "You can become bitter or better from the things that happen to you. It's your choice."  Well Chris and Emily Norton have not only made their life better, but they've made other young lives better in the process. When Chris was an 18 year old college freshman football player, he was severely injured in a game. One tackle, one split second, changed his life forever. He became paralyzed from the neck down. But though his body couldn't move, his spirit soared. His faith in God made him stronger, and he was determined to walk again. He questioned whether he would ever marry or have children; then he met Emily and they are now the parents of five adopted daughters. But his story went viral when, with Emily's help, he walked across the stage to receive his diploma. And then three years later, walked down the aisle at their wedding. The aisle, a mere seven yards. But it represents a miraculous journey that is inspiring millions. Their new book, "The Seven Longest Yards" chronicles their journey of faith and fortitude.

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Some historians have tried to recast the Founding Fathers as more secular than spiritually passionate about the Christian faith. And there's been much written about whether George Washington, the first president of the United States, was really a Christian or just a deist, a person who believes in God but more as a Creator who got things started and stood back to watch. But Newcombe begs to differ, and has done extensive research from Washington's own letters, speeches and actions that prove his deep faith in the founder of Christianity, Jesus. But more than that,  Newcombe talks about how America, this grand experiment in representative government, was based on one great truth that only come from a Divine Being, that the rights framing and forming the Declaration of Independence, rise and fall on the basis of a belief in a God from whom those rights are 'self-evident.' Happy Birthday, America!

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